2009 Football Players of the Week

November 15, 2009
Offensive Player of the Week

Donald McKillop, Middlebury
(Junior, QB - Poway, Calif.)
McKillop overcame heavy rains and sloppy field conditions at Tufts to throw for 336 yards and three touchdowns on 24-for-38 passing (.632) for a 158.22 rating in a 26-7 win for the Panthers. McKillop finished the year by setting new program and NESCAC records for completions (262), attempts (405), yards (2,873), touchdown passes (22), and total offense (2,967 yards). He already holds all of the Panthers’ career passing records.

   
Defensive Player of the Week

Burke St. John, Hamilton
(Junior, DL - Chappaqua, N.Y.)
St. John led a Continentals defense that held Bates to eight first downs and 58 yards of total offense in a 24-14 come-from-behind victory. St. John recorded a team-high nine tackles (six solo) in the win, including a career-best three sacks for a combined loss for 18 yards. Four of his nine stops were for a total loss of 35 yards.

   
Special Teams Player of the Week

Tim Costello, Trinity
(Sophomore, K - Solano Beach, Calif.)
Costello kicked the game-winning field goal in double-overtime to give the Bantams a 26-23 win over Wesleyan on Saturday. He finished the day 2-for-2 on extra point attempts and also kicked a game-tying 28-yard field goal during the first overtime period.

   
November 8, 2009
Offensive Player of the Week

Nick Kmetz, Colby
(Sophomore, QB - Laurel, Del.)
Kmetz tossed four second half touchdowns of 26 yards or more in leading the Mules to a come-from-behind 34-31 win over Tufts on Saturday. Kmetz finished the day 16-for-26 (.615) for 273 yards with a rating 192.82. He also rushed for 53 yards for 323 yards of total offense.

   
Defensive Player of the Week

Matt Zanedis, Williams
(Senior, CB - Upper Saddle River, N.J.)
Zanedis and the Ephs’ defense held Wesleyan to only 259 yards of total offense in a 34-7 victory. Zanedis blocked a Wesleyan field goal attempt on the opening drive of the game, then put Williams on the scoreboard later in the first quarter when he intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. He also contributed three tackles (two solo).

   
Special Teams Player of the Week

Kyle McAllister, Bates
(Senior, S - Exeter, N.H.)
McAllister returned three kickoffs for 82 yards, including one in the fourth quarter for 45 yards that set up the Bobcats’ third touchdown of the game in a 28-24 victory over Bowdoin. He also contributed three tackles during the contest at safety.

   
November 1, 2009
Offensive Co-Players of the Week

Oliver Kell, Bowdoin
(Senior, QB - Westford, N.Y.)
Kell broke the Polar Bears’ single-game record for completions (35), passing yards (472), and total yards (513) in a hard-fought 43-39 setback to Wesleyan on Saturday. Kell finished the game 35-for-56 (.625) with a rating of 147.41, tossing three touchdowns and running for two more. Three of his five touchdowns came in the fourth quarter.

   

Donald McKillop, Middlebury
(Junior, QB - Poway, Calif.)
McKillop completed 35-of-50 passes (.700) for 342 yards and two touchdowns (140.66 rating) in helping the Panthers to a 31-24 victory over Trinity. With the performance, McKillop now owns the Middlebury single-season records for attempts (317), completions (204), and yards (2,131).

   
Defensive Co-Players of the Week

Mike Taylor, Amherst
(Senior, ILB - Evanston, Ill.)
Taylor led all players with 16 tackles (eight solo), including three tackles for a loss of 16 yards and two sacks for a loss of 10, in a 13-3 win by the Lord Jeffs at Tufts. Taylor also forced two fumbles, one of which he recovered himself, and broke up two passes. Taylor led a defense that allowed minus-15 rushing yards on 36 attempts.

   

Justin Freres, Wesleyan
(Junior, OLB - Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Freres recorded 12 tackles, 11 solo, along with an interception which he returned 27 yards, broke up two passes, and returned a fumble on a Bowdoin two-point conversion attempt 92 yards the other way to give the Cardinals two points in a 43-39 road victory.

   
Special Teams Player of the Week

Shea Dwyer, Wesleyan
(Senior, RB - Marlborough, Conn.)
Dwyer, who starts in the offensive backfield, blocked a punt and returned it 25 yards to the end zone in the first quarter of the Cardinals’ 43-39 victory at Bowdoin on Saturday. The touchdown was the third of the period for Wesleyan, as it built an early 21-0 lead.

   
October 25, 2009
Offensive Player of the Week

Michael Galligan, Trinity
(Junior, WR - Shoreham, N.Y.)
Galligan caught eight passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-31 shootout victory for Trinity over Bowdoin on Saturday afternoon. His 20-yard touchdown reception with 8:05 remaining in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner, as he also scored on 22 and 35-yard touchdown catches. The Bantams have won 15 straight games and 34 in a row at home.

   
Defensive Player of the Week

Peter Scheve, Colby
(Senior, DT - Baltimore, Md.)
Scheve recorded five tackles (three solo), two sacks - one of which resulted in a safety - and recovered a fumble in the Mules’ 16-0 road victory at Hamilton on Saturday. Colby recorded its first road shutout since 2002 as the defense limited Hamilton to 87 total yards and -14 yards rushing in the game. His two sacks were for a combined loss of seven yards.

   
Special Teams Player of the Week

Will Cronin, Williams
(Senior, P/DB - Acton, Mass.)
Cronin averaged 37.2 yards per punt over four punts as the Ephs came away with a 30-7 victory against Tufts on Saturday. Cronin had a long of 42 yards and pinned the Jumbos inside the 20-yard line once. He also recorded one solo tackle in the win.

