Player of the Week
Teamkong

What a game! With everything that went on in Warrensburg yesterday, all that really matters is Pitt State is now 9-1.

There were negatives from the game, but they are not worth mention.  This is because the players and coaches will address them and be ready for this week.

There are plenty of positives this week.  The biggest is the ability of the team to overcome mistakes.  This falls directly on the shoulders of the captains.  If you watched the sidelines yesterday, whenever there was a turnover or CMSU score, the team leaders were doing their job, telling their teammates to shake it off, and focus on the rest of the game.

Last year, Neal Philpot was the first sophomore elected team captain in team history.  As a junior, Philpot is again a captain and THE vocal offensive leader. He made some big plays on Saturday, and because of his performance he is the Teamkong Player of the Week, again.

The Norton, KS native rushed 31 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns.  He also completed 8 of 16 passes for 217 yards and two more touchdowns.

Neal accounted for 326 of the Gorillas 428 total yards!

His 65 carries over the past two weeks, against two of the most physical defenses in the MIAA are mind-boggling.   At 6’4”, 250 pounds he is solid muscle and built to absorb a lot of contact.  But make no mistake, when someone hits him, they too feel his punishing blow.

On Saturday, he threw some beautiful passes, and the receivers did their part in hauling them in.  Mike Ward, Andy Majors, and Elliot Austin all made great catches in crucial times of the game.

Philpot is now just 18 yards from again rushing and passing for over 1000 yards in a season.  In the 2001 season he also accomplished this feat, and at the time was only the 3^rd player in NCAA Division II history to achieve this landmark.   These 18 yards should come early in the first quarter against Northwest Missouri.

Last year at Arrowhead, against the Bearcats, Neal played but was slowed dramatically by a severe ankle injury.  This year he is prime for a big day.  His leadership, hard work, and intelligence will lead the Gorilla offense to snap a six-year loosing streak to Northwest.

It’s hard to believe the last regular season game is now upon us.  The season has flown by and had been a fun one. It’s not over; hopefully for another month. The team knows the playoffs started for them, as soon at the Emporia game was over.  They know what they have to do, and they have both the talent and the team leaders to do it.