ATLANTA — The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its Football Players of the Week on Tuesday, Oct. 20, honoring student-athletes for impressive performances in games played last week.
David Smith (
Benedict),
Masiah Wells (
Tuskegee),
Forest Gantz (
Kentucky State),
Chris Butler (
Benedict) and
David Makonzo (
Benedict) were recognized.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – DAVID SMITH, BENEDICT COLLEGE
Running Back | Sr. | Houston, Texas
Smith led a strong ground game for the Benedict Tigers in their 45-24 victory over Edward Waters. Smith finished with 106 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry with a long of 32 yards.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – MASIAH WELLS, TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
Defensive Lineman | 5th | Jacksonville, Fla.
Wells had the best game of his season Saturday in Tuskegee's win over Albany State. He tied his season high with eight tackles, including five solo stops, 4.5 tackles for loss totaling 25 yards and 2.5 sacks for 18 yards. The tackles for loss and sacks were both career highs.
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – FOREST GANTZ, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY
Kicker/Punter | So. | Dayton, Ohio
Gantz delivered an outstanding all-around special teams performance in Kentucky State's 55-22 victory over Lane College, finishing a perfect 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and 7-for-7 on extra-point attempts, accounting for 13 points. Gantz connected on a 22-yard field goal as time expired in the first half before adding a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter. He also handled punting duties, recording four punts for 162 yards, averaging 40.5 yards per attempt, including a game-long 59-yard punt and one punt downed inside the 20-yard line. In kickoff duties, Gantz recorded nine kickoffs for 488 yards, including three touchbacks, helping Kentucky State control field position throughout the contest. His consistency across all three kicking responsibilities played a key role in the Thorobreds' victory.
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – CHRIS BUTLER, BENEDICT COLLEGE
Wide Receiver | So. | Baltimore, Md.
Butler had a big day as a kick returner in Benedict's 45-24 victory over Edward Waters. Butler had a 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter that put Benedict up 45-17. Butler finished with 132 yards on three kickoff returns, consistently giving the Tigers good field position. He also had a two-yard return on his only punt return.
NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK – DAVID MAKONZO, BENEDICT COLLEGE
Linebacker | Fr. | Lachine, Québec, Canada
Makonzo led the Benedict Tigers with 10 total tackles in Benedict's 45-24 victory over Edward Waters. He also recorded a half-sack for a loss of 5 yards.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is an NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and eight women's sports and is a proud member of NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.