October 1, 2007

Snyder, Witter Garner MIAA Player of the Week Honors

    Overland Park, Kan. -- Pittsburg State University quarterback Chadd Snyder garnered Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Offensive Player of the Week honors Monday (Oct. 1), while kicker/punter Jared Witter was named the MIAA co-Special Teams Player of the Week.
    Snyder, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore from Carl Junction, Mo., had 259 yards of total offense after coming in at halftime and had a hand in three touchdowns to rally the No. 19 Gorillas to 38-31 double-overtime win at Central Missouri Saturday (Sept. 29).
    Subbing for injured starter Mark Smith, he tied the game at 14-14 with an 18-yard TD pass to Martin Burke capping his first drive of the game.
    Snyder scored on a 1-yard run with 5:08 left in regulation to give PSU a 21-17 lead, setting up the TD with a 49-yard completion to Nate Thomas. He went 4-of-4 for 48 yards passing and ran for 7 more yards on the drive to set up the game-tying field goal.
    In the first overtime, he scrambled to score on a fourth-and-goal play from 6 yards out to extend the game to a second extra session. He gained 15 yards on the first two plays of the next OT to set up Caleb Farabi’s go-ahead TD.
    Snyder, listed third on PSU depth chart entering the game, is a graduate of Carl Junction High School.
     Witter, a 6-1, 200-pound freshman from Lenexa, Kan., kicked the game-tying field goal as regulation time expired in the No. 19 Gorillas’ 38-31 double-overtime victory at Central Missouri Saturday (Sept. 29).
    After just missing a 44-yard field goal try into the wind to end the third quarter, he connected on a 25-yard attempt to end the fourth quarter. Witter waited through a pair of timeouts by UCM before making the kick,
    He also averaged 44 yards on four punts, made all five point-after tries and averaged 65 yards on four kickoffs with one touchback.
    Witter, a graduate of Shawnee Mission West High School, shared the weekly honor with sophomore kick/punt returner Sydney Brisbane from Northwest Missouri State University.

    Other Offensive Players Nominated: Adam Hinspeter, QB, MSSU; Josh Mathews, QB, NWMSU; Glenn Milner, RB, UCM; Ra'Shawn Mosley, RB, WU; Matt Ticich, QB, TSU.
    Previous Offensive Winners: 8/27 -- Mark Smith, QB, PSU; 9/3 -- Caleb Farabi, TB, PSU; 9/10 -- Matt Ticich, QB, TSU; 9/17 -- Alley Broussard, RB, MSSU & Caleb Farabi, TB, PSU; 9/24 -- Xavier Omon, RB, NWMSU.

    Other Special Teams Players Nominated: Cedric Houston, KR/WR, MWSU.
    Previous Special Teams Winners: 8/27 -- Bryan Haynes, KR, FHSU; 9/3 -- Jared Witter, K/P, PSU; 9/10 -- Marcelo Velazquez, K, UCM; 9/17 -- Caleb Obert, KR/WR, NWMSU; 9/24 -- Kendall Wright, KR/WR, NWMSU.