Midwest Conference

2007|Midwest Conference

2005 Performers of the Week

Week #1 : September 6, 2005
Offensive
	Jeff Huebner - Wide Receiver - Lake Forest - Senior - Antioch, Ill./Antioch Huebner nearly doubled the numbers of almost every top performance by a conference receiver last week, as the 6’3” wide out caught 10 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-10 win over Macalester. Huebner proved to be a big play threat against the Scots, scoring on passes of 45 and 78 yards. Huebner was the only player in the MWC to catch two touchdowns last week, as he finished 99 yards ahead of his closest competitor in receiving yards. Huebner’s 206 yards was the third highest mark in school history.
Co-Defensive
	Matt Briggs - Defensive Back - Knox College Senior - Bartonville, Ill./Limestone Briggs (left) helped Knox to a 1-0 start in conference play during a 21-14 win over Lawrence. The senior defender tallied seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for losses and a half sack. He also deflected two passes, before notching an interception that led to the Prairie Fire’s second score of the game. Justin Zigler - Linebacker - Monmouth College Senior - Prophetstown, Ill./Prophetstown Zigler (right) became the Scots all-time leading tackler during Saturday’s 40-26 win over Concordia (WI). The senior registered 15 tackles to up his career total to 261. The 6’1” 230 pounder also made two tackles for losses, forced a fumbleand recovered a fumble.
Special Teams
	Nathan Palkovic - Kicker/Punter - Monmouth College - Sophomore - Peoria, Ill./Woodruff Palkovic had a strong performance in the Scots 40-26 victory over Concordia. The sophomore averaged 39.8 yards punting, finished 4-for-5 on extra points and went 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, including a new school and career long. Palkovic pushed the Scots lead to 10-6 with a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter, before nailing the record-breaking 45 yarder in the fourth quarter. His previous long was 34 yards.

Week #2 : September 12, 2005
Offensive
	Mitch Tanney - Quarterback - Monmouth - Senior - Lexington, Ill./Lexington Tanney threw four touchdown passes for the second straight week, as the Fighting Scots built a 48-0 advantage over Ripon and went on to win 48-34. Tanney finished the game 17-25 for 259 yards, including TD strikes from 16, 16, 15 and 51 yards out. The 6’3” senior was not intercepted in the contest, raising his efficiency rating for the year to 190.86.
Defensive
	John Shelley - Defensive Back - Carroll - Senior - Wadsworth, Ill./Carmel Shelley was one of the leaders during a dominant defensive effort by the Pioneers during a 31-0 win over Knox on Saturday. Shelley made five tackles and also defended a pair of passes, as the defense held Knox to 23 yards passing. The shutout was the first for Carroll since they defeated Lake Forest College 10-0 in the final game of the 2000 season.
Special Teams
	Joe Dziki- Kicker/Punter - Lake Forest - Sophomore - Antioch, Ill./Antioch Dziki helped the Foresters win the field position battle during a 20-7 win over Grinnell on Saturday. Dziki averaged 43.7 yards on seven punts, includ- ing a long of 64 yards and one ball within the 20-yard line. Diziki, who ranks second in the MWC in punt average (40.2), also went 2-3 on extra points.

Week #3 : September 19, 2005
Offensive
	Evan Haffner - Wide Receiver – Monmouth - Junior - Canton, Ill./Canton Haffner was one of the biggest reasons that the Scots snapped St. Norbert’s 19-game Midwest Conference winning streak on Saturday. Haffner caught 16 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown. Haffner’s score came on a 72-yard third quarter pass that sparked the Scots to three second half scores after trailing 20-7 at halftime. He also added 58 kickoff return yards, 28 punt return yards and eight yards rushing. The 284-yard all-purpose performance is the second-best in school history. He also picked up and eight yards rushing.
Defensive
	Ryan Gallegos - Linebacker - Lake Forest - Junior - Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Gallegos continues to anchor one of the nation’s top defenses. Gallegos tallied 13 tackles, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass as the Foresters ran their record to 3-0 during a 28-12 win over Beloit. Gallegos made one tackle for a loss and also defended a pass during the contest.
Special Teams
	Brian Jachimek- Kicker - CarrollCollege - Sophomore - Midlothian , Ill. /Marist Jachimek was 7-of-7 on extra point attempts and was also perfect on his only field goal attempt during Carroll’s 52-28 MWC victory over Illinois College. Jachimek’s 10-point performance was highlighted by a 20-yard field goal.

