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- austinowens
CFP National Three Stars - Week 6
We're through six weeks of the 2021 Canadian Football League season, and the standout performances came early and often in the four matchups.
We see some repeat nominations on this weekly series, and unsurprisingly, we see a third straight appearance for one individual.
I don't like to go too long on these intros, so let's hop into the Stars of the Week and talk about who stood out from the crowd.
Nic Demski, Winnipeg Blue Bombers REC
Here we are again, praising Nic Demski for another big performance. He came up with a huge game to help the Bombers secure the Banjo Bowl victory in front of their home faithful.
Demski led the Bombers in receiving for the game, catching all five passes thrown his way for 134 yards.
It was a big day all around for the Bombers’ air attack, with Kenny Lawler finishing with 97 yards on five catches and Darvin Adams reeling in three passes for 49 yards.
Demski has been a Swiss-Army Knife of sorts for Mike O’Shea for a few years now, helping out with some catch-and-run opportunities while also taking the occasional handoff when called upon. He’s an invaluable piece of this team and has proven as much on multiple occasions so far this season.
Andrew Harris, Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB
I’m going to have to try and find new ways to explain how special of a player Andrew Harris is every week, aren’t I?
For the third consecutive week since he returned from injury, the Winnipeg feature back had a day to remember in a big win at home. 80 yards on 18 touches pretty much guarantees you a spot on this list at any point, and while he didn’t get into the end zone, the threat of Harris on the ground opens up more looks in the passing game for the likes of Demski and the other Bombers pass-catchers.
Not much else to say. I’ve been pumping his tires in this series for nearly a month straight now.
Kian Schaffer-Baker, Saskatchewan Roughriders REC
Lost in the hype surrounding Jordan Williams in the 2020 CFL Draft was Schaffer-Baker, who was also drafted after standing out at the Ontario Regional Combine.
The Guelph product was selected 30th overall by the Riders, and so far this year, he’s proving to be one of the best value picks in the entire draft.
I featured Schaffer-Baker as an honourable mention a few weeks back, and the 23-year-old showed out again for the Riders in the Banjo Bowl.
He was targeted eight times against the Bombers, and he wound up catching seven of those balls while going for 73 yards on the day -- a high for the Riders’ receivers.
He now has 60-plus yards receiving in two of the three games he’s suited up in this season. Schaffer-Baker doesn’t have a touchdown yet on the year, but if he keeps posting numbers like this, it won’t take too long for him to put his first career score on the board.
Honourable Mention
Tunde Adeleke (HAM), Brayden Lenius (SSK), Jevon Cottoy (BC), Nate Behar (OTT), Bo Lokombo (BC)
Austin Owens is a double grad in journalism at Centennial College, previously a Junior Content Coordinator with the Canadian Football League. Austin has also had stops at Sportsnet 590 the FAN and theScore.