Isaiah Lopez and Zach Marino were named The Sun Conference Players of the Week on Oct. 26, giving the St. Thomas University Bobcats one offensive and one defensive honoree. Lopez was selected as the conference Offensive Player of the Week, while Marino earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for St. Thomas Football. The awards followed St. Thomas’ win at Southeastern University.
Lopez earns third offensive honor
Lopez rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns in the win at Southeastern University. He also added a receiving touchdown, two receptions and 16 receiving yards. The honor was Lopez’s third The Sun Conference Offensive Player of the Week award this year and his second consecutive selection.
Lopez had scored 120 points on the season, the most in the NAIA. He ranked third in the country in rushing yards with 1,101, fourth in yards per carry at 7.9 and fifth in all-purpose yards with 1,294. Lopez also led The Sun Conference in most rushing categories.
Marino leads defensive effort
Marino led Bobcat defenders with 12 total tackles in the win at Southeastern University. He also recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. The award was Marino’s first The Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor of the season.
Marino had 69 tackles on the season, the third-most in The Sun Conference. His 10 pass breakups were tied for third in the conference. Those figures followed a performance that included contributions as a tackler, pass defender and turnover creator.
St. Thomas schedules next game
St. Thomas Football is scheduled to travel to Georgia to face Thomas on Oct. 31, 2026. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. The game is the Bobcats’ next scheduled contest after the awards announcement.
FSB Take
The awards recognize production from St. Thomas on both sides of the ball after the win at Southeastern University. Lopez’s national rankings and repeated conference recognition show the scope of his season, while Marino’s tackle and pass-breakup totals place him among The Sun Conference’s defensive leaders. St. Thomas will take those recognized individual performances into its next scheduled game at Thomas.
Source: Original report