Week #4 : September 26, 2005
Offensive
	Jarid Crain - Running Back - Illinois College - Junior - Auburn, Ill./Auburn Crain became the second player in the MWC to rush for 200 yards in a game this season, as the junior halfback carried 34 times for 238 yards during a 47-21 victory over Grinnell. Crain scored four touchdowns in the contest, reaching the end zone on runs of 1, 3, 1 and 11 yards. Despite carrying 34 times, Crain was only stopped for a loss once in the contest and recorded a long run of 50 yards.
Defensive
	Joe Austin - Safety - Lawrence University - Junior - Haslett, Mich./Haslett Austin led the Lawrence defense with a team-high nine tackles, including three tackles for loss during the Vikings 38-36 victory over Carroll. Austin also recorded a sack and forced a fumble in the contest and currently has 17 tackles on in three games this season.
SpecialTeams
	P.J. Hilbert - Quarterback - Lawrence University - Senior - Lake Villa, Ill./Antioch The Vikings backup quarterback, who has only attempted five passes this season, played the role of hero in Lawrence’s 38-36 win over Carroll despite not taking a snap. The 6’4” Hilbert blocked Brian Jachimek’s 33-yard game-winning field goal attempt as time expired. The block gave head oach Chris Howard his first victory at Lawrence and snapped a 10-game MWC losing streak for the Vikings. The block was the second in the game for Hilbert, as the senior had already swatted a third quarter extra point attempt.

Week #5 : October 3, 2005
Offensive
	Casey Meehan - Running Back - St. Norbert - Senior - Rockbridge, Ill./Greenfield Meehan ran the Green Knights to a 28-0 victory over Illinois College on Saturday. Meehan scored the first three touchdowns in the game, reaching the end zone on runs off 5, 4 and 57 yards. Meehan closed the contest with 22 carries for 185 yards, giving him an average of 8.4 yards per carry. Meehan was only stopped for a loss once in the contest and now has five rushing touchdowns on the season.
Defensive
	Justin Zigler - Linebacker - Monmouth - Senior - Tampico, Ill./Prophetstown Zigler proved to be the catalyst during the Fighting Scots 34-0 win over Lake Forest. After a scoreless first quarter, the senior linebacker intercepted a Forester pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown and 7-0 Monmouth lead. Zigler also recorded 10 tackles, three tackles for losses, one sack, one fumble recovery and one pass defended in the contest.
Special Teams
	Isaac Hamilton - Cornerback - Carroll College - Sophomore - Port Edwards, Wis./John Edwards Hamilton made a huge impact on the Pioneer special teams unit during Carrol’s 42-13 win over Ripon on Saturday. In addition to returning a pair of kickoffs for 59 yards, Hamilton also blocked a Red Hawk punt that resulted in a safety. The win over Ripon puts Carroll in a tie for second-place in the league standings with a 3-1 MWC mark.

Week #6 : October 10, 2005
Offensive
	Bob Faulds - Quarterback - Ripon College - Junior - De Pere, Wis./De Pere Faulds played a part in six scores and accounted for over 300 yards of offense during the Red Hawks 39-21 victory over Illinois College. Faulds carried the ball 27 times for 173 yards and five touchdowns, scoring on runs of 8, 2, 2, 37 and 4 yards. The junior quarterback was equally effective through the air, as he went 10-19 for 186 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown pass to Austin Friedrich in the third quarter.
Defensive Teams
	Keith Hanson - Defensive Back - Lake Forest - Senior - Fairfax, Va./Vermont Academy Hanson added to his MWC interception lead by picking off his fourth and fifth balls of the season during a 28-14 victory over Knox. Hanson, who notched five total tackles and one tackle for a loss, returned one of the interceptions for a touchdown before having it called back on an illegal block. The senior defensive back also blocked a 23-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter and broke up a pair of passes. Hanson totaled 45 yards in return yardage.
Special Teams
	Kyle Wetzel - Running Back - Lake Forest - Freshman - Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney Wetzel scored his first collegiate touchdown in the Foresters 28-14 victory over Knox. Wetzel capped a 28-point first quarter when he picked up a punt that had been blocked by Kevin Malone and returned it 37 yards for a score.

