Rochester, MN-
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) has released its week 8 football awards for the week of October 11 - 17. The MCAC Football Player-of-the-Week awards are sponsored by the U.S. Marines.
As they continue to roll through their schedule undefeated, #2 North Dakota State College of Science again produced incredible offensive numbers behind their quarterback, Jemal Brown, who threw for 424 yards and 5 touchdowns to earn the Offensive Player-of-the-Week award. Teammate, Nikolas Hunchak, brings home another Special Teams Player-of-the-Week award going 5 for 5 on extra point attempts and averaging 53.3 yards per kickoff in his team's win over Mesabi Range College.
Minnesota State Community and Technical College's Rondarius Gregory, a running back from Nashville, TN, picks up an Offensive Player-of-the-Week award after rushing for 226 yards on 26 carries and scoring 4 times.
The Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors are awarded to Kendrick Gordon, Minnesota West Community and Technical College linebacker, with his 9 tackles, a sack, and an interception; and to Itasca Community College's defensive back, Freddie Simmons, who picked off 4 interceptions and had two tackles in his team's final regular season win.
Each week throughout the 2021 season, two offensive, two defensive, and a special teams athlete will be named players-of-the-week, based on nominations submitted by MCAC member football programs.
As MCAC teams compile games and statistics, keep tabs on Conference leaders at the following links:
MCAC Statistical Leaders: https://mcacsports.org/sports/fball/2021-22/leaders
MCAC Standings: https://mcacsports.org/sports/fball/2021-22/standings
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MCAC FootballOffensive Players-of-the-Week |
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Jemal Brown Fr. / QB Minneapolis, MN
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North Dakota State College of Science quarterback, Jemal Brown, threw for 424 yards and 5 touchdowns in his team's win over Mesabi Range College last week. The freshman from Minneapolis completed 23 or 27 passes and rushed 13 times for 21 yards as the Wildcats stayed undefeated through the MCAC regular season. With his offensive effort, Brown earns the Offensive Player-of-the-Week award. The Wildcats are now 8-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play. They return to their home field on Sunday for the MCAC Playoff Quarterfinals when they take on Mesabi Range College for the third time this season. |
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Rondarius Gregory Fr. / RB Nashville, TN
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Rondarius Gregory, freshman running back for Minnesota State Community and Technical College, has been named an Offensive Player-of-the-Week. Gregory rushed for 226 yards on 26 carries, an average of 8.7 yards per carry. He also scored four touchdowns and caught 6 balls for 80 yards. Gregory leads his Spartans team into the MCAC Playoffs as the #4 seed. M State is now 4-4 on the season and 3-4 in MCAC play, and the Spartans host Central Lakes in the quarterfinals of the MCAC Playoffs on Sunday. |
| Other Notable Offensive Performers |
Marselio Mendez (WR, NDSCS): 11 catches for 152 yards and 3 touchdowns, along with one run for 8 yards. Montrellis Wilson (WR, Mesabi Range): 8 receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown. Ian Stamer (WR, MN West CTC): 5 receptions for 68 yards and 2 touchdowns. Caleb Jones (WR, Central Lakes): 4 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. |
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MCAC FootballDefensive Players-of-the-Week |
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Kendrick Gordon So. / LB Nashville, TN
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Kendrick Gordon, sophomore linebacker for Minnesota West Community and Technical College, earns a Defensive Player-of-the-Week honor with his 9 tackles and one sack with a 17 yard loss in his team's win over M State in double overtime. The Nashville, TN product also had a forced fumble, an interception, and broke up a pass. Of his 9 tackles, 5 were solo. The Bluejays are 3-5 on the season, 3-4 in conference play. They travel to Rochester on Sunday to take on the Yellowjackets in the quarterfinals of the MCAC Playoffs. |
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Freddie Simmons So. / DB Tallahassee, FL
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Itasca Community College sophomore defensive back, Freddie Simmons, earns a Defensive Player-of-the-Week honor after his incredible 4 interception performance last week in his team's win over Central Lakes College. The Tallahassee, FL native also had two tackles to go along with his four picks and 36 interception return yards. The Vikings are now 7-1 on the season and 6-1 in conference play, They claim the #2 seed in the MCAC Football Playoffs and host Vermilion Community College on Sunday. |
| Other Notable Defensive Performers |
Hunter Nissen (LB, Central Lakes): 7 tackles with 3.5 for a loss, and 1 pass broken up. Tavion Wells (DB, NDSCS): 2 total tackles, an interception, and a pass break up. Ja'Sion Greathouse (DL, Itasca CC): 7 total tackles with 2 for a loss, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. |
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MCAC FootballSpecial Teams Player-of-the-Week |
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Nikolas Hunchak Fr. / Kicker - Punter Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
North Dakota State College of Science freshman kicker and punter, Nikolas Hunchak, earned the Special Teams Player-of-the-Week award after going 5 for 5 on extra point attempts last week. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan product also averaged 53.3 yards per kickoff (6 kickoffs for 320 yards) and 33.7 yards per punt (3 punts for 101 yards) with a long punt of 40 yards. The Wildcats are now 8-0 on the season and 7-0 in the MCAC. As the #1 seed in the MCAC Football Playoffs, the Wildcats host Mesabi Range on Sunday. |
| Other Notable Special Teams Performers |
No additional special teams players nominated |
This release sponsored by:
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About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.