MEC Names Football Players of the Week

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Following the opening weekend of the 2023 Mountain East Conference football season, the league office announced its week one football honors on Monday afternoon.

The MEC Football Player of the Week awards are presented by The Health Plan.

West Virginia State running back Joel Felder was honored as the offensive player of the week, while Glenville State’s Jonathan Brown was tabbed as the defensive player of the week. UNC Pembroke kicker Ty Woods was recognized as the specials teams player of the week.

Felder, a junior running back from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., rushed for 117 yards on 15 carries during West Virginia State’s narrow loss to Division I FCS foe Morehead State on Thursday. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry and also found the endzone on a 71-yard TD run, his longest carry of the game. Felder also contributed in the passing game, hauling in four passes for 46 yards and a receiving touchdown.

Brown, a redshirt freshman defensive lineman from Atlanta, Ga., scored two defensive touchdowns for Glenville State on Thursday. He had a 41-yard fumble recovery late in the first quarter that he returned for a touchdown, before adding a 35-yard pick-six early in the fourth quarter. Brown also added two tackles, including one for a loss.

Woods, a freshman from Kannapolis, N.C., went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 24-yard game-winner with just nine seconds remaining as UNC Pembroke defeated Fayetteville State 19-17 on Friday in the Two Rivers Classic. Woods connected on field goals of 31-, 43-, 38- and 24-yards. He also kicked off six times and made his lone extra-point attempt of the day.