Southwestern football's Wil Herbst was named the American Southwest Conference East Division's Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Pirates' 28-17 loss against the East Texas Baptist University Tigers.
Herbst recorded three punts for a 50.3-yard average, including a long of 65, and placed two punts inside the 20. He was also 2-for-2 on extra-point attempts and made a 25-yeard field goal early in the first quarter.
Six different teams were represented in Week 1 of the ASC Players of the Week, with three from each division as follows:
EAST DIVISION OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Tommy Bowden, QB, So., Mary Hardin-Baylor
Mary Hardin-Baylor sophomore quarterback Tommy Bowden (Brownwood, Texas) ran for two touchdowns and threw two more in the Cru's 41-0 victory at Belhaven. Bowden recorded 10 carries for 86 yards and was 11-of-23 passing for 104 yards – combining for 266 yards of total offense.
EAST DIVISION DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Justice Henson, LB, Sr., East Texas Baptist
East Texas Baptist senior linebacker Justice Henson (Shreveport, La.) recorded a game-securing touchdown with 9:08 left on a 37-yard interception return, sealing the Tigers' 28-17 victory at Southwestern. He also posted nine tackles, four solo, and helped with a goal-line stand with three minutes left in the game.
EAST DIVISION SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Wil Herbst, K/P, Jr., Southwestern
Southwestern junior kicker/punter Wil Herbst (Boerne, Texas) punted three times for a 50.3-yard average, including a long of 65 and two inside the 20 in a 28-17 loss to East Texas Baptist. He was also 2-for-2 on extra-point attempts and made a 25-yard field goal early in the first quarter.
WEST DIVISION OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mason Perkins, WR, Sr., Texas Lutheran
Texas Lutheran senior wide receiver Mason Perkins (Burleson, Texas) set new career-highs with 10 catches for 205 yards to go with a pair of touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 39-38 win at Howard Payne. His TD receptions were for 32 and 49 yards, which tied the game on each score. Perkins' 49-yarder tied the game at 31-31 with 12:47 to play.
WEST DIVISION DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Colton Strickland, DL, Fr., McMurry
McMurry freshman defensive lineman Colton Strickland (Hawley, Texas) led the War Hawks with eight tackles, five solo, and had 3.5 tackles for a loss of 19 yards, including 1.5 sacks in their 17-14 win at Sul Ross State. His solo sack was on a 4th & 4 play, which led to a turnover on downs.
WEST DIVISION SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Blake Phipps, K, Sr., Howard Payne
Howard Payne senior kicker Blake Phipps (Dripping Springs, Texas) connected on seven kickoffs for a 58.6-yard average and four touchbacks in the Yellow Jacket's one-point loss to Texas Lutheran. He also blasted a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter and 5-for-5 on extra-point chances.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
Offensive
McMurry freshman wide receiver Kristopher Martin (El Paso, Texas) had five catches for 100 yards and caught a 2-point conversion in his collegiate debut. He landed his conversion catch with one foot in the corner after a jump ball to seal the McMurry 17-14 win at Sul Ross State.
Sul Ross State sophomore running back Ozias Wright (Killeen, Texas) rushed for 104 yards on 22 carries for an average of 4.7 in the Lobos' 17-14 loss to McMurry.
Howard Payne senior wide receiver Jake Parker (Whitehouse, Texas) led the Yellow Jackets with 11 catches for 195 yards and one touchdown in a 39-39 loss to Texas Lutheran.
East Texas Baptist junior quarterback Aaron Brown (Gilmer, Texas) went 17-of-26 for 160 yards and two touchdowns in his first start as a Tiger, a 28-17 win at Southwestern. He also rushed for 46 yards on 11 carries.
Defensive
Texas Lutheran senior safety James Bell (Houston, Texas) posted nine tackles, seven solo, two for a loss, and recovered a fumble in the Bulldogs' 39-38 win at Howard Payne.
Sul Ross State freshman linebacker Quincy Blair (Missouri City, Texas) led the Lobos with seven tackles, .5 for a loss, and forced a fumble in a 17-14 loss to McMurry.
Howard Payne junior defensive back Kyle Bell (Cypress, Texas) made 19 tackles, 10 solo, with .5 for a loss in a 39-38 defeat to Texas Lutheran.
Mary Hardin-Baylor senior linebacker Mikkah Hackett (Alto, Texas) led the Cru with six tackles, including one for a loss in a 41-0 win at Belhaven. He helped hold the Blazers scoreless and allowing just 88 yards of total offense.
Southwestern senior linebacker Ben Brockman (Midland, Texas) led the Pirates with 10 tackles, seven solo, with a forced fumble and recovery in a 28-17 loss to East Texas Baptist.
Special Teams
Texas Lutheran junior punter Justice Porter (Cypress, Texas) punted twice for 89 yards, a 44.5 average, with a long of 70 and a touchback in the Bulldogs' 39-38 victory at Howard Payne.
McMurry sophomore kicker/punter Jared Mendoza (Fort Worth, Texas) made a 20-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the first half to put the War Hawks up 9-7 at Sul Ross State. He also had five punts with a long of 44 and one inside the 20 and was 1-of-2 on extra-point attempts in the 17-14 victory.