Mark Niles, Chase Watson earn OAC Football Athlete of the Week honors

By Blake Moore

ADA - Junior linebacker Mark Niles (Miramar, Fla.) and senior kicker Chase Watson (Lima/Elida) have been named OAC Football Athlete of the Week honorees, the league office announced Monday afternoon with the release of its weekly awards listing.

Niles was named the OAC Defensive Player of the Week after an impressive outing at Otterbein last Saturday afternoon. In the Polar Bears tight-knit 13-7 victory, the junior linebacker led the team with 14 total tackles, including eight solo tackles and a 0.5 tackle for loss. In addition, Niles registered one PBU and forced a fumble that led to an Ohio Northern field goal.

Meanwhile, Watson garnered the OAC Special Teams Player of the Week award after a solid seven-point afternoon. The senior would make his lone PAT attempt and finish the day two-for-three in field goal opportunities, connecting on 30-yard and 36-yard attempts.

The duo joins junior linebacker David Hasaleu (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour), who was nominated on September 17 as OAC Defensive Player of the Week, as the team's three student-athletes that have received recognition by the conference in 2018.

The nomination marks the first time that either individual has received an Athlete of the Week award during their respective careers.

The Polar Bears are scheduled to return to the field on Saturday, September 29 when they travel to Marietta for an OAC showdown. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. from Don Drumm Stadium.