KILLINGWORTH, Conn. — The Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) has released its weekly award winners for games played through Saturday, October 1.

The following student-athletes have been honored for their standout performances.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Evan Smith (Butler, N.J.), Castleton, Jr., QB

• Factored into four scores in Castleton's shutout win over Dean, 39-0
• Completed 18 passes on 24 attempts (.750) for 225 yards and two touchdowns
• Punched home two TDs on the ground (27 yards total, 8 attempts, 2-yard TD run, 11-yard TD run)
• Tied season-high for touchdowns and also set season-highs for completions and rushing yards

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Rylie Van Fleet (Endwell, N.Y.), Alfred State, Sr., S/P

• Compiled eight tackles (six solo), picked off two passes, and broke up another in the Pioneers' 30-25 victory against preseason favorite Anna Maria
• Tied his season-high for solo tackles and total tackles
• His first interception led to a field goal (3-6), while his second stalled a potential go-ahead scoring drive at Alfred State's own 24-yard-line with 1:50 remaining in the contest
• Broke up the AMCATS' final passing attempt of the game to lock up the win

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Eric Gregory (Metairie, La.), Gallaudet, Sr., DB

• Scored a momentum-changing 89-yard kickoff return touchdown for the Bison in their 52-44 triumph versus Keystone 
• Found the end zone immediately after the Giants brought the game within two points (38-36) to begin the fourth quarter (14:37)
• His TD served as the essential game-winning score
• Finished the contest with 129 kickoff return yards, two tackles, and a pass breakup

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Jackson Brand (Glens Falls, N.Y.), Castleton, So., WR

• Hauled in three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown
• Set season-highs for catches and yards
• His 33-yard TD score gave the Spartans a 17-0 lead, at the time
• Also returned one kickoff for 35 yards, which helped set up a Spartans' touchdown drive in the third (13:03, 24-0)

Week Five Scores 

Saturday, October 1
Castleton 39, Dean 0 — Box Score/Recap
Alfred St. 30, Anna Maria 25 — Box Score/Recap
Gallaudet 52, Keystone 44 — Box Score/Recap

About the ECFC

The Eastern Collegiate Football Conference was formed in the spring of 2009 as an NCAA Division III single-sport football conference. The conference, named after the geographic location of the institutions began competition in the fall of 2009.

Current members are Alfred State College (Alfred, NY), Anna Maria College (Worcester, MA), Castleton University (Castleton, VT.), Dean College (Franklin, MA), Gallaudet University (Washington, D.C.), Keystone College (La Plume, PA), and Maritime College State University of New York (Throggs Neck, NY).

The mission of the conference is to:

1. Promote intercollegiate varsity football as an integral part of the educational experience of all competitors. 
2. Establish a conference schedule and determine a conference championship that will represent the conference as the automatic qualifier to the NCAA national tournament.
3. Adopt sportsmanship, fair play, moral integrity, and competitive excellence as cornerstones of the conference.