Stewart, Lewis, Petit-Frere Voted Football Players of the Week
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Sam Houston State sophomore wide receiver Nathan Stewart, Houston Baptist junior defensive back Raphael Lewis and Southeastern Louisiana sophomore wide receiver/kick returner Juwan Petit-Frere were named Southland Conference Football Players of the Week, the league announced Monday.
Stewart was named Offensive Player of the Week, Lewis was voted Defensive Player of the Week and Petit-Frere garnered special teams distinction.
Southland Players of the Week are presented by
UniversalCoin.com.
Sam Houston State (3-0, 1-0 SLC) next heads to Conway on Saturday to take on Central Arkansas (2-1, 1-0 SLC) in a matchup of 2016’s top two Southland teams. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff. Southeastern Louisiana (1-3, 1-1 SLC) faces Northwestern State (1-2, 1-0 SLC) on the road Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Both games will broadcast on ESPN3. HBU (1-3, 0-2 SLC) has a bye week before hosting Central Arkansas on Oct. 7.
Offensive Player of the Week: Nathan Stewart, Sam Houston State – Wide Receiver – So. – Dallas, Texas
Stewart turned in a huge night in a statement win for the No. 3 Bearkats over No. 23 Nicholls. It was their second win over a ranked opponent this season. The sophomore standout hauled in seven passes for 147 yards and a pair of scores against the Colonels in just over two quarters of work. The first score came from 56 yards out on the second snap of the game and he added another 28-yard score late in the second quarter. It was his second consecutive game with over 100 yards receiving and the fifth time in his short career that he has surpassed the 100-yard mark. His two touchdowns gave him 15 touchdown receptions in just 16 games played in his career, a mark that already ranks in the career top 10 at Sam Houston State.
Honorable Mention: Darren Johnson, Southeastern Louisiana.
Defensive Player of the Week: Raphael Lewis, Houston Baptist – Defensive Back – Jr. – Elk Grove, Calif.
Lewis became the first player in HBU history with two interceptions in a game, including one returned for a touchdown and 57 total return yards. He returned a first-quarter interception 21 yards for the score to give the Huskies a 10-3 lead against McNeese. In the fourth quarter, he made his second pick of the game, returning it 36 yards to the Cowboys’ six-yard line. The Huskies fumbled near the goal line on the next play, but recorded a safety on the first play of McNeese’s ensuing drive.
Honorable Mention: Adrian Contreras, Sam Houston State; Lawrence Ghansah, Stephen F. Austin; Lee Spight, Southeastern Louisiana.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Juwan Petit-Frere, Southeastern La. – Wide Receiver/Kick Returner – So. – Orlando, Fla.
Petit-Frere was given just one chance at a kickoff return by Lamar in Southeastern’s 49-21 win and broke loose for a 92-yard return that set up a first-quarter Lion touchdown. Through four games, the transfer from Ellsworth Community College (Iowa) is averaging 38.0 yards per kickoff return and has three returns of 79 yards or more.
Honorable Mention: Storm Ruiz, Stephen F. Austin; Tre Honshtein, Sam Houston State.
Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.