2017 Football Players of the Week
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Ryan Burns, Randolph-Macon, Sr., Defensive Back
November 12, 2017Burns, a senior from Fredericksburg, Va., helped the Yellow Jackets shutdown Hampden-Sydney's offense in the second half on the way to a 56-28 victory in the 122nd edition of "The Game" on Saturday. Burns posted a game-high 15 tackles with 10 solo stops -- also a game-best. He also led all players with five passes defensed, including a momentum-swinging interception. With R-MC leading 28-21 early in the third quarter, Burns broke off his coverage assignment and intercepted a possible touchdown pass at the goal-line. He returned it 39 yards to setup Randolph-Macon with what would become a touchdown scoring drive, turning his interception into a possible 13-point swing-play. Burns finishes the season with 52 tackles including 36 solo stops. He notched three interceptions and broke up a league-best 16 passes. -
Eric Hoy, Randolph-Macon, Jr., All-Purpose Back
November 12, 2017Hoy, a junior from Clayton, N.C., etched his name in the ODAC record book following his performance in the Yellow Jackets' 56-28 win over Hampden-Sydney in the 122nd edition of "The Game" on Saturday. Hoy found the end zone five times via the rush, tying for second in ODAC history in both single-game rushing touchdowns and single-game overall touchdowns. The last time an ODAC player scored five touchdowns in a game was 2012 (H-SC's Vance Hendren). The 30 points tie for fourth-most in league history, joining the efforts of four other players. Hoy's last three touchdowns marked the game's final scores as he helped break open a 35-28 game with a late third quarter touchdown and two more in the final frame. He finished with 21 carries for 93 yards with an additional 77 yards on eight receptions. He completed a pass on a half-back option that covered 29 yards, and made a pair of tackles on special teams to add to his stat sheet. Hoy finishes the season with 359 yards and 11 touchdowns on 67 carries. The 11 rushing TDs are fourth in the league. He also caught 50 passes for 416 yards and four more touchdowns. His 15 overall touchdowns are fourth-most in the league along with his 90 points.
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Grey Reames, Washington and Lee, Sr., Defensive Back
November 05, 2017Reames, a senior from Nashville, Tenn., was in on several big plays as Washington and Lee put itself in the driver's seat for the ODAC title with a 49-21 win over Bridgewater. For the second straight week, the Generals' defense pitched a second-half shutout. Reames not only aided that effort, but he put points on the board in the first quarter as he stepped in front of a receiver for an interception and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown and an early 14-0 lead. The interception marked his third of the season, which is tied for third in the ODAC. Reames wasn't done with turnovers as he also forced a pair of fumbles (one recovered), one of which the W&L offense turned into a touchdown at the outset of the second half. Reames added five tackles (all solo) including a tackle for a loss. For the season, Reames has racked up 39 total tackles including 29 solo stops.
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Alec Cobb, Hampden-Sydney, Jr., Quarterback
November 05, 2017Cobb, a junior from Jamestown, N.C., was excelled in both performance and managing the game in Hampden-Sydney's 49-43 victory over Shenandoah. Cobb helped the Tigers hold the ball for nearly 39 minutes of game-time while firing five touchdown passes. He went 33-of-49 thru the air, racking up 365 yards without an interception. He connected with four different receivers on his scoring throws, hitting Cam Johnson for a pair and tossing one each to Major Morgan, Carter Cunningham, and Dillon Costello. In the second half, Cobb led four consecutive drives that took more than four minutes off the game clock each, finishing two with touchdowns and a third with a field goal. The five touchdown passes are a new career-high, surpassing the four scoring throws in a game he has registered three times this season and once in 2016. For the year, Cobb is second in the ODAC in passing touchdowns (26), completions (258), attempts (372), and completion percentage (69.4). His 2,653 yards are third in the league.
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Max Garrett, Washington and Lee, Sr., Linebacker
October 29, 2017Garrett, a senior from Fairfield, Conn., led a defensive unit that pitched a second-half shutout in the Generals 17-14 come-from-behind victory at Randolph-Macon. Garrett was in on a season-best 14 tackles with three solo stops as Washington and Lee held R-MC to more than 26 points below its season average. Garrett's biggest play came at the most opportune moment when he intercepted a pass at midfield and returned it 11 yards to setup what would become the game-winning drive. The victory keeps Washington and Lee in the hunt for the ODAC title in a three-way tie with Hampden-Sydney and Shenandoah at 3-1. For the season, Garrett leads the ODAC with 77 total tackles and 46 solo stops. His 9.6 tackles per game average is second in the league. He ranks fifth nationally among Division III players with 344 career tackles.
