TSWA names college players of the week - Nov. 19

November 19, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Memphis senior quarterback Seth Henigan had an impressive game in the victory over UAB, earning this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Football Offensive Player of the Week.

Henigan threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns, completing 23-of-34 passes. The four touchdowns gave him 100 for his career and made him one of three active quarterbacks – joining Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Washington’s Will Rogers – to reach the century mark. Henigan is also the only active Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback to post four 20-plus touchdown pass seasons at the same school.

On the defensive side, Tennessee Tech junior defensive lineman Daniel Rickert added to his hardware for the week as he was also named the Stats FCS National Defensive Player of the Week and the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association Defensive Player of the Week after helping lead the Golden Eagles to a 10-9 upset victory over No. 18 UT Martin -- Tech’s first win over a ranked opponent since the Spring 2021 campaign – and claim the Sergeant York Trophy outright for the first time since 2009.

The Nolensville, Tenn., native finished the game with nine total tackles – three solo and six assisted – while collecting 3.5 sacks for 18 yards and 4.0 tackles-for-loss for 21 yards. One of those sacks included a forced fumble, while he also broke up a pass and had three quarterback hurries.

VOLLEYBALL: Middle Tennessee libero Alivia Bronner posted one of the best weeks of her college career as she earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors in addition to this week’s TSWA nod. Bronner recorded 41 digs across the two matches, averaging 5.13 per set.

In the Blue Raiders’ sweep over New Mexico State, Bronner had 17 digs, averaging 5.67 per set. Then, in the second match, she hit a career-high with 24 digs. The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native has recorded at least 17 digs in four of her last five matches and completed the regular season with 265 digs and 28 service aces.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Fisk sophomore point guard Doyel Cockrill III continues to get stronger through the start of the campaign as the Nashville native has surpassed his career high for the second time in as many weeks.

Following a 22-point game at Alabama A&M, Cockrill scored 21 in a win at Oakwood as he went 11-for-12 at the free-throw line. He surpassed his career best at Stillman College, collecting 37 points, including six 3-pointers and a 12-for-24 effort in the field.

For the week, he averaged 26.7 points, shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 80.0 percent at the line.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Tusculum sophomore Ni’Kiah Chesterfield took home the women’s weekly honor as she averaged 28.5 points and 7.5 rebounds to lead the Pioneers to wins over North Greenville and USC Aiken.

In the 92-75 victory against North Greenville, the Murfreesboro native recorded a game-high 23 points with eight rebounds and four blocked shots. In the 95-78 win over USC Aiken, Chesterfield scored a career-high 34 points as she hit her first 13 straight shots and finished the game 15-for-16 from the field. She also had seven rebounds.

Chesterfield became the first Tusculum player in nearly two years to score 30 points in a game and the 15-for-16 effort is the best in the Division II ranks this season and second all-time in Tusculum history.

2024-25 TSWA College Players of the Week
FOOTBALL
9/3 | Offensive: Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
9/10 | Offensive: Sam Phillips (Chattanooga); Defensive: Elijah Herring (Memphis)
9/17 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: Alex Mitchell (Chattanooga)
9/24 | Offensive: La’Vell Wright (Austin Peay); Defensive: Major Williams (Carson-Newman)
10/1 | Offensive: Chase Artopoeus (Chattanooga); Defensive: Theron Gaines (Tennessee Tech)
10/8 | Offensive: Jayden Sullins (Carson-Newman); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
10/15 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee)
10/22 | Offensive: Mario Anderson Jr. (Memphis); Defensive: Will Brooks (Tennessee)
10/29 | Offensive: Dawson White (Sewanee); Defensive: Chandler Martin (Memphis)
11/5 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: Cayman Spaulding (Tennessee Tech)
11/12 | Offensive: Bryson Rollins (Maryville); Defensive: Chandler Martin (Memphis)
11/19 | Offensive: Seth Henigan (Memphis); Defensive: Daniel Rickert (Tennessee Tech)

MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jacob Ognacevic (Lipscomb)
11/19 | Doyel Cockrill III (Fisk)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jennifer Sullivan (Carson-Newman)
11/19 | Ni’Kiah Chesterfield (Tusculum)

College players of the week honored - Nov. 12

November 14, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Maryville junior quarterback Bryson Rollins helped lead the Scots to the USA South championship on Saturday as he earned this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor.

