Trojans Grab Pair of MSFA Mideast League Weekly Honors
UPLAND, Ind. – After helping RV Taylor to a key bounceback win at RV Saint Francis (IL), TU's Nathan Parker and Lucas Shilts were each named as Mid-States Football Association Mideast League Players of the Week on Monday.
Parker was named the MSFA Mideast League Offensive Player of the Week after posting 98 yards on 18 rushes and finding the end zone three times. The sophomore back scored the go-ahead touchdown midway through the first and then pushed the Taylor lead to 28-7 and 42-14 with two more first-half scores.
Through the first two games of the 2025 season, Parker ranks No. 3 with four rushing touchdowns, No. 5 with 24 points, No. 12 with 193 rushing yards and No. 15 with 96.5 rushing yards per outing.
Shilts was named the MSFA Mideast League Special Teams Player of the Week with nine points in TU's 45-28 road win. The senior split the uprights on his lone field goal try, connecting from 24 yards out and adding six successful extra-points without a miss.
The six extra-points moved Shilts to No. 3 in the NAIA through the first two weeks with 12 point-after conversions and No. 42 in scoring with 15 points.
The MSFA weekly award is the first for Parker in his young career, and marks the sixth weekly honor in the four-year career of Shilts.
With the weekly league awards for Parker and Shilts, along with Kyle Kasitz (men's golf), Jaynie Halterman (women's cross country) and Brianna Rawlings (women's soccer) for the week of September 1-7, Taylor Athletics now boasts eight weekly nods already in the 2025-2026 year.
Parker and Shilts will return to action on Saturday, September 13, when RV Taylor (1-1) welcomes Kentucky Christian (1-0) into Turner Stadium for a 4:00 pm start.