E8 Announces Football Players of the Week

10/16/2012 1:10:27 PM

Empire 8 Athlete-of-the-Week awards were handed out for the Week of Oct. 8-14. This week's honors were claimed by two student-athletes from Utica College and one from Alfred University.
 
Senior quarterback Andrew Benkwitt earned his second consecutive Empire 8 Conference Offensive Player of the Week award.  Benkwitt, who is on pace to break several of his own single-season school-records this year, completed 18 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday as the Pioneers topped Frostburg 41-0 in E8 play on homecoming weekend. 
 
Benkwitt, who also ran for a score on Saturday, broke his own single-season touchdown passes record as he now has 21 on the year.  He is also on pace to break his own school record for passing yards (2,604) and through six games this year he already has 1,958 yards in the air.
 
Freshman kicker Thomas Woodburn of the UC football team registered a banner day against Frostburg.  For his efforts, he was named the Empire 8 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
Woodburn knocked down two field goals of 30 and 39 (career-long/ tied for fifth longest in school-history) yards to seal the homecoming victory for UC in front of a raucous crowd of 2,625.  Woodburn was also a perfect 5-for-5 in extra point opportunities.  11 points scored marked the most by a kicker in the program's 12 year history. 
 
The Pioneers (4-2, 2-1 E8) return to the gridiron on Saturday, in search of their third straight win, when they take on host Hartwick College (3-3 0-3 E8) in a conference match up at 2 p.m.
 
Alfred University senior free safety Jon Jackson was named Empire 8 Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Jackson was honored for his performance in Alfred’s 26-13 defeat of then 11^th-ranked St. John Fisher on Saturday at Merrill Field. He had two interceptions (both in Alfred territory) and three solo tackles. His return yards on the interceptions totaled 33 yard, and he also had a 51-yard kickoff return as the Saxons remained unbeaten in Empire 8 play with a 3-0 conference mark and improved to 4-1 overall. 

The Saxons, ranked 21^st in the latest D3football.com national poll, have won four straight since a season-opening loss at RPI. AU is in action next on Saturday, Oct. 20, at noon, when they play at seventh-ranked Salisbury (5-1, 3-0 Empire 8).