2016 Football Players of the Week
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Muhammad Khan, Bridgewater, So., Defensive End
November 13, 2016Khan, a sophomore from Springfield, Va., helped the Eagles finish the season on a three-game winning streak with a 50-13 victory over Catholic. Khan shared team-high honors with six tackles including three solo stops. He proved a nuisance to CUA quarterbacks, registering 2.5 sacks that cost the Cardinals 19 yards of offense. Bridgewater's defense forced four Catholic miscues on the day. Khan was involved in that as well, turning one of his sacks into a strip-sack in which he covered the loose ball at the close of the first half. For the season, Khan registered 27 tackles with 19 solo stops. He collected 4.5 tackles for a loss including 3.5 sacks, costing opposing offenses 26 yards from scrimmage. -
Charlie Nelson, Washington and Lee, Sr., Quarterback
November 13, 2016Nelson, a senior from Redding, Conn., put together a dual-threat performance in the Generals' 59-42 win over Shenandoah. The trigger man for Washington and Lee's multi-option offense led the unit to 631 total yards from scrimmage, including 506 on the ground. He contributed 120 yards on 19 carries, finding the end zone twice. Nelson was efficient thru the air in arguably W&L's best passing day of the year. He completed 12-of-13 passes for 125 yards and two more touchdowns to McKenna Johnston and Jack Taylor. For the year, Nelson completed 55.7-percent of his passes for 749 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 745 yards and six scores on 123 carries. He caps his career with 2,014 yards and 11 touchdowns thru the air to go with 2,280 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground.
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Cole Burdette, Randolph-Macon, Sr., Defensive End
November 06, 2016Burdette, a senior from Frederick, Md., helped Randolph-Macon remain in the driver's seat and win for the third straight week via a 31-10 triumph over Guilford. Burdette posted a game-high 11 tackles with eight solo stops. He was a constant force in the Quakers' backfield, finishing with 3.0 tackles for a loss that cost Guilford 16 yards of offense. Two of his TFLs were quarterback sacks accounting for 14 yards of lost yardage. For the season, Burdette has made 42 total tackles. He is third in the league in both tackles for a loss with 14.0 and sacks with 7.5.
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Mike DeMasi, Hampden-Sydney, Jr., Running Back
November 06, 2016DeMasi, a junior from Virginia Beach, Va., had a breakout day for the Tigers in Hampden-Sydney's 37-34 win at Shenandoah. DeMasi accounted for 49-percent of the Tigers' 471 yards of total offense, representing his highest combined rushing and receiving output of the season. He ran for a career-best 187 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. He added four receptions for 44 yards, bringing his total offensive output to 231 yards. DeMasi averaged 5.7 yards per carry and was a major reason why H-SC possessed the ball for nearly 41 minutes. For the season, DeMasi is fifth in the ODAC with 698 rushing yards to go with six rushing touchdowns. He has also caught 27 passes for 166 yards.
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Eric Long, Randolph-Macon, Sr., Safety
October 30, 2016Long, a senior from Burke, Va., led a Yellow Jackets defensive unit that corralled Washington and Lee's potent rushing offense in Randolph-Macon's 18-10 victory in Lexington on Saturday. Long was in on several big plays among his season-high 13 total tackles that included nine solo stops and a pair of tackles for a loss. He forced a fumble midway thru the second quarter that led to a R-MC field goal and subsequent 16-3 lead. On the next Generals' series, Long made four straight solo tackles inside R-MC's red zone, including a stop for a two-yard loss on 4th-and-3 from his own seven-yard line. His efforts spearheaded a defensive performance that limited the Generals to 213 rushing yards and held them without an offensive touchdown for the first time since W&L's season-opener in 2008. The win put R-MC in the driver's seat in a three-way tie for first place in the ODAC with Shenandoah and W&L. For the season, Long has made 33 tackles with 26 solo stops and a pair of interceptions.
