2012 Football Players of the Week
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DeMikeal Burse, Emory & Henry, Jr., Def. Back
November 11, 2012Burse, a junior from Charlotte, N.C., helped the Wasps stifle Guilford's offense in the final 40 minutes of the game. After surrendering 10 points to go down 10-0, the Wasps kept Guilford off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest. Burse made two plays in the end zone to aid in that effort. He made his first play on fourth down from the E&H 23-yard line in the first quarter. With E&H already trailing 7-0, Burse broke up a pass in the Wasps' end zone to keep the score where it was. With just seconds left on the first half clock and E&H leading 16-10, Burse came up big again as he intercepted the GC quarterback in the end zone and returned it 27 yards to preserve the Wasps advantage at halftime. Burse finished the day with five passes defensed in addition to seven tackles (five solo) and a half-tackle for a loss of two yards. -
Kyle Boden, Emory & Henry, Jr., Quarterback
November 11, 2012Boden, a junior from Knoxville, Tenn., led the Wasps to 38 unanswered points as Emory & Henry recovered from an early 10 deficit to post a season-closing 38-10 win over Guilford on Saturday. Boden completed 22-of-35 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 65 yards on six carries, including a 38-yard burst to setup his final touchdown pass of the day. His 388 yards of total offense are the sixth-best by an E&H player all-time, and it helped the Wasps to their first 500-plus yard day since October 30, 2004, against Catholic. Boden connected with 10 different receivers on the day, firing touchdown passes to Lucas Kirby, Sam Edmonds, Cleo Cooper and Brandon Terry. Boden finishes the season second in the ODAC in passing yardage (2,511) and passing touchdowns (18).
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Satiir Stevenson, Guilford, So., Defensive Back
November 04, 2012Stevenson, a sophomore from Roselle, N.J., helped lead the Quakers to a 26-10 win over Catholic on Saturday. Stevenson finished one tackle short of the team-high with seven stops in addition to a pair of interceptions to give him four on the season, tied atop the ODAC with Shenandoah's Brandon Martin and Washington and Lee's Jake Pelton. Stevenson is the first Quaker since 2009 to record a pair of interceptions in one game. Each of his four interceptions have come in the past five games. On Saturday against CUA, Stevenson's first interception put an end to a Cardinal's drive at the GC five-yard line. His second pick came with just under two minutes to play to help seal the Quakers' fifth victory of the season, their most since 2007. Stevenson was also busy on special teams as he set up Guilford's first touchdown with a 31-yard punt return just before halftime. He also had a 27-yard kick-off return.
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Luke Heinsohn, Washington and Lee, Sr., Running Back
November 04, 2012Heinsohn, a senior from Charlottesville, Va., helped the Generals post a 45-42 win over Hampden-Sydney that took four overtimes to decide, marking the longest game in Washington and Lee football history. It also clinched the 2012 ODAC football title for Washington and Lee. Heinsohn, W&L's lead running back and place-kicker, registered a school-record and ODAC all-time second-best 33 points as he ran for four touchdowns, recorded a two-point conversion, made four extra-point attempts, and booted the game-winning 37-yard field goal. The four touchdowns give Heinsohn 21 on the season, while the 33 points improve his season-total to 176, which eclipses the ODAC single-season record of 164 set by Hampden-Sydney's Josh Simpson in 2007. Heinsohn carried the ball 35 times for 192 yards in Saturday's win, increasing his season total to an ODAC-best 1,153 yards. His 192 yards was a part of a 451-yard rushing day for W&L. The Generals are now 15-0 when they run for more than 400 yards over the last three years.
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Tom Solak, Randolph-Macon, So., Def. Lineman
October 28, 2012Solak, a sophomore from Richmond, Va., helped the Randolph-Macon defense shore up its efforts in the second half during the Yellow Jackets 27-24 come-from-behind victory over Shenandoah on Saturday. Solak made four plays in the Hornets backfield as he racked up eight total tackles on the day, tied for the team-high with Danny Hunt. He cost SU 20 yards of offense on 3.0 tackles for a loss. Included in that total was an ODAC weekly-high 2.5 sacks for a loss of 19 yards. Solak also contributed to the Jackets' rushing and pass defense as the sophomore lineman helped R-MC hold Shenandoah to 64 yards on 37 carries in addition to breaking up a pass.
