CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) football teams competed in week eleven of the 2023 season.
 
Around the League:
HCAC Football Schedule
 
Athletes of the Week: 
Offensive Player of the Week:
Mariano Mckenzie (Owensboro, Ky.) Mount St. Joseph University | Running Back | Senior - Mariano McKenzie led a Lions rushing attack that helped the team to a 68-20 win over Rose-Hulman in the HCAC Championship game. He carried the ball 22 times for 202 yards (9.2 yards per carry) and  two touchdowns. He had touchdown runs of 32 and 24 yards, leading a rushing attack that had 362 yards and rushed for 7.1 per attempt. As a whole the Lions offense had 693 yards of total offense.
Defensive Player of the Week:
Devontay Moore (Indianapolis, Ind.) Manchester University | Defensive Line | Fifth Year - During Manchester's win against Anderson on Saturday to take back the Bronze Ball, Devontay Moore broke his own school records for career tackles for loss and career sacks after finishing the afternoon with 4.5 sacks, 5.0 tackles for a loss of 42 yards, and 3 QB hurries. This brings his career totals to 42 tackles for loss and 24 sacks.
Special Teams Player of the Week:
Andrew Toler (Bidwell, Ohio) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Punter | Senior – Toler recorded 6 punts for 262 yards for an average of 43.7 yards per punt. He also recorded 2 punts over 50 yards with a long of 53. He ranks 3rd in the nation in punting this season at 44.42 yards per punt.

Notable Performances:

• Jaydon McBreen (Portland, Ore.) Bluffton University | Safety | First Year - McBreen tied for team-high honors with seven tackles in Bluffton's 42-35 win at Defiance on Saturday. He added an interception and had a TFL in the season finale.
• Ethan Beringer (Findlay, Ohio) Bluffton University | Wide Receiver | Senior - Beringer powered the Beavers to a 42-35 victory at Defiance in the final game of the season on Saturday. He hauled in eight balls for 122 yards with three first half touchdowns as Bluffton led 28-7 at the break.
• Richard Pope IV (Daytona Beach, Fla.) Defiance College | Defensive End | Senior - Senior defensive end Richard Pope IV was disruptive on the defensive end for DC on Saturday. His eight tackles were second-most on the team but he delivered two sacks and knocked down one pass at the line of scrimmage. Pope finished the year with DC's team lead in sacks with eight.
• Tyshaun Freeman (Macon, Ga.) Defiance College | Running Back | Senior - Senior tailback Tyshaun Freeman logged his third 100-yard game of the season in Saturday's finale against Bluffton and scored a touchdown for the sixth game in a row. Freeman's 167 yards pushed his season total to 976 and ended with 13 touchdowns.
• Daniel Budwah (Miami, Fla.) Defiance College | Defensive Back | Senior - Daniel Budwah delivered a clutch, fourth-quarter blocked punt during Defiance's second-half comeback against Bluffton. With the Yellow Jackets trailing 35-27, Budwah broke through to block a punt attempt that went out the back of the end zone for a safety. Defiance tied the game at 35-35 on the next possession with the football.
• Jamey Deckard (Bedford, Ind.) Hanover College | Line Backer | Senior – Deckard led Hanover past Franklin as he turned in an impressive defensive performance. The senior recorded 13 total tackles, 11 solo stops. He also added three tackles for loss and a sack for seven yards. It didn't end there, Deckard also recorded one pass breakup.
• Eian Roudebush (New Palestine, Ind.) Hanover College | Quarterback | First Year – Eian led the Panthers with four passing touchdowns for 222-yards as Hanover defeated Franklin and retained the Victory Bell. He went 17-of-25 with his longest reception coming in at 55-yards. He also rushed for 19 yards.
• Pedro Paixao (Serra, Brazil) Hanover College | Kicker | Junior - Pedro helped lead the Panthers past Franklin 36-17 connecting for a key 23-yard field goal that put HC on top 9-3 in the second quarter. The junior recorded 330 yards on seven kickoffs averaging 47.1 yards per kick.
• Josiah Ansorena-Smith (Ludowici, Ga.) Manchester University | Running Back | Sophomore – Josiah Ansorena-Smith led the Spartans on the ground with 154 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries during Manchester's win against Anderson to take back the Bronze Ball on Saturday. Ansorena-Smith finishes the 2023 season with 392 rushing yards on 90 carries and 3 touchdowns.
• Anthony Wright (Nashville, Tenn.) Mount St. Joseph University | Line Backer | Senior - Anthony Wright led the team with 8 total tackles on Saturday (4 solo) and led a defense that shut down Rose-Hulman's high powered offense. Holding the Fightin' Engineers 24 points below their season average. 
• Chaikou Sow (Indianapolis, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Safety | Senior – Sow recorded 15 tackles, including 10 solo tackles, to lead the Fightin' Engineers defense.
• Brandon Green (Dixon, Calif.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Wide Receiver | Senior –Green led the Fightin' Engineers offense with 4 receptions, 143 yards and a touchdown including an 81-yard touchdown early in the game.

Looking Forward:
HCAC Football Standings