2010 NCAC Football Players Of The Week

Mason Espinosa, Ohio Wesleyan
(Cookeville, TN/Cookeville)

Completions - Attempts: 34 of 44
Yards: 471
Touchdowns: 6

Ohio Wesleyan freshman quarterback Mason Espinosa set school records for passing touchdowns in a game (6), passing yards in a game (471) and total offense in a game (484) as he guided the Battling Bishops to a 47-24 victory over Hiram.

Tackles: 10
For a loss (yards): 3 (11)
Sacks (yards): 2 (10)
Hurries: 4
Wittenberg senior defensive end Eddie Vallery made 10 tackles, with three for a loss of 11 yards, two sacks for 10 yards lost and four quarterback hurries. He led the Tiger defense that held off Wooster for a 22-17 victory. With the victory, Wittenberg secured sole possesion of its 10th NCAC title and a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Completions - Attempts: 24-of-34
Yards: 317
Touchdowns; 3

Wittenberg junior quarterback Ben Zoeller completed 24-of-34 passes for 317 yards and three TDs. It was his fourth 300-yard-plus passing game of 2010, as he led the Tigers to a 34-17 decision over Wabash. Wittenberg has clinched at least a share of its 10th NCAC crown.

Tackles: 9
For a loss: 1
Interception: 1 returned for a 56-yard touchdown

Wooster junior cornerback Taylor Trout picked off a pass against Kenyon and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter. The interception ended a Lord rally and put the Fighting Scots up, 28-6. Trout also posted a season-best nine tackles, including one for a loss of six yards. Wooster won, 31-6.

Robin Witjes, Oberlin
(Howell, MI/Howell)

Receptions: 3
Yards: 74
Touchdowns: 2

Oberlin sophomore wide receiver Robin Witjes caught three passes, two of which went for touchdowns, in the Yeomen’s 20-10 victory over Denison. Witjes’ 46-yard catch for a score with 4:20 left proved to be the game-clincher.

James Huddleston, OWU
(Pontiac, MI/St. Mary's Prep)

Tackles: 10
Sacks: 3
For a loss: 4
Passes broken up: 1

Ohio Wesleyan sophomore defensive end James Huddleston totaled 10 stops with three sacks and four for a loss in the Battling Bishops’ 30-14 win over Kenyon. His sack that ended a Lord drive early in the fourth quarter turned the game around, and led to an OWU score one play later.

T.J. Salopek, Allegheny
(Huntingdon, PA/Norwin)

Passes: 35
Completions: 31
Yards: 342
Touchdowns: 2

Allegheny senior quarterback T.J. Salopek threw for a season-high 342 yards on 31-for-35 passing, with a pair of touchdowns. He connected with nine different receivers, and rushed three times for 26 yards as the Gators topped Ohio Wesleyan, 41-21.

Brad McKinley, Wittenberg
(Hilliard, OH/Davidson)

Tackles: 22
Solos: 6
Assists: 16

Wittenberg senior linebacker Brad McKinley posted a season-high 22 tackles, including six solos. The Tigers topped Carnegie Mellon, 27-21, in overtime.

Jonathan Horn, Wabash
(Carmel, IN/Cathedral)

Receptions: 7
Yards: 155
Touchdowns: 1
Longest: 75 yards for a TD

Wabash junior receiver Jonathan Horn caught seven passes for 155 yards and one touchdown in the Little Giants’ 42-21 decision over Oberlin. Horn’s 75-yard scoring catch in the first quarter was the longest reception of the season for Wabash.

Dan Ryan Wood, Wabash
(Palos Hts., IL/St. Laurence)

Tackles: 8
Solos: 5
Assists: 3
Pass breakups: 1

Wabash senior Dan Ryan Wood led the Little Giants with eight tackles, one pass breakup and scored his second career touchdown on an 88-yard kick return, in Wabash’s victory over Oberlin.

T. J. Salopek, Allegheny
(North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin)

Pass Attempts: 29
Completions: 20
Passing Yards: 267
Touchdowns: 0
Intercepted: 0

Allegheny senior quarterback T.J. Salopek completed 20-of-29 passes for 267 yards as the Gators defeated Kenyon, 24-0, for their first conference victory of the year. Salopek became the first quarterback in school history to surpass 600 career completions.

Clay Eaton, Oberlin
(Findlay, OH/Van Buren)

Tackles: 8
Tackles for loss (yards): 3 for 17
Forced fumbles: 1
Sacks: 4
 
Oberlin sophomore lineman Clay Eaton recorded eight tackles, three tackles for a loss of 17 yards, forced a fumble and made four sacks in the Yeomen’s 48-36 loss to Case. 