   
October 18, 2009
Offensive Player of the Week

Ryan Lupo, Williams
(Junior, RB - Princeton Jct., N.J.)
Lupo scored three rushing touchdowns as he carried the ball 37 times for 136 yards (3.7 yards per carry) in the Ephs’ 37-27 victory at Middlebury on Saturday. He also caught one pass for 19 yards and had one solo tackle in the win. Lupo’s final touchdown of the day, a 3-yard run with 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, put Williams up over the Panthers by two scores.

   
Defensive Player of the Week

Jeff Katz, Amherst
(Junior, OLB - Cheshire, Conn.)
Katz helped the Lord Jeffs get off to a 4-0 start by recording eight tackles (five solo), including 4.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks for a total loss of 28 yards, and a pass break-up in a 23-13 win at Colby on Saturday. An eight-yard sack by Katz early in the fourth quarter resulted in a safety and gave Amherst a 16-13 advantage. It was the fourth consecutive game that the Jeffs have allowed fewer than 14 points.

   
Special Teams Player of the Week

Scott Sobolewski, Williams
(Senior, PK - Clifton Park, N.J.)
Sobolewski was perfect on all three of his field goal attempts to help his squad get past Middlebury 37-27 on Saturday. Sobolewski connected from 36, 29 and 28 yards. He also went 4-for-4 on PAT attempts. Sobolewski also averaged 45.0 yards per kickoff for the game.

   
October 11, 2009
Offensive Player of the Week

Alex Vetras, Amherst
(Junior, QB - Clyde Hill, Wash.)
Vetras led the Lord Jeffs to a 20-10 win on Saturday against Middlebury as Amherst started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2004. Vetras tossed touchdowns of nine yards and three yards and finished the day 35-of-54 (64.8%) for 234 yards and no interceptions or sacks (113.44 rating). He also set a program record for the most attempts and completions in a single game.

   
Defensive Player of the Week

Sam Clark, Amherst
(Freshman, OLB - Andover, Mass.)
Clark had two game-changing interceptions along with eight tackles (seven solo) as the Lord Jeff defense held Middlebury’s potent offense to just 10 points in a 20-10 victory on Saturday. Clark returned his first interception in the second quarter 64 yards to set up an Amherst touchdown, while his second in the third quarter occurred in the end zone.

   
Special Teams Player of the Week

Adam Auerbach, Tufts
(Sophomore, PK - Glen Rock, N.J.)
Auerbach kicked a 37-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining in the game to force overtime, then booted a 35-yard field goal in the extra sesson to give the Jumbos a 25-22 win over Bowdoin. Auerbach finished the day 2-for-3 on field goal attempts, as he failed to connect on a 47-yard attempt.

   
October 4, 2009
Offensive Player of the Week

Michael Galligan, Trinity
(Junior, WR - Shoreham, N.Y.)
Galligan played a big part in the Bantams’ 26-21 come-from-behind victory over Williams on Saturday, as he caught nine passes for 97 yards along with two touchdowns - including the game-winner. Galligan’s first touchdown of the day came with 1:43 remaining in the game to pull Trinity within two. He hauled in his second touchdown with 14 seconds left in the game for the win.

   
Defensive Co-Players of the Week

Mike Taylor, Amherst
(Senior, LB - Evanston, Ill.)
Taylor led the Lord Jeff defense with 16 total tackles (seven solo) in Amherst’s 13-12 come-from-behind win over Bowdoin on Saturday. Taylor also had 3.0 tackles for a loss and sack for a loss of eight yards.

   
Harry Melendez, Trinity
(Junior, CB - Holyoke, Mass.)
Melendez had two interceptions, the first coming in the first half which he returned 47 yards for a touchdown before grabbing the second at the end of the game to seal a 26-21 win over Williams. He also had three tackles and a pass break-up.

 

   
Special Teams Player of the Week

Bill Donahue, Bowdoin
(Junior, P/K - East Walpole, Mass.)
Donahue tied a program record as he connected on all four of his field goal tries and accounted for all of the Polar Bears’ 12 points in a 13-12 setback at Amherst on Saturday. Donahue battled heavy rains as he nailed attempts from 29, 22, 23, and 19 yards to give Bowdoin a 12-6 lead late in the fourth quarter. He also had three punts for an average of 31.7 yards.

   
September 27, 2009
Offensive Co-Players of the Week

Oliver Kell, Bowdoin
(Senior, QB - Westford, Mass.)
Kell completed 25-of-42 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions (165.8 rating) in the Polar Bears’ 50-35 win against Middlebury It was the second-most touchdowns and yards in a game in program history. Additionally, Kell also became Bowdoin’s all-time leader in career passing yards as he eclipsed the 4,000 yard mark (4,086).

   
Pat Noone, Bowdoin
(Sophomore, WR - North Attleboro, Mass.)
In his fi rst career start, Noone caught a school -record 12 receptions for 180 yards, the second most yardage by a receiver in program history. He scored Bowdoin’s fi rst touchdown of the day on a five-yard end-around before catching passes of 51 and 58 yards for touchdowns.

 

   
Defensive Player of the Week

Walter Fallas, Trinity
(Sophomore, ILB - Everett, Mass.)
Fallas made a game- and career-high 18 tackles (seven solo) to anchor a Bantam defense that held Bates to 30 rushing yards on 29 attempts in Saturday’s 35-14 win in Lewiston, Maine. Fallas also had an interception and two tackles for a loss of four yards as Trinity won its 11th straight game along with its 16th in a row over the Bobcats.

 

   
Special Teams Player of the Week

Grant Kunkel, Trinity
(Senior, P - New Canaan, Conn.)
Kunkel averaged 44.4 yards per attempt on five punts, including a long of 51 yards and two punts which landed inside the 20-yard line during the Bantams’ 35-14 win at Bates on Saturday.