FRISCO – UIW quarterback Zach Calzada, East Texas A&M linebacker Brandon Tucker Jr., and HCU kicker Dillon Fedor are the winners of the Jersey Mike's Southland Conference’s football weekly awards for the eleventh week of the season, as announced by the conference office Monday.
Offensive Player of the Week: Zach Calzada, UIW – QB – Gr. – Buford, Ga. (Auburn/Texas A&M/Lanier HS)
Zach Calzada ed UIW to over 600 yards of total offense during the 41-20 win over Lamar. He threw for a season-high 402 yards and five touchdowns through the air, finishing 23-for-33 on the day. He hooked up with Jalen Walthall seven times for 165 yards and a score, including a 67-yard touchdown, as well as Roy Alexander, who hauled in eight catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns for the second straight week. Calzada is first in the country in touchdown passes with 29, first in points responsible with 194, and seventh in passing yards with 2,813.
Defensive Player of the Week: Brandon Tucker Jr., East Texas A&M – LB – R-So. – DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto HS)
Brandon Tucker Jr. led the Lions with 19 tackles in the win over SFA. The 19 tackles are tied for the second most in a game in program history as East Texas A&M held SFA, one of the top offenses in the nation that was receiving votes, to just 14 points. East Texas A&M, led by Tucker, held SFA to 317 yards of total offense, 6 of 19 on third down, and 1 of 6 on fourth down including a goal line stand to win it. Tucker is currently top five in the country in tackles with 119.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Dillon Fedor, HCU – K – Sr. – Henderson, Nev. (Liberty/Minot State)
Dillon Fedor remained perfect on field goal attempts for the season on Saturday, booting a 50-yarder through the uprights with less than a minute to play to put HCU ahead of Nicholls, 24-21. The senior was a perfect 3-of-3 on extra points to finish the night with 6 points. He's now 13-of-13 on the season on field goals and the 50-yarder ties his career-long.
Honorable Mention: Darius Lewis, Southeastern
2024 Southland Football Players of the Week
| Date |
Offensive |
Defensive |
Special Teams |
| Sept. 2 |
Jalen Walthall, UIW |
Eli Ennis, Nicholls |
Stephen Johnson, McNeese |
| Sept. 9 |
Ron Peace, East Texas A&M |
Blake Gotcher, Northwestern State |
Chase Leon, Lamar |
| Sept. 16 |
Clifton McDowell, McNeese |
DeJuan Lewis, Lamar |
Christian Booker, Lamar |
| Sept. 23 |
DeKalon Taylor, UIW |
Mister Williams, UIW |
Cody Smith, McNeese |
| Sept. 30 |
Antonio Martin, Jr., Southeastern |
Marques Caldwell, HCU |
Finn Lappin, McNeese |
| Oct. 7 |
Eli Brickhandler, HCU |
Laurence Sullivan Jr., Nicholls |
Dillon Fedor, HCU |
| Oct. 14 |
Zach Calzada, UIW |
Dune Smith, UIW |
Darius Lewis, Southeastern |
| Oct. 21 |
Darius Lewis, Southeastern |
Jake Dalmado, Nicholls |
Ben Woodard, Lamar |
| Oct. 28 |
Sam Vidlak, SFA |
Jake Dalmado, Nicholls |
Brandon Hayes, Southeastern |
| Nov. 4 |
Roy Alexander, UIW |
Coryell Pierce, Southeastern |
Callum Eddings, SFA |
| Nov. 11 |
Zach Calzada, UIW |
Brandon Tucker Jr., East Texas A&M |
Dillon Fedor, HCU |
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.