LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced its Football Athletes of the Week for Week 8 of the 2026 season. In the Eastern Division, Kutztown's Judd Novak is the Offensive Athlete of the Week, KU's LJ Smith was named Defensive Athlete of the Week, and Bloomsburg's Zay Pusateri was selected as Special Teams Athlete of the Week In the Western Division, California's Kenny Lewis IV (Offensive Athlete of the Week) is joined by Defensive Athlete of the Week Keoke Toomer of Gannon and Slippery Rock's JayJay Jordan, the Special Teams Athlete of the Week.
PSAC Eastern Division Offensive Athlete of the Week
Judd Novak
Kutztown
Quarterback
Fifth Year
Manheim, Pa. / Manheim Central
Novak accounted for five touchdowns as No. 3 Kutztown defeated West Chester, 41-14, on Homecoming Saturday. Novak threw for three TDs and ran for two more while racking up a game-high 116 rushing yards. The fifth-year senior opened the scoring on Kutztown's second play from scrimmage finding a gap up the middle and outracing the WCU defense for a 70-yard TD run. Novak entered the game tied for second in program history in career TD passes with Andy Breault and now holds sole possession of second behind only Kevin Morton (119). Novak finished 11-of-16 passing for 158 yards and 3 TDs. He rushed five times for 116 yards and 2 TDs, averaging 23.2 yards per carry.
PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
LJ Smith
Kutztown
Linebacker
Sophomore
Newark, Del. / Salesianum
Smith registered a game-high eight tackles (five solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups in No. 3 Kutztown's 41-14 Homecoming victory over West Chester Saturday. Smith made an immediate impact with two tackles and a pass breakup on the Golden Rams' first possession to help force a three-and-out. KU scored on its ensuing possession to go up 14-0 less than six minutes into the game. The sophomore linebacker added three tackles, including one for loss, and a breakup in a third quarter where WCU held the ball for more than 11 minutes. Among a balanced defensive unit, Smith currently ranks second for the season with 33 tackles (24 solo) and second with 5.5 tackles for loss.
PSAC Eastern Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Zay Pusateri
Bloomsburg
Cornerback
Sophomore
East Stroudsburg, Pa. / East Stroudsburg South
Pusateri delivered one of the most consequential special teams plays in Bloomsburg's 20-14 Homecoming victory over Millersville, blocking a 39-yard field goal attempt late in the second quarter to preserve the Huskies' seven-point advantage. With Millersville threatening to cut into Bloomsburg's 14-7 lead, Pusateri broke through to deny the scoring opportunity with 1:15 remaining before halftime. The block helped swing momentum back toward the Huskies, who responded with a seven-play, 81-yard touchdown drive in just 1:02 to extend their lead to 20-7 with 13 seconds remaining in the half. Those points ultimately proved decisive in the six-point victory. Pusateri also made a significant impact defensively, intercepting a pass in the first quarter that set up Bloomsburg's opening touchdown drive. His combination of a momentum-changing blocked kick and a takeaway helped the Huskies secure their sixth win of the season and celebrate a Homecoming victory at Redman Stadium.
PSAC Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Week
Kenny Lewis IV
California
Wide Receiver
Sophomore
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Gateway
Lewis was named Coal Bowl MVP on Saturday night, as the Vulcans earned a 49-0 victory against IUP on Homecoming. He set a career high with 173 receiving yards on seven catches, including two touchdowns. Lewis helped the Vulcans race out to a 7-0 lead when he caught a 41-yard touchdown on the game's opening possession. The Pittsburgh native later caught a 52-yard touchdown pass with 6:35 left in the second quarter to extend the lead to a 28-0 margin. Five of his seven receptions resulted in either a touchdown or first down. His total of 173 receiving yards is the second-most in a game all season in the PSAC, bested only by Clarion's Austin VanHuss' 185 yards back on Oct. 3.
PSAC Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Keoke Toomer
Gannon
Linebacker
Senior
Indianapolis, Ind. / Ben Davis
Toomer delivered a dominant defensive performance in Gannon's 31-14 victory over Edinboro on Saturday afternoon, recording five solo tackles, two sacks for a loss of 14 yards, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown. With Gannon leading 7-0 early in the first quarter, Toomer sacked Edinboro quarterback Nico Marchitelli and recovered it before returning it 53 yards for a touchdown to double the Golden Knights' advantage. The score marked Toomer's second fumble return touchdown of the season, adding to his school-record 100-yard fumble return touchdown against Shepherd on Sept. 12. His two sacks accounted for half of Gannon's four sacks on the afternoon, while his five tackles led the team. Toomer helped the Golden Knights limit Edinboro to just 70 rushing yards and 261 yards of total offense, securing their first victory of the 2026 season and first win over the Fighting Scots since 2024.
PSAC Western Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week
JayJay Jordan
Slippery Rock
Running Back
Senior
Reading, Pa. / Berks Catholic
Jordan became the first player in SRU history to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game with punt return TDs from 71 yards and 75 yards. He put up 232 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in The Rock's PSAC West clinching 66-7 win over Lock Haven. Jordan had 146 punt return yards on two returns in the game. His 146 punt return yards are the most in a game by any player in Division II this year and he is the only player in the country with two punt return TDs in the same game. He also broke the SRU single-season records for total touchdowns (23) and total points (138) just eight games into the season.