For Immediate Release
Monday, November 9, 2026
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet
NPI Ranking
NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#12 Gunnar Hensley (QB, 6-2, 206, Sr., Carlsbad, Calif. / Mission Hills HS) - Augustana
- Totaled 349 yards of offense in a 31-30 win at No. 3 Minnesota State
- Threw for 306 yards and rushed for 43 yards
- Accounted for two passing touchdowns
- Completed 32 of 47 pass attempts without an interception
- Led the NSIC in passing yards and completions for the week while ranking second in total offense
- Named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season (9/14/26 & 9/21/26)
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#17 Blake Schraufnagel (LB, 6-0, 215, Sr., Mayville, Wis. / Mayville HS) - Winona State
- Led WSU with 10 total tackles, including seven solo stops in a 55-7 over UMary
- Recorded a NSIC high 4.0 tackles for loss totaling 30 yards
- Added 2.5 sacks for 23 yards lost
- Added a forced fumble
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#83 Jonah Schimelpfenig (WR, 5-8, 165, Fr., Minneapolis, Minn. / SMB / Minnehaha Academy) - Concordia-St. Paul
- Returned a kickoff 84 yards for his first career touchdown
- Broke a 21-21 tie in Concordia-St. Paul’s 41-21 win over Southwest Minnesota State
- Led the team with 164 all-purpose yards
- Recorded four kickoff returns for 146 yards and an 18-yard punt return
- Advanced CSP to at least the 33-yard line on four of his five returns
- Turned a 64-yard punt into a favorable field position with an 18-yard return to the CSP 40-yard line
Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Lucas Peterson (Bemidji State)
- Led the NSIC with 154 receiving yards in a win over Minnesota Duluth
- Caught five passes and scored three receiving touchdowns
- Tied for the conference lead in scoring with 18 points
- Recorded a career-long 68-yard reception
- Averaged 30.8 yards per catch
Lincoln Graf (Concordia-St. Paul)
- Totaled 302 yards of offense and four touchdowns in a 41-21 win over Southwest Minnesota State
- Completed 16 of 25 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns
- Added 48 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
- Scored on a 37-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory
- Threw touchdown passes of 50, 12, and 7 yards
- Owns an 18-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and ranks among the NSIC leaders in pass-ing production
Maximus Sims (Minnesota State)
- Passed for a season-high 203 yards and one touchdown against No. 22 Augustana
- Completed 9 of 14 passes with no interceptions
- Added 37 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
- Recorded his second game this season with both a passing and rushing touchdown
Brandon Hines Jr. (Minot State)
- Rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns on Senior Day
- Broke Minot State single-season records for touchdowns scored and points scored
- Increased his season total to 16 touchdowns and 102 points
- Added a 27-yard reception
- Finished with 205 all-purpose yards against Northern State
Joey Dube-Garrett (Northern State)
- Threw for a career high 242 yards and four touchdowns in the Wolves win over Minot State
- Completed 20-of-29 passing attempts with a 32-yard long
- Added six yards rushing in the win
- Threw touchdown passes of 10-yards, 30-yards, 19-yards, and 6-yards
Emmanuel Diers (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Rushed for a career-high 176 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries
- Scored on a 62-yard touchdown run in the second quarter
- Became the first SMSU running back to rush for at least 150 yards in a game since 2023
- Recorded one of the top single-game rushing performances in program history
Dawson Forgy (Wayne State)
- Rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries in a 62-14 win over Sioux Falls
- Scored on touchdown runs of 55 and 10 yards
- Tied Wayne State’s all-time record for career rushing touchdowns with 36
- Helped lead the Wildcats to their highest point total of the season
Jacob Sampson (Winona State)
- Completed 16 of 19 passes for 204 yards and five touchdowns
- Added 10 rushing yards on two carries
- Tied for the second-most touchdown passes in a single game in Winona State history
- Recorded an 84.2 percent completion rate, ranking among the best single-game marks in pro-gram history
DEFENSE
Camron Maciejewski (Augustana)
- Recorded 10 tackles in a 31-30 road win over No. 3 Minnesota State
- Finished with six solo tackles and four assisted tackles
- Added one tackle for loss
