INDIANAPOLIS – The first four league games are in the books as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Players of the Week awards for Week 5 were announced on Monday afternoon.
The opportunity for a clean slate in the conference standings awaited all eight teams last week with ambitions of starting 1-0.
Ohio Dominican had a wild finish to hold off Kentucky Wesleyan, 32-20, Findlay rolled on the road at Lake Erie, 37-10, Hillsdale stopped defending spring champion and preseason favorite Tiffin, 24-21, and Ashland emerged victorious in its first conference game on Thursday night over Walsh, 35-10.
Offensive Player of the Week
Austin Brenner
Ashland
Quarterback
Junior
Copley, OH (Copley HS)
Brenner was selected back-to-back offensive player of the week following his conference debut on Thursday night against Walsh. He did it again with passing and rushing numbers, accounting for four total touchdowns.
Brenner completed over 74 percent of his passes (20-27) for 296 yards and ran for 15 more. He threw for a pair of scores and rushed for a pair of scores.
Brenner helped Ashland out to a 14-0 first quarter lead with a 12-yard scamper and a 55-yard connection out of the backfield to RB Gei’vonni Washington.
Before halftime, Brenner capped an 8 play, 80-yard scoring drive with a sneak from eight yards out before throwing another scoring pass in the third quarter.
Brenner helped Ashland break the single-game conference record for total offense in Week 4 vs. Quincy. The Eagles lead all teams in total offense (516 ypg), scoring offense (38.0 ppg) and evened their season record at 2-2 after starting the year vs. two top-10 ranked opponents.
He still leads all Great Midwest QB’s in completion percentage (67.3 percent) and paces the league with 284.3 passing yards per game.
Defensive Player of the Week
Joe Schneider
Hillsdale
Defensive Back
Senior
Rolling Meadows, IL (Fremd HS)
The Chargers stunned Tiffin on the road during the Dragons’ homecoming festivities in a 24-21 victory that snapped TU’s 12-game conference win streak.
After winning in Week 4 vs. Missouri S&T, Schneider and the Hillsdale defense set the tone against a dangerous Dragons’ offensive attack.
Schneider finished with eight tackles, including six solo stops, and recorded a pair of interceptions to halt Tiffin drives. He picked off conference player of the year Nick Watson in the first and fourth quarters.
Schneider put an end to Tiffin’s first offensive series returning his first forced turnover 14 yards. On fourth down in Hillsdale territory, the senior defensive back picked Watson off again with 8:13 left in regulation.
Schneider has played in all five games this season while totaling 28 tackles.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Chance Canady
Ohio Dominican
Defensive Line
Senior
Columbus, OH (Licking Heights HS)
In a slugfest between the Panthers, Ohio Dominican held on to extend its season win streak to four straight with Saturday’s narrow victory over Kentucky Wesleyan.
Canady broke through the line and blocked a potential game-winning field goal from 42 yards out by Kentucky Wesleyan with no time left on the clock.
On the previous drive, Canady was part of a relentless push up front to block an extra point attempt that would have given KWC the lead If successfully converted.
In five games, Canady has 12 tackles, including for four for a loss.