AUGUSTA, Ga. – It's been four games and less than two weeks but it continues to be a resurgent year for Clayton State men's soccer as they have swept the Peach Belt Conference weekly awards for just the second time in program history as announced by the league on Monday, September 16.
 
Doing the honors for the Lakers were redshirt-senior midfielder Ryan King (County Durham, England) and senior defender Jordan Knight (Javea, Spain) for a second straight week at Offensive Player and Defender, respectively, while they were joined by junior Theo Blachon (St. Etienne, France) with his first Goalkeeper of the Week award.
 
Not only the second time Clayton State has accomplished the feat since the league began naming three awards in 2008, it is only the seventh time in that 11 year span that any PBC men's soccer program has. The Lakers last brought out the broom on October 12, 2010 when the triumvirate of Ryan Pugh (Offensive), Brett Neilson (Defender) and Brian Garcia (Goalkeeper) checked off all the boxes.

Young Harris holds the all-time record with four sweeps (10/27/14, 9/5/17, 9/18/17 and 9/4/18) while North Georgia was the first on September 3, 2008. The only other program to accomplish the feat other than the Lakers is Lander on September 26, 2016.
 
King and Knight's honors would rack up some more historical significance. For Knight, he becomes just the third to win multiple awards as a defender in a season, joining Neilson (2010) and Igor Lukic (2010). However, like Neilson (10/5, 10/12) his came in back-to-back weeks and are the only such occurrences for that award in team history.
 
For King, his three such honors ties Leighton Fredericks for the all-time program mark (2008, 2009) and he joins Fredericks (2008) and Pugh (2010) as the only Lakers to collect multiple honors in the same season. Both won it twice in their respective seasons but Fredericks did so consecutively. He and King are now the only Lakers to accomplish the latter in the Orange and Blue.
 
The Lakers would put together 180 minutes of scoreless soccer on the road as they blanked Southern Wesleyan (9/11) by a program record 10-0 score and then went the complete opposite direction with a hard fought 1-0 win at Tampa (9/14).
 
RYAN KING (OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK)
The NCAA Division II national leader in points (15) and goals (7), King put four of those scores on the board and added an assist over the course of those two shutout victories. He opened with his third career hat trick at SWU to go along with an assist, accomplishing that on just four shots, one of which would come on a penalty kick.
 
He would continue to be a key cog in Clayton State's 4-0 start, this time notching the lone goal in a 1-0 victory at a typically strong Tampa squad. That would come in the fifth minute and help secure that fourth win, marking just the fifth time in program history they would open a season with wins in their first four games.
 
On the season he easily leads leads the PBC in goals (four ahead of nearest competitor) and points (margin of seven).
 
JORDAN KNIGHT (DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK)
Knight anchors a defense that has recorded three straight shutouts (two this week) for just the ninth time in 27 years of program history while allowing just four shots on goal.
 
During those two most recent shutouts he played 166 of a possible 180 minutes, only seeing time off on the backend of that 10-0 victory at Southern Wesleyan. That game he and his defense would permit just five shots and only one on goal in posting the largest shutout victory in team history. His 76 minutes were the most played among Laker defenders and second most on the team behind only Blachon.
 
It would be a much more intense effort that would required to close the week at 4-0 as the club traveled to perennial power Tampa (9/14). In that game the Spartans would fire of 14 attempts, most of them wildly, and only put three on frame. None would find their way home. Knight would play all 90 minutes as the Lakers made a fifth minute goal hold up for a 1-0 victory.
 
Additionally, Clayton State's 4-0 start is just the fifth in program history. Looking past the 2010 season, the only other years it was achieved were 2002, 2000 and the inaugural season of 1992.
 
THEO BLACHON (GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK)
Blachon did his best impression of a brick wall over his two games this past week – tall and impenetrable – as he ran his streak to three straight shutouts and a perfect 4-0 record. The latter is the best start for the program since the 2010 Elite Eight season.
 
The 6-6 keeper made it two in a row with a clean sheet in that 10-0 win at SWU, making one save and also making sure not to fall victim to allowing an easy goal in a blowout. He also played all 90 minutes on the night.
 
