Cizauskas again earns national POTW

Going into last Saturday's game against Hutchinson Community, Fort Scott Comunity College linebacker Dominic Cizauskas needed 30 tackles over the last two games of the season to break the FSCC single-season tackle record. Averaging just over 17 tackles a game over his last three games, it appeared this record was well within reach.

Instead of making Fort Scott fans wait until the final game of the season to break the record Cizauskas gave one of the best single game defensive performances in Greyhound history, accumulating 34 tackles to become the record holder surpassing former Greyhound and current NFL All-Pro Lavonte David of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cizauskas currently has 131 tackles on the season versus the previous mark of 125 take-downs set by David in 2009 when the Greyhounds went to the NJCAA National Championship game. With one game left, at No. 1-ranked Garden City Community College at 1 p.m. today, Cizauskas will look to add on to the tackle record while attempting to help the Greyhounds (1-4 conference, 4-6 overall) upset the Broncbusters (6-0, 9-0).

When Cizauskas first arrived on the campus of FSCC in the spring of 2016 there was a buzz about the player that the Greyhounds were getting -- a highly touted-explosive player with a high motor that can be a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball and Cizauskas has fulfilled these expectations.

Greyhound linebackers coach Craig Richardson has been impressed with Cizauskas' performance and believes it is his work ethic that puts him in a class with past Greyhound greats.

"Dominic is a tough, hard working, blue collar kid that makes plays that make you scratch your head wondering 'did he really do that?'" Richardson said. "His motor never stops and he utilizes proper technique and good reads to make up for his size and speed to dominate games at times."

Cizauskas also plays on all of the Greyhounds' special team units.

Cizauskas, a 6' 2"2 242 pound freshman from Mukwonago, Wisc., came to "The Fort" after originally signing with the University of Wisconsin to play for the Badgers. He has grown into a smarter and better football player since the beginning of the football season according to Coach Richardson.

"(H)is football IQ continues to grow every day," Richardson says. "Early on when he first came to us he would rely on pure athleticism but now his understanding of the game and preparation puts him in position to be successful. It is a credit to him as a person and shows with the success he has had over the last several weeks."

Cizauskas has averaged 13.1 tackles per game this season with three forced fumbles and four fumbles recoveries. He returned two fumbles for touchdowns in a 34-29 victory on the road against Ellsworth, Iowa.

Currently Dominic is ranked in the top four in several NJCAA defensive stat categories; tackles (second with 131), fumble recoveries (third with 4), and average tackles per game (13.1 per game).

Notice of Cizauskas' efforts has been taken by the Jayhawk Conference and the NJCAA, each of which has named him its Defensive Player of the Week twice in the last three weeks.