LSC Football Weekly Release

Complete LSC Release

Players of the Week
Co-North Offensive
Baylen Laury, Southeastern Oklahoma, R-Fr., RB, Forney, Texas, Forney
Laury helped Southeastern to a 28-24 win over Texas A&M-Commerce. Laury rushed for 138 yards on 13 carries, averaging 10.6 yard per carry. He reeled off a long of 67 yards and had a pair of runs longer than 30 yards. He also hauled in a 17 yard touchdown catch that would be the gamewinner with 5:30 to play.

Brandon Noohi, Central Oklahoma, Jr., Quarterback, Oklahoma City, Okla./Mount St. Mary
Noohi led UCO to its sixth straight win with another masterful performance as he accumulated 344 yards total offense -- the eighth-best game in school history -- in a 30-17 win over East Central. The junior completed 24-of-49 passes with no interceptions for 281 yards and a touchdown while also running for 63 yards and a score. He had 217 yards passing in the first half as the Bronchos built a 24-6 lead and accounted for all 25 yards in UCO's lone second-half TD drive with two runs for 18 yards and a seven-yard TD pass.

Co-North Defensive
Matt Gates, Central Oklahoma, Sr., Cornerback, Spencer, Okla./Star Spencer
Gates played a key role in UCO's 30-17 win over East Central that clinched at least a share of the LSC North title for the Bronchos. He tied for the team lead in tackles with 11 while also forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass. The senior cornerback did most of his damage in the second half as the TIgers tried to rally from a 24-6 deficit. First he picked off an ECU pass at the UCO 44 after the Tigers had trimmed the lead to 24-14 in the third quarter and then he forced a fumble that the Bronchos recovered on their own 23 with less than five minutes to go.

Ricky Hope, Texas A&M-Commerce, Sr., Defensive Line, Poulan, Ga./Reedley JC
Became the school's single-season record holder in sacks with his ninth sack against Southeastern Oklahoma. He had his second multi-sack game of the season and forced three fumbles in the loss to the Savage Storm. One of the forced fumbles was picked up by Chad Washington, who subsequently fumbled again before teammate A.J. Johnson picked it up and ran it into the end zone for a Lions' touchdown. Three of his four tackles were for minus yardage.

North Special Teams
Brandon Noohi, Central Oklahoma, Jr., Quarterback, Oklahoma City, Okla./Mount St. Mary
Noohi had another fantastic punting outing for the Bronchos, averaging 44.0 yards on five kicks. UCO didn't punt in the first half in building a 24-6 lead over East Central, but Noohi helped bail out the Bronchos in the second half with his kicks that including two downed inside the 20 (10 and 14) and a 52-yarder from the UCO 10.


Co-South Offensive
Zack Eskridge, Midwestern State, So., Quarterback, Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall
Eskridge set a school record and tied a LSC standard by passing for six touchdowns to lead Midwestern State to a 59-16 win over Eastern New Mexico. The sophomore from Rockwall completed 22-of-29 passes for 295 yards which included touchdown strikes to six different players. The Mustangs set season highs in points (59) and total yards (542). Eskridge, who posted a season-best pass efficiency rating of 229.59, has passed for at least three touchdowns in each of the last three weeks for a total of 13.

Zach Stewart, Abilene Christian, R-Fr., Quarterback, Abilene, Texas/Abilene Cooper
The redshirt freshman made his second straight start at quarterback (and first road start) in place of all-America quarterback Billy Malone and he led the Wildcats to a 42-17 win at Texas A&M-Kingsville that helped the Wildcats clinch at least a share of their first LSC championship since 1977. Stewart completed 24 of 34 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead ACU to its fifth straight win over the Javelinas and third straight in Kingsville. ACU trailed 10-7 midway through the second quarter, but Stewart then led ACU on a 64-yard touchdown drive that gave the Wildcats a 14-10 lead. One possession later, Stewart led ACU on its longest drive of the season, an 11-play, 95-yard drive that was capped by a 31-yard scoring strike from Stewart to Johnny Knox. Stewart's third TD pass of the night was a 10-yarder to Knox late in the third quarter that pushed the Wildcat lead to 35-10, capping a run of 28 straight ACU points.

South Defensive
Quinton Butler, Angelo State, Sr., Cornerback, San Antonio, Texas/Roosevelt
Butler's 37-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the quarter nearly boosted the Rams an upset of No. 20 Tarleton State Thursday night, falling 31-24 in Stephenville. Butler's score cut the Texan lead to seven points, 24-17, after TSU had jumped out to 24-3 lead. Butler also had an interception in the third quarter in the end zone.

South Special Teams
Nick Williams, Angelo State, Fr., Returner/Cornerback, Moore, Okla./Edmond Memorial
Williams had two kickoff returns, averaging better than 53 yards per return, as the Rams nearly upended No. 20 Tarleton State Thursday night. Williams' 76-yard return late in the fourth quarter set up ASU's final touchdown with two minutes left to cut the Texan lead back to seven points for the second time in the period. The Rams would follow that score with a successful on-side kick, however, had the game end with an interception in the end zone. Williams has seven kickoff returns this season with a 44.1 yard per return average and three returns of more than 60 yards.