Midwestern State leads the Lone Star Conference standings as the only unbeaten team at 4-0 in league play.
This week’s schedule includes three LSC contests and two non-conference games.
LSC football teams are 29-24 overall this season. The squads are 6-5 combined versus the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams, which are also in NCAA Super Regional Four.
LSC schedule and results available here:
http://www.lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=football
LSC TO HOST 2021 DIVISION II FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
After hosting two successful title games, the NCAA Division II Football Committee has chosen McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas, as the host site of the 2021-25 Division II football national championship games.
The 2021 title game is set for 8 p.m. CST on Saturday, Dec. 18 and will be televised by ESPNU.
The Lone Star Conference in conjunction with McKinney ISD hosted the 2018 and 2019 championship games. McKinney ISD Stadium and Community Event Center, a 12,000-seat facility built primarily for football, will host the Division II Football Championship games on Dec. 18, 2021; December 17, 2022; December 16, 2023; December 21, 2024; and December 20, 2025.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Zach Bronkhorst, Angelo State, JR, Criminal Justice, QB, Galveston, Texas, High Island HS
Bronkhorst led the Rams to a victory on Homecoming night, defeating UT Permian Basin 34-14. He finished the game with three total touchdowns, throwing two and running for another while completing 17-of-34 of his passes for 205 yards. Bronkhorst’s first passing touchdown gave the Rams a 20-7 lead at halftime.
DEFENSIVE
Tobias Harris, West Texas A&M, JR, Business, CB, Pflugerville, Texas, Hendrickson HS
Harris was dominant on the defensive side of the ball for West Texas A&M on Saturday night in Portales as the Buffs kept the Wagon Wheel for another year with a 44-24 win over Eastern New Mexico. The Pflugerville, Texas native registered five tackles while picking off three ENMU passes with two of those returned for touchdowns. The first was a 25-yard return for a score late in the second quarter and then a 65-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. The three interceptions in a game match the most in Division II this season. WT finished the game with five interceptions on five consecutive possessions by the Greyhounds. It marks the first time since the 2005 season that a Buffalo (Keon Gaither) has intercepted three passes in a single game. In 28 career games, Harris has recorded 135 tackles, 15 interceptions and 36 pass breakups.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Cason Polivoda, West Texas A&M, FR, Civil Engineering, K, Amarillo, Texas, Caprock HS
Polivoda made an immediate impact for the Buffaloes on Saturday night in Portales as the freshman stepped into the field goal and extra point role for WT in a 44-24 win over Eastern New Mexico. The Caprock High School product made his first appearance for the Buffs, connecting on three field goals and five extra points in the win. His first career field goal came late in the first quarter from 24 yards out followed by a 32 yarder in the second quarter, the Amarillo native connected from 44 yards out midway thru the fourth quarter to go along with five extra points in the 44-24 win.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Offensive
S-6 CJ Odom, Angelo State
S-13 Clayton Roberts, UT Permian Basin
S-20 Dillon Sterling-Cole, Midwestern State
S-27 Kylan Harrison, Midwestern State
O-4 Hagen Garvin, Angelo State
O-11 Justin Manyweather, Eastern New Mexico
O-18 Zach Bronkhorst, Angelo State
Defensive
S-6 Xavier Morris, Texas A&M-Commerce
S-13 Dylon Davis, Midwestern State
S-20 Jacob Clarkson, Texas A&M-Kingsville
S-27 Josh Quinton, Angelo State
O-4 Eric Rascoe, Angelo State
O-11 JT Cavender, West Texas A&M
O-18 Tobias Harris, West Texas A&M
Special Teams
S-6 Jake Viquez, Texas A&M-Commerce
S-13 Ritse Vaes, Midwestern State
S-20 Fernando Piedra, Midwestern State
S-27 Carson Roberts, UT Permian Basin
O-4 Andrew Pitts, Angelo State
O-11 Gage Urias, West Texas A&M
O-18 Cason Polivoda, West Texas A&M
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Shane Johnson, Texas A&M-Kingsville, became the first Javelina quarterback since Trey Mitchell in 2014 to rush for over 100 yards in a game following the Hogs' 51-21 win over Lincoln on Saturday. The transfer from Lamar finished with 101 yards on the ground coupled with a 20-yard rushing score that came midway through the second quarter that put the lead at 26-7 at the half and added another 68 yards through the air with a 24-yard strike to Amonte Bowen earlier in the first frame to finish with two total touchdowns the lead the offensive effort. The last time a TAMUK play-caller finished in the triple digits on the ground was the 154 yards gathered by Mitchell in a 57-31 loss to Angelo State on October 18 of the 2014 campaign.
MJ Link, UT Permian Basin, had a career night recording the third most receiving yards in a single game in Falcon history in a 34-14 loss to Angelo State. The junior started the evening with a bang, hauling in a 62-yard touchdown in the first quarter to get the Falcons on the board. Later, he catches of 44 and 28 yards to spark the offense. The star receiver leads the LSC in receiving yards per game (75.8) while he is second in yards (455) and touchdowns (6). For his career, Link is averaging a touchdown per game and only once this season did not find the end zone.
Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce, played just one half on Saturday against Western New Mexico in the 58-0 win. He was responsible for four touchdowns, rushing two and throwing two. Smalls had a completion percentage of .800 and threw for 224 yards on an average of 22.4 yards per attempts.
D'Ondre Robinson, UT Permian Basin, was a one man show on Saturday, recording 17 tackles in a 34-14 loss to Angelo State. That feat tied the single game program record by a player other than Chris Hoad, the all-time LSC leader in tackles. Robinson was a key part in making a goal line stand in the first half when he dove over the pile to force a field goal attempt.
Giovanni Williams, Texas A&M-Kingsville, led a defensive effort that forced three turnovers in a 51-21 Javelina win over Lincoln on Saturday. The redshirt freshman from Alabama came away with six tackles, including a lightning-quick sack late in the second quarter, and a pass breakup to secure the third win of the season for TAMUK to get back to .500 on the year. It is the third time this season the Javelina defense forced three turnovers, having done so against Saginaw Valley State and Western Oregon earlier this year, and sixth time overall since Mike Salinas took over the helm of the program.
Justice Williams, Texas A&M-Commerce, was part of the Lion defensive unit that pitched a shutout against Western New Mexico on Saturday. He had five tackles, including two sacks and a forced fumble. A&M-Commerce as a team had 10 sacks, which are the second most by any unit in NCAA Division II this year.
Hunter Kyle, Angelo State, led the Rams in tackles with five in their win over UTPB. He also recorded an interception, returning it 39 yards for his first defensive touchdown of the season. The Rams held UTPB to a season-low of only 27 yards on the ground, and a season a low of 233 total yards of offense.
Dominique Ramsey, Texas A&M-Commerce, returned three punts for 68 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown on Saturday. He leads the LSC with 286 punt return yards as well as an average of 19.1 yards per punt return. On Saturday, Ramsey had a role in all three facets of the game with five tackles as a defensive back and one catch for 10 yards as a wide receiver.
Asa Fuller, Angelo State, in the 34-14 win over UTPB, finished a perfect 4-of-4 on PATs while going 2-of-3 in field goal attempts. He converted field goal attempts from 19 and 25 yards while earing four touchbacks in six kickoff attempts.
Jamil Pittman, UT Permian Basin, blocked a punt in the fourth quarter, scooped it, and returned it 34 yards for the score for the Falcons in a 34-14 loss to Angelo State.