Jon Brunette and Adam Stapleton of the Kalamazoo College football team were named the MIAA Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week on Monday (Oct. 16). This is the first time that either Brunette or Stapleton has earned the honor.
Kalamazoo hosted Adrian to continue MIAA play on Oct. 14 and defeated the Bulldogs 45-23.
The Hornets rushed for 192 yards as a team, and Brunette ended up with a career-high 72 yards on 17 attempts. His first touchdown was the first of the game for three yards, capping off an eight-play and 70-yard drive. Tying a career-high, his second touchdown gave Kalamazoo a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run after Kalamazoo ran four plays for 51 yards on the drive. Brunette is the Hornets' leading rusher on the season with 301 yards on 56 attempts with six touchdowns in six games. As a senior, Brunette has played in 27 games, rushing for 870 yards on 252 attempts for 3.5 yards per attempt and 10 touchdowns.
Stapleton had a career day for the Hornets, making a career-high 17 tackles (nine solo and eight assisted) and forcing a fumble in the first quarter that eventually led to a field goal, extending Kalamazoo's lead to 17-7. He had five tackles in the first quarter, five in the second, three in the third, and four in the fourth. On the season, Stapleton is the Hornets' second-leading tackler behind Tommy Kartes with 47 tackles (21 solo and 26 assisted) with three tackles for loss and a forced fumble in six games. In the middle of his junior campaign, Stapleton has appeared in 23 games and totaled 90 tackles (42 solo and 48 assisted) with two sacks for 21 yards, eight and a half tackles for loss for 33 yards, and a forced fumble.
The Hornets will travel to Alma to continue MIAA play on Saturday (Oct. 21).