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Nash Nance, Hampden-Sydney, So., Quarterback
October 28, 2012Nance, a sophomore from Calhoun, Ga., picks up his second weekly award of the season as he led Hampden-Sydney to an ODAC season-best 68 points in the Tigers 68-24 win over Guilford on Saturday. Nance completed 22-of-35 pass attempts for 309 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. He also threw for a pair of successful two-point conversions. Nance threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter as the Tigers jumped out to a 25-0 lead after the first 15 minutes of action. Nance's favorite target was again Holton Walker, as the sophomore collected 10 passes for 170 yards and two of the first quarter touchdowns. Nance leads the ODAC with 22 touchdown passes and 2,097 yards through the air.
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Ross Ellis, Emory & Henry, Sr., Defensive Back
October 21, 2012Ellis, a senior from Abingdon, Va., helped the Wasps recover from a 14-0 first-half deficit to return to the win column with a 15-14 victory over Catholic. Ellis spearheaded a defensive unit that gave up a pair of touchdowns in the first 30 minutes, but pitched a shutout in the second half. He made 10 tackles on the day, including 1.5 for a loss. In the second quarter, he helped setup the first of three field goals by Matt Turchin as he recovered a muffed punt deep in Catholic territory. His biggest play came with E&H trailing 14-12 with less than four minutes to play. Ellis intercepted his first pass of the season to return possession to the Wasps and set up the game-winning drive, which concluded in a field goal with 10-seconds to play. For the year, Ellis is sixth in the ODAC with 62 tackles.
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Matt Pawlowski, Guilford, Fr., Quarterback
October 21, 2012Pawlowski, a freshman from Greensboro, N.C., led Guilford to its second come-back victory in as many weeks and the Quakers' third straight win to move to 3-1 in ODAC play. Pawlowski enjoyed his third straight game without an interception as he set career-highs with 354 yards and four touchdowns on 24-of-37 passing. He fired a 65-yard touchdown pass on the game's first play to Adam Smith, and the duo connected on the game-winning score with 2:02 to play in regulation to put Guilford ahead 38-35. He threw a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes as GC scored the game's final 17 points to overcome a 35-21 deficit. His other two scoring passes covered 22 and seven yards. For the season, Pawlowski has thrown for 15 touchdowns against four interceptions, while completing 60.7-percent of his passes for 1,677 yards.
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Patrick Thomas,Catholic University,So.,Defensive Back
October 14, 2012Thomas, a sophomore from Newtown, N.J., played a big part in the Cardinals second ODAC win of the season, which came in a 34-7 win over Shenandoah University. The Cardinals held SU to 236 yards of total offense and forced five turnovers in the effort. Thomas was responsible for two of those turnovers. He got things started with an interception midway through the first quarter that stopped the Hornets as they tried to level the score at 7-all. In the second quarter, Thomas came up from his cornerback position to make a stop at the line of scrimmage, but he also jarred the ball free from the runner and picked up the loose ball. Three plays later, Catholic made good on the extra possession with a touchdown for a 13-0 lead. Thomas finished the day with five total tackles (three solo) and also batted down a pass, one of six passes broken up by the CUA defense. For the season, Thomas is third on the team with 32 tackles with a pair of interceptions.
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Matt Pawlowski,Guilford,Fr.,Quarterback
October 14, 2012Pawlowski, a freshman from Greensboro, N.C., led Guilford from a pair of deficits to post their second league win of the season and their first win over Bridgewater College since 2006. In the Quakers 23-20 win, Pawlowski was efficient and effective as he completed 18-of-26 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns without an interception for the second straight week. He had a hand in each of Guilford's touchdowns as he also ran for a score in addition to completed a two-point pass. Pawlowski completed passes to seven different receivers. He hit Adam Smith with a 22-yard TD pass in the second quarter, and then gave Guilford its first lead at 15-14 with a 1-yard touchdown run. After Bridgewater went ahead 20-14, Pawlowski tossed the eventual game-winning 10-yard touchdown pass to Nick Mearite with 7:13 to play. His two-point pass to Mearite made it 23-20. On the season, Pawlowski has 11 touchdown passes against just four interceptions while completing 59.9-percent of his attempts.
