KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced its final Football Athletes of the Week, presented by
Mammoth. Three student-athletes earned weekly honors in Week Eleven of the 2024 season.
OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Zach Zebrowski, Central Missouri
Zach Zebrowski has been honored as the MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week for the third straight week and fifth time overall this season. In Central Missouri’s final regular season game of the year, Zebrowski compiled 632 yards of total offense, going 44-for-47 for 614 passing yards with four passing touchdowns while also adding three rushing touchdowns on nine carries for 18 yards on the ground in UCM's 62-47 win over Missouri Southern. Zebrowski’s 44 pass completions broke his own Mules football single-game program record of 40, set last season at Washburn.
DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Jack Puckett, Central Oklahoma
Jack Puckett collected a team-high 12 tackles and one sack in leading the Central Oklahoma defensive to hold Emporia State to -11 yards in the first quarter. The sophomore linebacker also sacked the Hornets starting quarterback five times in the contest, helping the Bronchos claim the 55-38 victory over Emporia and capture the MIAA championship for the first time since joining the league in 2012.
SPECIAL TEAMS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Luke Niggemann, Pittsburg State
Luke Niggemann returned a blocked punt for a touchdown for the first score of the game in No. 13-ranked Pitt State's 23-7 road win over Northwest Missouri in the regular season finale. The Girard, Kan., native scooped up the ball after it was blocked by teammate Jaydon Knight and returned it seven yards to the end zone. Niggemann also added a pair of offensive touchdowns in the game as Pitt State's ‘wildcat’ formation quarterback, scoring from two yards out and four yards out in the second quarter as the Gorillas built a 21-0 halftime advantage. He now has a team-leading eight touchdowns on the season.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
OFFENSE
Tyler Kahmann, Emporia State
Tyler Kahmann finished the Hornets final contest of the year with 191 yards on 12 receptions with two touchdowns and added a pass completion of 37 yards in Emporia State’s 55-38 loss at Central Oklahoma. It was the third time this season Kahmann had at least 190 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the same game. He finished the season with an ESU school record 1,488 yards, breaking Bruce Cerone's Emporia State record of 1,479 yards set in 1968. It is the fifth-most receiving yards in MIAA history and the second-most in the regular season. Kahmann finished the year with 100 receptions for 1,488 yards and 20 touchdowns – it’s the second straight season he has had at least 100 catches, 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns. His 54 touchdown catches are an MIAA record while his 282 career receptions rank third all-time in the MIAA and his 3,686 yards rank fourth all-time in the MIAA.
Shane Watts, Fort Hays State
Shane Watts rushed for 175 yards in a 27-20 win for Fort Hays State at Nebraska Kearney. The senior running back rushed for over 100 yards for the fourth-straight game, running his season total up to 1,303. He had 57 rushing yards on the final drive for FHSU, which resulted in a field goal to push the Tiger lead up seven with a minute to go in the game. His 1,303 total rushing yards is the most rushing yards in a season by a Tiger since the 2015 season when Shaquille Cooper rushed for 1,441. The 1,303 rushing yards also ranks 6th for a single season in program history. Watts also added 43 receiving yards to finish with 218 all-purpose yards in the game. He has 1,769 all-purpose yards for the season, which is the fourth-most for a single season in program history.
DEFENSE
Steven Ward Jr., Pittsburg State
Steven Ward Jr. posted four tackles, including a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage, to help lead No. 13-ranked Pitt State to a 23-7 road win over Northwest Missouri in the regular season. The Nixa, Mo., native logged one of the Gorillas' season-high five quarterback sacks in the contest and helped the Gorillas defense blank the Bearcats for the game's first 56 minutes, limiting Northwest to -3 net rushing yards before a late touchdown scamper gave them positive net rushing yards for the game.
Kienen Gaskin, Missouri Western
Kienen Gaskin helped the Griffons to a 31-16 season finale win over Quincy of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The junior linebacker finished the game with a team-leading seven tackles. He also returned a fumble for a 42-yard touchdown on the Hawks opening drive of the game.
SPECIAL TEAMS
David Lilly, Nebraska Kearney
Early in the third quarter against Fort Hays State, David Lilly blocked a punt at the Tigers 19-yard line, picked up the loose ball at the 16-yard line and returned it for a touchdown. Lilly also had seven tackles (six solo), a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry in the game which was not decided until a 26-yard Hail Mary fell incomplete as time ran off the clock.
ALSO NOMINATED
OFFENSE: Dawson Herl (Central Oklahoma), Tyler Carey (Missouri Western), Luke Sampson (Missouri Southern)
DEFENSE: Makel Williams (Fort Hays State), Andrew Dumas (Northwest Missouri), Anthony Hebert (Nebraska Kearney)
SPECIAL TEAMS: Carson Arndt (Fort Hays State), Cody Watson (Missouri Western)
ABOUT MAMMOTH
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2024 MIAA FOOTBALL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
WEEK ZERO:
Offensive – Gunner Gundy, Emporia State
Co-Defensive – Benyon Williams, Fort Hays State
Co-Defensive – Thomas Cook, Pittsburg State
Special Teams – Austin Schmitt, Pittsburg State
WEEK ONE:
Offensive – Zach Zebrowski, Central Missouri
Defensive – Sage Sieperda, Emporia State
Special Teams – Kobey Stephens, Central Oklahoma
WEEK TWO:
Offensive – Jett Huff, Central Oklahoma
Defensive – Kobe Holley, Emporia State
Special Teams – Caden Dodson, Emporia State
WEEK THREE:
Offensive – Gunnar Gundy, Emporia State
Defensive – Noah Blair, Central Missouri
Special Teams – Carson Arndt, Fort Hays State
WEEK FOUR:
Offensive – Zach Zebrowski, Central Missouri
Defensive – Carter Edwards, Northwest Missouri
Special Teams – Grayson Miller, Central Oklahoma
WEEK FIVE:
Offensive – Jaylen Cottrell, Central Oklahoma
Defensive – Makel Williams, Fort Hays State
Special Teams – Noah Guastella, Northwest Missouri
WEEK SIX:
Offensive – Terrill Davis, Central Oklahoma
Defensive – Logan Clark, Missouri Western
Special Teams – Nick Quevedo, Central Oklahoma
WEEK SEVEN:
Offensive – Jaylen Cottrell, Central Oklahoma
Defensive – Isaac Montgomery, Central Missouri
Special Teams – Gentry Cole, Pittsburg State
WEEK EIGHT:
Offensive – Tyler Kahmann, Emporia State
Defensive – Malik Berry, Pittsburg State
Special Teams – Casey Rauch, Pittsburg State
WEEK NINE:
Co-Offensive – Zach Zebrowski, Central Missouri
Co-Offensive – Shane Watts, Fort Hays State
Defensive – David Williams, Central Oklahoma
Special Teams – Kobey Stephens, Central Oklahoma
WEEK TEN:
Offensive – Zach Zebrowski, Central Missouri
Defensive – Zane Adams, Central Oklahoma
Special Teams – Noah Guastella, Northwest Missouri
WEEK ELEVEN:
Offensive – Zach Zebrowski, Central Missouri
Defensive – Jack Puckett, Central Oklahoma
Special Teams – Luke Niggemann, Pittsburg State