BOONE, N.C. — Two App State players have earned Sun Belt Conference weekly awards following the Mountaineers' 34-31 overtime win against previously unbeaten James Madison last week.
Linebacker
Colton Phares was named Defensive Player of the Week, and kicker
James London earned Special Teams Player of the Week.
Against JMU's highly ranked offense, Phares led all players with a career-high 13 tackles, including a TFL, and broke up a pass. But his most impactful play was a leaping interception with just over six minutes remaining in regulation that he returned 21 yards to set up a short go-ahead touchdown drive for the Mountaineers' first lead of the game. On three occasions, the senior team captain from Beaufort, S.C., made the third-down tackle short of the line to gain to end a JMU drive.
After topping 100 tackles and picking off three passes a year ago, he's up to 51 tackles, two interceptions, 5.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and four pass breakups this season.
App State needed all 14 of London's points to knock off the Dukes. The senior from Miami, Fla., made all four of his field goal attempts, capped by the game-winning 40-yarder in OT. He nailed the winner straight down the middle despite not being able to see out of his right eye after a teammate swiped his face celebrating JMU's field goal miss on their OT possession. He was also true from 48 (tying a season high), 27 and 36. He connected on both of his PATs, and all five of his kickoffs went for touchbacks to successfully keep the ball out of dynamic JMU returner Michael Scott's hands.
London's performance was the fourth time in App State history that a kicker made at least four field goals without a miss. The previous such occasions were in 2011, 1988 and 1987. On the season, London has made 12 of 15 field goals and all 22 PATs, while 37 of his 41 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks.
Four different Mountaineers have earned Sun Belt weekly honors this season.
Malachi Singleton was named Offensive Player of the Week after the Charlotte game, and
Jaquari Lewis earned the same honor following the Coastal Carolina game.
App State travels to Georgia Southern this Saturday for a rivalry game in Statesboro, Ga. (6:30 p.m., ESPN+).
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