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Robert Smith, Guilford, So., Linebacker
October 07, 2012Smith, a sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C., continued his impressive campaign in Guilford's 20-7 ODAC win at Shenandoah University with 13 tackles against the Hornets. The sophomore linebacker keyed a Quakers' defensive effort that limited host SU to 206 total offensive yards and a single fourth-quarter touchdown. Smith had four solo stops and nine assists to extend his streak of games with 10 or more takedowns to six. He had two stops behind the line, including a fourth-quarter sack. Smith entered the game as the ODAC's tackles leader and maintained those advantages following the contest as he leads the ODAC with 64 total stops, 12.8 tackles per game and 11 TFLs. His 3.5 sacks are fifth in the league. In last week's national rankings released by the NCAA, Smith was among those listed in tackles for loss (11th) and tackles (14th) per game.
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Vance Hendren, Randolph-Macon, Sr., Halfback
October 07, 2012Hendren, a senior from Powhatan, Va., played three key roles for Randolph-Macon in the Yellow Jackets 45-21 victory over Catholic in the first night game at Day Field. Hendren assumed his usual role as lead blocker for the Yellow Jackets rushing attack as he help R-MC to a 205-yard day on the ground. He added to his efforts with four rushing touchdowns, which accounted for half of his carries on the day. He then turned wide receiver and hauled in a 32-yard touchdown pass to give him five scores and 30 points on the day. The five touchdowns are one shy of tying the Randolph-Macon single-game record, and they go down as the second highest output in ODAC history, tied with four other players. The 30 points are tied for the third-best mark conference history books. Hendren is currently tied for third in the league with six total touchdowns and 36 points.
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Cross Trued, Randolph-Macon, Sr., Defensive End
September 30, 2012Trued, a senior from Lorton, Va., was a mainstay in Emory & Henry's backfield on Saturday as the Randolph-Macon upended the previously undefeated Wasps, 22-10. Trued recorded 2.5 quarterback sacks that cost E&H 22 yards of offense. He made 3.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage in total, accounting for 23 yards lost. Trued and teammate Calvin Davis combined on a 10-yard sack in the third quarter, and the senior lineman had a pair of solo efforts in the fourth quarter, one for a loss of seven yards and the other for another 10-yard setback for E&H. Trued finished the contest with six total stops.
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Luke Heinsohn, Washington and Lee, Sr., Running Back
September 30, 2012Heinsohn, a senior from Charlottesville, Va., helped lead Washington and Lee to a 42-21 win over Guilford on Saturday by rushing for 146 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. He had a pair of 13-yard touchdown runs --- one to close the first half and the other to open the second half --- and a 1-yard burst just before the end of the third quarter. Heinsohn, who also serves as the Generals' kicker, converted six PATs to finish with 24 total points and became the Washington & Lee all-time scoring leader in the process. Heinsohn now has 228 career points, eclipsing the former record of 220 held by Marc Watson since the 2001 season. That total is also just 24 points from cracking the top-five all-time in the ODAC. For the year, Heinsohn leads the ODAC with 486 yards and nine touchdowns on 78 carries. His 72 points also lead the league.
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Danny Grogg, Bridgewater, Sr., Defensive Line
September 23, 2012Grogg, a senior from Harrisonburg, Va., had a big day along the interior of the Eagles defensive line as he helped Bridgewater move to 3-0. The BC defense held Shenandoah to just 212 yards of total offense in the league opener for both squads, which also mark the first ODAC competition for new confernece member SU. Grogg made eight stops on the day and was a staple in the Hornets' backfield with three tackles for a loss that cost SU 10 yards of offense. He also was in on both of Bridgewater's sacks with a solo effort and then combined with interior line-mate Joel Francis on a sack that ended the game as Shenandoah was attempting to work into field goal position to potentially tie the game.
