KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced new football athletes of the week from the ninth week of the 2025 season, presented by FieldTurf. Fort Hays State’s Shadryon Blanka and Michael Polley earned the league’s Defensive and Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors, while Emporia State’s freshman quarterback was named the Offensive Athlete of the Week.

OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Jamison Sarver, QB, Emporia State
In his first collegiate start, true freshman Jamison Sarver led Emporia State to a come-from-behind win at Central Missouri, defeating the Mules 31-27. Sarver finished with 288 yards on 25-of-41 passing with two touchdowns and no turnovers. He finished a perfect 7-for-7 for 98 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter as he rallied the Hornets from a 27-17 deficit. Sarver started the fourth quarter by completing a 13-yard pass to Kingsley Bennett on fourth and two, then threaded the needle on an 11-yard touchdown strike to Max Middleton to get Emporia within 27-24. After the defense forced a three-and-out, he led the Hornets on a ten-play, 64-yard touchdown drive to take the lead. Sarver was 3-for-3 passing for 46 yards on the drive. He twice converted third downs with passes and scrambled for eight yards on third-and-six to set up the final touchdown. After another UCM punt, Sarver milked 5:31 off the clock in an 11-play drive that left the Mules with just 1:28 left to play and no timeouts. Sarver is the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Emporia State since Braxton Marstall in 2014 and the first to make his Hornet debut in a starting role.

DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Shadryon Blanka, LB, Fort Hays State
Shadryon Blanka recorded a career-high 10 tackles for the Tigers in Fort Hays State’s 13-10 overtime victory at Washburn. Two of his 10 tackles went for losses, finishing the game with six tackle yards for loss in the contest. The sophomore led the Tigers’ defense that limited the Ichabods to just 228 yards of total offense, a season low by an FHSU opponent.

SPECIAL TEAMS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Michael Polley, DB/K, Fort Hays State  
As the emergency kicker for Fort Hays State, Michael Polley delivered the game-winning 34-yard field goal to lift the Tigers to a 13-10 overtime victory over Washburn on the road. Fort Hays State’s primary kicker was injured in the third quarter, which made it necessary for Polley, who is a starting safety for the Tigers, to serve as kicker. Without any other attempts in the game, Polley sent the game-winning kick through the uprights after the Ichabods missed a 41-yard attempt on their possession of overtime. The junior defensive back also had a tackle in the game, seeing the majority of his action on defense.

OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Caleb Heavner, QB, Fort Hays State
Caleb Heavner finished with 212 yards of total offense, while rushing for a career-high 117 yards in Fort Hays State’s 13-10 overtime win at Washburn. It was the first 100-yard rushing game of his career at FHSU. The junior scored the only touchdown for the Tigers, an 18-yard run in the third quarter to cut a Washburn lead down to 10-7.
 
Tyler Schultze, S, Emporia State
Tyler Schultze totaled nine tackles and two pass breakups in the Hornets’ 31-27 come-from-behind win at Central Missouri. The junior safety had three of his tackles in the fourth quarter as the Hornets shut out the Mules in the final period, on the way to their first fourth-quarter comeback win in 12 games.

Kingsley Bennett, WR/KR Emporia State  
Kinglsey Bennett totaled 82 yards on three kick returns before the Mules stopped kicking deep in the Hornets’ 31-27 come-from-behind win in Warrensburg. The senior also added 71 yards on five pass receptions and a touchdown for 153 all-purpose yards.

ALSO NOMINATED:
OFFENSE – Brandon Hall [Missouri Western], Ashton Schumann [Central Oklahoma]
DEFENSE – Nile Schuett [Northwest Missouri], Khalid Sereal [Missouri Western], CJ Kuehl [Nebraska Kearney]
SPECIAL TEAMS – Marty Mormino [Nebraska Kearney]  

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WEEK ONE:
Offensive – Justin Lewis, QB, Washburn
Defensive – Zach Bergmann, LB, Missouri Southern
Special Teams – Aidan Battle, K, Washburn   

WEEK TWO:
Offensive – Martin Tillman, QB, Missouri Southern
Defensive – John Johnson, LB, Fort Hays State
Special Teams – Taderian Partee, DL, Fort Hays State 

WEEK THREE:
Offensive – Jack Pospisil, WR, Central Missouri
Defensive – Reginald King Jr., S, Pittsburg State
Special Teams – David Arriaga, K, Fort Hays State 

WEEK FOUR:
Co-Offensive – Isaiah Harris, RB, Nebraska Kearney
Co-Offensive – Jordan Pachot, QB, Central Missouri
Defensive – Clayton Power, DL, Northwest Missouri
Special Teams – Joseph Kim, K, Central Oklahoma  

WEEK FIVE:
Offensive – Cleo Chandler Jr., RB, Pittsburg State
Defensive – John Johnson, LB, Fort Hays State
Special Teams – Jaylen Fuksa, CB, Pittsburg State

WEEK SIX:
Offensive – Donovyn Omolo, QB, Central Missouri
Defensive – Michael Chavez, DB, Fort Hays State
Special Teams – Divante Herrig-Brittain, WR, Emporia State
WEEK SEVEN:
Offensive – Zechariah Owens, QB, Northwest Missouri
Defensive – Landon Boss, LB, Emporia State
Special Teams – Austin Schmitt, K, Pittsburg State
 
WEEK EIGHT:
Offensive – Jett Huff, QB, Central Oklahoma
Defensive – RJ Hill, DB, Missouri Southern
Special Teams – Austin Schmitt, K, Pittsburg State
 
WEEK NINE:
Offensive – Jamison Sarver, QB, Emporia State
Defensive – Shadryon Blanka, LB, Fort Hays State
Special Teams – Michael Polley, DB/K, Fort Hays State