Perry Earns SAC Football Defensive Player of the Week Honors

ROCK HILL, SC -- Following a weekend of exciting games and impressive individual performances in the SAC, student-athletes from three different institutions have been selected as the league's Players of the Week, announced Monday.  Catawba’s Lakeem Perry (Louisburg, NC/Louisburg HS) was named Defensive Player of the Week, Jonas Randolph, of Mars Hill, was the Offensive Player of the Week and Wingate’s Ben Pinkard claimed Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Perry helped lead Catawba to its first win of the season against Tusculum.  The preseason first-team All-SAC selection recorded nine tackles -- including a sack and two tackles for loss -- an interception and a fumble recovery.  His interception late in the third quarter set up Catawba’s final score.  Perry’s efforts helped Catawba hold the Pioneers to -4 rushing yards.

Randolph, who continued his assault on opposing defenses in 2011 with a season-high 202 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions' win over North Greenville.  Randolph leads the SAC in rushing, all-purpose yards and scoring, and moved into the No. 5 spot on the conference's all-time rushing list on Saturday.  This is the senior's second Player of the Week nomination of the season.

Pinkard played a major role in Wingate’s impressive comeback win against Brevard -- the school’s second fourth-quarter come-from-behind victory in as many weeks.  The Bulldogs scored 21-straight in the fourth quarter to win 35-31.  In the first half, Pinkard returned a Brevard kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.  It was the longest return in the SAC this season.  Pinkard then had a key 49-yard punt return in the fourth quarter to set up another Wingate score.