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Josh Breece, Washington and Lee, Fr., Running Back
October 29, 2017Breece, a freshman from Lorton, Va., picks up his second weekly award of the season after helping Washington and Lee complete a 17-14 comeback win at Randolph-Macon. Breece cracked the 100-yard plateau for the sixth time this season as he ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. His first score came via a 56-yard scamper in the second quarter, but it was his second touchdown that proved the deciding moment in the game. Breece collected 28-of-39 yards on the Generals' final scoring drive after taking over on a R-MC turnover. Breece capped the series with a 1-yard TD with 38-seconds to play, giving W&L its first lead since Breece's first score with 9:55 on the second quarter clock. For the season, Breece leads the ODAC with 1,127 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing. Those numbers are fifth and sixth in W&L program history.
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Vic Smith Jr., Guilford, Sr., Safety/Linebacker
October 22, 2017Smith, a senior from Lakeland, Fla., helped the Quakers hand Shenandoah University its first conference loss of the season in Guilford's 45-20 win on Saturday. Smith notched nine or more tackles in a game for a fourth straight contest with nine total stops including five solo tackles. One came behind the line of scrimmage. Smith's biggest play was a tone-setter for the Quakers' defense as he intercepted the Hornets first play from scrimmage and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown and an early 7-0 lead. It marked the first interception and pick-six of his career. Guilford held the nation's leading passer, Hayden Bauserman, to 290 yards and pair of touchdowns thru the air while intercepting him once in each quarter. For the season, Smith is third in the ODAC with 62 total tackles and fourth with 36 solo stops. The interception was his first of the season.
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De'Eric Bell, Guilford, Jr., Running Back
October 22, 2017Bell, a junior from Jackson, Ga., picks up his second weekly award after racking up 277 all-purpose yards in Guilford's 45-20 win over Shenandoah. The yardage moves him into fourth on the ODAC all-time list with 5,573 all-purpose yards. Bell ran for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21 carries, good for a 10.8 per carry average. He had 100 yards in the first half while needing just nine carries to pick up the remaining 127 yards over the second 30-minute frame. His scoring runs covered 10 and 40 yards, furthering his Guilford all-time record to 26 career rushing touchdowns. He added 19 yards receiving on a pair of receptions and returned two kicks for an additional 31 yards. For the season, Bell is third in the ODAC with 602 rushing yards and fifth with seven touchdowns on the ground. His 1,547 overall all-purpose yards and 221.0 per game average both lead the conference.
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Kyle Dexter, Shenandoah, Jr., Linebacker
October 15, 2017Dexter, a junior from Lexington Park, Md., helped the Hornets win for the fifth time in six games and move to 3-0 on the season in Saturday's 38-20 win over Bridgewater. Dexter posted game-high honors with 11 total tackles include six solo stops. He also was in on a pair of sacks, registering one solo effort and joining a teammate for a second quarterback hit that cost Bridgewater eight yards of offense. In a game where the SU offense took a bit of time to get rolling, Dexter helped led a defensive unit that surrendered just 20 points including a shutout in the third quarter in which the Hornets scored 21 of their 28 unanswered points thru the late second and entire third quarter. For the season, Dexter has notched 34 total tackles with 16 solo stops. The sacks this weekend were his first of the season.
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Josh Breece, Washington and Lee, Fr., Running Back
October 15, 2017Breece, a freshman from Lorton, Va., is coming into his own as the Generals lead running back. The first-year runner exploded for a career-high 223 yards on 21 carries for a 10.6 per carry average. That is the most yards gained by a W&L rusher since Luke Heinsohn posted the same total in 2010. It ranks as the fourth-most in school history. Breece found the end zone four times, including the game's opening score via a 39-yard sprint thru the left side of the Quakers' defense. His other touchdown runs covered 7, 6, and 30 yards with the latter burst coming at the outset of the fourth quarter. Breece's efforts highlighted a Washington and Lee rushing attack that churned out 526 yards, the second-most for W&L this season and fourth-most in school and ODAC history. For the season Breece is second in the ODAC with 797 rushing yards and leads the ODAC in yards per rush (7.2) and rushing touchdowns (11).
