PSAC Football Athletes of the Week – 5
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference office announced this week’s football athletes of the week. From the PSAC East, West Chester University’s Ja’Den McKenzie earned the offensive honor, Tyler Tate of Millersville University earned it on defense, and Dante Witcher of Shippensburg University garnered the Special Teams selection. In the PSAC West, Slippery Rock University’s Andrew Koester was selected on offense, California University of Pennsylvania’s Noah Dillow was picked on defense, and Jermaine Wynn Jr. of Slippery Rock was the special teams selection.
EAST
Offensive Athlete of the Week
West Chester
Ja’Den McKenzie
Sophomore
Running Back
Morton, Pa. / Springfield
Ja'Den McKenzie rushed for 121 yards on 22 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns in West Chester's 21-20 victory over Bloomsburg. On WCU's final drive of the game, McKenzie rushed the ball four times for 35 yards as the Golden Rams marched 80 yards in nine plays - all of them rushes - to score the go-ahead TD. Twice, he picked up a first down to keep the crucial drive going.
Defensive Athlete of the Week
Millersville
Tyler Tate
Junior
Defensive Lineman
Norristown, Pa. / Norristown
Tyler Tate was a menace against Lock Haven, recording a season-high nine tackles with 3 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles. One of his forced fumbles directly led to a recovery for a touchdown that tied the game at 23-23 in the third quarter. Those 3 1/2 sacks are the most by a Marauder in a game during the "Statcrew Era," which dates back to 2003. His 7 1/2 on the season are already the most by a Marauder since 1999.
Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Shippensburg
Dante Witcher
Junior
Defensive Back
Camden, N.J. / Timber Creek
Junior Dante Witcher returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in Shippensburg's 59-27 loss at Shepherd. Witcher’s kickoff return touchdown is SU’s first since Andrew Smith in 2014 and its longest since NFL standout Brent Grimes had a 99-yard return for a score at Shepherd in 2005. It is the first time that SU has taken the opening kickoff back for a touchdown since Jeff Fertig (91 yards) at LIU Post on Oct. 3, 2009. Witcher finished with 162 kick return yards, averaging 54.0 yards per return (three returns: 99, 26, 37).
WEST
Offensive Athlete of the Week
Slippery Rock
Andrew Koester
Senior
Quarterback
Imperial, Pa. / West Allegheny
Andrew Koester had a perfect NFL passer rating of 158.3 and the highest single-game NCAA QB efficiency rating by any player with more than 20 attempts at the FBS, FCS or Division II levels this season (291.1) ... he completed 20-of-22 passes for 328 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions, all in the first half, while leading The Rock out to a 55-0 lead at halftime. Koester did not play in the second half of SRU's 75-0 win over Clarion.
Defensive Athlete of the Week
Cal U
Noah Dillow
Sophomore
Linebacker
Alum Bank, Pa. / Chesnut Ridge
Dillow posted seven tackles with 1.0 TFL and an interception return for touchdown on Saturday, as Cal U posted a 37-0 win over Mercyhurst on Homecoming. He registered a 12-yard interception return for touchdown with 1:12 left in the first half to give the Vulcans a 24-0 lead. Cal U limited Mercyhurst to only 106 yards of total offense while allowing just seven rushing yards on 23 carries. The Vulcans have recorded three shutouts in five games this year, their most shutouts since the undefeated 1958 campaign.
Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Slippery Rock
Jermaine Wynn Jr.
Senior
Wide Receiver/Punt Returner
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Woodland Hills
Wynn returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown and averaged 38.3 yards per return on three punt returns (115 yards) to go along with four receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown to finish his night with a team-high 181 all-purpose yards in the first half of a 75-0 win over Clarion. Wynn did not play in the second half.
ABOUT THE PSAC
Headquartered in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference comprised of 18 institutions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The member institutions are Bloomsburg University, California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University, East Stroudsburg University, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Mercyhurst University, Millersville University, The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Seton Hill University, Shepherd University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University and West Chester University.