VALDOSTA, Ga. – Following a 28-7 victory over No. 16 West Florida to claim the 11^th Gulf South Conference championship on Saturday, Valdosta State graduate student running back Blake Hester and sophomore punter Noah Botsford were honored by the league office as GSC Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively.  This is the second weekly honor of the season for Hester and first for Botsford.  
 
Hester, a native of Ashland, Ky., helped lead the top-ranked Blazers to their first outright GSC title since 2019 with a perfect 10-0 record overall this season and a 6-0 mark in league play.  Against the Argos, he had 118 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown on a 21-yard scamper for his 11^th rushing score of the season.  UWF entered the game allowing just 70 yards on the ground as a team per game for fifth nationally. 
 
This season, Hester has a team-high 113 carries for 762 yards and 11 rushing scores which ties him with graduate student teammate Alfonso Franklin for the most rushing touchdowns in the league and the duo are tied for 23^rd nationally.  Hester is fifth nationally in rush yards per carry at a 6.74 clip for tops in the GSC.  He has rushed for over 100 yards four times this season and scored three rushing touchdowns versus Fayetteville State and Chowan this season, while scoring in all but three games this season.  
 
Botsford, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had a season-best 51.7 average for punting against the Argos with three punts totaling 155 yards.  The performance was highlighted by a career-best 61-yard punt and he had two inside the 20.  He also accounted for three kickoffs in the game.  
 
For the season, Botsford has 25 punts for 1,032 yards and a 41.28 average with three touchbacks, three fair catches, 10 inside the 20 and seven over 50 yards.  He also has had 51 kickoffs for the season for 3103 yards and a 60.8 average with 19 touchbacks and one out of bounds.  
 
The Blazers earned the coveted first round bye in the NCAA Division II Football Championship and will host either Miles College or Carson-Newman on Nov. 30 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.  Tickets for the game on Nov. 30 are on sale now in the VSU Athletic Ticket Office or by calling 229-333-SEAT (7328).