ANGOLA, IND. -- Members of the Trine University football team were recognized for their efforts during an abbreviated fall schedule by D3football.com to a special edition of "Players of the Week."
Sophomore Xaine Kirby (Sweester, Ind./Eastbrook) was recognized on offense after his performance against Adrian in which he ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns on Oct. 3 in Trine's season-opening 44-27 win against Adrian. His final score, a six-yard touchdown with 3:11 left in the game, put the Thunder up 42-27 and put the Bulldogs away.
Two defensive players were selected in freshman Kendall Himes (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) and sophomore Marcques Tagliaferri (Angola, Ind./Angola). Himes had two of the team's nine tackles for loss and both of them were sacks in Trine's 37-0 win vs. Manchester on Oct. 10. Both of Himes' sacks came on third down, and one of them came with a forced fumble. He finished with three tackles on the afternoon, with the third one a stop for no gain. Tagliaferri registered 10 total tackles, including one and a half sacks, in Trine's season opening win against Adrian. The sacks came on Adrian's final possession, when the Bulldogs were attempting to rally from two scores down with three minutes left. The first sack pushed Adrian back to its own 1, and the second resulted in a forced fumble and a safety.
In addition, junior Aaron Dean (Fort Wayne, Ind./Eastside) received honors on special teams. Dean was responsible for and scored the first points of the 2020-21 Division III football season as he blocked a short field goal attempt by Adrian's Cooper West, then scooped up the ball and took it 84 yards for a touchdown in the teams' season opener on Oct. 3. Dean also recovered a fumbled punt in the fourth quarter, which Trine was able to convert into a touchdown to take a two-score lead with 3:11 left in an eventual 44-27 win.
The Thunder are scheduled to resume the 2020 season in the spring.
