SAC Football Weekly Award Winners Announced
Wingate’s Nestor Lantigua, Lenoir-Rhyne’s Michael Green and Tusculum’s Xzanvion Smith have been selected as the SAC football weekly award winners, the conference office announced on Monday.
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Wingate's Nestor Lantigua, Lenoir-Rhyne's Michael Green and Tusculum's Xzanvion Smith have been selected as the SAC football weekly award winners, the conference office announced on Monday.
Lantigua, a sophomore running back, had a career night in front of a national television audience on Thursday in Wingate's 33-24 win at Carson-Newman.
The Wellington, Fla., native rushed for 140 yards on 25 carries – both of which were career highs. He also added three touchdowns, including a crucial 54-yard run that put WU up two scores in the fourth quarter.
Lantigua also had touchdown runs of 19 yards and one yard.
[RELATED: SAC Football Weekly Report]
Green, the SAC Defensive Player of the Week, led a dominant effort from the Lenoir-Rhyne defense as the Bears handled North Greenville on Saturday, 52-10. The junior defensive back finished with eight tackles – including one behind the NGU line of scrimmage – and two interceptions.
Both of Green's picks led to Lenoir-Rhyne touchdowns.
Smith earned SAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in Tusculum's 49-39 win over Brevard.
Smith's special teams touchdowns came on back-to-back returns in the game's opening quarter. The first went for 79 yards, putting TC up 14-7. Then, after Brevard scored a touchdown on its next drive, Smith answered by returning the ensuing kickoff 83 yards for another score.
The returns were only part of a career day for Smith. The junior also piled up 149 yards and two touchdowns receiving to finish with a school-record 311 all-purpose yards.
