With no spring sports in action and no opportunities for Grizzlies to earn KJCCC 'Player of the Week' honors, we are going to look back at all of this year's honorees.
We first rewind to the fall season where ten Grizzly football players picked up Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference 'Player of the Week' honors.
Week 2: Taiten Winkle, Special Teams
Taiten Winkle, sophomore kicker from Halstead, KS, kept the field position game in favor of the Grizzlies Saturday night when they faced No. 6 ranked Snow College. Winkle, had four punts with an average of 37.8/punt with a longest of 49 yards. He knocked down a 30-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the third quarter to give Butler a 29-3 cushion. He finished 2/3 in PAT's and had six kickoffs that totaled 329 yards, an average of 54.8 per kickoff.
Week 4: Brock Sturges, Offense & JaQuez Durham, Special Teams
Brock Sturges, the freshman running back from Allen, TX, had a huge day on the ground rushing for 225 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. Sturges, had two long runs of 54 and 68-yards in the first quarter to give Butler a 13-0 lead, both were the only plays of the drive for the Grizzlies. Sturges accounted for 138 of Butler's 139 total yards in the first quarter. Sturges continued to power through the Coffeyville front lines as he averaged 9.4 yards per carry in the game. After Saturday, Sturges now leads the nation in rushing touchdowns with six and is second in rushing yards per game at 115.5.
JaQuez Durham, the 5-7 sophomore return specialist, broke the game open in the third quarter against the Red Ravens Saturday night with his electrifying 72-yard punt return for a touchdown. The return would give Butler a 20-13 lead and the momentum to close out the game and win 33-13. Durham finished the night with four total punt returns with an average of 28.8 per return. "That was the play of the game – without a doubt," said Butler head coach Tim Schaffner. Durham's punt score was the first time Butler had returned a punt for a touchdown since Oct. 14, 2017.
Week 5: Brock Sturges, Offense & Jacob Abel, Special Teams
Brock Sturges, the freshman running back from Allen, TX, backed up last week's performance with another big offensive outing. Sturges rushed for 143 yards on 18 carries with an average of 7.9 yards per rush and scored one touchdown on the ground with his longest rush totaling 48 yards. He had one reception on the night but it was a big one going for 50 yards for the score. Sturges had more all-purpose yards (193) than Dodge City had total offensive yards (185). Sturges still leads the NCJAA in rushing touchdowns with seven as well as total rushing yards at 605.
Jacob Abel, sophomore kicker from Goddard, KS, was a perfect 5/5 in the kicking game Saturday night on a wet and windy night. Abel drilled a 32-yard FG in the third quarter giving Butler a 24-21 lead. He finished a perfect 4/4 on extra points scoring a total of seven points for the Grizzlies. Abel also had three punts in the game with an average of 30.3 yards per punt pinning one inside the 20.
Week 8: JaQuez Durham, Special Teams
JaQuez Durham, sophomore return specialist, took his second punt return of the season to the house Saturday with an electrifying 94-yard punt return in the third quarter. With no blockers in front of him, Durham fielded the football at his own six-yard line and made his way up the home sideline. After a quick move and breaking a few tackles Durham took off up the sideline 94-yards for the score. He had three other punt returns in the game with an average of 24 yards per return.
Week 11: Taiten Winkel, Special Teams
Taiten Winkel, sophomore kicker/punter from Halstead, Kansas, chalked up the third longest punt this season in the NJCAA with a booming 76-yard punt that was downed at the Reivers 11-yard line in the third quarter on the road at Iowa Western Saturday afternoon. Winkle finished the day with six total punts for an average of 56 yards per punt. He had three punts over 50-yards and downed three inside the Reivers 20-yard line, one at the four and twice at the eleven. Winkel also had three kickoffs with an average of 59 yards per kickoff.
Week 12: Nick Davenport, Offense & Derick Newton, Defense & Jacob Abel, Special Teams
In his first start of the season, against the No. 3 team in the nation, Nick Davenport, freshman from Brookville, KS, put together a highlight real and had his hand in all four of the Grizzlies touchdowns helping Butler to a 34-27 win over Garden City. Davenport passed for two touchdowns, rushed for one and caught a pass for a touchdown in the game. Davenport charged his way into the end zone with 5 minutes left in the game to give Butler the 34-27 lead. Davenport finished with 107 passing yards, 27 rushing yards and 10 receiving yards.
Derick Newton, freshman defensive tackle from Douglas, GA, came up big in the final possession of the game for Butler stopping the Garden City offense with a huge sack setting up a long fourth and 24 for Garden City. He finished the night with eight tackles, seven solo and one assisted. He recorded five for loss and three sacks in the34-27 win. His three sacks totaled for 19-yards of loss and totaled 25-yards of loss for the Broncbusters throughout the game. He also forced a fumble in the third quarter setting up the game tying field goal.
Jacob Abel, sophomore kicker/punter from Goddard, KS, scored the first points of the game with a 31-yard field goal and then tied the game up in the fourth quarter with a 45-yard field goal into the wind. Abel continued his hot kicking streak, going 4/4 in extra points in the 34-27 victory over No. 3 ranked Garden City. Abel is now 31/34 in extra points on the season and made 15-straight extra-point kicks to close out the year. He has made 10-straight field goals and has not missed a field goal since September 17. Abel also had one punt in the contest for 19-yards downing it at the 17-yard line.
