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Lewis Ward a triple threat for CFL awards

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Doing one thing better than any other kicker in the history of professional football has made Lewis Ward something of a triple threat.

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By booting 45 consecutive field goals without a miss, Ward slipped past National Football League legend Adam Vinatieri’s mark of 44. And that rather amazing accomplishment makes Ward either the leading candidate or one of the main contenders for three Canadian Football League awards: most outstanding rookie, special teams player and Canadian.

Nobody in the history of the CFL has ever won three end-of-year honours in the same season. Only seven CFLers have doubled up.

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“He’s definitely going to win special teams player of the year,” said Calgary kicker Rene Paredes, who won it in 2013.

If Ward is the Eastern nominee on special teams, he should be challenged in the West by either Calgary’s Terry Williams, who has three return TDs, or B.C. kicker/punter Ty Long, Lions’ return man Chris Rainey or Saskatchewan kicker Brett Lauther.

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But what about the rookie race?

“It would be nice for a kicker to win it,” said Paredes.

The rookie nod has gone to 15 receivers, 11 running backs, seven linebackers, five defensive linemen, four quarterbacks, three defensive backs and an offensive lineman, but never to a kicker.

In the rookie race, Ward should have competition in the East from Montreal running back William Stanback, who was given a chance to shine after Tyrell Sutton was dealt to the Lions. In just eight games, Stanback has become the league’s 12th-leading rusher, putting up 448 yards and averaging 6.8 per carry.

The West Division is chock full of rookie candidates, but none of them has set a professional football record for excellence under fire. Saskatchewan’s nominee will likely be one of their solid young receivers, Jordan Williams-Lambert or Kyran Moore. Winnipeg’s should be either quarterback Chris Streveler or defensive back Marcus Sayles. And the Calgary chapter of the Football Reporters of Canada will likely nominate defensive back Tre Roberson. Neither B.C. nor Edmonton has a particularly strong rookie challenger.

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As for the most outstanding Canadian award, Ward might have to yield the Ottawa nomination to his teammate, receiver Brad Sinopoli, but that’s a heck of a horse race. If Ward does emerge from the team vote, he’d probably go up against Montreal linebacker Henoc Muamba for the right to represent the East during Grey Cup week. Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris and Calgary linebacker Alex Singleton are likely neck-and-neck for the West nomination.

So far, Ward hasn’t spent a great deal of time contemplating his chances of a hat trick.

“That would be very special, something incredible,” he said in late September. “I haven’t thought about that to be honest. I’m not someone who is award motivated. I’m here to do my part and help us win football games. If those awards come along with it, that would be fantastic, a great feeling.”

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Even if he falls short in the voting for most outstanding Canadian, Ward would join a very select group if he wins a pair of year-end awards. The only other rookie winners to double up were Winnipeg’s Albert Johnson III who added the special teams award in 2000, and B.C.’s Cameron Wake, who also collected most outstanding defensive player honours in 2007.

And the only other two-time winners were the fabulous Ottawa QB Russ Jackson, who paired most outstanding player and Canadian on three occasions: 1963, 1966 and 1969; Ottawa’s Tony Gabriel in 1978 (MOP and Canadian), B.C.’s Brent Johnson in 2006 (Canadian and defensive player), Calgary’s Jon Cornish in 2013 (MOP and Canadian) and B.C.’s Solomon Elimimian in 2014 (MOP and defensive player).

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Ward just keeps making a case for inclusion in that illustrious gang. Last Friday, in a home win over Hamilton, he tied Vinatieri’s pro football mark of 44 straight with a 23-yard chip shot, then broke the record with a career-high 52-yarder in front of friends, teammates, his girlfriend and his parents.

“Just a great moment,” he told reporters after the game.

Vinatieri set his mark for consistency between Oct. 4, 2015 and Nov. 20, 2016, over a span of 19 games. He was a 42-year-old, 20-year NFL veteran when the streak started. Ward was a 25-year-old rookie when his streak started, and has since celebrated his 26th birthday. So his age and inexperience ought to make the feat even more impressive.

But there have been critics, and Ward referenced them last Friday, people who say he has been given a leg up by head coach Rick Campbell, who hasn’t asked him to attempt many from longer than 47 yards.

