For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet
NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#21 Hank Kraft (RB, 5-9, 215, 5th, Timber Lake, S.D. / Timber Lake HS) - Northern State
- Led the NSIC in rushing yards for the second straight week
- Tallied a league leading 247 rushing yards with 18 points scored with his three touchdowns in the Wolves 31-16 win over Winona State
- Averaged 11.8 yards per carry with a long of 92 yards
- Added 33 yards receiving, including one receiving score
- His 92-yard touchdown run ranks second all-time at Northern State in longest rushing score
- Named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row
NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#54 Jake Adams (LB, 6-0, 235, Sr., Pulaski, Wis. / Pulaski HS) - Northern State
- Led the NSIC with 17 total tackles in the Wolves 31-16 win over Winona State
- His 17 stops were a season high for the linebacker
- Tallied 11 solo stops in the process and recorded four third down tackles
- Averaging 12.5 tackles per game through the opening weeks of the season
NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week
#25 Jake Pecina (K/P, 5-10, 185, Sr., Forney, Texas / Sunnyvale HS) - Augustana
- Connected on all three field goal attempts in a 30-23 setback at UMD
- Had field goals of 43, 24 and 40 yards out
- Hit both extra points to finish with an NSIC best 11 points kicking
- Punted 3 times for a total of 119 yards, averaging 39.7 yards per punt, with the longest punt being 43 yards
Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Bart McAninch (Bemidji State)
- Led Bemidji State to a 38-0 shutout victory over Southwest Minnesota State in the Beavers’ NSIC opener
- Completed 13-of-20 passes (65.0%) for 191 yards and one touchdown, including a 44-yard long completion
- Added a rushing touchdown, leading the scoring efforts for BSU
- Posted a 165.3 passing efficiency rating, ranking 22nd in NCAA Division II and second in the NSIC
- 341 season passing yards rank 61st nationally and fifth in the NSIC
- Averages 18.94 yards per completion, ranking sixth in NCAA Division II and first in the NSIC
- Averages 10.33 yards per pass attempt, ranking 11th in NCAA Division II and first in the NSIC
- Helped the Beavers amass 456 yards of total offense while the defense held SMSU to just 57 yards
Drew Huebner (MSU Moorhead)
- Led the NSIC with 339 yards of total offense in a 48-30 win over Concordia-St. Paul.
- Completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 240 yards and three touchdowns
- Rushed for another 99 yards on 13 attempts with two touchdowns.
- Completed passes to five different receivers, including a long of 35 yards
Ojile Nick (Minnesota Duluth)
- Scored a touchdown against Augustana
- Converted a late two-point conversion to give UMD the lead with seconds remaining
Sam Backer (Minnesota State)
- Had a career-high 165 yards on the round on 11 carries and two scores in the 48-7 win at Mary on Saturday
- Scored his first touchdown on an 80-yard scamper on the first play from scrimmage
- Had a season-high 327 yards rushing on just 35 attempts for a 9.3 average
- Now has 28 career rushing scores and 30 total touchdowns for his career
Brandon Hines Jr. (Minot State)
- Rushed for a career-best 174 yards on 18 carries for an average of 9.7 yards per carry
-Added 2 more touchdowns on the day, giving him five on the season
-Also completed a halfback option pass for 32 yards.