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Griffin Davis, Hampden-Sydney, So., Linebacker
October 08, 2017Davis, a sophomore from Charlottesville, Va., helped lead a strong defensive effort by the Tigers in their 21-18 victory at Guilford. Davis made a team-high nine tackles including 3.5 for a loss that cost Guillford 12 yards of offense. He recorded 1.5 quarterback sacks, each of which ended Guilford drives. He also combined with a teammate for a goal-line stop on 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line to force the Quakers into a field goal and maintain a 6-3 Tigers' lead. Davis helped limit Guilford for 11 offensive points and just 289 yards from scrimmage. The Quakers converted just 1-of-12 opportunities on third down. For the season, Davis has 23 total tackles while tying for the ODAC lead with 7.5 tackles for a loss that have cost opponents 33 yards of offense. His 3.5 sacks are tied for fourth in the league.
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Hayden Bauserman, Shenandoah, Jr., Quarterback
October 08, 2017Bauserman, a junior from Woodstock, Va., picks up his second straight weekly honor after leading Shenandoah to a fourth win in five games with another strong passing performance. Bauserman set a school-record with 40 completions in going 40-of-61 (65.6%) for 495 yards and five touchdowns. The nation's leading passer at 417.0 yards per game, 2,085 passing yards overall, and 24 touchdowns completed passes to nine different receivers on Saturday. The 495 yards are the fourth-most in Division III this year, giving him two of the top-four performances this year. That total is also eighth in ODAC history. His 40 completions tie for ninth in league history. His five TD passes are tied for 11th in the NCAA (3rd-most in a game this season) and tied for fifth in ODAC history. Bauserman has thrown for at least 303 yards and four touchdowns in each game this season.
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Justin Banks, Emory & Henry, Jr., Defensive Back
October 01, 2017Banks, a junior from Coeburn, Va., made an impact early and often in Emory & Henry's 45-42 victory over Washington and Lee to open ODAC play. On just the third play of the game, Banks put points on the board with the first turnover of the game. He stripped a W&L runner at the Generals' 27-yard line and returned it to paydirt for an early 7-0 lead. Banks notched a game-high 14 tackles on the day, including nine solo stops. He also came away with a tackle for a loss, costing W&L two yards of offense. For the season, Banks is sixth in the ODAC with 33 tackles and tied for second with 24 solo tackles.
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Hayden Bauserman, Shenandoah, Jr., Quarterback
October 01, 2017Bauserman, a junior from Woodstock, Va., put together one of the best passing days in NCAA Division III this season in leading Shenandoah to a 51-38 road win at Randolph-Macon. Bauserman went 32-of-60 thru the air for 559 yards and six touchdowns with one interception. The 559 yards are the fourth-most in ODAC history, rank second in Division III this year, and set a new SU record. His six touchdown passes are the most throw in the ODAC since 2014 (GC's Matt Pawlowski), the second most in Division III this year, and established a second school standard. Bauserman, who had 357 yards and four touchdowns thru the air by halftime, completed passes to eight different receivers with three scoring strikes going to Leonard Scott (7 for 162 yds). For the season, Bauserman leads the ODAC in several passing categories including yards (1,589), yards per game (397.3), touchdowns (19) and efficiency rating (150.1). His 397.3 yards per game top the Division III charts.
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Isaac Evans, Bridgewater, Jr., Cornerback
September 17, 2017Evans, a junior from Fredericksburg, Va., helped the Eagles limit Apprentice School to just 50 yards thru the air and 211 yards of offense overall in Bridgewater's 52-0 whitewashing of the Builders on Saturday. Evans not only helped BC post its first shutout since the 2013 season-opener (57-0 over St. Vincent), he put 12 points on the board with a pair of pick-sixes. He took back his first interception late in the first quarter, returning the ball 45 yards to paydirt for a 21-0 lead. He struck again at the outset of the second half, turning around his second interception 26 yards for a 31-0 advantage. Evans also contributed on special teams, blocking a 27-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter. Evans' two pick-sixes give him a school-record four for his career.