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And it is a fact that Vinatieri booted nine field goals between 50 and 54 yards, while Ward has been limited to just that 52-yarder. His previous long during this streak had been 47 yards.

But Ward also went seven-for-seven. Not once, but twice. He has also gone five-for-five and broke the record in his 16th game. Vinatieri needed 19 games to get to 44 kicks because his single-game high was five, and he did that just once.

“My coaches aren’t going to send me out there for something they don’t think I can make,” Ward said.

dbarnes@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/sportsdanbarnes

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WEEK 20 RANKINGS

1. B.C. (4)

Still Winning for Wally. Playoff berth clinched, the Leos could do the unthinkable and host the West semi-final, with a little help from their enemies.

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1. Winnipeg (2)

It’s a tie! They get the bye week bump from the free-falling Stamps, they’re on a four-game winning streak, still have a chance to host the West semi-final, and their last game was a 31-0 blowout of the Riders.

3. Saskatchewan (6)

Blown out in Winnipeg one week, better than the Stamps in Calgary the next, the Riders are a study in inconsistency. But still dangerous.

4. Calgary (1)

This late season 1-2 swoon is reminiscent of last year’s denouement, which saw them drop the final three regular season games before advancing to the Grey Cup.

5. Ottawa (7)

The Redblacks are an advertisement for Canadian content as receiver Brad Sinopoli and kicker Lewis Ward lead them toward an East Division crown.

6. Hamilton (3)

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A loss to Ottawa was debilitating enough, but the Tabbies also lost star receiver Brandon Banks, out for the rest of the season with a broken clavicle.

7. Edmonton (5)

They fired GM Ed Hervey. They fired the special teams coach. They might miss the playoffs. But hey, that Grey Cup Festival zipline looks like a crowd-pleaser.

8. Toronto (9)

They won The Toilet Bowl over Montreal in front of a polite gathering that was so small the CFL didn’t include the attendance figure on the official game sheet.

9. Montreal (8)

Playing for a job at the end of a lost season makes sense right up until the GM, head coach and his entire staff gets whacked and the new regime blows it all up.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“On a personal level, it was good to punch a playoff ticket on the heads of the Eskimos.” – Former Edmonton and current B.C. general manager Ed Hervey on SN650 radio in Vancouver.

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BY THE NUMBERS

109

Passes caught by Ottawa’s Brad Sinopoli. He needs three more to tie Ben Cahoon’s CFL record for Canadian receivers, set in 2003.

.700

Winning percentage of West Division teams in the 40 games played against East Division teams. Calgary was tops at 8-0, Edmonton worst at 4-4.

138

Rushing yards needed for league-leading William Powell of Ottawa to hit the 1,500-yard mark. He’d be the first CFLer to get there since Jon Cornish racked up 1,813 yards in 2013.

76

League-leading combination of knockdowns (55) and interceptions (21) by the B.C. Lions. It amounts to 14.7 per cent of opponents’ pass attempts against them.

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WEEK 20 PICKS

Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET

Calgary (12-4) at Winnipeg (9-7)

The injury-riddled offence has been misfiring and now Calgary’s stout defence looks mortal, giving up 469 net yards of offence to the Riders. Couple those foibles with the momentum that the Bombers’ four-game winning streak has produced and it looks like a home win in the making. Winnipeg by four.

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Saturday at 4 p.m. ET

Ottawa (9-7) at Hamilton (8-8)

If the Ticats don’t get to Ottawa QB Trevor Harris quickly and cleanly, he’s going to dink and doink them to death again, hitting receivers Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson underneath all day. Oddsmakers favour the Tabbies but with Brandon Banks on the shelf, it looks more like Ottawa by three.

Saturday at 7 p.m. ET

B.C. (9-7) at Saskatchewan (11-6)

The Lions roll into Regina on a three-game winning streak, but they’re a dismal 2-6 on the road and Mosaic is the CFL’s toughest environment for the visitors. Then again, the Riders have already lost three times at home this year, so that gives the Leos hope. Oddsmakers favour Saskatchewan by four. We call it Riders by three.

Sunday at 1 p.m. ET

Toronto (4-12) at Montreal (3-13)

It’s on the schedule. They have to play it. Oddsmakers see it as a pick ‘em game. Montreal by one.

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