INDIANAPOLIS – Three different programs were represented with the Week 4 selections of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Players of the Week that were announced on Monday afternoon.
The Great Midwest and Great Lakes Valley Conference continued their entertaining scheduling alliance with all eight teams in action. It was a straight split, with each conference winning four games, while the Great Midwest had a 4-3 edge in Week 3.
The Great Midwest and GLVC will meet again later in the season at the America’s Crossroads Bowl game in Hobart, Ind., for a postseason opportunity between two of the league’s stronger programs.
Lake Erie, Ohio Dominican and Tiffin, are all 3-1 overall when the dust cleared from Week 4. The Storm were handed their first loss of the season against Southwest Baptist while Truman State reeled off 21 straight points to defeat No. 12 ranked Tiffin in a shootout.
Ohio Dominican went into double overtime and came up with a huge 4th and 1 stand to knock off No. 19 ranked UIndy. Hillsdale had a homecoming to remember against Missouri S&T for the Chargers first win of the season by scoring the final 14 points.
Ashland emphatically put its first win of the season in the column as a member of the Great Midwest, throttling Quincy by putting up 63 points. The Eagles scored at least 14 points in each quarter and generated over 700 yards of total offense.
Kentucky Wesleyan QB Christian Arrambide accounted for five touchdowns as the Panthers routed William Jewell. Arrambide threw for four and rushed for one while taking over the conference leading in passing touchdowns (10) and ranking second in passing yards (1,032).
After both teams combined to put up over 100 points in Week 3, Lindenwood had a upper hand against Findlay in a game that saw the Oilers go into halftime with a 3-0 lead. Walsh’s Tyre Gray hauled in his third receiving TD of the fall against McKendree but the Cavaliers fell by a 24-10 final.
Offensive Player of the Week
Austin Brenner
Ashland
Quarterback
Junior
Copley, OH (Copley HS)
After not seeing the field for a game in 2020, Brenner and the Eagles are officially back on track following their first win of 2021 against Quincy as part of the Great Midwest/GLVC scheduling alliance.
Brenner accounted for seven touchdowns, passing for five and rushing for two, while completing 84 percent of his passes (21-25) and totaling 327 yards through the air. He also gained 56 yards on eight carries.
The junior connected with four different receivers for touchdowns, including Garrett Turnbaugh twice, as part of his eight catch, 129-yard day. He scored on runs of six yards and 16 yards and finished a nine-play drive early in the fourth quarter with his fifth TD pass of the afternoon.
The Eagles set a single game record for total offense with 718 yards, officially passing Findlay’s 695 yards gained in 2018 vs. Malone. Ashland’s 63 points are also a top 10 single-game total in conference history, doing so for the fourth time since 2017. Brenner’s single-game completion percentage also ranks as the fourth best effort in league history.
Brenner is now leading all QB’s in the conference in completion percentage (65.1) while also averaging a league best 280 passing yards per game. He has thrown for 841 yards and seven touchdowns.
Ashland was picked fourth in the conference preseason coaches poll, a byproduct of possibly missing all of 2020 due to COVID. The Eagles also started the season with a pair of top 10 ranked opponents vs. Notre Dame (OH) and Ferris State.
Defensive Player of the Week
Desdamon Lake
Ohio Dominican
Defensive Back
Senior
Youngstown, OH (East / Urbana University)
On the road in a tough environment, the Ohio Dominican defense made another incredible stand to secure an impressive win over nationally ranked UIndy in overtime. ODU improved to 3-1 and could be knocking on the door for a spot in the AFCA national rankings.
Lake finished with a game high 16 tackles, including 11 solo, with a stop for a loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a very critical moment.
Lake punched the ball free from WR Alonzo Derrick and recovered at the 1-yard line as UIndy was threatening on the first possession of overtime. The senior DB helped hold UIndy’s ground game to just 3.3 yards per carry and despite the two extra overtimes, almost 80 yards lower than their season average.
The Panthers also ran their ran their active road winning streak to eight straight, for the third longest in Division II. It was also Ohio Dominican’s first overtime victory in program history.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Julian Lee
Hillsdale
Kicker/Punter
RS Freshman
White Lake, MI (Notre Dame Prep)
The Chargers are turning around their early season frustration following a pair of four-point defeats after earning a home win on Saturday against Missouri S&T.
Lee has been perfect all season and maintained his 100 percent accuracy rating to help account for eight points in the 38-31 final. He made a 30-yard field goal and converted all five PAT tries.
On the season, he is now 11-for-11 on PAT’s and 4-for-4 on field goals.
Lee’s field goal in the second quarter was part of a 10-point quarter as Hillsdale went into the locker room trailing 24-17. He also booted seven kickoffs for 375 yards.
The redshirt freshman specialist is now ranked third in the conference among kickers in points scored with 23.