In the first weekend of the 2013 Canada West football regular season, Manitoba Bisons third year kick running back/returner Anthony Coombs was selected as Canada West Special Teams Football Athlete of the Week for the week ending September 1/12.

Manitoba Bisons running back/kick returner Anthony Coombs started the 2013 season right where he left off after another CIS All-Canadian and Canada West All-Star performance last season. He finished the season home opener with 223 rushing yards on only 16 carries (a whopping 13.9 average) with 2 rush TDs of 84 and 62 yards. Coombs added another 37 yard receiving touchdown while only playing in three quarters during the 65-41 home victory over the Alberta Golden Bears on Friday, August 30 in the Bisons first-ever football game at the new stadium – Investors Group Field.

The third year running back/kick returner led the then #10 Bisons as he rattled of eight runs of 10+ yards and ten runs of 6+ yards in the 24 point win. His three highlight touchdowns pushed a close contest at the end of the second quarter into a comfortable victory by Manitoba when he caught a 37 yard TD pass to push the lead to eight points with two minutes left in the half.

The Winnipeg native added a 84 yard TD run after only 34 seconds gone in the second half and finished with another scintillating 62 yard TD run with 4:43 in the third and pushed the Bisons lead to 60-26 at that point.

In addition, Coombs 223 rushing yards was eighth highest in team history while his 84 yard TD run was the fifth longest run by a Bison. Coombs is first in Canada West all-purpose yards with 271 yards, first with 223 conference rushing yards and tied for first in Canada West touchdowns with three after game one.

This is the first time that a Manitoba Bisons football player has earned conference player of the week honours in 2013.

Bison Football Notes: #9 Manitoba (1-0) host the #8 Saskatchewan Huskies (1-0) on Saturday, September 7 at 5 p.m. CT in the SHAW TV Game of the Week.