BROOKFIELD, Ill. - Six Carson-Newman football players have been lauded with all-region status by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. The publication released its annual listing Friday.
Running back Antonio Wimbush (Kingsland, Ga.), defensive lineman Montel Presley (Bushnell, Fla.) and defensive back Desmond Fairell (Miami, Fla.) make their second appearances on the team. Offensive linemen Jordan Seal (Morristown, Tenn.), Phillip McDowell (Boiling Springs, S.C.) and linebacker Temoris Coats (Greenwood, S.C.) picked up their first career all-region accolades from the body.
Wimbush, Presley, Seal and McDowell all made the second team. Coats and Fairell picked up third team honors.
Wimbush turned in another stellar season to earn All-SAC first team honors for the second time in his career. He also appears on the Don Hansen all-region team for a second time. He finished the season with 1,206 rushing yards to lead the South Atlantic Conference. The season-ending total represents the 18th best single-year on the ground for an Eagle rusher. He found the end zone seven times on the ground and once more through the air.
Wimbush had a string of four straight 100-yard games at the mid-point of the season and finished the year with 100-yard rushing efforts in five of Carson-Newman's final six games. He moved up to 11th on both Carson-Newman's career rushing yards and rushing touchdown charts.
Wimbush earned South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week honors following his performance at Virginia Union when he had 21 carries for 184 yards and three scores. That rushing tally marked a career high for Wimbush. He also went for more than 150 yards rushing against both Limestone and Virginia-Lynchburg.
His 8.0 yards per carry are the eighth highest single-season total in Carson-Newman football history and the second highest total in NCAA Division II this year.
Wimbush was named the Mayo Clinic Comeback player of the year for his efforts on the gridiron.
McDowell rewrote Carson-Newman's knockdown record book in his junior year. McDowell took over the Eagles' all-time record in career knockdowns in week six against Limestone. McDowell bypassed Robby Ignagni (44) and now has 57 for his career.
While that alone is impressive, McDowell did it in grand fashion by besting his own single-game record with a whopping 10 knockdowns. McDowell played 54 snaps against the Saints. He had a knockdown every 5.4 plays.
He helped Carson-Newman to lead the South Atlantic Conference in rushing yards with 347.6 yards per game on the ground. The Eagles have the second highest rushing average in the country.
Presley earned first team All-SAC accolades on the defensive line for a second straight season. Presley turned in 36 tackles, 5.5 for loss and a sack. Presley's best game came against Lenoir-Rhyne when he made seven stops against the Bears. He also topped five tackles against Newberry and Catawba.
Coats turned in one of the best ever seasons by a Carson-Newman linebacker. Coats led the Eagles with 96 tackles, 47 of which were solo stops. Most notably, he brought home state defensive player of the week honors from the Tennessee Sportswriters Association three times in his senior season and a program-record four times in his career. He earned the three honors this year following C-N's wins over Virginia Union and Catawba, and a loss to Newberry.
Coats inserted his name directly into the Carson-Newman record book with 18 tackles for loss on the year. He moved past Eric Rice who had 17 in 20\06 to take over the top spot for the single-season total for that stat.
Coats had a top-flight effort against Catawba when he led Carson-Newman with nine tackles. He inserted his name into the C--N record books with 5.5 tackles for loss. That's the third most in school history behind Daryl Gooden's 7.5 against Howard Payne in 1992 and William Moody's 6.0 against New Haven in 2002. The 5.5 tackles for loss are the second most in NCAA Division II this year.
He wrapped up his career at Burke-Tarr Stadium with a 15-tackle effort against Lenoir-Rhyne to put a bow on his home career with a career-high for stops. He had five double-digit tackle efforts on the year.
For a second straight year, Fariell earned postseason All-SAC honors as well as a spot on the Don Hansen All-Region team. Fairell has been a remarkable modicum of consistency for the Eagles. The corner finished the year with four interceptions for a third straight season to lead Carson-Newman and the South Atlantic Conference.
Fairell turned in a multi-interception performance against Virginia-Lynchburg, the second multi-pick day of his career. He also recovered two fumbles on the year to lead the South Atlantic Conference in takeaways.
He earned TSWA State Defensive Player of the Week honors following his performance against Virginia-Lynchburg. Fairell is in a tie for eighth on C-N's all-time career picks list at 12 with Carson-Newman Hall of Famer Joe Fishback. His next interception will move him into a tie for seventh on the all-time list with Tim Foutz (13 picks from 1983-84). JJ Simmons sits in sixth with 15 from 1995-98.
