COLBY, Kan. – Escaping last week with overtime victories, Hutchinson’s Samari Collier and Nestus Burger along with Garden City’s Tyler Lassiter have earned Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Football Player of the Week honors for week three of the 2024 season.  

Offensive Player of the Week (Samari Collier - Hutchinson) - Blue Dragon sophomore quarterback Samari Collier threw for his first career 300-yard game and led the top-ranked Blue Dragons back from 14 points down with 6:19 remaining in the fourth quarter in a 33-30 overtime victory over number 12 Iowa Central. Collier was 23 of 40 passing for 300 yards and three touchdowns against the Tritons. Collier also added 89 rushing yards on 14 carries while throwing two touchdown passes in the final 4:12 of the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Defensive Player of the Week (Tyler Lassiter – Garden City) – Lassiter helped the Broncbusters pick up a 29-23 win in overtime at Coffeyville with 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack as Garden City now leads the KJCCC standings with a 2-0 start in conference play.  Both wins for GCCC have come on the road.

Special Teams Player of the Week (Nestus Burger - Hutchinson) – Sophomore kicker Nestus Burger kicked a walk-off 36-yard field goal in overtime to cap a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback for number one-ranked Hutchinson a 33-30 OT win over number 12 Iowa Central. Burger was two-for-two on field goals and three-for-three on extra points in the Blue Dragon victory as HCC came back from 14 points down with 6:19 to play in the fourth quarter. Burger added three touchbacks on six kickoffs in the game, totaling 352 kickoff yards.

Other Offensive Players Nominated:
Tre’avis Jones – Coffeyville
Kerya Powell – Dodge City
Gunnar Smith – Highland
Dejaun Lacy – Garden City

Other Defensive Players Nominated:
Kenton Simmons - Butler
Lonnie Burt – Coffeyville
Sam Brooks – Dodge City
La’Modrick Spencer - Hutchinson

Other Special Teams Players Nominated:
Aidan Battle – Butler
Brady Braun – Coffeyville
Amarian Louis – Dodge City