Phil Pullen has tracked down Shenandoah ball-carriers previously and did so again on Friday. Hampden-Sydney athletics file photo by Sideline Media

Presented by

Games of March 5-6, 2021

Offense

QB Dane Andrews, Fr., Franklin

You knew this was coming, right? Andrews throws for five touchdowns with no interceptions as Franklin got its spring off to a roaring start with a 55-48 win against Anderson. Andrews was 24-for-33 passing for 463 yards and the five scores in the win, which was his Franklin football debut.

OL Cole Gaddy, Cole McAlpin, Charlie Ballou, Zay Stephens, Kendrioun Boatman, Belhaven

Belhaven put up 255 yards on the ground and 453 yards of total offense for the game in a 33-24 win against Louisiana College in which the Blazers held the ball for more than 33 minutes. 

RB Duncan Varela, Sr., Puget Sound

Varela backed up his selection on our February team with another won, going for a career-high 146 yards on Whitworth on 26 carries, including a 53-yard touchdown. He also had six catches for 60 yards.

WR Noah Thomas, Sr., Rose-Hulman

Noah became the career leader for receiving yards at Rose-Hulman with 2,562 as part of a 7-catch, 183-yard, 2-touchdown performance in a 52-6 win over Defiance. Thomas, who ranks No. 2 in school history with 26 career touchdowns and No. 4 with 189 receptions, hauled in touchdown strikes of 15 and 56 yards to help Rose-Hulman build a 38-0 lead at the half and only played the first two quarters in the victory.

WR Zac Tallent, Jr., Anderson

Tallent racked up 11 receptions, 197 receiving yards and two touchdown catches as Anderson fell to Franklin 55-48. Six of his catches went for first downs, including a 91-yard catch-and-run late in the fourth quarter which got the Ravens within a touchdown.

WR Jarrett Gibson, So., Franklin

Gibson made his first career start at wideout and had an afternoon, hauling in 10 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns. His scoring catches went for 54, 29 and 55 yards, respectively.

TE Ed Newman, Sr., Hampden-Sydney

Newman had a game-high five receptions for a game-high 98 yards receiving and one touchdown during a 26-0 road shutout at Shenandoah on March 5, the TD coming on a 65-yard pass play from Tanner Bernard early in the third quarter for the team's second score of the night.

Defense

DE Clayton Bell, Sr., Centre

Bell recorded six total tackles and two and a half sacks in a narrow 18-17 overtime loss to Berry. He came up with one and a half of his sacks on the Vikings' final drive of regulation to force overtime.

DT Phil Pullen, Sr., Hampden-Sydney

Pullen led an outstanding team defensive effort during a 26-0 shutout at Shenandoah on March 5 with five tackles, including one for loss, along with two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup, limiting SU to just 130 yards of total offense, including only 16 yards rushing and 114 yards through the air. Pullen is also the student body president at H-SC for 2020-21.

DT Adonnis Butler, Sr., Hendrix

Butler had nine total tackles, four solo, in the Warriors' 13-3 win at Trinity (Texas). He ended the day with three tackles for loss and two sacks.

DE James Wright IV, So., East Texas Baptist

Wright had one and a half sacks and three quarterback hurries to go with four tackles in a 30-28 loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor. UMHB quarterbacks combined to complete just 12 of 32 pass attempts for 139 yards.

LB Michael Stevens, Jr., Rose-Hulman

Stevens led a Rose-Hulman defensive effort that held Defiance to minus-9 rushing yards and 124 yards of total offense in a 52-6 victory. Hehad a team-high 12 tackles (eight solo) with three tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery in the win.

LB Andre Evans, Sr., Centre

Evans tied for a team-high nine stops in Centre's overtime loss to Berry. That included three and a half tackles for loss (19 yards) and two and a half sacks (minus-16 yards).

LB Toby Naylor, So., Brevard

When Averett got the ball back in the two-minute drill, Naylor immediately greeted Cougars quarterback Bryce Jackson with a sack. And on third down, Naylor teamed up with Lindin Gault to record another sack, ending Averett's comeback hopes in a 19-10 win. Naylor had nine total tackles, four solo.

CB Montez Archer Jr., Fr., Bluffton

Archer stole the show with three interceptions and a 65-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in Bluffton's 49-14 win at Manchester. He also led the Beavers with seven stops. His three pickoffs tied for the school record of three interceptions in a single game. Bluffton's defense forced eight turnovers, including six interceptions, which was just one off the school mark set against Earlham in 2012 and Bowling Green in 1932. The Beavers limited Manchester to just 253 yards of total offense.

S Jefferson Fritz, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor

Jefferson intercepted two passes, including one at the UMHB goal line to end an ETBU scoring threat. He extended his own school and conference record for career interceptions. Jefferson also added six total tackles, a forced fumble and one and a half tackles for loss. He set up the Cru's first touchdown with a big punt return and also had a solid day punting as he did a little bit of everything for UMHB in the win over the Tigers.

S Jacob Bremmon, Jr., Hendrix

Bremmon picked off three passes to help lead Hendrix's outstanding defensive performance in a 13-3 win at Trinity (Texas). He also had three tackles, one of them a solo stop.

CB Quentin Jackson, Sr., Brevard

Jackson tallied six tackles and had a crucial, 31-yard pick-six that helped the Tornados come from behind against Averett, 19-10. His touchdown came shortly after Brevard had taken a 12-10 lead, snuffing out Averett's hopes before they started.

Special teams

K John Aldridge, So., Austin College

Aldridge was perfect on three extra points in the first half, and as Millsaps got a couple of red zone stops, Aldridge was able to convert for the Roos, kicking field goals of 28 and 32 yards in a 27-17 win against Millsaps. 

P Hunter Sellen, Sr., Millsaps

Sellen punted seven times for a 36.4-yard average, placing four of those punts inside the 20-yard line in Millsaps' 27-17 defeat to Austin College.

RET Carter Weakley, Jr., Hendrix

At a time in which Hendrix really needed to get points on the board, Carter Weakley came up big. He took the Trinity (Texas) kickoff at the 3 and returned it to midfield, and the Warriors were in the end zone six plays later, having extended their three-point lead to 10, at 13-3.

ST Bryce Hergert, Jr., Hardin-Simmons

Hergert blocked a punt for a safety and then shared a tackle for loss on a bad snap/scramble on another attempted punt. It set the Cowboys up in the red zone and led to a touchdown right before halftime in a 33-14 win against Texas Lutheran. For good measure, he added an interception on TLU's last play from his safety position.