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Malivai Barker, Bridgewater, Jr., Running Back
October 30, 2016Barker, a junior from Leesburg, Va., provided much of the offensive scoring punch of the Eagles as they twice recovered from large deficits to post a 42-41 win at Guilford on Saturday. Barker racked up 161 yards from scrimmage with 141 coming via the ground on 19 carries. Three of those runs put points on the board with two of those touchdowns coming in Bridgewater's final push towards victory. After scoring via a one-yard effort late in the second quarter, Barker found the end zone twice in the second half with one arguably more valuable than the other. He pulled BC to within six points of Guilford with a 49-yard touchdown run with 4:53 showing on the third quarter clock. Then with 52-seconds to play, he punched in what would become the game-winning score with a one-yard plunge over the right side. For the season, Barker is third in the ODAC with 765 rushing yards and tied for second with eight rushing touchdowns. He has crossed the century mark on four occasions this season.
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Davon Keith, Emory & Henry, So., Defensive End
October 23, 2016Keith, a sophomore from Columbia, S.C., helped the Wasps win for the second straight week with a 42-33 result at Bridgewater. Keith was ever-present in the Eagles' backfield, making 6.0 tackles for a loss that cost BC 26 yards of offense. Three of those tackles went down as quarterback sacks, account for 21 of the 26 negative yards. He chipped in four additional quarterback hurries, one of which forced an errant throw that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The Wasps' defensive end finished the game with a career-best 14, including 11 solo stops. Keith has racked up 9.5 tackles for a loss the past two contests, helping him to an ODAC-high 18.0 TFLs for the season. His stops behind the line have cost opponents a league-best 85 yards of offense. His 9.5 sacks sit second by a half-sack. Keith has made 46 total tackles on the season.
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Cedrick Delaney, Shenandoah, Sr., Running Back
October 23, 2016Delaney, a senior from Manassas, Va., helped lead the Hornets to their third straight ODAC win, which also marked the first time SU has surpassed the four-win mark (now 5-2) under fourth year head coach Scott Yoder. Delaney racked up 295 all-purpose yards in Shenandoah's 33-28 win over Guilford, contributing to the rushing, receiving and kick return units. He led all ODAC rushers in week eight with 205 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. That total includes a long run of 73 yards and a 35-yard touchdown sprint to open the game's scoring. With Saturday's efforts, Delaney became the Hornets' all-time leading rusher with 3,018 career yards. Against GC, he also caught five passes for 34 yards and added 56 yards on three kick returns. For the season, Delaney is second in the ODAC with 720 yards and seven touchdowns rushing. He leads the conference with 1,297 all-purpose yards.
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Malik Sims, Shenandoah, Sr., Linebacker
October 16, 2016Sims, a senior from Suitland, Md., put together a strong performance in helping the Hornets to their second straight victory with a 34-10 result at Bridgewater. Sims led all players with 14 total tackles that included 12 solo stops. His biggest contributions came on a pair of goal line turnovers, which helped keep the Eagles out of the end zone until 16-seconds remained in the third quarter. His first turnover came on the game's opening drive with Bridgewater on SU's 1-yard line. Sims recovered a fumble by a BC running back, putting an end to an 8-play 68-yard opening drive for the Eagles. Sims again snuffed out an Eagles' possession at the goal line with SU leading 3-0 midway thru the second quarter. With BC at the 19-yard line, Sims stepped in front of a pass headed for the end zone and intercepted it, returning it to the 8-yard line and ending a 12-play drive that began at the Eagles' 7-yard line. SU made the turnover count with a touchdown 10 plays later for a 10-0 lead. For the season, Sims is sixth in the ODAC with 51 total tackles and second with 36 solo stops.
