Three E8 Players make D3football.com team of the week
Three Empire 8 football athletes have been named to the D3football.com Team of the Week, as announced by the website, Oct. 16.
The Team of the Week is D3football.com's weekly honor roll, recognizing the top performances at 14 positions from the previous week.
Freshman Thomas Woodburn of the Utica College football team was recognized as the most outstanding kicker for his work against Frostburg on Saturday. Woodburn registered a banner day, as the Pioneers dropped the Bobcats 41-0. He was also named the Empire 8 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time in his young career on Monday.
Woodburn knocked down two field goals of 30 and 39 (career-long/ tied for fifth longest in school-history) yards to seal the homecoming weekend 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.
Woodburn currently ranks second on the team with 26 points this season (17 extra points, three field goals). He is now a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts this season and he is 17-of-22 in extra point opportunities.
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 Jackson was recognized at the safety position 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.
With the win over Fisher, the Saxons remained unbeaten in Empire 8 play with a 3-0 conference mark and improved to 4-1 overall.
Through five games, Jackson has four interceptions, which rank second in the Empire 8. He ranks 11
th in the nation in interceptions per game (0.8). With 34 tackles, he helps lead a Saxon defense that ranks second in the Empire 8 and 22
nd in the country in scoring defense (13.60 ppg).
The Saxons 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).
Salisbury University sophomore Kyle Hamby has been honored for his punting skills. Hamby tied his career high with five punts in a 37-7 win over Hartwick College on Saturday. Three of his kicks landed inside the Hawks 20-yard line. Hamby averaged 46.8 yards per punt with the help of two over 60 yards. He had a 62-yarder in the second quarter and one of 68 yards in the third. The latter was one yard off the program record he tied last season against St. John Fisher.
A Laurel, Md., native, Hamby has punted 23 times in six games, averaging 42.7 yards per kick, good for the fifth best average in Division III. Eleven of his kicks have landed inside the 20.
Salisbury (5-1, 3-0 Empire 8) hosts No. 21 Alfred University (4-1, 3-0) Saturday at noon.
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