Lezgus Plumbing Football Player of the Week: Raritan’s Derek Ernst

Every week this season, Shore Conference football fans will have their chance to vote for the Lezgus Plumbing/Shore Sports Network Football Player of the Week on our website, with thousands of votes cast this week and over 200,000 votes cast this season.

The recipient for the Thanksgiving games is Raritan senior running back Derek Ernst, who takes home the Player of the Week award for the second time this season. Ernst ran for 175 yards and three touchdowns and added three receptions for 63 yards in the Rockets' 46-25 victory over Holmdel on Thanksgiving Day. The win put Raritan over .500 at 6-5 ahead of Saturday's NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championship game against Lincoln.

Ernst has rushed for 1,628 yards and 21 touchdowns this season to help Raritan reach a sectional final as the No. 6 seed. The Rockets will be going for their second sectional championship against undefeated Lincoln at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Kean University.

Ernst dominated the poll with 64 percent of the vote to beat out Wall's Matt Cluley and Shore's Doug Goldsmith.

Archive

Week 11 Player of the Week: Brick Memorial's Tim Santiago

Week 10 Player of the Week: Jackson Memorial’s Mike Gawlik

Week Nine Player of the Week: Point Beach’s Tanner Smith

Week Eight Player of the Week: Red Bank’s Jack Navitsky

Week Seven Player of the Week: Jackson Memorial’s Kyle Johnson

Week Six Players of the Week: Point Beach’s Luke Frauenheim and Chris Webber

Week Five Player of the Week: Point Beach’s Connor Kells 

Week Four Player of the Week: Raritan’s Derek Ernst

Week Three Player of the Week: Freehold’s Ashante Worthy

Week Two Player of the Week: Manalapan’s Marcus Salinas

Week One Player of the Week: Jackson Memorial’s Mike Gawlik

Week Zero Player of the Week: Pinelands’ Justin Kirkpatrick