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Marshall Hollerith, Washington and Lee, Sr,. Running Back
October 16, 2016Hollerith, a senior from Richmond, Va., spearheaded a Generals rushing attack that ran its way into the top-five in the ODAC record books to lead Washington and Lee to a 48-34 victory at Guilford. Hollerith led W&L with 123 yards and two touchdowns on 26 rushes as the Generals' workhorse. His touchdowns covered six and two yards, that latter of which brought W&L to within three points at 17-14 after trailing 17-7 early on. Hollerith's efforts led a 498-yard seven-touchdown rushing day from the Generals. The 498 yards rank fifth in the ODAC's single-game record books, while the seven touchdowns tie for fourth with a 2012 Generals' performance against Randolph-Macon and 2007 showing by Bridgewater against McDaniel. Hollerith crossed 3,000 career yards (3,046) in the win over Guilford, moving him to within 95 yards of second place on Washington and Lee's all-time rushing list. For the season, Hollerith has registered 412 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
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Bender Vaught, Hampden-Sydney, So., Linebacker
October 09, 2016Vaught, a sophomore from Ashland, Va., led a Tigers' defensive unit that limited 25th-ranked and previously unbeaten Guilford to 290 yards of offense in swampy conditions on Saturday afternoon as the Tigers posted their first win of the season via a 21-15 result in Hampden-Sydney. Vaught made 12 stops on the day, including eight solo tackles. He also forced a Guilford punt early in the fourth quarter with a sack that cost the Quakers 11 yards of offense. For the season, Vaught leads the Tigers with 49 tackles including 30 solo stops. He's notched 6.0 tackles for a loss and 3.5 quarterback sacks.
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Jalen Hudson, Shenandoah, So., Running Back
October 09, 2016Hudson, a sophomore from Coatesville, Pa., racked up 251 all-purpose yards as he contributed to three areas of the Hornets' offense in Shenandoah's 36-33 victory at Emory & Henry on Saturday. Hudson's big play ability was on full display in a key stretch of 28 unanswered points by SU. Trailing 20-13 at halftime, Hudson took back the second half's opening kickoff 87 yards to tie the game at 20-all. On the Hornets' next possession and Hudson's very next touch of the ball, he slipped thru the line and caught a screen pass from quarterback Hayden Bauserman. He turned the play into a 76-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score at 27-20 with 12:29 showing on the third quarter clock. SU would not surrender the lead for the remainder of the contest. Hudson added 56 yards on 15 carries via the ground game. For the season, Hudson has rushed for 185 yards on 51 carries. He's racked up 666 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns.
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Isaac Evans, Bridgewater, So., Cornerback
October 02, 2016Evans, a sophomore from Fredericksburg, Va., helped lead the Eagles to a 45-35 victory over Hampden-Sydney in Bridgewater's ODAC-opener on Saturday. Evans ranked second for BC with eight total tackles including seven solo stops. He broken up five passes from his cornerback position, but his more important play put the Eagles' final points on the board in what would become a 10-point contest. Late in the third quarter, Evans stepped in front of the intended receiver of an intermediate pass to record his first interception of the season. He then out-sprinted the H-SC offense to the end zone for a 72-yard pick six. The touchdown extended BC's lead to 45-20 with 1:31 to go in the third quarter. For the season, Evans has registered 22 tackles and broken up seven passes.
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Tre Frederick, Randolph-Macon, So., Running Back
October 02, 2016Frederick, a sophomore from Angier, N.C., picked up his second weekly honor of the season after leading Randolph-Macon to a 24-19 victory at Shenanoah to open ODAC play and keep the Yellow Jackets undefeated at 4-0 overall. Frederick accounted for 65-percent of R-MC's 364 yards of total offense as he churned out a career-high 236 yards on the ground. He did so on 43 carries, which ties for third in Randolph-Macon history and ties for sixth in the conference record books. He scored a pair of touchdowns, with his first coming with 30-seconds to go in the first half for a 17-7 lead at the intermission. Frederick's last touchdown came with 6:51 to play and followed a SU score off a 55-yard fumble return that brought the Hornets to within four points. Frederick carried the ball all five plays of the drive, including a 42-yard burst to setup his 7-yard touchdown run on the next play. For the season, Frederick leads the ODAC with 726 yards thru four games. He owns a 6.0 yards per carry average, having already rushed 122 times this year.
