2014 Football Players of the Week
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Michael Shields, Washington and Lee, Fr., Defensive Back
November 16, 2014Shields, a freshman from Charlotte, N.C., helped the Generals finish their season with a 40-23 victory over Shenandoah. He posted a team-high 11 tackles, including 10 solo stops. His biggest play came on the Hornets' first possession of the game. After SU had driven to the W&L four-yard line on 10 plays, Shields turned the ball over for the Generals on the 11th. He forced and recovered his own fumble at the one-yard line, denying a potential Shenandoah touchdown on first-and-goal and maintaining Washington and Lee's early 7-0 lead. For his rookie season, Shields recorded 41 tackles, an interception, and blocked a kick. -
Matt Pawlowski, Guilford, Jr., Quarterback
November 16, 2014Pawlowski, a junior from Greensboro, N.C., helped the Quakers wrap up their first 8-2 season since 1997 with a 52-28 win at Emory & Henry. Pawlowski threw for 389 yards and five touchdowns on 38-of-48 passing, good for a 79.2-percent completion rate. He also ran for 43 yards. He completed passes to nine different receivers. Austen Thompson was his favorite taret, hauling in 10 passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns. Pawlowski threw TD passes of 21, 49, 3, 8, and 13 yards. The latter three came in the final 23 minutes of the contest as the Quakers out-scored E&H, 28-7, to the final horn. For the season, Pawlowski set Guilford records for passing touchdowns (38) and completion percentage (67.8), leading the ODAC in both. He also led the conference passing yardage (3,476) and yards per game (347.6). He only threw three interceptions, good for one every 123 pass attempts. Pawlowski threw for 300 yards in a game eight times, and had four or more TDs in a game on six occasions.
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Roth Healey, Emory & Henry, Sr., Defensive Back
November 09, 2014Healey, a senior from Easton, Pa., helped Emory & Henry to its eighth win of the season in a 42-34 home victory over Shenandoah. In addition to nine total tackles, Healey corralled three of six interceptions recorded by the Wasps defense, tying for the sixth-highest single-game total in ODAC history. The last time an ODAC player registered three interceptions in a game was in 2012 when Washignton and Lee's Jake Pelton turned the trick against Franklin & Marshall. Healey is the first E&H defender to come up with three interceptions in a game since Devan Sproles against Guilford in 2011. Healey added one other takeaway with a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter, giving him for four against the SU. His second interception of the game occurred in the second quarter. He returned it 23-plus yards to one-foot line. E&H punched it in for a touchdown on the next play. Healey is currently tied with Guilford's JerMario Gooch for the ODAC lead in interceptions with six. His 10 total takeaways lead the conference. He is fifth with 81 tackles.
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Cedrick Delaney, Shenandoah, So., Running Back
November 09, 2014Delaney, a sophomore from Manassas, Va., had the best single-game rushing day in ODAC history as the Hornets came up short in their comeback bid to defeat Emory & Henry, 42-34. Delaney carried the ball a career-high 41 times against the Wasps, racking up 321 yards to set new Shenandoah and ODAC single-game records. It is also the fourth-most yards gained by a rusher in NCAA Division III this season (thru games of 11/1). He notched a trio of touchdowns on the ground, covering 18, 24 and 23 yards, respectively. The previous ODAC record for single-game rushing yards was 310 set by former Emory & Henry standout Oliver Jordan in 1998. Delaney added two catches for 11 yards and another score, giving him an SU record four touchdowns for the game. His 332 all-purpose yards are the most this season in the ODAC and the ninth-highest total in ODAC single-game history. For the season, Delaney leads the ODAC with 1,174 rushing yards and a 130.4 yards per game average. He's run the ball 179 times this season, second-most in the conference, and averages 6.6 yards per rush.
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Rennel Marshall, Emory & Henry, Jr., Linebacker
November 02, 2014Marshall, a junior from Rustburg, Va., helped the Wasps to a 36-9 win on the road at Washington and Lee on Saturday. Marshall notched 10 total tackles, including nine solo, with a pair of tackles for a loss that cost the Generals seven yards of offense. Early in the second quarter, he forced a fumble that led a touchdown and a 21-0 Emory & Henry lead. Later in the frame, Marshall got in on the scoring as he recovered a fumble on a point-after attempt and darted 98 yards for a defensive two-point conversion. For the season, Marshall has recorded 57 total tackles (34 solo).
