Faulds, Onyeka earn top honours at OUA Football Awards

BURLINGTON – The incredible season for the Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks men’s football team continued last night with Michael Faulds taking home Coach of the Year and Linebacker Nakas Onyeka winning the OUA President’s Award as the top stand-up defensive player in the conference.

After starting 1-7 back in 2013 when he inherited a struggle Laurier team, Faulds turned the entire program around, finishing this season with a 7-1 record and a birth to the 109th Yates Cup.

Under Faulds, the Golden Hawks are one of the top ranked teams on offense and defense. They lead the league in rushing yards and defensive touchdowns. Also, the Golden Hawks scored 43 touchdowns and 341 points, the most in program history.

Faulds took home the prestigious Tuffy Knight award. He’s the first Hawks’ coach to do so since Gary Jeffries in 2009.

Speaking with laurierathletics.com, Faulds says winning Coach of the Year was a team effort among the entire coaching staff. “When I first found out that I was Coach of the Year, the first thing I did was tell my staff that it’s really the staff of the year,” said Faulds on receiving the honour. We have so many great pieces around me and so many great players that we get to coach. But it really is a testament to how far we’ve come, from 2013 going 1-7 to 7-1 this year, it truly is amazing.”

Meanwhile, fourth year Linebacker Nakas Onyeka got top defensive honours. This season, Onyeka led Laurier’s defensive unit as well as the conference in defensive touchdowns with 6 and sacks with 36.

Earlier this season, Onyeka was ranked by the CFL as the 16th top ranked prospect by the league’s Scouting Bureau.

Laurier will now have to re-focus and get ready for the 109th Yates Cup against the Western Mustangs in London at TD Stadium. 570 News has the broadcast starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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