KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced new Football Athletes of the Week, presented by Mammoth. Four student-athletes earned weekly honors in Week Nine of the 2024 season.   
 
CO-OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Zach Zebrowski, Central Missouri
Zach Zebrowski led the Mules to a convincing 37-13 victory over previously No. 5-ranked Pittsburg State on the road in Carnie Smith Stadium. The redshirt senior quarterback totaled 478 yards of total offense and was responsible for four scores in the game. In the air, Zebrwoski threw for 382 yards with two passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 96 yards on 13 carries and added a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Through nine games this season, Zebrowski has thrown for 3,490 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 66 percent of his passes adding 332 yards on the ground and four scores. This is the quarterback’s third MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week honor this season.
 
CO-OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Shane Watts, Fort Hays State
Shane Watts became the first player in Fort Hays State history to rush for at least 200 yards in consecutive games as he produced a career-high 250 rushing yards in the Tigers 36-7 win at No. 11-ranked Emporia State. The senior running back totaled 201 rushing yards the week before against Missouri Southern, which was his previous high. His performance against the Hornets pushed him past 1,000 yards for the season to mark the 20th time an FHSU player has reached 1,000 rushing yards in program history and the first time since 2017. It was the fifth-most rushing yards in a game for a player in FHSU history, the most since 2015 when Shaquille Cooper ran for 263 yards. Watts leads the MIAA in rushing through 10 games, averaging 112.8 per game. He now has five games with at least 100 yards rushing this season.
 
DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: David Williams, Central Oklahoma     
David Williams led previously No. 13-ranked Central Oklahoma with 11 tackles and one forced fumble in a wild, 37-34, come-from-behind victory over Missouri Western on the road. On third and long with under two minutes to play in regulation, Missouri Western's quarterback scrambled 14 yards for what should have been a game-ending first down. Williams met him with a destructive hit at the first-down line and forced a fumble. The ball went out of bounds two yards back as the defense got a stop on fourth and two, allowing the Bronchos offense a chance to march down the field to tie the game and force overtime. Central Oklahoma ultimately won the game with a field goal in overtime.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Kobey Stephens, Central Oklahoma     
Kobey Stephens was a key player in Central Oklahoma’s 37-34 overtime victory over Missouri Western. With 2:54 left to play in regulation, Stephens had a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown to bring the Bronchos within a score of Missouri Western at 34-27. The senior’s late-game heroics also included a pass breakup on fourth and two with 1:49 left in the game, which set up UCO's game-tying drive that forced overtime. He also had two kick returns for 57 yards – a long of 30 yards and one for 27. Stephens now has three special team touchdowns this season: a 98-yard kickoff return and a 90-yard punt return in Week One, and now a 92-yard punt return in Week Nine. His 92-yard return tied for the longest return in all of college football so far this season. This is Stephens second MIAA Specials Teams Athlete of the Week honor this season.
 
 NOTABLE PERFORMANCES 
DEFENSE
John Johnson, Fort Hays State
In a dominant defensive performance as a team, Johnson led Fort Hays State with a season-high 11 tackles in the 36-7 win on the road over previously No. 11-ranked Emporia State. Johnson spearheaded a defense that allowed only 138 yards of total offense. The Tigers allowed only five total rushing yards to the Hornets – the lowest allowed by the Tigers in an MIAA game since 2021 when they limited Lincoln to just three rushing yards. The Tigers defense was nearly perfect on third-down situations, holding the Hornets offense to just 1-of-13 on third-down conversions. The only third down conversion Emporia picked up was in the fourth quarter after starting the game 0-of-10. The Tigers forced the Hornet offense to a 3-and-out eight times.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
Quillan Fleton, Nebraska Kearney                 
Quillan Felton blocked a first-quarter extra point attempt which turned out to be the difference in Nebraska Kearney’s 14-13 win over Washburn on the road in Topeka. The Lopers are now up to four blocked kicks on the season after having five total last year. Felton also tied to lead the Lopers defensive with five tackles and forced a fumble. 
 
 ALSO NOMINATED 
OFFENSE: Terrill Davis (Central Oklahoma), Isaiah Harris (Nebraska Kearney), Tyler Kahmann (Emporia State)  
DEFENSE: Jake Fisher (Northwest Missouri), Caleb Mondi (Emporia State), Cameron Powell (Missouri Western)    
SPECIAL TEAMS: Dominic Myers (Northwest Missouri), Cody Watson (Missouri Western), Carson Arndt (Fort Hays State)
 
 ABOUT MAMMOTH 
Mammoth Sports Construction is a full-service, turnkey sports company for schools and athletic complexes that can help design, budget, fundraise and build the projects of our partner’s dreams. Mammoth offers complete design-build services and is respected nationally as an industry leader with projects completed at the highest levels of sports, including the NFL, Big 10 Conference, Northern Sun Conference, Big 12 Conference, MIAA Conference, Southeastern Conference, Heart of America Athletic Conference and many others nationwide. Mammoth is a family owned and operated company with the corporate headquarters located in Meriden, Kansas, and an additional office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Lenexa, Kansas. To learn more about Mammoth, click here. 

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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