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John Byrd, Randolph-Macon, Jr., Running Back
November 02, 2014Byrd, a junior from Manassas Park, Va., had a career-day in the Yellow Jackets 47-23 road win at Shenandoah. He racked up career-highs of 33 carries and 219 yards, the best rushing output for a back in the ODAC this season. He averaged 6.6 yards per rush, adding a pair of touchdowns to his day. His efforts spearheaded a 361-yard rushing explosion by R-MC, which in turn led to a 41:39-to-18:21 advantage in time of posssession. Byrd scored on carries of one and 16 yards, and helped R-MC set the tone with 146 yards before halftime. For the season, Byrd leads the ODAC with 933 rushing yards and a 116.6 yards per game average.
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Clint Peregoy, Emory & Henry, Sr., Defensive Back
October 26, 2014Peregoy, a senior from Salem, Va., made key contributions to both the Wasps defense and special teams in Emory & Henry's 62-28 victory over Catholic. Peregoy made four tackles on the day, three of them solo efforts. In the first quarter, he supplied the play that gave E&H the lead as he blocked his third punt in the last three weeks as burst right thru the center of the Cardinals' line. The loose ball was scooped up by Andrew Long, who had 22 yards of open field in front of him on the way to a touchdown and a 14-7 lead. Peregoy struck again in the fourth quarter as he intercepted a pass as the Wasps three-yard line to snuff out a CUA scoring drive. The turnover turned into a 12-play 97-yard scoring drive, leading to E&H's 62 points, the most in program history in an ODAC game. Peregoy now has 30 tackles on the season. He's tied for second in the ODAC with four interceptions and leads the league with three blocked kicks.
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Nash Nance, Hampden-Sydney, Sr., Quarterback
October 26, 2014Nance, a senior from Calhoun, Ga., picks up his second weekly honor after leading the Tigers to a 45-27 victory at Shenandoah University, effectively avengning Hampden-Sydney's lone conference loss from a season ago. Nance was responsible for five touchdowns in the Tigers' sixth straight win. He completed passes to seven different receivers as part of a 21-of-31, 386-yard performance. He threw three scoring passes, two to Holton Walker and a 70-yard effort to Michael Mey. The second touchdown play between Nance and Walker covered 72 yards. Nance also rushed for 58 yards before two sacks cost him 21 yards of offense. He registered a pair of short touchdown runs, one each in the third and fourth quarters. For the season, Nance is second in the ODAC in passing yards (2,174), touchdowns (22) and yards per game (310.6). He's also run for eight touchdowns, tied for second-most in the conference.
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John Carrick, Washington and Lee, So., Linebacker
October 19, 2014Carrick, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., helped the Generals pick up their first win of the season in a 28-25 nail-biter against Randolph-Macon. Carrick finished with five tackles on the game, but his biggest plays came in fourth quarter when he intercepted a pair of Yellow Jacket pass attempts. His first take away came with less than eight minutes to play as he came down with the turnover at the R-MC 46-yard line and returned it to the 22-yard line. That setup a Generals touchdown to make the scored 28-17. After Randolph-Macon scored, converted a two-point conversion to pull within 28-25 and got the ball back, Carrick put an end to any comeback attempt by intercepting a pass a the W&L 15-yard line with seven-seconds to play. The interceptions were the first two for Carrick on the season. He leads the Generals with 40 total tackles.
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Holton Walker, Hampden-Sydney, Sr., Wide Receiver
October 19, 2014Walker, a senior from Lynchburg, Va., put his name in the Hampden-Sydney and ODAC record books on Saturday as he helped the Tigers defeat previously undefeated Emory & Henry, 49-27. Walker caught 10 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, which each going for 30-yards or more. The 275 receiving yards broke his own single-game school-record of 268 yards set against Maryville (Tenn.) in the NCAA Division III playoffs last season. The performance is also the third-best in ODAC single-game history, eclipsing himself on that list as well. He caught scoring passes of 75, 30 and 43 yards, with his first touchdown coming on H-SC's second possession. Walker leads the ODAC with 843 receiving yards. He's second in receptions (41) and touchdowns (7).