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Will Dyson, Washington and Lee, Sr., Cornerback
September 18, 2016Dyson, a senior from Indian Springs, Ala., helped spearhead the Generals' defensive unit in a 31-28 last-second loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday. Dyson tallied three tackles, three interceptions, and three other passes broken up in the contest. His second interception occurred on the W&L 2-yardline with 50-seconds remaining in the first half, preserving a 21-3 lead at intermission. Dyson is the first ODAC player to intercept three passes since 2014, tying for sixth all-time in the conference record books. He is the first General to pick off that many passes since Jake Pelton '13 nabbed a trio in the 2012 season-opener against Franklin & Marshall. For the season, Dyson has registered 10 tackles and four interceptions with four passes broken up.
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Lucas Morley, Catholic, Sr., Wide Receiver
September 18, 2016Morley, a senior from Olney, Md., moved to the top of the ODAC receiving rankings in touchdown receptions with four on Saturday in the Cardinals 37-35 victory over the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Morley, the ODAC's leading receiver in 2015-16 with 100 catches, hauled in all four of his scores in the first half as Catholic built a 27-7 halftime lead. He caught TD passes of 20, 18, 8 and 21 yards on the way to the second four-touchdown game of his career. He finished the day with six catches for 113 yards, which marked his first 100-plus yard receiving day of the season. Morley's four touchdowns tie the ODAC's all-time single-game record, making him the only receiver to do it twice in league history. On the season, he leads the league with seven touchdown catches and is tied for second with 20 receptions.
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Gibson Ziah, Guilford, Jr., Defensive End
September 11, 2016Ziah, a junior from Snellville, Ga., continued the strong start to his season in helping Guilford to a 47-32 triumph over Methodist. Ziah registered a career-best 10 tackles from his defensive end position, making four solo stops. He got the backfield for 1.5 tackles for a loss costing the Monarchs four yarfds of offense. He is tied for tops in the ODAC with 4.5 tackles for a loss thru the first two weeks of play. Ziah got involved in the turnover battle against MU, forcing a fumble inside of three minutes before halftime. Guilford turned the Methodist miscue into seven points just eight-seconds before the whistle for a 24-0 advantage at the break. In addition to his 4.5 TFLs, Ziah leads the ODAC with three sacks and has notched 18 tackles.
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De'Eric Bell, Guilford, Jr., Running Back
September 11, 2016Bell, a junior from Jackson, Ga., ran his way into the ODAC and Guilford record books in the Quakers 47-32 victory over Methodist. Bell ran for 295 yards and four touchdown on 29 carries, setting Quakers' records for single-game rushing yards and tying the school mark for rushing touchdowns. The four scores tie with several other players for the fourth-most in ODAC history, while his 295 yards rank fifth in the conference annals. Bell's scoring runs covered 69, four, 91, and one yard, sequentially. The 91-yard sprint is the second-longest run from scrimmage in Guilford history. He added 10 more combined yards on receptions and punt returns to finish with 305 all-purpose yards. Thru the first two weeks, Bell leads the ODAC with 420 yards and six touchdowns rushing.
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Davey Hardesty, Bridgewater, Sr., Linebacker
September 04, 2016Hardesty, a senior from Berryville, Va., helped Bridgewater to a 38-22 victory at Gettysburg College. The win featured a marked improvement by the Eagles' defense from its 49-10 loss in 2015 as BC held the Bullets scoreless until 7:28 of the fourth quarter. Hardesty backed up his defensive captaincy with six tackles that included a quarterback sack. His biggest play came early in the fourth frame when he intercepted a Gettsyburg passed and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown, giving Bridgewater a 31-0 lead with 14:30 to play. The interception was one of two turnovers forced by the Eagles' defense on the day.
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Tre Frederick, Randolph-Macon, So., Running Back
September 04, 2016Frederick, a sophomore from Angier, N.C., helped the Yellow Jackets post 51 points for the first time since 2011 with 223 all-purpose yards in Randolph-Macon's 51-0 triumph over Dickinson College. Frederick ran for a career-high 177 yards in his first outing as R-MC's lead running back. That effort included a 95-yard touchdown sprint to put the Yellow Jackets on top, 16-0, early in the second quarter. He finished his 19-carry day with a 9.3 per rush average. Frederick also returned a kickoff 46 yards to open the second half and lead to a touchdown. Frederick's 177 rushing yards led all ODAC backs in week one.
