Muhlenberg’s thrilling win over Susquehanna on Sept. 21 will have major implications for the Mules throughout the course of the remainder of the season. The Mules, seeking to win an outright Centennial Conference Championship and head back to the NCAA Tournament, took a huge step towards their goal by defeating a talented Riverhawks team that came off of a major conference win against reigning conference champ Johns Hopkins.
While the squad’s main focus is on working towards the goals they set at the beginning of the year, members of the nationally ranked Mules and the current Centennial Conference leaders were awarded for their outstanding play both against Susquehanna and throughout the course of their careers.
Defensive End Frankie Feaster ‘21 has previously been awarded for his play by the Centennial Conference on offense during his freshman season as a tight end. Last season after an astounding season on the defensive line, Feaster found himself in a new position. After blocking two punts against Susquehanna, Feaster was awarded Centennial Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
Tight End Ryan Curtiss ‘20 was rewarded once again for his play by d3football.com. Curtiss, who has earned third-team and first-team All-American honors from d3football.com since arriving at Muhlenberg, earned another honor from the website, as he was named to the team of the week for the second time in his career after scoring two touchdowns.
During halftime of the Susquehanna game, Quarterback Michael Hnatkowsky ‘21 was awarded the Sidney G. Weikert Sophomore Athlete of the Year Award. The award, named after former associate director of admissions at Muhlenberg and alumnus Sydney Weikert, honors a Muhlenberg Sophomore athlete for their excellent play on the field and academic performance.
During his sophomore season, Hnatkowsky set single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns and helped lead the Mules to their most successful postseason finish in school history. In front of a large homecoming crowd, Hnatkowsky’s achievement was announced over the loudspeaker at Scotty Wood Stadium. He accepted the award at midfield as he was accompanied by both his family and members of the Weikart family.
“Being honored at halftime was truly an honor for myself and my family,” Hnatkowsky reflected. “Having them on the field was something very special and ultimately winning the game was something I will remember for a long time.”
Even with winning an abundance of individual awards, the Mules’ attention in the locker room was steered towards celebrating a huge victory and building off of their success.
Hnatkowsky remarked, “We do not really talk about the honors, which I believe is crucial for our success. We love celebrating with our guys on and off the field, and our team camaraderie is unmatched, in my opinion. This is what will allow us to be good moving forward. We will continue to take this one day at a time, which will keep us very focused.”
This past Saturday, the Mules earned another Centennial Conference victory over Juniata. With the Mules continuing to exert their dominance over their Centennial Conference opponents, the Mules are looking to defeat a 3-1 Franklin & Marshall squad this coming Saturday and continue to inch towards their goal of winning a Conference Championship.
“The next thing for us is Franklin & Marshall College. This is the most important game because it is the next one,” Hnatkowsky added. “We are excited for this challenge and a week of great preparation will be crucial for our success. The next achievement is the ability for us to get better every day. Long-term will hopefully be a Centennial Conference Championship, but for now, we are taking this journey day by day.”