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Tre'von Lightfoot, Emory & Henry, So., Defensive Back
October 12, 2014Lightfoot, a sophomore from Big Island, Va., helped the Wasps move to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in league play by accounting for half the turnovers caused by the Emory & Henry defense. The Wasps for four turnovers, including three interceptions. Lightfoot came down with two of those takeaways in the second half, keeping the Eagles' offense at bay in E&H's 34-21 win. Lightfoot's first interception came late in the third quarter. His second pick early in the fourth quarter and quelled a possible scoring play as the BC receiver had gotten behind the defense, but Lightfoot recovered to make the leaping interception. Lightfoot added six total tackles, all solo. The interceptions were the first of the season for Lightfoot, helping the Wasps to an ODAC-best 10 as a team.
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Nash Nance, Hampden-Sydney, Sr., Quarterback
October 12, 2014Nance, a senior from Calhoun, Ga., did a little bit of everything on Saturday afternoon as he was involved in six touchdowns in the Tigers 55-32 road win at Washington and Lee. Nance completed 19-of-27 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He completed passes to 10 different receivers, connecting with four wideouts on plays of 30-yards or more. Nance added to his day with 42 yards and two more touchdowns on 15 carries. His sixth touchdown came in a reversal of roles as he had a 31-yard catch-and-run from receiver Holton Walker early in the second quarter. On the season, Nance is second in the ODAC in touchdown passes (14), passing yardage (1,312) and completion percentage (102-of-155, 65.8%).
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Satiir Stevenson, Guilford, Sr., Defensive Back
October 05, 2014Stevenson, a senior from Roselle, N.J., helped Guilford move to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in ODAC play in the Quakers' 52-28 win over Washington and Lee. Stevenson made a school-record 22 tackles against the Generals, while also coming away with third interception of the season. The 22 tackles mark the first 20-plus effort in the ODAC this season. The interception, which led to a second quarter Guilford touchdown, is the 13th over Stevenson's career and moves him into fourth among Guilford's all-time leaders. Stevenson has now intercepted passes in three straight games. He's tied for first in that category in the ODAC this season, while also tying for second with 41 overall tackles.
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De'Eric Bell, Guilford, Fr., Running Back
October 05, 2014Bell, a freshman from Jackson, Ga., made his first collegiate start a memorable experience as he racked up 253 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns to help lead Guilford College to a 4-0 record and 1-0 start in ODAC play with a 52-28 win over Washington and Lee. Bell ran for an ODAC weekly-best 149 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. He also caught a game-high five passes for 93 yards and another score. He added 11 yards on a kickoff return. Bell's first touchdown of the day gave GC a 10-0 lead in the first quarter after he sprinted 55 yards to pay-dirt. His other scoring run went for five yards, while his touchdown reception covered 18 yards. He finished the game averaging 8.4 yards per touch of the ball, including 18.6 yards per catch and 6.2 yards per carry. Bell now has 251 yards and three touchdowns rushing to go with 101 yards and one score receiving on the season.
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Darrick Gore, Bridgewater, Sr., Defensive Back
September 28, 2014Gore, a senior from Petersburg, Va., had a hand in all three turnovers forced by the Eagles in Saturday's 32-16 win over Apprentice School. In addition to six total tackles, Gore intercepted a pair of passes and recovered a fumble. In the first half, he helped prematurely end the Builder's final drive before halftime by picking up a loose ball caused by Nicholas Anthony. Gore added points for the BC defense on the second play of the fourth quarter. With the Eagles leading, 18-16, Gore intercepted a pass from Deon Lavender and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. On the Builders very next possession, Gore ended it after three plays with his second interception, this one at the opponent's 21-yard line. Two plays later, Bridgewater tacked on another touchdown. Gore is tied for second in the ODAC with two interceptions.
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Matt Perno, Catholic, So., Running Back
September 28, 2014Perno, a sophomore from New Hyde Park, N.Y., registered his second straight rushing performance of more than 100 yards as the Cardinals set a season-high for points scored in their 54-25 road win at Anna Maria College. Perno carried the ball 17 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns, helping CUA to a season-best 232 yards on the ground. Perno recorded scoring runs of 27 and 67 yards in the first half before adding a six-yard effort in the third quarter. The 67-yard score is the longest run in the ODAC this season. Perno is now ranked third in the ODAC in rushing with 293 yards and 97.7 yards per game. His four touchdowns are tied atop the league.