- Ranked among the conference leaders for both total tackles and solo tackles during the week
Koehler Kilty (Bemidji State)
- Recorded five total tackles, including four solo stops, against No. 21/17 Minnesota Duluth
- Forced a fumble that was recovered by Bemidji State and led to a touchdown drive
- Returned an interception 52 yards to set up another scoring opportunity
- Played a key role in the Beavers’ 44-26 victory
Airion Bradley (Concordia-St. Paul)
- Recorded career highs with 3.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks in a 41-21 win over Southwest Minnesota State
- Finished with four total tackles
- Recovered a fumble in the third quarter
- Forced a fumble on a strip sack in the fourth quarter
- Posted sacks on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter
- Helped prevent SMSU from scoring on any drive that included one of his sacks or tackles for loss
Mobry Jefferson (Minnesota State)
- Led the Mavericks with seven total tackles against No. 22 Augustana
- Recorded four solo tackles
- Served as Minnesota State’s leading tackler in a one-point game
Kevin Speed (Minot State)
- Recorded a career-high 12 tackles on Senior Day
- Led the Beavers defensively against Northern State
- Finished with six solo tackles
- Added an assisted tackle for loss
Jake Adams (Northern State)
- Led Northern State and the NSIC with 16 tackles
- Tallied five solo and 11 assisted stops
- Sits second in the country averaging 12.5 tackles per game with 125 total this season
- Recorded his seventh game of the season with double figure tackles
Brayden Chaney (Wayne State)
- Recorded two interceptions in a 62-14 win over Sioux Falls
- Returned one interception 27 yards for a touchdown
- Added two solo tackles and one pass breakup
- Helped Wayne State force seven turnovers, including four interceptions and three fumble re-coveries
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jake Pecina (Augustana)
- Punted once for 50 yards, averaging 50.0 yards per punt
- Recorded a long punt of 50 yards
- Registered two touchbacks on six kickoffs
- Made one of two field-goal attempts with a long of 28 yards
- Converted all four extra-point attempts
- Helped Augustana secure a 31-30 upset victory over No. 3 Minnesota State
Matt Maldonado (Minnesota State)
- Went 3-for-5 on field-goal attempts against No. 22 Augustana
- Punted once for 32 yards and placed it inside the 20-yard line
- Recorded six kickoffs for 311 yards
Boston Hensley (Wayne State)
- Converted all eight extra-point attempts in a 62-14 win over Sioux Falls
- Tied for the fifth-most made PATs in a single game in program history
- Recorded seven touchbacks on 10 kickoffs
- Averaged 62.9 yards per kickoff
Mathias Yaggie (Winona State)
- Converted all seven extra-point attempts in a 55-7 win over UMary
- Made both field-goal attempts, connecting from 37 and 40 yards
- Finished 2-for-2 on field goals
- Handled six kickoffs for 368 yards
- Averaged 60.7 yards per kickoff and recorded one touchback
Last Week's Results
Football Pages
NSIC Football Players of the Week
8/31/26
O: #21 Hank Kraft - Northern State
D: #98 Travis Biery - University of Mary
SP: #6 Neal May - Augustana
9/8/26
O: #21 Hank Kraft - Northern State (2)
D: #54 Jake Adams - Northern State
SP: #25 Jake Pecina - Augustana
9/14/26
O: #12 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana
D: #96 Vegas George - University of Mary
SP: #14 Connor Fournier - Minnesota State
9/21/26
O: #12 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana (2)
D: #30 Jude Onuoha - Concordia-St. Paul
SP: #39 Drew Henson - Minnesota Duluth
9/28/26
O: #2 Connor Carver - Bemidji State
D: #7 Beau Giblin - Sioux Falls
SP: #47 Mathias Yaggie - Winona State
10/5/26
O: #17 Drew Huebner - MSU Moorhead
D: #44 Jack Hawkinson - Minnesota State
SP: #25 Jake Pecina - Augustana (2)
10/12/26
O: #17 Drew Huebner - MSU Moorhead (2)
D: #51 Jayce Walrath - Minnesota Duluth
SP: #7 Brayden Chaney - Wayne State
10/26/26
O: #3 Bubba Tann III - Sioux Falls
D: #51 Jayce Walrath - Minnesota Duluth (2)
SP: #40 JT Frieders - Sioux Falls
11/2/26
O: #2 Connor Carver - Bemidji State (2)
D:#2 Jamal Spiyee - Minnesota State
SP: #19 Boston Hensley - Wayne State
11/9/26
O: #12 Gunnar Hensley - Augustana (3)
D: #17 Blake Schraufnagel - Winona State
SP: #83 Jonah Schimelpfenig - Concordia-St. Paul
About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 128 individual national champions. For additional information, visit
NorthernSun.org.
About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.
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