Post by David on Apr 20, 2016 16:20:13 GMT -8
4.20.16 -
Spokane Empire LB Nick Haag has been named Vidswap.com's Defensive Player of the Week for Week 9.
For the third consecutive week, a player from the Empire has been featured in the IFL's Weekly Awards. Haag's performance in a 54-34 victory over the Iowa Barnstormers earned him the first IFL Defensive Player of the Week award in team history.
Haag (6'3'', 240 lbs) made his presence felt as the Empire held the Barnstormers to 34 points last Saturday, which is a season low for Iowa. He led all Empire defenders in tackles, recording 8 solo tackles and 8 assists, giving him a total of 16.0 tackles in the game. Haag also registered 2 tackles for a loss of 7 yards.
The third year LB out of Assumption (MA) is having a fantastic rookie season, leading the Empire with 41 solo tackles and 8.0 tackles for a loss of 29 yards. He also has 1.0 sacks on the season. The number of total tackles, which he leads the team, is disputed; The Stat Guys website lists Haag as having 47.0 total tackles while the IFL's website and press release states he has 54 total tackles. Regardless of the actual number, there's no disputing that Haag is a key presence in the success of the Empire's defense.
Honorable mentions for Defensive Player of the Week include LB Courtney Daniel (Green Bay), DL Rodney Gnat (Wichita Falls), LB Jake Johnson (Colorado), and LB Mikeil Mair (Billings).
The other IFL Week 9 winners include:
Offensive Player of the Week - WR Caleb Holley, Sioux Falls Storm
Special Teams Player of the Week - K Nicholas Belcher, Cedar Rapids Titans
This week, the Empire will take on the Tri-Cities Fever in the 2nd Annual "Civil Turf War" on Saturday, April 23rd at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, WA. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. PST. You can catch the action locally on the radio on 700 ESPN AM or online at 700ESPN.com. The game will be broadcast online at IFL Live TV (paid subscription).
- DKH
Image Courtesy of Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review
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