Midwestern State claimed the Lone Star Conference Championship for the fourth time. The Mustangs finished the regular season unbeaten at 7-3 overall and 6-1 in league play.
Angelo State was selected to represent the Lone Star Conference in the 2021 NCAA Division II Football Championship. The Rams earned the No. 2 seed in Super Region Four. ASU hosts Minnesota Duluth in the first round on Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. in San Angelo, Texas.
LSC football teams are 44-39 overall this season. The squads are 7-6 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
Jalen March, Midwestern State, FR, Education, RB, Fort Worth, Texas, Seguin HS
March rushed for a career-high 158 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown to help Midwestern State clinch its fourth Lone Star Conference championship with a 36-30 win over UT Permian Basin Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The freshman from Fort Worth ran for 99 yards in the first quarter, then scored on a 3-yard run and rushed for the 2-point conversion to give the Mustangs their first lead of the game at 27-21 in the third quarter. March finished his frosh campaign as the team rushing leader with 635 yards and six touchdowns.
DEFENSIVE
Dylon Davis, Midwestern State, SO, Criminal Justice, CB, Abilene, Texas, Cooper HS
Davis returned an interception for a touchdown for the third time this season while helping Midwestern State clinch its fourth Lone Star Conference championship with a 36-30 win over UT Permian Basin Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The sophomore from Abilene snagged an errant pass and raced 56 yards for a touchdown to push the Mustangs' advantage to 34-21 with 7:34 remaining in the third quarter. He also had five tackles and one pass break-up in the game. Davis also delivered pick sixes earlier this season going 23 yards at Quincy and 70 yards against Texas A&M-Commerce. He finished the season with five interceptions.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ritse Vaes, Midwestern State, FR, Criminal Justice, K, Wichita Falls, Texas, Hirschi HS
Vaes set a program single game record with four field goals to help Midwestern State clinch its fourth Lone Star Conference championship with a 36-30 win over UT Permian Basin Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The freshman from Wichita Falls connected from 33, 36, 40 and 30 yards out all in the first half before missing his only field goal attempt of the season from 41 yards out against a stiff south wind. Vaes closed the campaign going 11-for-12 with a long of 42 yards.
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)
N-8 Jarrod Compton, West Texas A&M
N-15 Jalen March, Midwestern 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
O-25 Dee Walker, Texas A&M-Commerce
N-1 Alex Shillow, Texas A&M-Commerce
N-8 JT Cavender, West Texas A&M (2)
N-15 Dylon Davis, Midwestern State (2)
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
N-8 Gilbert Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville
N-15 Ritse Vaes, Midwestern State (2)
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Jarrod Compton, West Texas A&M, wrapped up his career in Maroon & White in style on Saturday afternoon in a 52-9 rout of the Bethel College Threshers at Buffalo Stadium in Canyon. The reigning LSC Offensive Player of the Week carried the ball 16 times for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns to average 6.9 yards per carry in the win. The Buffs finish the game with 580 yards of total offense with 297 of those coming on the ground.
J.T. Smith, Texas A&M-Commerce, scored two touchdowns for the Lions in the 30-10 win over Eastern New Mexico. He rushed for 26 yards on six carries and scored an eight-yard touchdown and caught a 53-yard touchdown catch.
Zach Bronkhorst, Angelo State, led the Rams to a victory in the last regular-season game, defeating Texas A&M - Kingsville 58-19 on the road. Bronkhorst tossed three touchdowns in the game while totaling 241 passing yards and added one touchdown on the ground.
Cedrick Wilcox III, Texas A&M-Commerce, made 10 tackles in Saturday’s win over Eastern New Mexico. He scored the first points of the game on a 73-yard fumble recovered for touchdown. Wilcox III also had two quarterback hurries. He had 50 tackles on the season, which is second on the team.
Cole Oster, West Texas A&M, led the way on the defensive side of the ball for the Buffaloes during Saturday's 52-9 win on Senior Day over Bethel College at Buffalo Stadium. The Castle Rock, Colorado product registered a season-high nine tackles (five solo) to go along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The Buffs held the high-power Threshers offense to 150 yards under their season rushing average of 419.7 which leads all of NAIA Football. WT also limited Bethel to nine first quarter points as the Threshers entered the game averaging 45.2 points per game.