Fairell also had 50 tackles on the year, topping out at eight against Virginia Union
Seal proved efficient and effective at moving people around en route to All-SAC second team honors for a second straight season. Seal tallied the second most knockdowns in a single-game in school history when he had eight against Mars Hill. He graded out in seven of Carson-Newman's 11 games. Seal finished the year with 24 knockdowns and has 37 for his career. He needs seven more knockdowns to move into second on Carson-Newman's career charts. He had a five-knockdown performance against Wingate and a four-knockdown effort against Virginia-Lynchburg.
The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen's Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.
The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2018 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be selected.
Super Region Two Offensive Player of the Year: Rogan Wells, SO, QB, Valdosta State
Super Region Two Defensive Player of the Year: Cardell Rawlings, SR, DE, Wingate
Super Region Two Special Teams Player of the Year: Cody Mills, SR, P, Delta State
Super Region Two Freshman of the Year: Jamar Thompkins, RB, Valdosta State
Super Region Two Coach of the Year: Kerwin Bell, Valdosta State
First Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Rogan Wells 6-3 220 SO Valdosta State Fort Mill, S.C.
FB Tiberias Lampkin 5-9 220 SR Mississippi College Sturgis, Miss.
RB Tyrell Freeman 6-1 210 JR Chowan Leonardtown, Md.
RB Detric Hawthorn 5-9 180 JR Mississippi College Collins, Miss.
RB Devontae Jackson 5-7 176 SR West Georgia Marietta, Ga.
WR Kevin Greenhow 6-3 205 JR Central State (Ohio) Columbus, Ohio
WR Romell Guerrier 5-10 184 SR Florida Tech Miami, Fla.
WR Craig Rucker 5-7 165 JR Mars Hill Orlando, Fla.
TE Qua Boyd 6-5 245 SR West Alabama Lafayette, Ala.
AP Tabyus Taylor 6-0 250 SO Virginia Union Hopewell, Va.
C Jeremy King 6-1 315 SR Valdosta State Macon, Ga.
OG LaVonne Gauthney 6-3 315 SR Valdosta State Reynoldsburg, Ohio
OG Jason Poe 6-2 250 SO Lenoir-Rhyne Fitzgerald, Ga.
OT Donald Boone 6-5 310 JR Chowan Hertford, N.C.
OT Quentin Stanford 6-4 312 SR West Georgia Warner Robins, Ga.
PK Jefferson Souza 6-1 185 SO Virginia Union Deerfield Beach, Fla.
First Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Cardell Rawlings 6-2 240 SR Wingate Smithfield, N.C.
DE Kameron Rogers 6-2 240 SR Clark Atlanta Washington, D.C.
DT Dan Louba 6-1 270 SO Lenoir-Rhyne Harrisburg, N.C.
DT Joshua Pryor 6-4 280 FR Bowie State Baltimore, Md.
LB Kailen Abrams 6-2 235 SO Central State (Ohio) Detroit, Mich.
LB J.T. Hassell 6-0 199 SR Florida Tech Titusville, Fla.
LB Austin Stephens 5-11 210 JR Miles Munford, Ala.
S Montrell Pardue 6-2 206 SR West Georgia Clarksville, Tenn.
S Daryus Skinner 5-11 175 JR Winston-Salem State Rockingham, N.C.
CB Traviontae Brown 6-0 170 JR Benedict Albany, Ga.
CB Aaron Watson 5-11 165 SO North Greenville (S.C.) Duncan, S.C.
P Cody Mills 5-7 190 SR Delta State Oxford, Miss.
RS LaPerion Perry 5-6 155 FR West Georgia LaGrange, Ga.
Second Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Amir Hall 6-4 195 SR Bowie State Bowie, Md.
RB Jamar Thompkins 5-11 190 FR Valdosta State Miami, Fla.
RB Antonio Wimbush 5-10 190 JR Carson-Newman Kingsland, Ga.
WR Torry Baker 6-0 185 SR Chowan Charlotte, N.C.
WR Lansana Sesay 6-4 175 SR Bowie State Bowie, Md.
WR J.T. Stokes 6-1 205 SR Wingate Juliette, Ga.
TE Jourdan Osinskie 6-3 230 SR Catawba Greensboro, N.C.
AP Terraris Saffold 6-0 180 JR Central State (Ohio) Hayneville, Ala.
C Jordan Seal 6-5 270 JR Carson-Newman Morristown, Tenn.