Ben Zoeller, Wittenberg
(Louisville, KY/St. Xavier)

Pass Attempts: 31
Completions: 19
Passing Yards: 352
Touchdowns: 2
Intercepted: 0

Wittenberg junior quarterback Ben Zoeller completed 19-of-31 pass attempts for 352 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Tigers past Oberlin, 27-21. He had one completion for 91 yards and did not get intercepted in the game.

Girard Ogletree-Crawford, Wooster
(Delaware, OH/Hayes)

Tackles: 10
Pass break-ups: 3
Punts blocked: 1
Kickoff return: 1 for 92 yards and a touchdown
 
Sophomore cornerback Girard Ogletree-Crawford returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, and added a blocked punt in the second quarter to set up the Fighting Scots’ second score. In addition to his special-teams prowess, he made 10 tackles and broke up three passes.

Robert Flagg, Wooster
(Dunedin, FL/Dunedin)

Receptions: 5
Receiving yards: 87
Rushes: 21
Rushing yards: 120
Touchdowns: 2

Sophomore running back Robert Flagg led Wooster in both rushing (120 yards) and receiving (87) to lead the Fighting Scots to a 22-13 decision over Ohio Wesleyan. He scored on a 25-yard reception in the second quarter and from two yards out in the fourth, as Wooster beat Ohio Wesleyan, 22-13.

Ben Maxwell, Wittenberg
(Kettering, OH/Alter)

Tackles: 6 (2 solo)
Interceptions: 1 for 33 yards
Punts blocked: 1
 
Senior linebacker Ben Maxwell led Wittenberg past Allegheny, 24-21. With the scored tied at 7 early in the third quarter, Maxwell blocked a punt and gave the Tigers the ball on the Allegheny 36, which resulted in a 20-yard field goal. He also intercepted a pass and returned it 33  yards to stop an Allegheny drive in the first quarter. Maxwell also contributed six tackles, two of them solo.

Josh McKee, Wittenberg
(New Carlisle, OH/Tecumseh)

Receptions: 9
Receiving yards: 318
Yards per catch: 35.3
Touchdowns: 5 (Long 64)

Wittenberg junior wide receiver Josh McKee broke a 30-year-old school record, and a 10-year-old NCAC record, with 318 receiving yards in a 37-7 victory over Washington-St. Louis. He also hauled in a Tiger- and NCAC-record five touchdowns in the game. McKee’s 318 yards is the 12th-best receiving total in NCAA Division III history and his 30 points scored ties the best performance this season for individual scoring.

Sam Smith, Wabash
(Bloomington, IN/Normal)

Tackles: 7
Solos: 5
Assists: 2
Interceptions: 1 (-2 yards)
Blocked Kicks: 1
 
Wabash junior defensive back Sam Smith topped the Little Giant defensive charts for the second straight week with seven total tackles in a 45-21 win over Ohio Wesleyan. He picked off his second interception this fall and added a blocked punt in the victory.

David Strawser, Allegheny
(Tipp City, OH/Tippecanoe)

Receptions: 6
Receiving yards: 127
Yards per catch: 21.2
Touchdowns: 3

Allegheny senior David Strawser led the Gators past Carnegie Mellon, 34-27, with six catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns. It was the first three-TD game for a Gator receiver since 2006. Strawser’s 16-yard catch for a score with just over two minutes left proved to be the game-winning score.

Jon Hull, Hiram
(Buford, GA/Mill Creek) 

Tackles: 12
Solos: 8
Assists: 4
TFL: 0.5
Fumble Recoveries: 1 for 79 yard TD
 
Hiram junior linebacker Jon Hull collected 12 tackles in the Terriers’ 21-13 decision over Kenyon. He also recovered a fumble and returned it 79 yards late in the third quarter that put Hiram up to stay. The victory snapped the Terriers’ 11-game losing streak, dating back to November 2008.

Adam Niec, Oberlin
(Brecksville, OH/St. Ignatius)

Receptions: 10
Receiving yards: 93
Yards per catch: 9.3
Touchdowns: 3

Oberlin junior wide receiver Adam Niec caught 10 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns, as the Yeomen upended Kenyon, 29-26, in overtime. Niec’s second score tied the game with Kenyon at 26 with two minutes remaining in regulation, and his third won it in the extra
session.

Adam Frudden, Denison
(Mahtomedi, MN/Mounds Park Academy)

Tackles: 11
Solos: 3
Assists: 8

Denison junior linebacker Adam Frudden  made 11 stops, including three solo, in Denison’s 21-6 decision over Ohio Wesleyan. Frudden made three big stops in goal-to-go situations.