HALIFAX, N.S. - Bishop's Gaiters Keagan Hughes (West Kelowna, BC/M.B.S.S.), Samuel Ducharme (St-Hippolyte, QC/Collège Lionel-Groulx), Nykolas Pierre-Masse (Laval, QC/Collège Montmorency) and Louis-Philippe Gregoire (Jonquière, QC/Cégep de Jonquière) are 2021 AUS Football All-Stars. The conference revealed the 2021 All-Stars on Thursday in the lead-up to the 2021 Subway AUS Loney Bowl presented by Bell that will feature the Bishop's Gaiters and the StFX X-Men in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Keagan Hughes (West Kelowna, BC/M.B.S.S.), a fifth-year sports studies senior, finished the regular season with 34.5 tackles (including 25 solo tackles), third best in the AUS. The linebacker averaged 5.8 tackles per game, tallied one sack this season and four additional tackles for a combined loss of 14 yards for the Gaiters. A West Kelowna, B.C. local, Hughes also recorded one forced fumble in 2021 and was integral in the Gaiters' ability to hold the opposition to just 120.3 rushing yards per game while Bishop's claimed the title of the best rush defense in the league.

A fifth-year politics and international studies student, Ducharme started all six regular season games at left tackle for the Gaiters. The 6'6" tackle from St-Hippolyte, Que. anchored an offensive line that helped Bishop's post #2 rankings in offensive touchdowns (10), total offense (1,979 yards), yards per game (338.8 yards), third down conversion percentage (63%), first downs (116) and passing yards (5,639). Samuel Ducharme (St-Hippolyte, QC/Collège Lionel-Groulx) was also key to the Gaiters' league leading 1,128 rushing yards and average of 188.0 rush yards per game.
 
Nykolas Pierre-Masse (Laval, QC/Collège Montmorency), a rookie out of Laval, Que., had 22 completions on the year for a total of 273 yards. The receiver averaged 3.7 receptions per game, 45.5 yards per game and 12.4 yards per catch. The first-year sociology student scored three touchdowns for the purple and white during the 2021 AUS regular season. Pierre-Masse is the first Bishop's rookie to receive AUS All-Star recognition since the Gaiters joined the AUS in 2017.
 
The second leading rusher in the league, Gregoire played in all of Bishop's games this season. The fifth-year senior studying politics and international studies totalled 98 carries for 591 yards. A  Jonquière, Que. local, Gregoire averaged 6.0 yards per carry and 98.5 yards per game. The Gaiters' primary ball carrier found the end zone three times for the purple and white throughout the 2021 season. This is Louis-Philippe Gregoire's (Jonquière, QC/Cégep de Jonquière) second nod as an AUS All-Star after receiving All-Star recognition in 2019-20.
 
The Gaiters continue their preparations for the 2021 Loney Bowl. Bishop's will face StFX on Saturday November 20 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Kickoff is set for 2PM local time (1PM Eastern).

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