Southland Conference Announces Football Players of the Week
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Lamar senior quarterback Carson Earp, Central Arkansas junior safety Jaylon Lofton and Nicholls junior defensive lineman Ronald Ollie earned Southland Conference Football Player of the Week honors presented by UniversalCoin.com, the league office announced Monday. Briscoe took offensive honors while Lofton was named defensive player of the week and Ollie was tabbed the top special teams player.
Offensive Player of the Week: Carson Earp, Lamar
Earp passed for a career-high 412 yards as the Cardinals
scored twice in the final two minutes of the game to defeat Northwestern State, 32-31. The senior from Robinson, Texas (Robinson H.S.), threw for four touchdowns and completed 29 of his 52 attempts without an interception. He also carried the ball six times for 63 yards in the contest. Earp’s 412-yard performance tied for the fourth-best single-game output in program history.
Honorable Mention: Jeremiah Briscoe, Sam Houston State; Juwan Dickey, Southeastern Louisiana; De’Mard Llorens, Northwestern State.
Defensive Player of the Week: Jaylon Lofton, Central Arkansas
Lofton played a big part in helping
Central Arkansas shutout McNeese 35-0, holding the Cowboys scoreless for the first time at home since 1987 and first time in conference play since 1988. The junior from Forest, Miss. (Forest H.S.), forced a fumble and notched an interception in a game where UCA created five turnovers. The Bears limited the Cowboys to just 309 total yards and 25 percent (4-for-16) on third-down conversion. Lofton added four tackles, including three solo, in the win.
Honorable Mention: Jacorey Fuller, Southeastern Louisiana; Brendan Langley, Lamar; Allen Pittman, Nicholls.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Ronald Ollie, Nicholls
Ollie, a junior from Shubuta, Miss. (Wayne County H.S.), scooped up a blocked field goal in the first quarter and
returned it 84 yards for a touchdown in Nicholls’ 33-30 double-overtime win at Houston Baptist. It was the second blocked field goal returned for a touchdown for the Colonels this season. Ollie also finished the game with eight tackles, including 2.5 for loss.
Honorable Mention: Courtney Rutledge, Southeastern Louisiana; Jaylen Harris, Sam Houston State; Patrick Ponder, Central Arkansas.
Each school’s sports information director nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his own player. To receive honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland sports information directors.