2007 NESCAC Football Players of the Week

November 11, 2007

Offensive Player of the Week
Oliver Kell, Bowdoin
(Sophomore, QB - Westford, Mass.)
Kell was responsible for all three Polar Bear touchdowns in a 20-17 win over NESCAC rival Colby on Saturday. Kell went 20-for-30 for 180 yards passing, tossing two touchdown passes while scoring a third on a one-yard run at the end of the first half.

Defensive Player of the Week
Erik Woodring, Middlebury
(Senior, LB - Cos Cob, Conn.)
Woodring capped an impressive career with the Panthers on Saturday at Tufts, recording 18 tackles, eight of which were solo. He also forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, had a pass break-up and recorded a half-tackle for a loss. Woodring ended the season as the NESCAC leader in tackles with 106 and is now the program's all-time leading tackler with 307.

Rookie of the Week
Donald McKillop, Middlebury
(Freshman, QB - Poway, Calif.)
McKillop compiled 198 yards as the Panters won the 2007 NESCAC title with a 21-19 win at Tufts. McKillop went 17-for-29 for 150 yards, with touchdown passes of two and 11 yards. He also rushed 10 times for 48 yards with a long of 11.

November 4, 2007

Offensive Player of the Week
Justin Candon, Colby
(Senior, WR - Rutland, Vt.)
Candon caught nine passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns as the Mules edged Tufts on Saturday 19-16. Candon opened the scoring for Colby with a 16-yard touchdown reception before adding in a 9-yard scoring catch in the third. In the past two games, Candon has 18 receptions for 252 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Week
Kyle Williams, Trinity
(Sophomore, OLB - Bethesda, Md.)
Williams totaled 11 tackles, recording eight solo stops, along with a sack, a forced fumble, and a blocked field goal during the Bantams' 13-9 victory at Amherst on Saturday.

Rookie of the Week
Michael Talarico, Colby
(Freshman, LB - Arlington, Mass.)
Talarico had a collegiate-high eight tackles, including one for a loss, and added a pass break-up in the Mules' 19-16 victory over Tufts on Saturday. Talarico had six solo stops and was third on the team in tackles on the day.

October 28, 2007

Offensive Player of the Week
Matt Russo, Tufts
(Senior, QB - Longmeadow, Mass.)
Russo completed 20-of-26 passes for 205 yards, throwing for three touchdowns and adding a fourth on a touchdown plunge on fourth down in the second quarter as the Jumbos earned a 29-10 victory over Amherst, the largest margin of victory over the Lord Jeffs since 1992.

Defensive Player of the Week
Brian Marcks, Middlebury
(Junior, DB - Glastonbury, Conn.)
Marcks had a big day against Trinity on Saturday in a 23-14 victory for the Panthers. Marcks made five tackles, forced a fumble, and intercepted a pass late in the game while breaking up three others.

Rookie of the Week
Donald McKillop, Middlebury
(Freshman, QB - Poway, N.J.)
McKillop completed 14-of-22 passes for 145 yards in the Panthers rain-soaked 23-14 win over Trinity on Saturday. McKillop tossed touchdown passes of 40 and 25 yards, while contributing 20 rushing yards on seven carries.

October 21, 2007

Offensive Player of the Week
Aaron Rauh, Amherst
(Sophomore, RB - Hudson, Ohio)
Rauh ran for 103 yards on 20 carries Saturday afternoon against Wesleyan, rumbling for a pair of touchdowns to bring his season total to six. Rauh's long carry of the day was for 55 yards in the second quarter for his second touchdown of the game.

Defensive Player of the Week
Trevor Powers, Williams
(Junior, LB - Danvers, Mass.)
Powers racked up 17 tackles, nine of which were solo, and had four stops for a combined loss of 15 yards. Powers also recorded a sack for a loss of nine yards and recovered a fumble for the Ephs in a 34-13 win over previously-undefeated Tufts.

Rookie of the Week
Mark Snickenberger, Hamilton
(Freshman, RB - Wellesley, Mass.)
Snickenberger ran for a game-high 71 yards in the Continentals' victory over Colby on Saturday, scoring a touchdown on a 9-yard run that gave Hamilton a 13-0 lead midway through the second quarter. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry, and added a solo tackle.

