Simon, Ballmert named Bojangles Athletes of the Week

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum football linebacker Matt Simon and soccer midfielder Sonja Ballmert have been named the Bojangles Athletes of the Week.                                                            

Simon scored a pair of defensive touchdowns in Tusculum's 30-24 overtime loss at Limestone in the South Atlantic Conference opener for both teams.  Simon's first score came when he scooped up a fumble with one hand and returned it for a 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

In the fourth quarter with the score tied 17-17, Simon returned an interception for a 29-yard touchdown, his second TD of the game.

Simon, a senior from Lithonia, Georgia, becomes the first player in program history to return both an interception and a fumble for a touchdown in the same game.  He would finish the game with seven tackles.

Ballmert scored the winning goal in each match as the Pioneers opened SAC play with wins over Lincoln Memorial (1-0) at home and Lenoir-Rhyne (2-1) on the road. Ballmert's penalty kick in the 47th minute was the only goal in the Pioneers' victory over the Railsplitters. Against the Bears, Ballmert served a free kick that was turned into the tying goal with 5:30 left, then scored on a header with 2:33 remaining as Tusculum beat Lenoir-Rhyne on the road for the first time since 2007 and earned the 300th win in program history.

The sophomore from Frankfurt, Germany leads the Pioneers with two goals and two assists for six points as the team is off to a 4-1 overall start and 2-0 in the SAC.                                       

The Tusculum College Athlete of the Week Award is sponsored by Bojangles, located at 3240 Andrew Johnson Highway in Greeneville.  The Bojangles Athlete of the Week Award honors one male and one female athlete each week from an in-season sport.

2017-2018 Bojangles Athletes of the Week