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| Read on to find all the ways Damon Clapper contributed to the Northwestern (Minn.) win against Minnesota-Morris. Northwestern (Minn.) athletics photo by Alicia Korpi |
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Games of April 1-3, 2021
The Team of the Week, presented by Scoutware, is D3football.com's weekly honor roll, in its 22nd season of recognizing the top performance at each position from the previous week. Players are nominated by schools.
Offense
QB Brody Hahn, Sr., Ohio Northern
Hahn accounted for all five of ONU's TDs as the Polar Bears built a 35-3 third quarter lead in a 35-22 victory over Wilmington. He threw four of them, completing 14 of 23 passes for 245 yards, and had 11 carries for 72 yards and a score as well in the win.
OL Brandon Unangst, Todd Norman, Nicholas Eubanks, Zion Barjolo, Ari Drake, Brevard
The line helped the Tornados account for their largest rushing total of the season in addition to their first 100-yard rusher of the season in a 44-14 win against N.C. Wesleyan. The 319 yards on the ground accounted for BC's largest total rushing since 2016, when Brevard was a member of D-II and running the triple option.
RB Joshuah Kren, Sr., Martin Luther
Kren ran 23 times for 210 yards and a touchdown as Martin Luther won its season opener at Ripon by the score of 34-16. The Knights controlled the clock to the tune of 39 minutes, 58 seconds in time of possession.
RB Nazavious Williams, Fr., Defiance
In Defiance's 42-19 win over HCAC foe Anderson on April 3, freshman Nazavious Williams ran 19 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns. In a reserve role, he averaged 9.5 yards per rush, scoring touchdowns on runs of 32 and 74 yards.
WR Pierce Bradford, Jr., Eureka
Bradford hauled in five receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-3 win vs. Concordia-Chicago. His scores included a 34-yard touchdown at the start of the second half and an 88-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter.
WR Colton Lockwood, Jr., Millikin
Lockwood caught 10 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-tying touchdown in the first overtime as Millikin outlasted Augustana 40-34 in four OTs.
TE Dalton Cole, Jr., Brevard
Cole scored three touchdowns on the ground with 60 yards rushing in addition to a pair of receptions for 37 yards as he lined up at both tight end and behind center during Brevard's 44-14 rout of N.C. Wesleyan.
Defense
DE Nichal Johnson, So., Ohio Northern
Had a team-high 10 tackles, including five and a half tackles for loss and two sacks. His performance paced a defensive effort that finished with seven sacks and 12 TFL in a 35-22 win against Wilmington.
DT Takhari Bowens, Jr., Rockford
Bowens wreaked havoc from the defensive line position throughout his team's 20-14 win against Concordia (Wis.) on Saturday. He tallied five solo tackles including three sacks totaling 28 yards. He also forced a fumble as a part of a Rockford defense that created six turnovers in the victory.
DT Blade Durbala, Sr., Central
Playing in just the first half, Durbala had three sacks and five tackles for loss in a 49-14 win over Simpson. Two of his three sacks came on third down, forcing Simpson punts.
LB Michael Stevens, Jr., Rose-Hulman
Stevens led the Rose-Hulman defense with 11 tackles (eight solo) and sealed a 34-14 win over Franklin with a 72-yard interception return for a touchdown. Stevens recorded his third double-figure tackle game this season and leads the 3-1 Fightin' Engineers with 43 tackles.
LB Isaiah Farmer, So., Bridgewater
Farmer recorded the game-clinching interception in the red zone, picking off a pass at the Bridgewater 13 with the Eagles holding an 8-point lead. He also had nine tackles and a tackle for loss in the 22-14 victory against Shenandoah.
LB Damon Clapper, Jr., Northwestern (Minn.)
Clapper had two interceptions, six tackles, blocked an extra point attempt, and scored a rushing touchdown on offense to lead the Eagles to a 27-23 victory over Minnesota-Morris on Saturday. The linebacker entered the game on offense in the final seconds of the opening half and rushed in a 3-yard touchdown to give UNW a 24-10 lead. The Cougars clawed back in and scored to make it 24-23, but on the ensuing extra point attempt Clapper broke through the UMM protection to block the kick to preserve the 1-point UNW lead. Leading by just one late in the fourth, Clapper picked off the Cougars deep in their territory to set up a field goal to make it a four-point lead. On the Cougars next and final drive, Clapper again intercepted the ball to seal the 27-23 win for the Eagles.
LB Kyle Minder, Jr., Adrian
Minder's two interceptions set up the Adrian offense with excellent field position as the Bulldogs came back from a 21-3 deficit to shock Olivet by a 28-27 score. Minder led the Adrian defense with 10 tackles (four solo, one and a half tackles for loss), two interceptions and another pass breakup. In fact, his two picks led to 10 points for the offense in the second quarter. His first interception set up the offense at the OC 25 that led to a 22-yard field goal by Cooper West to make the score Olivet 14-3. His second of the day placed the offense at the visitor 27 and led to a 1-yard TD plunge from Jack Wurzer to make it 21-10 Comets with just nine seconds left in the half.
CB Joc Pledger, So., Brevard
Pledger secured his conference-leading fifth interception of the season against N.C. Wesleyan on Saturday. He also had three tackles in the 44-14 win.
S Rashard Brown, So., Rose-Hulman
Brown led a big-play Rose-Hulman defense with two interceptions in a 34-14 win over Franklin. He had the two interceptions, one pass breakup and four tackles (three solo) as the Fightin' Engineers improved to 3-1 on the season.
S Blake Davis, Jr., Benedictine
Davis accounted for four takeaways in a 36-30 loss to Aurora that determined the South Division champion. He Recorded three interceptions and recovered a fumble. Two of the turnovers came inside the 10-yard line to stall the high-scoring Aurora offense. Davis also notched six tackles while breaking up two passes.
CB Wesley Porter, Sr., Sewanee
Porter was a major factor in Sewanee's spring opener, a 24-21 loss to Greensboro. In the second half, the senior recovered a key fumble one play after the special teams coughed it up to start the second half. In the fourth quarter, he recorded a 53-yard interception return. On the day, he posted six solo tackles, including one for a loss, and one pass breakup.
Special teams
K Zak Talbot, Fr., Loras
The spring football season has been a struggle for long snappers, kickers and holders to execute, which is why we are recognizing Talbot. The Duhawks' kickoff specialist, Talbot put six of his eight kickoffs inside the 10. One of the others came after Loras was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on its touchdown and he was forced to kic off from the 20.
P Kieran Trevier, Sr., Rockford
Trevier averaged 39.9 yards on his seven punts in a 20-14 win against Concordia (Wis.). He did an excellent job flipping field position throughout the game, with three punts downed inside the 20 (one at the 3) and boomed punts of 61 yards and 57 yards. In addition to three inside the 20, he also dropped one on the 20 and another on the 22.
RET Iceysis Lewis, Fr., Hampden-Sydney
Lewis returned three kicks for 100 yards, including a 57-yard return of the second-half kickoff against Ferrum on April 3 that set-up the fifth touchdown of the game for H-SC. He added a 25-yard return and an 18-yard return as well.
ST Freddie Watkins, Fr., Bridgewater
Watkins, a freshman holder on PATs and field goals, scored a two-point conversion on a fake in Bridgewater's 22-14 win at Shenandoah.