Freshman Lawton Arnold Named NEC Defensive Player of the Week
Freshman linebacker Lawton Arnold was named the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, it was announced by the conference office. Arnold and the Blue Devils won at least a share of the NEC Football Championship on Saturday with an improbable 20-19 comeback victory over Monmouth in the final home game of the season on Saturday. Central is now 8-2 overall and 6-1 in NEC action this season, heading into the final regular season game on Saturday at St. Francis (PA).
Freshman linebacker Lawton Arnold was named the Northeast
Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, it was announced
by the conference office. Arnold and the Blue Devils won at least
a share of the NEC Football Championship on Saturday with an
improbable 20-19 comeback victory over Monmouth in the final home
game of the season on Saturday. Central is now 8-2 overall and 6-1
in NEC action this season, heading into the final regular season
game on Saturday at St. Francis (PA).
Arnold made a game-high 13 tackles, including a number of key
stops, in a come-from-behind victory over Monmouth that guaranteed
the Blue Devils at least a share of the Northeast Conference
crown. The freshman linebacker limited the Hawks to three or fewer
yards with eight of his takedowns.
Giving the offense a chance to complete the comeback from 19 points
down, Arnold bottled up Monmouth's Walter Payton Award candidate
David Sinisi in crunch time. Two of Arnold's five solo stops came
on consecutive plays with fewer than 3:00 remaining. He held
Sinisi to a total of three yards on two carries and forced the
Hawks, who held a 19-13 lead at the time, to punt. The Blue Devils
scored the game-winning touchdown on the next offensive
possession.
Central returns to action on Saturday at 12 p.m. on the road at St.
Francis (PA). With a victory the Blue Devils can win their
first-ever outright NEC Championship, and earn a berth in the
Gridiron Classic on Dec. 5 against the winner of the Pioneer
Football League.