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Willie Logan, Bridgewater, Jr., Quarterback
September 23, 2012Logan, a junior from Luray, Va., helped direct Bridgewater to its third straight win to start the season and fourth straight dating back to last season. Logan was strong through the air on a day when the BC rushing offense was held in check as he went 17-of-31 for 261 yards and threw for both of the Eagles' touchdowns. He hit Tyler Moneymaker with a 27-yard touchdown pass to open the game's scoring, and then found Shawn Lee for a 63-yard touchdown to put Bridgewater ahead, 14-7, in the third quarter. He spread the ball around to his receivers and backs, completing passes to nine different players. Through three games, Logan has thrown four touchdown passes against just one interception.
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Mitchell Thompson, Washington and Lee, Jr., Def. Back
September 16, 2012Thompson, a junior from Memphis, Tenn., helped the Generals to their first win over a ranked opponent since 2010. Thompson spearheaded a Washington and Lee defensive effort that bent but didn't break as the Generals topped 23rd-ranked Centre College, 34-16, on Saturday. Thompson led the unit with 10 tackles, including nine solo stops. The defensive back helped W&L maintain a 21-10 halftime lead when he put the clamps on a fourth down play inside the W&L 25-yard line when he tackled the ball carrier for a one-yard loss with less than a minute to go in the frame. For the season, Thompson is third on the squad with 19 tackles.
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Matt Pawlowski, Guilford, Fr., Quarterback
September 16, 2012Pawlowski, a freshman from Greensboro, N.C., helped the Quakers to their first win of the 2012 campaign as he had a hand in four of Guilford's six touchdowns in its 45-35 shootout with Averett University. Pawloski was 18-of-28 passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns, and he added a six-yard touchdown as the game's final score to ice the victory. Pawlowski and receiver Nick Mearite had a strong connection as the pair hooked up for eight catches that covered 125 yards and included two first half touchdowns, one coming on a fourth-and-goal play. His three touchdown passes and 64.3 completion percentage are season-highs for the first-year signal-caller.
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Paul Forney , Emory & Henry , Jr. , Linebacker
September 09, 2012Forney, a junior from Newton, N.C., helped the Wasps started the season 2-0 by leading a dominating defensive performance in a 21-8 win on the road at Maryville College (Tenn.). Forney led the unit with 12 total tackles (5 solo stops) that included 1.5 tackles for a loss for minus-10 yards. He also teamed up with Michael Shipley on a quarterback sack. Forney's biggest play of the day came in the third quarter when he charred the ball loose from Maryville's Blake Williams and Evan Williamson picked it up at the MC four-yard line and returned it to the end zone for a Wasps' touchdown. On the day, E&H allowed just 166 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers.
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Nash Nance , Hampden-Sydney , So. , Quarterback
September 09, 2012Nance, a sophomore from Calhoun, Ga., had a stellar home debut in leading the Tigers to a 42-20 triumph over Christopher Newport in the first ever meeting between the two football programs. Nance saw only six throws miss the target as he completed 25-of-31 passes for 339 yards and an ODAC early-season game-high five touchdowns without an interception. He also ran the ball seven times for 42 yards. Nance completed passes to 10 different receivers with three of his touchdown passes covering more than 30 yards including a pair of 36-yard strikes to Holton Walker and a 41-yard scoring play to Michael Mey. His efforts led to five touchdowns in seven first-half possessions on the way to a 35-0 lead at the intermission.
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Drew Pappas, Catholic University, Senior, Defensive Back
September 02, 2012Pappas, a senior from Belmont, Mass., helped the Cardinals to a 45-28 season-opening win over McDaniel College in Washington, D.C. on Friday evening. Pappas posted four total tackles, including a pair of tackles-for-a-loss to account for three yards lost for McDaniel. He also forced a fumble on one of his TFL's in the fourth quarter. Pappas' biggest play of the day put points on the board for Catholic when he recovered a blocked punt in the McDaniel end zone to put CUA ahead, 31-16, early in the third quarter.
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Kyle Boden, Emory & Henry, Junior, Quarterback
September 02, 2012Boden, a junior from Knoxville, Tenn., led Emory & Henry to a victory over Ferrum College, 45-36, in the 2012 Western Virginia Education Classic. Boden, who was named the offensive MVP for the game, completed 32-of-50 passes (64%) for 335 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. He tossed a pair of 30-yard scoring strikes in addition to four and five yard touchdown passes. Both 30-yard touchdowns came in the fourth quarter, helping the Wasps put away their sixth straight season-opening win over Ferrum.