That wouldn't even be something he would have to entertain the possibility of in his final outing of the week as the Lakers took on Tampa. Traditionally a very strong team, the Spartans showed that with a consistent offensive push but would not get any of their three shots on goal home as Blachon recorded saves on each of those attempts in the 1-0 victory.
 
Following the week he now has three shutouts, a minuscule 0.25 Goals Against Average and .917 save percentage. He is currently third in the country in shutouts (one behind the two leaders), 16^th in GAA and 21^st in save percentage. Each of those is second in the Peach Belt Conference, but have come in 360 minutes and four games as opposed to less than 200 minutes and only two games for the league leader.
 
CLAYTON STATE MEN'S SOCCER PBC AWARD HISTORY
Since joining the Peach Belt in 1995 as a provisional member, the Lakers have been a staple in the league's weekly awards, claiming at least one winner in 20 of those years, including 19 of the past 20 years. Leighton Fredericks holds the all-time mark with three selections with two coming in 2008 and a third in 2009. King had previously earned the honor on October 31, 2016 to give him three with the two this season.
 
Overall the program has claimed a total of 56 weekly honorees from Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week and Goalkeeper of the Week. In 2007, the Peach Belt went from recognizing just one individual to honoring two per week and eventually three award winners beginning in 2008.
 
Clayton State (4-0) puts their undefeated record on the line on Thursday, September 19 when they host former PBC member Montevallo. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Laker Field.
 
All-Time Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week Selections (25/19 Individuals)
2019
9/16 – Ryan King
9/9 – Ryan King

2017
10/16 – Dionysius Harmon
10/23 – Dean Foster
 
2016
10/31 – Ryan King
 
2015
9/8 – Iain Smith
9/28 – Avery Shepard
 
2013
9/23 - Alhagi Toure
9/30 - Kevin Rodriguez
 
2011
10/4 - Kenny Mena
 
2010
9/28 - Ryan Pugh
10/12 - Ryan Pugh
 
2009
9/15 - Leighton Fredericks
 
2008
9/16 - Leighton Fredericks
9/23 - Leighton Fredericks
 
2007
10/9 - Jamal Geathers
 
2006
10/17 - Kevin Crooks
 
2005
11/1 - Alex Dowling
 
2004
10/11 - Juan Trujillo
 
2003
9/22 - Shaun Baddock
 
2002
9/16 - Warren van der Westhuizen
10/28 - David Dowling
 
2001
10/29 - Warren van der Westhuizen
 
2000
9/5 - Barry Casebeer
 
1995
10/16 - Jason Nidiffer
 
All-Time Peach Belt Conference Defender of the Week Selections (19/13 Individuals)
(Awarded Since 2007)
2019
9/16 – Jordan Knight
9/9 – Jordan Knight

2015
10/19 – Aleksi Tuominen

2013
9/16 – Nikola Gazibara

2012
9/4 – Donal Roughneen

2011
9/7 – Chris Klute

2010
9/14 – Igor Lukic
10/5 – Brett Neilson
10/12 – Brett Neilson
10/19 – Igor Lukic
11/2 – Brett Neilson

2009
9/1 – Roger Boniface
10/13 – Liam Brown
10/27 – Igor Lukic

2008
9/23 – Matthias Faublas
9/30 – Liam Brown
10/21 – Patrick Ahern

2007
9/5 – Karl Haggon
10/23 – Alex Sethi
 
All-Time Peach Belt Conference Goalkeeper of the Week Selections (12/6 Individuals)
(Awarded Since 2008)
2019
9/16 – Theo Blachon

2017
10/23 – Oliver Pannell
 
2015
9/28 – Viltsu Tuumi
10/5 – Viltsu Tuumi
 
2014
9/15 – Nick Punter
9/22 – Nick Punter
 
2011
9/7 – Brian Garcia
 
2010
9/21 – Brian Garcia
10/12 – Brian Garcia
 
2009
9/1 – David Cristofoli
10/6 – David Cristofoli
 
2008
10/14 – David Cristofoli