by RENALDO DORSETT
Demetrius Ferguson has developed a reputation for making big plays in the defensive backfield for the St Francis Xavier University X-Men and lived up to that billing this weekend as he led his team to their second win of the season.
Ferguson capped the 38-29 win for the the visiting X-Men over the Acadia Axemen Saturday, with an interception returned for a 50 yard touchdown.
His score gave St. FX a 38-16 lead late in the third quarter as the X-Men moved to 2-1 on the season.
Ferguson, a senior defensive back finished the game with 4.5 tackles, one interception and one punt returned for 32 yards.
The X-Men led 10-7 after the first quarter.
St. FX led 17-9 early in the second quarter when Ferguson’s punt return placed the ball on the Axemen’s 39 yard drive.
The X-Men would go ahead to score on the drive and take a 31-16 lead at the half.
Ferguson’s interception return for a touchdown was the only scoring in the third quarter.
The X-Men improve to 2-1 on the season, while Acadia fell to 1-2.
They are in second place in the AUS behind the undefeated Mount Allison Mounties.
St. FX will host the Montreal Carabins (2-1) at StFX Oland Stadium, September 27 at 2:00 pm.
Ferguson continues to emerge as a top flight defensive back in the league.
He has racked up 12.5 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery on the young season thus far.
Ferguson made one of the key plays in the season opener to help the X-Men defeat St Mary’s University on the road in the Huskies Stadium for the first time in 16 years. He recovered a blocked punt and returned it to the St Mary’s eight-yard line.
The X-Men would go on to score on the drive and win 31-7. They fell in the second game of the season to the Mount Allison Mounties, 27-25.
In his sophomore season, Ferguson came to the X-Men and registered a career high 33.5 tackles, six passes broken up, one forced fumble, one half sack and an interception which he returned for a 78-yard touchdown.
As a junior, he finished with 20.5 tackles, three passes broken up, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a career high three interceptions.
In a September 14 game against the Concordia Stingers, Ferguson had a career day. He finished with 4.5 tackles, one forced fumble, and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a 103-yard touchdown score. It was the second interception returned for a touchdown in Ferguson’s two year CIS career.
In his debut with the X-Men, Ferguson intercepted a pass midway through the third quarter which he returned for a 78-yard touchdown.
This year, 26 university teams are scheduled to play CIS football, the highest level of amateur Canadian football.
The X-Men are a member of Atlantic University Sport (AUS) – a regional membership association for the CIS.
Ferguson comes from a Holland programme which has become a pipeline for Bahamian football student athletes in Canada.
At Holland, he led the Hurricanes to an AFL Championship and won the Hilton Trophy as the team’s MVP after finishing with 10 touchdowns, including seven on kick returns, two on interceptions and one rushing, despite playing with a cast on his wrist this season.