The Elizabethton, Tenn., native completed 15 of his 24 passes for 314 yards and three touchdown passes as he led the team to a 47-7 victory at Greensboro. He was effective in the third quarter as he went 7-of-10 for 220 yards and all three scores, going for 8, 82 and 40 yards all within a 9:28 span.

On the defensive side, Memphis redshirt junior linebacker Chandler Martin picked up his second Defensive Player of the Week of the season as he collected 11 total tackles – nine solo – in the 27-20 win over Rice. The Lithonia, Ga., native also had a pass breakup, a QB hurry and his fourth fumble recovery of the season in the contest.

VOLLEYBALL: In addition to being named the AVCA/GameChanger Division I National Player of the Week and Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Tennessee Tech senior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen was named the TSWA’s Volleyball Player of the Week after averaging 6.71 kills per set on a .435 attack percentage with just seven errors on 92 attempts.

On Friday, the Edwardsville, Ill., native took on her hometown team – SIUE – and collected 19 kills and three blocks with a .432 percentage. On Saturday, Isringhausen, the daughter of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jason Isringhausen, compiled a career-high 28 kills – tying for the second-most in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era in Tech history – while hitting .436 with two service aces and a season-high five blocks.

MEN’S SOCCER: Tusculum senior forward David Evans earned the final TSWA Men’s Soccer Player of the Week award of the academic year after posting his first career two-goal game on Senior Night as the Pioneers topped Carson-Newman 3-1.

The Johnson City, Tenn., product scored in the 62nd minute, then added his second in the 71st for insurance. He was also named Tusculum’s Homecoming King at halftime of the Pioneers’ football game against Carson-Newman.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Lipscomb junior forward Jacob Ognacevic earned the first Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor as he averaged 22.0 points and 7.3 rebounds as the Bisons went 2-1 on the week with wins over Duquesne and Wofford, as well as a strong showing at Arkansas.

At Duquesne, the Sheboygan, Wisc., product collected his first career double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds, while also leading the Bisons in scoring against both Wofford and Arkansas with 22 and 23 points respectively.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Carson-Newman junior guard Jennifer Sullivan won the first Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award as she averaged 21.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in a pair of victories. The Knoxville native shot 50 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the line during a 90-64 win at Lander and a 103-68 win over USC Aiken.

MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jacob Ognacevic (Lipscomb)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/12 | Jennifer Sullivan (Carson-Newman)

TSWA recognizes college players of the week - Nov. 5

November 6, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee junior running back Dylan Sampson continued his strong season this past Saturday with the 28-18 win over Kentucky and claiming his third Tennessee Sports Writers Association Football Offensive Player of the Week honor on Tuesday.

The Baton Rouge, La., native shattered a 95-year-old single-season rushing touchdown record for his 19th of the season as he collected a career-high 142 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns against the Wildcats. The 19 rushing scores placed Sampson in a six-way tie for tenth in the Southeastern Conference’s single-season leaderboard.

The game was his SEC-best seventh 100-yard game of the year and he became the first Volunteer to score a rushing touchdown in eight straight games in the same season. Sampson is now tied for second in Tennessee’s single-season 100-yard rushing games.

On the defensive side, Tennessee Tech sophomore linebacker Cayman Spaulding was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week after he recorded six total tackles – four solo and two assisted – with 2.5 for-loss and a four-yard sack. The big blow came as he intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown in the Golden Eagles’ 52-10 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference win over Lindenwood.

Spaulding anchored a Tech defense that held the Lions to 68 rushing yards on 36 carries a week after they rushed for 389 against Western Illinois. It was Tech’s fourth game this season holding opponents under 100 rushing yards.

VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee Tech junior setter Jordan Karlen was named the Volleyball Player of the Week as she delivered another spectacular weekend directing the Golden Eagle offense in a split at Ohio Valley Conference leader Southeast Missouri, handing the Redhawks one of their two league losses.

