Midwestern State tops the Lone Star Conference standings as the only unbeaten team at 5-0 in league play.
This week’s schedule includes three LSC contests and two non-conference games.
LSC football teams are 37-32 overall this season. The squads are 7-5 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 tallied four touchdowns on the day as the Rams defeated Eastern New Mexico 59-7. He completed 11 of 21 passing for 233 yards and two touchdowns without an interception or a sack. On the ground, he had two rushing attempts, both going for touchdowns to lead ASU to its third straight victory.
DEFENSIVE
Alex Shillow, Texas A&M-Commerce, SR, Organization Development, S, Pflugerville, Texas, Pflugerville HS
Shillow made a major impact for A&M-Commerce in its 41-0 shutout of UT Permian Basin. He led the team with six total tackles and also scored a touchdown on a 100-yard interception return while helping hold the Falcons to 167 yards. His 100-yard interception touchdown return is second in program history, 14th in LSC history and just the third in NCAA Division II this year.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kylan Harrison, Midwestern State, SR, Sports & Leisure, PR/KR, Paris, Texas, W.T. White HS
Harrison electrified the Homecoming crowd by returning the opening kickoff of the second half 95 yards for the touchdown to help No. 24 Midwestern State to a 52-10 win over Western New Mexico. He became the first MSU player to return two kicks for touchdowns and also provided the longest kick return in program history. Harrison also delivered his fifth career 100-yard receiving game with a season-high 129 yards on seven receptions including a 73-yard touchdown on MSU's first offensive play of the game. Harrison ranks fourth in all of NCAA Division II averaging 32.5 yards on 12 kick returns this season.
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
O-25 Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce
N-1 Zach Bronkhorst, Angelo State (2)
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
O-25 Dee Walker, Texas A&M-Commerce
N-1 Alex Shillow, Texas A&M-Commerce
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
O-25 Dominique Ramsey, Texas A&M-Commerce
N-1 Kylan Harrison, Midwestern State
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Jayden Moore, Midwestern State, the true freshman out of Cedar Hill High broke out with 122 yards on three receptions including an 85-yard touchdown to help No. 24 Midwestern State to a 52-10 win over Western New Mexico on Homecoming Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Moore took a screen pass and blew past the WNMU secondary for an 85-yard score in the third quarter to account for the fourth longest reception in MSU program history.
Ryan Martinez, Texas A&M-Kingsville, led the offensive effort with a personal-best 11 receptions going for his second career 100-yard game after finishing with 102 in the 35-23 loss to West Texas A&M. Martinez made a five-yard catch late in the fourth quarter that cut the lead to 28-23 and added his 39-yard reception in the opening drive of the second half that produced the first touchdown of the day for the Javelinas. On the year, Martinez owns a team-high 320 yards and three touchdown receptions on 36 catches total.
Andrew Armstrong, Texas A&M-Commerce, scored two touchdowns against UTPB in the 41-0 win on Saturday. Both of his touchdowns came following turnovers by the Falcons, and he had 81 yards on four catches. His longest catch of the day was for a 28-yard touchdown. Armstrong has caught three touchdowns in the last three games.
Jarrod Compton, West Texas A&M, was dominant in the backfield for the Buffaloes on Saturday night in Kingsville as the junior from Lubbock led WT to a 35-23 victory over the Javelinas on Homecoming. The Coronado High School product carried the ball 18 times for 145 yards for an average of 8.1 yards per carry with a long run of 48 yards, he also caught a pair of passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Satchel Escalante, West Texas A&M, was all over the field for the Buffaloes on Saturday night as they handed Texas A&M-Kingsville a 35-23 Homecoming loss at Javelina Stadium. The Casa Grande, Arizona native led the team with 12 total tackles (seven for loss) to go along with two interceptions, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in the win. He also stuffed the Javelinas on fourth and one inside the five-yard line to hold a lead for the Buffs in the fourth quarter. Escalante registered his first two interceptions of the season on back-to-back drives in the first half as WT turned the second INT into points to extend their lead to 21-2 at the time.
Josh Quinton, Angelo State, a senior linebacker from Lubbock, Texas, led a Rams defense that only allowed 197 yards in a 59-7 road win over Eastern New Mexico. He tallied six tackles include 1.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble. The defense tallied four takeaways and gave up only one touchdown late in the contest.
Jake Viquez, Texas A&M-Commerce, scored 11 of the 41 points for the Lions in their 41-0 shutout of UT Permian Basin. He went 2 for 3 in field goal attempts, converting from 34 and 42 yards and missed a long 52-yard kick. He also converted all five point-after kicks. He has made 15 field goals this year, seven more than any other kicker in the LSC and his 75 points scored are most by any player in the LSC.
Gilbert Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville, turned in his second game of the year making multiple field goals for the Javelinas as he finished two-for-two on his attempts from long range and added a PAT early in the third quarter. Garza booted a 27-yard try in the closing seconds of the first half and added a 37-yard strike late in the third quarter to connect for his seventh field goal of the season in the 35-23 loss to West Texas A&M.