MURFREESBORO, N.C. – The Conference Carolinas office announced its Week Six Football Players of the Week on Monday afternoon, with Chowan football earning two conference honors as Tyler Adkins was named Offensive Player of the Week and Darian Whitaker earned Defensive Player of the Week recognition.
Adkins led the Hawks' offensive effort in Chowan's 16-13 victory over #15 North Greenville University on Saturday afternoon in Tigerville, S.C. The quarterback completed 16-of-20 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, helping Chowan secure its first victory over a nationally ranked opponent in the NCAA Division II era.
Adkins connected with Dezmond Randolph for a 13-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Hawks the lead. After Riley Swanson added a 34-yard field goal before halftime, Adkins found Amir Alexander for a five-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to extend Chowan's advantage to 16-0. Adkins completed 80 percent of his passes and distributed the ball to five different receivers throughout the contest.
Adkins leads the conference in passing yards and touchdowns with 1661 passing yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.
On the defensive side, Whitaker led the Hawks with a game and career-high 13 total tackles, recording seven solo stops and six assisted tackles. The linebacker also added two tackles for loss for four yards, playing a key role in Chowan's defensive effort against the nationally ranked Trailblazers.
Whitaker helped anchor a defensive performance that kept North Greenville scoreless through the first three quarters. The Hawks limited the Trailblazers to 117 passing yards and 60 rushing yards, holding the nationally ranked offense to 177 yards of total offense.
The performances from Adkins and Whitaker helped Chowan earn a significant conference win and remain undefeated in Conference Carolinas play. The 16-13 victory moved the Hawks to #1 in the conference with a 3-3 overall record and 2-0 record in conference action, marking a historic milestone for the program against a nationally ranked opponent.
