Southland Announces Football Players of the Week
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Abilene Christian senior wide receiver Cedric Gilbert, sophomore linebacker Sam Denmark and junior punter Austin Kilcullen earned Southland Conference Football Player of the Week honors presented by UniversalCoin.com, the league office announced Monday. Gilbert took offensive honors while Denmark was named defensive player of the week and Kilcullen was tabbed the top special teams player.
Offensive Player of the Week: Cedric Gilbert, Abilene Christian
Gilbert turned in his first-career 100-yard receiving game in Abilene Christian’s 35-32 win over Stephen F. Austin. The senior from Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster H.S.), had seven catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns against the Lumberjacks to help ACU jump out to a 2-0 start in Southland play for the second consecutive season. Gilbert scored on catches of 23 and 55 yards.
Honorable Mention: Hayden Hildebrand, Central Arkansas; Jamari Gilbert, UIW; Gerald Thomas, Sam Houston State.
Defensive Player of the Week: Sam Denmark, Abilene Christian
Denmark had a career-high 18 tackles in the ACU’s 35-32 win over Stephen F. Austin. Denmark, a sophomore linebacker from Lac Cruces, N.M. (Las Cruces H.S.), notched 14 solo tackles, including two tackles late in the fourth quarter with the Wildcats leading by three points, resulting in a Stephen F. Austin punt.
Honorable Mention: George Odum, Central Arkansas; Myke Taverres, UIW; Dominique Hill, McNeese State; Trenier Orr, Sam Houston State.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Austin Kilcullen, Abilene Christian
Kilcullen, a junior from Clarksville, Tenn. (Clarksville H.S.), had one of his best punting performances of his career to help the Wildcats defeat Stephen F. Austin, 35-32. Kilcullen averaged 46.5 yards on four punts, including punts of 60 and 55 yards. He pinned two punts inside the two while the Lumberjacks finished the game with minus-19 yards in punt returns on just one return.
Honorable Mention: Matt Cummins, Central Arkansas; Luc Swimberghe, Sam Houston State; Christian Guzman, Houston Baptist; David Bush McNeese State.
Each school’s sports information director nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his own player. To receive honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland sports information directors.