Dawson Forgy (Wayne State)
- Gained 147 yards on 19 carries with two TD’s in 35-28 road win at Minot State
- Was fourth straight 100-yard game and seventh in last eight games
- Scored twice in fourth quarter on runs of one and 14 yards
- Had go-ahead score on 14-yard jaunt with 36 seconds to play
DEFENSE
Camron Maciejewski (Augustana)
- Recorded 8 tackles against Minnesota Duluth
- Achieved 1 unassisted tackle for loss
- Contributed a sack in the game
- Forced a fumble during the matchup
Nah’Shawn Keith (Bemidji State)
- Played a pivotal role in Bemidji State’s 38-0 shutout victory over SMSU
- Tied for the team lead with five total tackles, recording three solo tackles and two assisted tackles
- Added 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, consistently disrupting the SMSU offense in the backfield
- Recorded a crucial fumble recovery on SMSU’s opening drive, coming on the third play of the game
- The fumble recovery set Bemidji State up at the SMSU 15-yard line
- Currently ranks first in the NSIC and fourth in NCAA Division II in fumbles recovered
- Helped anchor a Beaver defense that held SMSU to just 57 total yards, including three rushing yards, in the 38-0 shutout
Abram Jopp (UMary)
- Intercepted two passes in the Marauders home opener against #3 Minnesota State
- Picked off an MSU pass on the first play of the game
- Returned his second interception 42 yards for his first collegiate touchdown
- Also led the Marauders with seven tackles (four solo)
Jake Schaefer (MSU Moorhead)
- Made a game-high nine tackles in MSUM’s 48-30 win over Concordia-St. Paul
- Totaled five solo stops in the victory
Jamal Spiyee (Minnesota State)
- Finished with two interceptions for 87 yards including a pick-six in the 48-7 win at University of Mary
- Doubled his career interception total in this game as he now has four INTs for MSU
- Marked his second career pick-six
- Finished the game with one solo tackle
- His two INTs were part of three total picks by MSU and four total turnovers caused by the Mavericks
- Became the first Maverick with two interceptions in a game since 2023
Austin Young (Minot State)
- Led the defense with a strong performance, recording 9 tackles, including 1 tackle for loss
- Also added a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry for the Beavers
Clyde Hinton (Wayne State)
- Recorded game-high 11 tackles in 35-28 road win at Minot State
- Credited with one sack for loss of nine yards
- Added two tackles for a loss of 13 yds and forced a fumble
- Made six solo and five assisted tackles in the NSIC road win
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kyle Nadler (Bemidji State)
- Delivered a perfect 5-for-5 performance on PAT attempts in a 38-0 win over SMSU
- Converted his lone field goal attempt from 21 yards
- Handled seven kickoffs for 407 yards, averaging 58.1 yards per kickoff with three touchbacks
- Leads both the NSIC and NCAA Division II in field-goal percentage
- Ranks third in the NSIC in field goals made per game at 1.00
Max Watson (MSU Moorhead)
- Converted all 6 point-after attempts in MSUM’s 48-30 win over Concordia-St. Paul
- Logged 8 kickoffs totaling 462 yards (57.8 average) with 4 touchbacks
Jael Chavez (Minot State)
- Scored his first collegiate points, kicking 2-of-3 field goals and converting 2-of-2 PATs
- Connected on field goals of 29 and 30 yards
- Handled kickoff duties, averaging 61.2 yards per kick on 6 kickoffs with 2 touchbacks
Jeremy Caruso (Northern State)
- Scored 7 points in the Wolves’ 31-16 win over Winona State
- Made all 4 point-after attempts
- Tallied his first field goal of the season, a 34-yarder
- Averaged 59.7 yards per kickoff with 4 touchbacks
Kaleb Kirgan (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Recorded a 45.1-yard punt average on 10 punts in SMSU’s loss at Bemidji State
- Had 2 punts inside the BSU 20-yard line
- Booted a career-long 70-yard punt
- Also had punts of 62, 56, and 42 yards
Boston Hensley (Wayne State)
- Was 5-for-5 on PAT kicks in a 35-28 win at Minot State
- Averaged 41.0 yards on 5 punts, with 1 punt inside the 20 and a long of 49 yards
- Recorded 3 touchbacks on 6 kickoffs, averaging 61.0 yards per kickoff
Evan Swanstrom (Winona State)
- Scored 10 points for the Warriors, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 1-for-1 on PATs
- Made field goals of 38, 22, and 26 yards against Northern State
Week 1 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
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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