D2Football.com Players of the Week
September 16th, 2025 8:00am
D2Football.com is pleased to announce the players of the week for week two of the 2025 season. This week's honorees are Upper Iowa wide receiver Mante Morrow, UIndy linebacker Alvin Contreras and Post kick return specialist Israel Hiraldo.
Offense
Mante Morrow, WR, Upper Iowa
Mante Morrow caught eight passes in Upper Iowa’s win over South Dakota Mines. Half of them resulted in touchdowns. His grabs netted a total of 216 yards, with an average of 27 yards per catch. His longest play of the day was an 81-yard catch a run for a touchdown. Morrow is only the third player in Peacocks history to have more than 200 receiving yards in a game and the first since 2012. Mante Morrow is a senior from Joliet, Illinois.
Defense
Alvin Contreras, LB, Indianapolis
Alvin Contreras accounted for three total takeaways that resulted in two defensive touchdowns and the game winning scoring drive. In the second quarter he scooped up a fumble and raced 43 yards to the end zone. The score gave UIndy a 14-3 lead. Late in the fourth quarter, Contreras intercepted an Ashland pass that thwarted a potential game-sealing scoring drive. UIndy converted the possession into points with 74-yard drive. On the game’s final play, Contreras was around the ball once again and pounced on a fumble in the end zone, adding six more points and ending the game with a UIndy victory. He also contributed eight total tackles, five of them solo. Alvin Contreras is a sophomore from Indianapolis, Indiana.
Special Teams
Israel Hiraldo, KR, Post
Israel Hiraldo’s kick off returns helped lead Post to a win over Southern Connecticut State. The freshman from Providence, Rhode Island returned three kickoffs for a total of 181 yards. Two of the returns went for touchdowns. Early in the third quarter with his team trailing 16-7, Hiraldo returned a kickoff 80 yards to reduce the deficit to two points. He repeated the feat just a few minutes from a distance of 84 yards, once again erasing a two-score deficit. The Eagles would go on to win the game by a final of 39-30, securing the first 2-0 start in program history.
Week Zero
Offense: Leonard Farrow, RB, Fairmont State
Defense: Tristan Exline, LB, UT Permian Basin
Special teams: Caleb Bonesteel, K, Wingate
Week One
Offense: Jeffrey Jones, RB, New Mexico Highlands
Defense: Michael Shimek, DL, Ashland
Special tems: Lucas LeSieur, P, Colorado School of Mines
