VALDOSTA —
Valdosta State strong safety Harrison Dreiling was chosen the Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Blazers’ 31-13 win over rival West Georgia last Saturday.
Dreiling, a junior from Augusta, Kan., recorded a game-high 13 total tackles, including four solo stops. The 13 tackles were a career high for Dreiling.
Dreiling also intercepted two passes, and broke up another pass. His first interception came at Valdosta State’s 6-yard line, killing a good scoring chance for West Georgia. After the interception, the Blazers’ offense drove 94 yards for its first touchdown, and took a 7-3 lead. VSU led the rest of the game.
Dreiling returned his second pick 24 yards to the Wolves’ 8-yard line late in the second quarter.
“I just felt like somebody had to step up and make a play,” Dreiling said. “On the first one, the quarterback kind of lofted it up there, and I had a good break on it. The second one was a dig route, and I had a good break and jumped it. I was just trying to make plays for my team.”
The Black Swarm defense held West Georgia to 241 yards of total offense and 13 points in the victory. The Blazers are allowing an average of only 13.6 points per game this season.
“It’s the 10 other guys with me,” Dreiling said. “It starts with the D-line, great guys up there, the linebacking corps and the other three DBs back there with me. We’re a family, and we’re a corps out there. It starts with the other 10 guys.”
Dreiling is currently VSU’s second-leading tackler with 66 stops, including 24 solo tackles. He has five interceptions, also second on the team, and 62 yards in interception returns. He also has seven pass deflections, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Dreiling is the third different Blazer to win the GSC’s Defensive Player of the Week award this year. Linebacker Larry Dean won the award after making 19 tackles against Delta State on Sept. 18, and cornerback Stevie Harden got it after intercepting two passes and recovering a fumble against Southern Arkansas on Sept. 25.
Valdosta State (8-1) will close out its regular season against West Alabama (6-4) on Thursday at 8 p.m. in Livingston, Ala.
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Valdosta State strong safety Harrison Dreiling (15) intercepts a pass in the second quarter against West Georgia. Paul Leavy
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Dreiling named GSC Defensive Player of the Week
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