Brett Tharp Bridgewater (Va.) athletics photo

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Games of March 23-29, 2021

Offense

QB Troy Yowman, Fr., East Texas Baptist

Yowman had a career game throwing for 424 yards and five touchdowns in a season-ending win against Texas Lutheran. Four of those five TDs came in the first half. His first TD pass of the day was a 61-yard pass to Kaleb O'Bryant to tie the game at 7 at the 7:01 mark in the 1st quarter. He gave the Tigers the lead for good with a 13-yard pass for DeCarlos Frazier at 13:56 in the second quarter. He added 24-yard pass to O'Bryant in with 9:41 left in the second for a 21-10 lead, and close the half with 28 seconds left in the second, htting Cornelius Merchant from 22 yards out. His final pass was in the third with 9:19 left to O'Bryant from 8 yards out for a 42-13 lead. Yowman completed 26 of 38 passes and turned the ball over just once in the 51-20 win.

OL Ethan Ruckman, Matt Sanders, Steven Sellers, Reuel Tandoh, Jesse Hoke, Mary Hardin-Baylor

The UMHB offensive line was credited with one sack allowed (although it should have been credited as a tackle for loss) and helped deliver 231 yards on the ground in a battle of unbeatens as the Cru defeated Hardin-Simmons, 23-15. In a normal year, this would have been a game between two teams in the Top 10. The Cru controlled the clock for more than 33 minutes in the victory.

RB Devin Briscoe, Fr., Louisiana College

Briscoe had the Wildcats in position to end the season on a high note as he ran for more than 200 yards for the second consecutive week as well as at least one touchdown. He finished the day with 231 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries in a 32-31 loss to McMurry.

RB Xaine Kirby, So., Trine

Kirby ran for 166 yards on 22 carries against Adrian, a career-high. He had hit up the Bulldogs for 141 yards against the Bulldogs in the season opener back on Oct. 3 which was his previous individual all-time mark and got him on the Team of the Week for the fall as well. 

WR Andrew Wolf, Sr., Washington & Jefferson

After not having played since Week 3 of 2019, Wolf hauled in eight catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of a 66-0 victory over Waynesburg. Wolf opened the scoring with a 11-yard touchdown grab and later added a 25-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

WR Maceo Matthews, Sr., Heidelberg

A repeat winner from last week's Team of the Week, Matthews put up another 196 yards and two touchdowns on six catches, averaging 32.7 yards per reception in a 38-16 win against Wilmington.

TE Alex Lopez, Sr., Benedictine

Lopez caught eight passes for 134 yards with a pair of touchdowns in a win that saw Benedictine rally from a 21-3 deficit against Eureka. He made a leaping 46-yard grab as part of the go-ahead drive in the 38-28 victory.

Defense

DE Josh Bever, So., Ohio Northern

Bever racked up three tackles for loss and two sacks for the Polar Bears in their 47-6 win against Capital. He finished with seven tackles, three solo.

DT Devin Nixon, So., McMurry

Nixon tied a team-high with a career-high 10 tackles in a 32-31 win over Louisiana College on Saturday. Four of those tackles came on consecutive plays from inside the 10-yard line in the third quarter, helping hold the Wildcats to a field goal attempt, which they missed.

DE Mike Murphy, Sr., Illinois Wesleyan

Murphy led Illinois Wesleyan to a 12-0 shutout win against Augustana, the Titans' first shutout of Augie since 2009. Murphy notched five tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 16 yards.

LB Brett Tharp, Jr., Bridgewater

Tharp had another big day with 15 tackles (including 12 solo), an interception and a tackle for loss in a 19-18 loss to Shenandoah. He has at least nine tackles in all four games this season.

LB Jacob Mueller, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor

Mueller posted a game-high 12 tackles, including 10 solo stops to help lead UMHB to another ASC championship. He added four tackles for loss and a sack as the Cru limited Hardin-Simmons to 94 yards rushing.

LB Zach Blackiston, Jr., Heidelberg

Blackiston racked up three sacks in the Student Princes' 38-16 win against Wilmington. That total came among nine total tackles, all solo.

LB Jawan Coney, Fr., Anderson

Coney forced a fumble and recovered a fumble during Anderson's 55-27 victory against Manchester. Coney finished with a sack for a loss of eight yards and four total tackles.

CB Quentin Jackson, Sr., Brevard

Jackson picked off a pair of passes to lead BC's defense in a 14-3 victory over Maryville, a game which was shortened to 54 minutes because of severe weather. He also had four tackles and half a tackle for loss.

S Drew Ehrlich, Fr., Washington & Jefferson

Ehrlich returned an interception 39 yards for a pick six in W&J's 66-0 shutout victory over Waynesburg. The freshman added six tackles (two for loss), blocked a punt and recorded two pass breakups in the win.

S Kreevon Maple, Sr., Anderson

Maple picked off two passes, racking up a total of 59 interception return yards in the process, as Anderson captured a 55-27 victory against Manchester. Maple finished second on the team with nine tackles. He also contributed a sack for a loss of five, 1.5 tackles for losses and a pass breakup.

CB Angel Sanchez, Jr., Trine

Sanchez had a 54-yard interception return for touchdown as time expired in the fourth quarter to help seal Trine's victory against Adrian. He also had six tackles (all solo stops).

Special teams

K Austin Steurer, Sr., Hanover

Steurer broke the Hanover College record on Saturday with 178 career kicking points to propel the Panthers past Rose-Hulman. He converted all three extra point attempts and made two field goals in the contest. The first field goal was for 24 yards while the second was a pressure-packed attempt for 29 yards with 13 seconds left in the game for the 27-24 win. Steurer broke the school record and nailed the game-winning field goal after a midweek accident left him with several stitches in his left leg.

P Mason Smith, Fr., Averett

Smith averaged 41.5 yards on four punts and landed two of them inside the 20 in a 33-29 win against N.C. Wesleyan. His last punt went 46 yards to the Battling Bishops 10-yard line, forcing them to have to drive 90 yards if they hoped to tie the game. They did drive, but did not tie, and that was because of the heroics of ...

ST Tristin Quick, Sr., Averett

Quick stripped the ball out of the hands of the quarterback and returned it 90 yards for a defensive two-point conversion after N.C. Wesleyan attempted to go for two and tie the game with 1:42 left. The four-point swing led to a four-point Cougars victory.