Football's Herb Woodard wins Gold Helmet Award as region's top performer this week

September 19, 2007

HERB WOODARD wins GOLD HELMET Third Hound cited as Boston Globe Player of Week

MANCHESTER, NH --- Freshman running back HERBERT WOODARD (Salem, NJ/Salem), who rushed 20 times for 277 yards and tied a school record with five touchdowns as Assumption College defeated Saint Anselm College, 71-21, in a Northeast-10 Conference record-setting football game Saturday, has been named The Boston Globe Division II-III GOLD HELMET Award winner as the region's outstanding player for the past week.

Two other Greyhound running backs have claimed Gold Helmets over the years. Billy DeMalia (Shrewsbury, MA) rushed for 306 yards in a 51-41 win at Stonehill College (October 14, 2000) and Austin Davis (Lakeland, FL) rushed for 208 yards in a record 46 carries in a 24-21 win over Merrimack College (October 15, 2005).

He was also named the Northeast-10 Conference Player-of-the-Week and Freshman-of-the-Week and the E.C.A.C. North Division II Offensive Player-of-the Week

Woodard led the Greyhounds to an amazing 43-7 first-period lead scoring the game's first touchdown off left-tackle from 70 yards---the sixth longest run in Greyhounds history---out on the first play of the game just 10 seconds into the period. He would later score on runs of 30, 2, 50 and 39 yards---all in the first half.

He is the third player in Greyhounds' history to score five touchdowns (and 30 points) in a single game (the first to do it one half) following Fran DeFalco '95 at UMass Lowell (11/6/93) (all rushing) and Kevin Clive vs. Sacred Heart (9/4/99). His 277 yards of all-purpose offense is the ninth-best total in Hounds' history.

The team set marks for most points in a game (71), half (57) and quarter (43), highest winning margin (50), most touchdowns (9) and most one-point conversions (8).

The Greyhounds so dominated the game they scored on 10 of their 14 possessions in the first half---all six in the first quarter. They rushed 14 times for 211 yards (208 by Woodard) in the first period alone.

After scoring on the game's first play it took just two plays to get the ball back as freshman safety Keith Bates (Holden, MA/Wachusett) made his first career interception and returned it to the Hawks' 30. Woodard scored from there three plays later for a 14-0 lead with 12:21 left in the period.

A fumble recovery by freshman defensive tackle MATT CHALMERS (Colchester, CT/Bacon Academy) at the Hounds' 48 set up the next score. Woodard rushed for 12 and 50 yards (after a 10-yard holding call) for a 36-0 lead.

The Hounds would continue the assault in the second period tacking on two more scores for a record-breaking 57-7 halftime advantage.

THIS WEEK: the Greyhounds host Northeast-10 Conference rival Bryant University SATURDAY at 1p.m. as part of Fall Homecoming (Alumni-Athletic Hall of Fame) . . .

200 YARDS RUSHING IN A SINGLE GAME

306 Billy DE MALIA at Stonehill, 10-14-00 (33-306)

286 Kevin CLIVE vs. Stonehill, 10-16-99 (42-286)

277 Herbert WOODWARD at Saint Anselm, 9-15-07 (21-277)

241 Rich DANDINI at Providence, 10-17-87

239 Fran DE FALCO at Curry, 10-23-93 (23-239)

225 Rich DANDINI at Bentley, 9-13-85 (10-225)

223 Austin DAVIS at Iona, 10-22-05 (43-223)

213 Billy DE MALIA vs. Mount Ida, 11-14-00 (24-213)

210 Kevin CLIVE vs. Sacred Heart, 9-4-99 (28-210)

208 Austin DAVIS vs. Merrimack, 10-14-05 (46-208)

203 Fran DE FALCO at Mass.-Lowell, 11-6-93 (30-203)

202 Tony CORNIELLO vs. Stonehill, 11-11-89 (21-202)

200 Neild MONTGOMERY vs. M.I.T., 9-21-91 (24-200)

70 YARDS RUSHING IN A SINGLE CARRY

85 Roger LIESEGANG vs. Providence, 9-27-68 (TD)

83 Terry BIAFORE vs. Roger Williams, 10-4-86 (TD)

80 Chris ALLEGRO vs. Western New England, 9-23-95 (TD)

78 Fran DE FALCO vs. Mass.-Lowell, 11-6-93 (TD)

70 Glenn AYLWARD vs. Stonehill, 11-11-89 (TD)

70 Tom KANE vs. Bentley, 3-15-84 (TD)

70 Herbert WOODWARD at Saint Anselm, 9-15-07 (TD)