Week #7: October 17, 2005
Offensive
	Kevin Megli - Running Back - Knox - Junior - Sterling, Ill./Sterling Megli was the catalyst of a 33-0 Knox run that helped the Prairie Fire rally to defeat Grinnell 57-31 on Saturday. Megli scored three of his four rushing touchdowns in the second half, as the junior halfback carried the football 26 times for 206 yards, an average of 7.9 yards per carry. Megli’ scoring runs came from 15, 43, 9 and 45 yards out. Megli leads Knox in rushing yards (530) and scoring (5 TDs) this season.
Defensive
	Antwan Byrd - Linebacker - Illinois College - Sophomore - St. Louis, Mo./Marquette Byrd was all over the field in the Blueboys 24-8 victory over Lake Forest on Saturday. Byrd registered a game-high 14 tackles, including six solo stops, one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass defended. Byrd’s sack came in the second quarter after the Foresters drove to the Illinois College 8-yard line. The sack pushed the Lake Forest field goal attempt to 34 yards and the kick was no good. Byrd’s 14-tackle effort was tops by a Blueboy defender this season.
Special Teams
	Neil Magruder - Defensive Back - Knox - Senior - Bourbonnais, Ill. Bishop MacNamara Magruder’s effort in the return game was one of the biggest reasons the Prairie Fire scored 57 points, their highest offensive output of the season, in a 57-31 victory over Grinnell. Magruder returned six punts for 65 yards and four kickoffs for 101 yards, including long returns of 20 and 44 yards, respectively. The Knox offense started beyond its own 33-yard line nine times and in Grinnell territory four times following Magruder returns. The senior defensive back also recorded a team-high 11 tackles and returned an interception 33 yards.

Week #8 : October 24, 2005
Offensive
	Casey Meehan - Running Back - St. Norbert - Senior - Rockridge, Ill./Greenfield Meehan (left) ran the Green Knights to a 40-14 victory over Ripon on Saturday, as the senior running back scored three of his four rushing touchdowns in the second half. Meehan carried 22 times for 181 yards, including scoring runs of 1, 49, 3 and 1 yards. He averaged a hefty 8.2 yards per carry during the contest. Mitch Tanney - Quarterback - Monmouth Senior - Lexington, Ill./Lexington Tanney (right), who entered the game as the passing efficiency leader in Division III, used his legs to open the game’s scoring in a 45-0 win over Illinois College. The senior quarterback reached the pylon on a 33-yard scoring scamper and finished with a season-high 68 yards rushing on seven carries. Tanney completed 22-26 passes for 212 yards and three first-half touchdown passes. He currently holds a 74.4 completion percentage and a 26-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio on the season.
Defensive
	Isaac Hamilton - Defensive Back - Carroll Sophomore - Port Edwards, Wis./John Edwards Hamilton had an afternoon to remember during the Pioneers 40-13 victory over Lake Forest on Saturday. The sophomore defensive back scored on defense and special teams, returning an interception and kickoff 56 and 83 yards, respectively, for scores. Hamilton also made 10 tackles, intercepted a second pass, defended three balls and made two stops for losses in the victory. He finished the game with two kickoff returns for 102 yards.
Special Teams
	A.J. Phillips - Running Back - St. Norbert - Freshman - Green Bay, Wis./Ashwaubenon Phillips had another strong performance in the return game during the Green Knights 40-14 victory over Ripon on Saturday. The freshman run- ning back returned three punts for 73 yards, including a highlight reel return that went for 30 yards. Phillips also returned a pair of kickoffs for 40 yards. He currently leads the MWC in kickoff (24.9) and punt return (15.7) average.

Week #9 : October 31, 2005
Offensive
	Eric Aspenson - Quarterback - Lawrence - Junior - Rockford, Ill./Rockford Lutheran Aspenson accounted for 304 yards of offense and six touchdowns in the Vikings 52-20 win over Lake Forest on Saturday, throwing four TD passes and running for two more. The junior quarterback was 16-27 for 241 yards passing, including touchdown tosses of 71, 26, 1 and 23 yards. Aspenson carried 13 times for 63 yards and scored twice in the red zone on runs of one and eight yards. Aspenson’s four touchdown passes, three of which were caught by Nick Korn, ties a school record for TD passes in a game.
Defensive
	Zach Lenox - Defensive End - Knox - Senior - O’Fallon, Mo./St. Dominic Lenox guided a dominant defensive effort for the Prairie Fire in a 14-0 victory over Illinois College on Saturday. The junior defensive end recorded five total tackles, 3.5 tackles for losses, one fumble recovery, and a pair of sacks. Lenox was the key component of a Knox defense that held the Blueboys to -11 yards rushing, a new Knox record for fewest rushing yards allowed in a game. Lenox entered the week ranked in the Top 20 in the country in sacks and is second in the MWC with nine sacks this season.
Special Teams
	Josh Gould - Punter - Carroll - Sophomore - Chicago, Ill./Mt. Carmel Gould helped keep the Pioneers in their contest against undefeated MWC champion Monmouth with several big plays. Carroll eventually fell 35-27, but Gould helped win the field position game by placing three of his four punts within the 20-yard line. Two Gould punts landed within the 5-yard line and another within the 10. The sophomore punter averaged 33.5 yards per punt and had a long punt of 45 yards. He also used his arm in the contest, completing a 31-yard pass on a fourth quarter fake punt that led to a Carroll touchdown four plays later.

