SLU’s Mitchell, Petit-Frere claim Southland weekly honors

HAMMOND, La. – After helping Southeastern Louisiana to its third straight victory, freshman wide receiver Austin Mitchell and sophomore kickoff returner Juwan Petit-Frere were among the Southland Conference Football Players of the Week, presented by UniversalCoin.com and announced by the league office on Monday.

Mitchell had a breakout performance in the Lions’ 49-30 victory over Incarnate Word to earn Southland Offensive Player of the Week honors. He is the first SLU player to be named the league’s offensive player of the week since former Southeastern standout Bryan Bennett on Oct. 20, 2014.

Petit-Frere’s recognition marked the third time this season a Lion has been named Southland Special Teams Player of the Week. Petit-Frere claimed his second of his debut season, as he previously claimed league accolades on Sept. 25, while senior teammate Max Lyons earned the award on Sept. 4.

Mitchell claimed his first career honor after playing a huge role in a 564-yard offensive performance by the Lions in Saturday’s victory. The Plaquemine, Louisiana native led SLU with four catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns. He is the first Southeastern player to record three touchdown receptions in a game since Simmie Yarborough accomplished the feat in a 49-28 win over Texas State on Oct. 9, 2010.

Petit-Frere gave SLU the lead for good with a 99-yard kickoff return – the second-longest in program history – for a touchdown in the first quarter. The Orlando, Florida native, who six games into his Lion career owns three of the 10 longest kickoff returns in school history, is one of three players in program history to have multiple kickoff return touchdowns in a season, along with Xavier Roberson (2012, 2013) and Keylam Davis (2003).

In his first season in Hammond out of Ellsworth Community College, Petit-Frere has proven to be a dynamic playmaker in the return game. In the latest FCS rankings, he leads the nation in combined kickoff return yards (634), kickoff return average (39.6) and kickoff return touchdowns (two). In Saturday’s win over UIW, Petit-Frere also caught his first touchdown as a Lion – a 34-yard score from freshman Byron Walker.

The Lions will search for their fourth consecutive win on Saturday, when they travel to Houston Baptist for a 6 p.m. Southland contest. The game will be televised on ESPN3 and can also be heard on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (KSLU 90.9 FM, Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, WFPR 1400 AM), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio app.

The Lion Athletics Association will host a bus trip to HBU. The bus will leave from the Dugas Center for Southeastern Athletics at 10 a.m. on game day and will return immediately following the 6 p.m. contest between the Lions and the Huskies.

The cost to be included on the trip is $50.00. Included in the cost is a ticket to the game, a light lunch with drinks on the way to the game. For more information or to purchase a spot on the trip, contact the LAA at (985) 549-5091 or laa@selu.edu. Interested parties can also visit the LAA office located in West Strawberry Stadium.