BISMARCK, ND (PlayNorthStar.com) – The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) announced their twelfth and final edition of the 2024 Football Players-of-the-Week honors Monday. Johnny Grann of Jamestown (N.D.) was chosen as the Offensive Player-of-the-Week, while his teammate Erza Belingheri was named as the Defensive Player-of-the-Week. Chase Miller of Dickinson State (N.D.) was selected as the Special Teams Player-of-the-Week.
NSAA Football Offensive Player of the Week
Johnny Grann – Jamestown (N.D.) – 6’3” – 205 lbs., Redshirt Junior – quarterback – Sheyenne, N.D. – Grann completed 23-of-36 passes for 262 yards with a pair of touchdowns in helping Jamestown (N.D.) to a 28-17 home victory over Valley City State (N.D.). He also added a rushing touchdown. Grann threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Colton Schumacher to spark UJ’s 28 unanswered points. He also added the game-long 70-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Roebuck and secured the victory after rushing for a 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
NSAA Football Defensive Player of the Week
Ezra Belingheri – Jamestown (N.D.) – 5’9” – 200 lbs., Senior – linebacker – Sparks, Nev. – Belingheri registered a block and recovered a punt for the go-ahead touchdown, fueling Jamestown (N.D.) to a 28-17 home victory over Valley City State (N.D.). He also intercepted a pass and was credited with a pair of pass break-ups to go along with his three solo tackles.
NSAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Chase Miller – Dickinson State (N.D.) – 5’10” – 170 lbs. – Sophomore – kicker – Torrington, Wyo. – Miller went 4-for-4 on PAT extra-point kicks and added a 53-yard field goal in helping No. 15 ranked Dickinson State (N.D.) to a 38-7 home victory over Dakota State (S.D.). His 53-yard field goal was just one yard shy from the Blue Hawks’ school record for the longest field goal made. Miller recorded six kick-offs for 358 total yards, averaging 59.7 yards per kick-off. His two kick-offs resulted in a touchback.
Recap from last week’s games
Valley City State (N.D.) erupted for 17 straight points through the second quarter to grab a 17-0 lead at Jamestown (N.D.) on Nov. 17. The Jimmies snapped their scoring drought with a touchdown near halftime, trailing 17-6. UJ continued their scoring run, holding the Vikings scoreless for the rest of the game. Jamestown outscored Valley City State 22-0 in the second half to earn a 28-17 regular season finale victory. UJ outgained VCSU 339-216 in total offensive yards. Both Jamestown and Valley City State finished with 3-7 overall record. The Jimmies finished their conference play with a 3-5 record, tying with Mayville State (N.D.) (4-6 overall record) for third place finish. The Vikings finished their NSAA conference schedule with a 2-6 record.
Dickinson State (N.D.), ranked No. 15 in the NAIA Football Coaches’ national poll entering the game on Nov. 16, rolled past Dakota State (S.D.) 38-7 for their 41st straight North Star conference victory. Holding a 14-7 lead, the Blue Hawks outscored the Trojans 24-0 for the rest of the game. DiSU outgained DaSU 399-128 in total offensive yards. Dickinson State extended their winning streak to seven games, raising their overall record to 9-1 and 8-0 NSAA conference record. Dakota State finished their season with a second-place finish in the standings with a 4-4 league record and 6-4 overall record.
Looking Ahead
Dickinson State (N.D.), who moved to No. 14 in the final edition of the NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 national poll, will represent the North Star Athletic Association Football Championships Series playoffs on Saturday. The Blue Hawks will host Kansas Wesleyan in the opening round of the playoffs at 1 p.m. (Mountain Time).
Saturday, Nov. 23
Kansas Wesleyan @ (14) Dickinson State (N.D.) – 2 p.m. (Central Time)/1 p.m. (Mountain Time)