Week #10 : November 7, 2005
Offensive
	Nate Skelton - Quarterback - Beloit College - Senior - Cambridge, Ill./Cambridge Skelton (left) rallied the Bucs to a 27-23 win over Illinois College with three fourth quarter touchdown passes, including a 49-yard go-ahead score with 1:09 remaining in the game. The senior quarterback was 14-23 for 212 yards, becoming the Bucs all-time leading passer in the process. He also ran 20 times for 90 yards and scored on a 5-yard TD run in the second quarter. Skelton’s three TD passes, which came in a span of 8:16, came from 30, 10 and 49 yards out. Skelton also broke Beloit’s all-time passing attempts, completions (337), and yards (4,691) marks on Saturday. Bryce Crocker - Running Back - Carroll Sophomore - Stiles, Wis./Oconto Falls Crocker (right) closed out the season with his best performance to date, rushing for 244 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-20 win over Grinnell. The sophomore running back carried the ball 27 times (9.04 avg.) and scored on runs of 21, 2, 1 and 74 yards. Crocker broke the 1,000-yard barrier for the season with his performance, which was his seventh straight game with 100 yards or more rushing.
Defensive
	Nigel Richard - Defensive Back - Beloit College - Sophomore - Weston, Mass./Natick Richard was instrumental in the Bucs 27-23 come-from-behind victory over Illinois College on Saturday. Beloit trailed 23-6 in the fourth quarter before a furious comeback that ended when Richard caught a 49-yard touchdown pass with 1:09 remaining in the game. The sophomore defensive back was placed at wide out as a speed upgrade on the final drive of the game, but his impact was felt on defensive side of the ball as well. Richard thwarted two Blueboy drives in Beloit territory by intercepting his fourth and fifth passes off the season, along with making four tackles. Richard’s TD was his first reception of the season.
Special Teams
	Adam Fletcher - Wide Receiver - Carroll College - Senior - Norwalk, Wis./Brookwood Fletcher ended a record-breaking career for the Pioneers with a solid all-around performance in Carroll’s 42-20 win over Grinnell. Fletcher returned three punts for 81 yards and one kickoff for 18 yards, helping set up a pair of offensive touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 160 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

Week #11: November 14, 2003
Offensive
	Lee Rankinen - Running Back - Beloit College - Junior - Menominee, MI/Menominee Rankinen was nearly unstoppable in guiding the Bucs to a 55-7 victory over Grinnell to close out the season and head coach Ed DeGeorge’s career. Rankinen rushed 40 times for 269 yards and scored four times on runs of 51, 1, 4 and 23 yards. The performance was the second best in school history and set high marks in the conference for carries and rushing yards in a game this season. Rankinen won the league rushing crown with 1,429 yards, breaking the Beloit single-season record in the process. He also finished third in the conference in scoring with 17 TDs and 104 total points.
Defensive
	Adam Neiffer - Linebacker - Beloit College - Senior - Ione, Ore./Ione Neiffer made 19 stops in the Bucs 55-7 win over Grinnell on Saturday, putting the senior linebacker atop the list of all-time tacklers in Beloit history. Neiffer also added a sack, a forced fumble and three tackles for losses in the contest. Neiffer closes the season 139 tackles and entered the final weekend of the season ranked sixth in the nation in tackles with an average of 13.3 stops per game.
Special Teams
	Bryan Althouse - Kicker - Lawrence University - Sophomore - Madison, Wis./Madison West Althouse accounted for 17 points in the Vikings 47-7 victory over Illinois College. Althouse was 4-4 on field goals and 5-5 on extra points in the contest. The sophomore kicker’s four field goals were the most by an MWC kicker in a game this season, as Althouse connected from 37, 32, 27 and 21 yards. The 37-yard version was Althouse’s long of the season. He ends the season fourth on his team in scoring (40 points) after going 6-8 on field goals and 22-27 on extra points.