October 14, 2007

Offensive Player of the Week
Zach Librizzi, Wesleyan
(Senior, QB - Essex Jct., Vt.)
Librizzi compiled 294 yards of total offense on Saturday against Bates, gaining 121 yards on the ground on nine rushes while going 13-for-22 in the air for 173 yards. Librizzi combined for four touchdowns, scoring on runs of 79 and 17 yards along with two tosses of 47 and nine yards.

Defensive Player of the Week
Erik Woodring, Middlebury
(Senior, LB - Cos Cob, Conn.)
Woodring continued to provide solid play for the Panther defense, racking up 19 tackles, seven of which were solo, against Williams on Saturday. Woodring also recovered his first fumble this season and blocked an extra point attempt. He leads the NESCAC with 59 tackles through four games, averaging a conference-high 14.8 per game.

Rookie of the Week
Justin Freres, Wesleyan
(Freshman, DB - Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Freres started at strong safety for the Cardinals on Saturday against Bates, making eight tackles, four of which were solo, with 0.5 coming for a loss. During the fourth quarter, Freres intercepted a pass in his own end zone and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown.

October 7, 2007

Offensive Player of the Week
Kevin Flynn, Williams
(Senior, RB/KR - Concord, Mass.)
Flynn had 276 all-purpose yards in the Ephs' come-from-behind victory over Bates on Saturday. Flynn had 11 rushes for 66 yards, two receptions for 42 yards, including a touchdown, 45 punt return yards and 123 yards in kick-off returns.

Defensive Player of the Week
Tom Tassinari, Tufts
(Sophomore, SS - Andover, Mass.)
Tassinari returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown, forced and recovered a fumble, and made 12 tackles, eight of which were solo, as Tufts improved to 3-0 with a victory over Bowdoin. During his interception return in the first half, Tassinari broke four tackles en route to the end zone. He leads the NESCAC with four interceptions this year.

Rookie of the Week
Donald McKillop, Middlebury
(Freshman, QB - Poway, Calif.)
McKillop went 15-for-34 for 168 yards and no interceptions in a 19-16 win for Middlebury at Amherst on Saturday, pushing the Panthers to a perfect 3-0. McKillop's longest strike of the day was for 31 yards in the second quarter that set up an eventual Middlebury touchdown.

September 30, 2007

Offensive Player of the Week
Joe Clark, Trinity
(Senior, WR - Agawam, Mass.)
Clark caught six passes for 101 yards, four of which were for touchdowns, as the Bantams overcame Williams 46-40 in triple-overtime on Saturday. Clark came up with touchdown receptions of 14 and 22 yards in the second quarter to erase a 14-0 Williams advantage and a 25-yard touchdown pass on the Bantam's first play of the third overtime that gave Trinity the win.

Defensive Player of the Week
Erik Woodring, Middlebury
(Senior, LB - Cos Cob, Conn.)
Woodring was a strong force for the Panthers on defense Saturday afternoon, as he helped his team secure its second shutout in as many years over Colby during a 41-0 win. Although he saw limited action in the second half, Woodring still racked up 15 tackles, including 4.5 for lost yardage, and recorded a sack for a six-yard loss.

Rookie of the Week
Brian Danshaw, Tufts
(Freshman, LB - Colleyville, Texas)
Danshaw was third in tackles for the Jumbos during their 35-20 victory at Bates on Saturday. He recorded five stops, including one for a loss for three yards, and helped Tufts limit Bates to just 46 yards on the ground on 33 attempts.

September 23, 2007

Offensive Player of the Week
Eric McGrath, Trinity
(Junior, QB - Lynn, Mass.)
McGrath threw for a career-high 338 yards, 297 coming in the first half, as he went 20-for-40 with three touchdown passes in a 20-0 victory over Colby on Saturday. He threw touchdown passes of 13, 19, and 99 yards, and had a pass efficiency rating of 135.7.

Defensive Player of the Week
Lamont White, Bowdoin
(Senior, CB - Boston, Mass.)
White was a part of a Polar Bear defense that forced eight second-half turnovers, collecting a fumble and picking off two passes. White returned his second interception for a touchdown late in the game to secure a 28-14 win for Bowdoin.

Rookie of the Week
Andre Gary, Amherst
(Freshman, WR - Exeter, N.H.)
Gary caught four passes for 58 yards in his debut with the Lord Jeffs, including back-to-back catches for first downs late in the first quarter that set up Amherst's second rushing touchdown.