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Walker Brand, Washington and Lee, Sr., Running Back
September 17, 2017Brand, a senior from Roanoke, Va., added to his impressive total of early season rushing touchdowns in helping Washington and Lee improve to 2-1 on the season with a 24-14 triumph at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Brand entered the contest with the Stags tied for the NCAA Division III lead with seven rushing scores and he added two more in the Generals second win of the season. He carried the ball 21 times for a career-high 154 yards that included a pair of one-yard scoring bursts. He did not lose any yards on any one of his 21 carries and had four runs of 10 yards or longer. He setup his first score with a 49-yard sprint before pounding it it for an early 7-0 lead. Brand's second TD came on W&L's first possession of the second half where he capped a 14-play drive in which he carried the ball 11 times and accounted for 74 of the series' 93 yards. For the season, Brand has leads the ODAC with nine rushing scores and is second with 385 yards on the ground.
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Nate Hill, Shenandoah, So., Free Safety
September 10, 2017Hill, a sophomore from Gaithersburg, Md., was a turnover machine from his safety position in the Hornets' 61-14 triumph at N.C. Wesleyan. Hill accounted for three of Shenandoah's six forced turnovers. He intercepted a pair of passes and racked up 55 total return yards. He returned his second pick 37 yards to the Battling Bishops' 39-yard line, setting up a SU scoring pass four plays later. Hill's first forced miscue came in the opening quarter when he jarred the ball loose from NCWC running back Deandre Gillis, who one play prior had scampered 32 yards to the SU 33-yard line. Hill tacked on two tackles and broke up three other passes to give him a team- and game-best five passes defensed. His efforts helped SU hold NCWC to 3-of-13 on third down conversions.
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De'Eric Bell, Guilford, Jr., Running Back
September 10, 2017Bell, a junior from Jackson, Ga., put together a record-setting day in the Quakers' 56-17 win at Methodist. Bell set ODAC and Guilford single-game records with 428 all-purpose yards. He registered a ODAC, Guilford, and NCAA Division III-record 11 punt returns, which he turned into 138 yards. He added 137 yards on three kickoff returns, powered by a 97-yard return for a touchdown midway thru the fourth quarter. Bell was a little more conventional with his remaining 153 all-purpose yards. He carried the ball 16 times for 78 yards and pair of touchdowns. He added four receptions for 75 yards to complete his afternoon. All told, Bell averaged 12.5 yards over his 34 touches. Thru two weeks, he leads the ODAC with 640 all-purpose yards.
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Bernie Hayes III, Shenandoah, So., Linebacker
September 03, 2017Hayes III, a sophomore from Fort Washington, Md., helped the Hornets opened the new season with a resounding 40-14 triumph over Gallaudet University. Hayes tied for team-high honors with eight total tackles. He was in the Bison backfield all day, registering 4.0 tackles for a loss to tie for the most in the ODAC in week one. Those plays cost the Bison 19 yards of offense. Hayes also broke up two passes before getting in on the scoring. Late in the first quarter, Hayes gave Shenandoah a lead it would not relinquish as he picked up a fumble off a bad GU toss and sprinted 36 yards untouched for a touchdown. The score put SU ahead 13-6 with 2:32 to go in the opening frame.
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Karsten Miller, Guilford, Sr., Quarterback
September 03, 2017Miller, a senior from Thomasville, N.C., helped the Quakers snap a six-game skid dating back to last season with a 38-24 win on the road at Huntingdon College. The win also marked GC's first football victory in the state of Alabama. Miller completed passes to eight different receivers on the way to going 16-of-36 thru the air for 353 yards and four touchdown passes with no interceptions. He also carried the ball eight times for 23 yards, using two scrambles to sustain drives on third-down plays. Two of Miller's touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter, including a 97-yard scoring play with first-year receiver Montek Johnson. Miller eluded the rush in the end zone and throwing against his body, found Johnson 47-yards downfield to lead to the longest play from scrimmage in the young ODAC season. Saturday's effort helped Miller move into a share for eighth place on Guilford's career passing list.
