CAA Football Weekly Awards - Sept. 4
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (September 4, 2023) – CAA Football has announced its weekly award winners for Weeks 0 and 1 of the 2023 season. Hampton junior quarterback Christofer Zellous received Offensive Player of the Week honors, while UAlbany senior defensive end Anton Juncaj was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Week. New Hampshire senior running back/returner Dylan Laube was named the Special Teams Player of the Week and Maine freshman running back Tristen Kenan was selected as the Rookie of the Week.
CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week
Christofer Zellous, Jr., QB, Hampton (Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley)
Zellous was named the Offensive MVP of the Brick City Classic after accounting for 269 yards of offense and four touchdowns in Hampton’s 35-31 win over Grambling. The junior was 14-of-21 passing for 155 yards with TD throws of 41 and 16 yards in the first half. He also ran for a team-high 114 yards and 2 TD’s on 15 carries, including an 11-yard score with 3:08 to go that put HU ahead by 10.
CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week
Anton Juncaj, Sr., DE, UAlbany (Port Jervis, N.Y./Minisink)
Juncaj recorded a school-record 4.0 sacks and tallied six tackles in UAlbany’s 34-13 win over Fordham on Aug. 26. The four sacks are the most by any FCS player in 2023 and were part of a school-record 10 by the Great Danes. Juncaj made three tackles in UA’s 21-17 loss at Marshall where the Danes held the Herd scoreless until midway through the third quarter.
CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Dylan Laube, Sr., RB/RET, New Hampshire (Westhampton, N.Y./Westhampton Beach)
Laube returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of New Hampshire’s 51-17 victory at Stonehill. It was the first of three TD’s in eight minutes for Laube, who also had a 23-yard reception and an 11-yard run for scores as he finished with 229 all-purpose yards. It was Laube’s second career punt return for a TD.
CAA Football Rookie of the Week
Tristen Kenan, Fr., RB, Maine (Baltimore, Md./Dunbar)
In his first career game, Kenan ran for a team-high 108 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in Maine’s narrow 14-12 setback at FIU. It was the most rushing yards by a Maine true freshman since 2018. Kenan’s 5-yard TD run in the third quarter pulled the Black Bears within two. He added three catches for 26 yards.