WALESKA, Ga. – A pair of University of Pikeville seniors have been honored again by the Appalachian Athletics Conference.
 
Quarterback Lee Kirkland and placekicker Jakob Headley have been named players of the week.
 
For Headley, it's his fourth win this season in the special teams category. Kirkland is the offensive winner for the second time this season.
 
Kirkland was the offensive player of the week after going 18-of-31 for 186 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday's 49-0 win over Kentucky Christian. The Bluffton, S.C., product did most of his damage in the first half, when all of his touchdowns came, as the Bears employed four different signal-callers in the game.
 
For Kirkland, his scoring passes covered 23, 19, 13 and 10 yards.
 
Kirkland also took the honor on Oct. 2 after throwing for 614 yards and six touchdowns in a win over Union College. After that game, he was also the NAIA Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Last season, he was named offensive player of the week twice in the Mid-South Conference.
 
Through seven games this season, he has thrown for 1,624 yards and 15 touchdowns while throwing only three interceptions and has completed 59 percent of his passes.
 
Headley is honored after going a perfect 7-for-7 on extra points on Saturday afternoon. That matched his season high on points after touchdowns this season and is only one shy of his career mark of eight, which he hit on Sept. 25, 2021 in a win over Webber International.
 
He is now 30-of-31 on the season and has connected on 24 consecutive PATs this season.
 
Headley received the honor after the Campbellsville, Faulkner and Union wins as well.
 
Not only is it his fourth time winning the honor this season but also the fifth of his career, having received it as a sophomore when the Bears played in the Mid-South Conference.
 
UPike, 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the AAC, is back on the road in a critical league game on Saturday when it visits Bluefield, Va., College. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. The Bears return home on Oct. 28 to entertain Point, Ga., University. That will serve as senior day and will kick off at 1:30 p.m.
 
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