RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the football players of the week for the fourth week of the 2024 season. Harding’s Braden Jay earned Offensive Player of the Week; Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Braeden Winters won Defensive Player of the Week and Oklahoma Baptist’s Patrick Maxwell claimed Special Teams Player of the Week.
#theGAC FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Braden Jay, RB, Harding, Jr., Cabot, Arkansas
Jay averaged a robust 40.5 yards per carry after he amassed 162 yards on just four attempts as the Bisons defeated Henderson State in a meeting between two nationally-ranked teams. He scored on first-half runs of 69, 44 and 35 yards. His only prior three-touchdown game came in last season’s national championship game.
#theGAC FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Braeden Winters, LB, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Jr., Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Winters keyed the Savage Storm’s defensive effort in their 27-21 road victory against Northwestern Oklahoma State. He registered career-highs in tackles, 14; tackles-for-loss, 4.0 and sacks, 2.0. He has tallied at least nine tackles in all four games this season and his 44 tackles rank him sixth in Division II.
#theGAC FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Patrick Maxwell, P/K, Oklahoma Baptist, So., Georgetown, Texas
Maxwell punted six times and averaged 41.3 yards per kick as the Bison picked up their first win of the season, 20-10 against East Central. He pinned two inside the 20-yard line and boomed a 54-yard punt in the second quarter, a career high. As the Bison’s kicker, he made a pair of field goals, including a career-long 43-yard try in the third quarter.
OTHERS NOMINATED
Connor Flannigan, WR (Ouachita Baptist), Kai Kunz, QB (Southwestern Oklahoma State), Travis Romar, WR (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Charles Whitebear, WR (Oklahoma Baptist)
Muftah Ageli, DL (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Rovell Carter, DL (Ouachita Baptist), Clark Griffin, LB (Harding), Brayden Johnson, LB (Oklahoma Baptist), Gary Lewis, DE (Henderson State), Dawson Scott, DE (Southern Arkansas), James Thomas, LB (Southwestern Oklahoma State)
Tyler Furey, K (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Josiah Johnson, ST (Ouachita Baptist), Magnus Lepak, K (Harding), Jackson Nalley, P (Southeastern Oklahoma State), Axel Robertson, P (Henderson State)