In all, Karlen averaged 11.1 assists, 3.1 digs, 0.67 aces and 0.67 blocks per set as she recorded 100 assists, 28 digs, six aces and six blocks in all. On Friday, the Janesville, Wisc., native posted 50 assists with four kills, three aces, seven digs and three blocks. She followed it up with 50 assists on Saturday with three aces, three blocks and 21 digs.

MEN’S SOCCER: Trevecca freshman forward Chris Douglas recorded a four-point week as the St. Johns, Antigua native scored a goal and picked up two assists as the Trojans topped Union 4-2. The victory locked up Trevecca’s first appearance in the Gulf South Conference tournament and first postseason appearance for the program since 2017.

Douglas is Trevecca’s leading goal scorer and points leader as a freshman.

TSWA Prep Poll presented by CoachT.com - Nov. 4

November 4, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced football rankings after Week 11 on Monday, with the poll presented by CoachT.com. Top 10 teams in each of the six Division I classifications and Top 5 in three Division II classes were selected by TSWA members with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote.

Class A
1. McKenzie (10-0) – 100 (10)
2. Coalfield (9-1) – 89
3. Union City (8-2) – 72
4. South Pittsburg (8-2) – 62
5. Oliver Springs (8-2) – 60
6. MASE (8-1) – 52
7. Clay County (8-2) – 45
8. South Fulton (8-2) – 24
9. Cosby (8-2) – 17
10. Whitwell (7-3) – 13
Others receiving votes: Halls 8, Gordonsville 3, Chattanooga Prep 3, Middle College 2

Class 2A
t1. Fairley (9-0) – 100 (7)
t1. Milan (9-1) – 100 (3)
3. East Robertson (9-1) – 89 (1)
4. Bledsoe County (9-1) – 65
5. York Institute (8-2) – 53
6. Huntingdon (8-2) – 50
7. Westmoreland (8-2) – 43
8. Marion County (8-2) – 40
9. South Greene (8-1) – 20
10. East Hickman (8-2) – 15
Others receiving votes: Decatur County Riverside 9, Jackson Central-Merry 8, Happy Valley 5, Loretto 2, Summertown 2, Memphis Business 2, Forrest 1, Monterey 1

Class 3A
1. Alcoa (8-1) – 108 (10)
2. Westview (10-0) – 94 (1)
3. Covington (9-1) – 84
4. Sequatchie County (9-1) – 70
5. East Nashville (8-2) – 61
6. Unicoi County (9-1) – 59
7. Johnson County (8-2) – 35
8. Bolton (8-2) – 22
9. Meigs County (7-3) – 17
10. Gatlinburg-Pittman (7-3) – 14
Others receiving votes: White House Heritage 13, Sheffield 12, Dyersburg 10, Pigeon Forge 4, Tyner Academy 2

Class 4A
1. Upperman (10-0) – 109 (10)
2. Marshall County (10-0) – 89
3. Anderson County (8-1) – 78
4. Greeneville (7-2) – 65 (1)
5. Loudon (10-0) – 63
6. Dyer County (9-1) – 53
7. Pearl-Cohn (7-3) – 42
8. Soddy Daisy (9-1) – 28
9. Gibbs (9-1) – 25
10. White County (8-2) – 21
Others receiving votes: Haywood 15, Macon County 14, Signal Mountain 2, Cherokee 1

Class 5A
1. Page (10-0) – 109 (10)
2. Sevier County (10-0) – 95 (1)
3. Beech (9-1) – 77
4. Southwind (9-1) – 64
5. Munford (9-1) – 63
6. Powell (8-2) – 49
7. Shelbyville (9-1) – 48
8. Knox West (7-3) – 43
9. East Hamilton (7-3) – 14
10. Tennessee High (8-2) – 13
Others receiving votes: Walker Valley 12, Hendersonville 7, Henry County 6, Knox Halls 5

Class 6A
1. Ravenwood (10-0) – 107 (10)
2. Oakland (9-1) – 93 (1)
3. Maryville (9-1) – 80
4. Green Hill (10-0) – 66
5. Clarksville (10-0) – 42
t6. Collierville (9-1) – 38
t6. Mt. Juliet (9-1) – 38
8. Germantown Houston (8-2) – 34
9. Riverdale (8-2) – 33
10. Brentwood (8-2) – 29
Others receiving votes: Stewarts Creek 17, Bearden 8, Cleveland 5, Science Hill 5, Bartlett 3, Cookeville 3, Dobyns-Bennett 2, Rossview 2

