ST. LOUIS, Mo. – University of St. Thomas quarterback Nick Peipert, Butler University defensive back Steven Stephany, and Morehead State University punter Ashton Adams are the Pioneer Football League’s Week 2 Players of the Week, announced Sunday.

Peipert claims both the Offensive and Freshman Player of the Week awards after he was responsible for three of St. Thomas’ touchdowns in a his collegiate debut against Northern Michigan. Stephany had a hand in three takeaways to power a Butler defensive unit that posted a shutout win. MSU’s Adams averaged 50.1 yards on his nine punts at Austin Peay..  

Offensive & Freshman

Nick Peipert, St. Thomas (Freshman (RS), Quarterback, Barrington, Illinois)
Making his first collegiate start, Peipert was responsible for three touchdowns in St. Thomas’ 56-14 victory against Northern Michigan. He completed 15-of-27 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. Peipert notched his first touchdown pass with 8:02 left in the first quarter, finding Stefano Giovannelli for a 26-yard catch-and-carry. He then used his legs for St. Thomas’ fourth touchdown, scampering nine yards for a score. Peipert closed his day early in the fourth quarter, connecting with Quentin Cobb-Butler for a 32-yard touchdown.

Others Nominated

• Butler wide receiver Nick Munson needed just one half to score a pair of touchdowns in a 52-0 victory against Franklin, catching two passes for 41 yards and a score and adding another touchdown on an 11-yard run.
• Marist quarterback Sonny Mannino completed a career-best 26 passes on 38 attempts in a loss at Lafayette. He finished with 291 yards and a touchdown through the air and had 16 yards on eight carries.
• San Diego quarterback CJ Ceron ran for a 53-yard touchdown in a loss at Idaho State, finishing the day with two carries for 57 yards.
• Stetson wide receiver Landon Farco had five receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown in a loss at Bethune-Cookman.
• Valparaiso quarterback Rowan Keefe completed a career-high 20 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown on 35 attempts in a loss at Murray State. He also rushed for a touchdown and 29 yards on six carries..

Defensive

Steven Stephany, Butler (Senior, Defensive Back, Lafayette, Indiana)
Stephany was all over the field in leading Butler to a 52-0 victory against Franklin – the Bulldogs' first shutout win since 2024. He finished the day with an interception, two forced fumbles (both recovered by Butler), a pass breakup, and six solo tackles. Stephany forced a fumble on the first play from scrimmage after Butler took a 7-0 lead, which was recovered by the Bulldogs and led to a field goal attempt. On the ensuing Franklin possession, he forced another fumble, which Butler again recovered, leading to their second touchdown. Then midway through the second quarter, he intercepted a pass in Butler territory and the Bulldogs turned that takeaway into their third touchdown.

Others Nominated

• Dayton linebacker David Curl III had a game-best eight tackles (all solo), two for loss and 1.5 sacks, in a 30-7 victory against Thomas More.
• Marist defensive back Chase Hatton broke up three passes and had six tackles (four solo) in 13-9 loss at Lafayette.
• San Diego safety Dillon Kellner posted five tackles (two solo) and 1.5 sacks along with a pass breakup in a loss at Idaho State.
• St. Thomas linebacker Nash Tichy recorded 10 tackles (four solo), including a sack, in a 56-14 victory against Northern Michigan.
• Valparaiso linebacker Max Samuel recorded his first career interception along with nine tackles (three solo), 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks, in a loss at Murray State.

Special Teams

Ashton Adams, Morehead State (Senior, Punter, Maysville, Kentucky)
Making his debut at punter, Adams averaged 50.1 yards on nine punts, with a 67-yard boot that was one of four 50-plus-yard punts, and he had six downed inside the 20-yard line  (4 inside the 10) in a loss at Austin Peay. He opened the day with a 53-yard punt before hitting three consecutive punts that were all downed at or inside the 10-yard line, including a 59-yarder. Adams' second half had a quieter start with punts of 42 and 48 yards before his 67-yard boomer that was downed at the seven-yard line. He closed the day with punts of 37 and 57 yards.

Others Nominated

• Dayton punter Ben Lavelle averaged 48.6 yards on five punts with three going for 50-plus yards and two downed inside the 20-yard line in a 30-7 victory against Thomas More.
• San Diego kicker/punter Emiliano Salazar averaged 43.9 yards on seven punts, with two going for 50-plus yards and three downed inside the 20-yard line in a loss at Idaho State. He also connected on a 37-yard field goal and a pair of PATs.
• St. Thomas kicker Ben Holland made a career-long 50-yard field goal and all four PATs in a 56-14 win against Northern Michigan.
• Stetson kicker Trey Hess made a 40-yard field goal to open the game’s scoring and later added a PAT in a loss at Bethune-Cookman.

Freshman

Nick Peipert, St. Thomas (Freshman (RS), Quarterback, Barrington, Illinois)
See above.

Others Nominated

• Butler running back Michael Dellumo ran for 79 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in a 52-0 victory against Franklin.
• Marist wide receiver Jayden Taylor caught seven passes for 90 yards and blocked a punt in a loss at Lafayette.
• San Diego running back Reese Zamar finished with seven carries for 45 yards at Idaho State.

About the Pioneer Football League

The Pioneer Football League is the only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The PFL is a truly national conference with members on each coast and throughout the nation’s heartland. Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University, and Valparaiso University were among the league’s founding members in 1993, with Davidson College, Marist College, Morehead State University, Presbyterian College, the University of San Diego, the University of St. Thomas, and Stetson University joining to form the current 11-team league.