INDIANAPOLIS – The fifth week of the season turned a new leaf into the month of October and more Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Players of the Week honors were announced by the league on Monday morning.
Three teams from the Great Midwest went into Week 5 receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll (Ohio Dominican, Hillsdale, Tiffin) and only enhanced their case for additional attention with respective wins.
Tiffin (5-0, 3-0 G-MAC) remains the lone unbeaten in the conference after grinding out a road win at Wayne State, a former conference opponent of the Dragons. Hillsdale (4-1, 3-0 G-MAC) engaged in a shootout against Malone and Ohio Dominican (4-1, 2-1 G-MAC) enjoyed a monster second half after going into halftime trailing against Alderson Broaddus (1-4, 0-2 G-MAC).
Findlay (3-2, 2-1 G-MAC) also was on cruise control against Lake Erie (0-5, 0-3 G-MAC) by matching the conference single-game scoring record with 70 points on the board. The Oilers’ offense is now averaging 45 points per game and close to 500 yards per game, tops in the league.
On the road in Owensboro, Walsh (1-3, 1-1 G-MAC) delivered the first win in head coach John Fankhauser’s tenure by taming a surging Kentucky Wesleyan (2-3, 1-2 G-MAC) program.
With the carousel of kickers in special teams around the NFL, Walsh’s Kasey Tingler has been a constant and one of the best since the league’s formation. He booted three field goals in the Cavalier’s six-point margin of victory.
Saturday featured many spotlight performances around the league with gaudy numbers put up by a handful of position players. Included in those efforts were 450 yards passing and four touchdowns tossed by Hillsdale quarterback Chance Stewart. But Ohio Dominican’s Evan Ernst launched a new single-game record seven touchdowns and threw for 436 yards of his own.
Ernst is putting up Patrick Mahomes-like numbers in his first two career starts after leading the Panthers to a win in the championship rematch in Week 4.
Also consider that ODU’s David Turner set the single game conference record in receptions with 15 as one of Ernst’s favorite targets. Hillsdale’s Trey Brock and Konnor Maloney each had over 100 yards receiving and combined for all four of Stewart’s passing TD’s.
Tiffin QB Nick Watson continues to his name tossed in the hat for offensive player of the year consideration with three more passing touchdowns. The Week 1 Player of the Week went to senior target Charles Holland twice for scoring plays.
Offensive Player of the Week
Cory Contini
Ohio Dominican
Wide Receiver
Senior
Dover, OH (Dover HS)
After being named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy presented by the National Football Foundation, Contini simply went out and produced what is arguably the best single-game performance in conference history to date.
Contini lit up Alderson Broaddus for eight catches and 175 yards and a new Great Midwest best five touchdowns.
Contini also tied the single-game scoring record of 30 points currently shared with Hillsdale running back David Graham.
Despite Ohio Dominican trailing 27-24 at halftime, the Panthers scored 42 unanswered points in the second half. Contini was a huge factor in the second-half surge, scoring four touchdowns of his own in the third quarter alone.
He also had a four-yard scoring reception to put ODU’s first points on the board in the first quarter. Evan Ernst found Contini in the middle of the field for a 75-yard connection following the kickoff to start the second half.
Contini also helped ODU cash red-zone conversions from 6 yards and 17 yards out and proceeded to haul in another 36-yarder.
The reigning Great Midwest Offensive Back of the Year now leads the league in receiving yards (495), receiving TD’s (10) and average yards per game (99.0).
Defensive Player of the Week
Marcus Shellenbarger
Walsh
Defensive Line
Freshman
Mt. Vernon, OH (Mt. Vernon HS)
Shellenbarger was the defensive catalyst for wreaking havoc in the Kentucky Wesleyan backfield and slowing down a streaking offense.
The freshman lineman produced six tackles, 2.5 sacks, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in the Cavaliers’ 23-17 win, their first of the season and first in the era of John Fankhauser as head coach.
Walsh was able to effectively pressure quarterback Mike McGee with five sacks and also bottled up Week 4 Offensive Player of the Week Landan Thomas with 49 net rush yards.
Shellenbarger was credited with four solo stops and two assisted tackles.
He made a huge impact in the fourth quarter with a sack on 3rd and 3 on KWC’s first possession and halted the Panthers’ attempt at a game-winning drive with a fumble and recovery following a 15-yard run.
Shellenbarger’s forced turnover allowed Walsh to line up in victory formation and run out the clock.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Maliq Carr
Findlay
Defensive Lineman
Freshman
Indianapolis, IN (Lawrence North HS)
Carr and the Oilers made life uncomfortable for Lake Erie in the kicking game to help set up a record day by the offensive unit.
Carr blocked a field goal and blocked a punt, one of which resulted in a touchdown to help set the ferocious tone in a 70-7 Findlay win.
On a 4th and 19 situation, Carr burst through the Lake Erie line to block a punt in the second quarter. Teammate Chiebuka Chukweneke recovered in the LEC end zone that gave the Oilers a a commanding 29-0 lead.
Carr also penetrated for a blocked 33-yard field goal try from the Storm towards the tail end of the first quarter.
The rookie lineman also was credited with three total tackles and had one for a loss.