Division II-A
1. Jackson Christian (9-1) – 50 (10)
2. Nashville Christian (9-1) – 40
t3. Donelson Christian (8-2) – 24
t3. Columbia Academy (7-3) – 24
5. Friendship Christian (7-3) – 11
Others receiving votes: Trinity Christian 1

Division II-AA
t1. Christ Presbyterian (10-0) – 45 (5)
t1. Boyd Buchanan (10-0) – 45 (5)
3. Franklin Road Academy (9-1) – 26
4. University School of Jackson (9-1) – 11
5. Battle Ground Academy (8-2) – 9
Others receiving votes: Grace Christian-Knoxville 6, Silverdale Academy 5, Lausanne 2, Northpoint Christian 1

Division II-AAA
1. Baylor (10-0) – 50 (10)
2. Ensworth (10-0) – 39
3. McCallie (8-2) – 31
4. Brentwood Academy (7-3) – 17
5. Father Ryan (7-3) – 9
Others receiving votes: Knox Catholic 2, Lipscomb Academy 1, Montgomery Bell Academy 1

College players of the week announced - Oct. 29

October 29, 2024 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sewanee running back Dawson White powered the Tigers to a 31-7 victory over Rhodes College on Saturday to reclaim the Orgill Cup for the first time since 2018. His effort led to a selection as the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Football Offensive Player of the Week.

In all, the Lynchburg, Tenn., native rushed for 138 yards and scored two touchdowns on 27 carries. He had a big second half, collecting 97 of those yards in the second half.

On the defensive side, Memphis redshirt junior linebacker Chandler Martin had a big game to lead the Tigers to a 33-28 victory over Charlotte. With just 19 seconds left to play, Martin combined with William Whitlow Jr. to force a safety and lock up the victory.

The Lithonia, Ga., product was named the American Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week, recording 11 tackles and two sacks in addition to the game-clinching safety.

VOLLEYBALL: Tennessee Tech junior setter Jordan Karlen continued her strong pace this season, earning the Volleyball Player of the Week honor. In two matches this week, the Janesville, Wisc., native collected 104 assists – 13.0 per set – with 35 digs, seven kills and four blocks.

Karlen had two double-doubles in Tech’s two matches vs. Little Rock, posting 50 assists and a career-high 23 digs on Friday, before following up with 54 assists and 12 digs on Saturday.

MEN’S SOCCER: Carson-Newman junior forward Ben Dukes scored the Eagles’ first hat trick since 2021 as he was tabbed as this week’s Men’s Soccer Player of the Week. The hat trick came in an 8-0 victory over Newberry as he scored three goals in exactly 20 minutes and 15 seconds.

It was the third-fastest hat trick in the past 15 seasons for the Eagles and just the fourth time that a hat trick came in just one half in program history. Dukes also added a fourth goal for the week in a 2-1 victory over Wingate on Saturday.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Union sophomore midfielder Irene Arias was selected as the Women’s Soccer Player of the Week, scoring three goals on three shots as she played all 180 minutes. She picked up a pair of goals in Union’s 3-2 loss at Valdosta State, then scored the game-winner at Auburn-Montgomery on Sunday as the team clinched a berth in the Gulf South Conference Championships.

2024-25 TSWA College Players of the Week
FOOTBALL
9/3 | Offensive: Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
9/10 | Offensive: Sam Phillips (Chattanooga); Defensive: Elijah Herring (Memphis)
9/17 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: Alex Mitchell (Chattanooga)
9/24 | Offensive: La’Vell Wright (Austin Peay); Defensive: Major Williams (Carson-Newman)
10/1 | Offensive: Chase Artopoeus (Chattanooga); Defensive: Theron Gaines (Tennessee Tech)
10/8 | Offensive: Jayden Sullins (Carson-Newman); Defensive: Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt)
10/15 | Offensive: Dylan Sampson (Tennessee); Defensive: James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee)
10/22 | Offensive: Mario Anderson Jr. (Memphis); Defensive: Will Brooks (Tennessee)
10/29 | Offensive: Dawson White (Sewanee); Defensive: Chandler Martin (Memphis)