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Josh White, Shenandoah, Fr., Defensive Back
September 21, 2014White, a freshman from Highland Springs, Va., helped the Hornets improve to 2-1 by recording a pair of interceptions in Shenandoah's 45-20 home win over Ferrum. Both of White's takeaways came in the fourth quarter and led to SU touchdowns, effectively putting the game out of reach. His first came at his own 30-yard line, which he returned 43 yards to the Ferrum 27-yard line. Four plays later, SU punched it in for seven points. On the next Ferrum offensive play, White picked off his second pass, this one at midfield. He returned it 47 yards to the three-yard line. Two plays later, SU tacked on another touchdown. White added three tackles and a broken up pass to his day.
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Matt Pawlowski, Guilford, Jr., Quarterback
September 21, 2014Pawlowski, a junior from Greensboro, N.C., picks up his second straight weekly award after helping the Quakers to a 35-27 win over Southern Virginia University and Guilford's first 3-0 start since 2007. Pawlowski completed 28-of-38 passes (73.7%) for 394 yards and four touchdowns. He completed passes to eight different receivers, and his touchdown passes covered 34, 26 and two yards twice. He has thrown four or more touchdown passes in each game this season. Pawlowski has yet to throw an interception in 105 pass attempts this season, going 77-of-105 (73.3%) for 1,047 yards and 14 touchdowns thru three games. He hasn't thrown an interception in his last five games dating back to last season. His four TDs on Saturday moved him into second place on Guilford's all-time list with 53 career scoring strikes.
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Roth Healey, Emory & Henry, Sr., Defensive Back
September 14, 2014Healey, a senior from Easton, Pa., helped lead the Wasps to a come-from-behind 14-13 win at Maryville College (Tenn.) on Saturday. The Wasps trailed 13-0 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter when Healey put E&H's first points on the board. With the Scots driving deep in Wasps' territory, quarterback Evan Pittenger lost the ball as he was scrambling. Healey picked it up and sprinted 72-yards, beating the Maryville offense to the pilon for a touchdown. That fumble was one of four turnovers by Maryville as the Scots threw three interceptions, with one corralled by Healey in the first half. Healey tied for game-high honors with nine tackles, including six solo. He also recorded a tackle for a loss and broke up a pass in the fourth quarter. Healy has 16 tackles thru the first two games of the season.
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Matt Pawlowski, Guilford, Jr., Quarterback
September 14, 2014Pawlowski, a junior from Greensboro, N.C., helped lead Guilford to its second win of the year by posting a career-high 418 yards and six touchdowns thru the air against Methodist. The Quakers put up 50 or more points for the second straight game, marking the second time they've done that in back-to-back games in school history. Pawlowski hit 10 different receivers in his 28-of-39 (71.8%) overall passing performance. He led Guilford to scoring drives on its first eight possessions. In the first half alone, Pawlowski exploded for five touchdowns and 328 yards on 19-of-29 passing. Pawlowski's penchant for taking care of the football has continued into 2014 as he has thrown 10 touchdown passes without an interception thru the first two games of the season. In 2013, Pawlowski threw the ball away just three times against 24 touchdown passes over 308 total pass attempts. He's thrown the ball 67 times so far this season, completing 73.1-percent of his passes.
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Jordan Farmer, Guilford, Sr., Defensive Line
September 08, 2014Farmer, a senior from Advance, N.C., helped the Quakers record the first shutout in the 18-game history of the Gate City Soup Bowl as Guilford defeated Greensboro College, 52-0. Farmer helped GC keep The Pride outside of the Quakers' red zone all night, recording seven total tackles with 2.5 tackles for a loss. Among those stops behind the line were 1.5 quarterback sacks, one of which resulted in a fumble that was returned 39 yards to setup a Quaker touchdown. Farmer forced a pair of fumbles on the day as Guilford pressured Greensboro into five miscues. In all, Guilford held Greensboro to just 277 yards of total offense, compared to 525 yards for the Quakers.
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Kevin Saxton, Emory & Henry, Fr., Quarterback
September 08, 2014Saxton, a freshman from Monroe, N.C., burst on the scene to play in big part in Emory & Henry's 41-12 thumping of Ferrum on Saturday, marking the first win in the inaugural game of head coach Curt Newsome's tenure. Saxton, a transfer from Appalachian State University, went 17-for-28 for 329 yards and five touchdowns in his first collegiate action. The five touchdowns tie for the third-most in program history, joining the five throw by Kyle Boden in 2013. Saxton completed passes to eight different receivers, hooking up with them on six completions of 20 or more yards. It was the first time E&H had started a freshman quarterback since the 2008 season.