OG Jean Cyriaque 6-2 277 JR Morehouse Durham, N.C.
OG Phil McDowell 6-5 315 JR Carson-Newman Inman, S.C.
OG Quinzavious Sands 6-1 280 SR Catawba Douglasville, Ga.
OT Frank Ball 6-3 300 JR Virginia State Hampton, Va.
OT Marcus Campbell Jr. 6-4 266 SR Kentucky State Radcliff, Ky.
OT Brandon Anderson 6-3 287 JR West Alabama Bessemer, Ala.
PK Omar Cervantes 6-3 243 FR West Georgia Fort Valley, Ga.
Second Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Adonis Davis 6-3 260 SR Florida Tech Columbus, Ohio
DE Jamarcus Henderson 5-10 230 SR Newberry Union, S.C.
DE Tyler Hinton 6-2 230 SR North Carolina-Pembroke Fuquay-Varina, N.C.
DT Rickym Holmes 6-5 330 SR Benedict Baltimore, Md.
DT Montel Presley 6-0 290 JR Carson-Newman Bushnell, Fla.
LB Joe Blue 5-10 225 SR Newberry Dillon, S.C.
LB Devon Hunt 6-1 220 JR Shaw Hamlet, N.C.
LB Korie Rogers 6-2 231 JR West Georgia Buford, Ga.
LB Terry Samuel 6-2 193 SR West Alabama Brewton, Ala.
S Marvin Conley 5-10 190 SR West Florida Tampa, Fla.
S Joshua Simmons 6-3 205 GR Limestone Moncks Corner, S.C.
CB Darren Gardenhire 6-1 190 SR Delta State Los Angeles, Calif.
CB Davion Washington 6-1 195 JR Wingate Greenville, S.C.
P Chris Birozes 6-0 200 SR Wingate Suwanee, Ga.
P Shea Rodgers 6-0 185 JR Newberry Indian Land, S.C.
RS Kyle Dugger 6-2 215 JR Lenoir-Rhyne Fayetteville, Ga.
RS Brandon Smith 5-8 170 SO Fayetteville State Red Springs, N.C.
Third Team Offense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Willie Candler 6-1 186 JR West Georgia Atlanta, Ga.
QB Bryce Witt 6-4 225 SO Chowan Sutherland, Va.
RB Stevie Green 6-1 205 JR Fayetteville State Washington, N.C.
RB Nijere Peoples 5-9 210 FR Wingate Charlotte, N.C.
WR Markell Castle 5-10 180 SR Newberry York, S.C.
WR Lio'undre Gallimore 5-10 171 SO Valdosta State Miami Gardens, Fla.
WR T.J. Smith 6-0 180 SR Lenoir-Rhyne Charleston, S.C.
WR Leonard Tyree 5-10 165 SR Miles Tuscaloosa, Ala.
TE Ryan Edwards 6-3 240 SR Morehouse Atlanta, Ga.
TE Kevonta Moses 6-1 240 JR Shaw Fort Myer, Fla.
AP Santo Dunn 5-7 185 SO Morehouse Miami, Fla.
AP Kenyatta Greene 5-9 175 SR Catawba Edgewater Park, N.J.
C Call Dyer 6-4 357 JR West Alabama Gordo, Ala.
C Lee Humphrey 6-0 270 JR Morehouse Plano, Ill.
C Cordarius Smith 6-2 330 SR Tuskegee Columbus, Ga.
OG Rochelin Romain 6-5 320 JR Tuskegee Pompano Beach, Fla.
OG Adonis Sealey 6-3 295 JR Valdosta State Hamer, S.C.
OT Tyreek Bailey 6-2 305 SR Fayetteville State Hampton, Va.
OT Keveon Broadwater 6-4 315 JR Tusculum Gaffney, S.C.
OT Shamdu Nalls 6-4 330 SR Virginia Union Baltimore, Md.
PK Andrew Gray 6-0 165 SR Valdosta State Johns Creek, Ga.
PK McLean Robertson 5-11 195 SO Wingate Lexington, S.C.
Third Team Defense
POS NAME HT WT YR SCHOOL HOMETOWN
DE Jordan Jones 6-2 234 JR West Alabama Lawrenceville, Ga.
DE Brayce McKenzie 6-2 240 SO Lane Geneva, Fla.
DT Solomon Bassett 6-3 250 SR Lincoln (Pa.) Fort Worth, Texas
DT Iseoluwapo Jegede 6-6 277 SR Valdosta State Lagos, Nigeria
DT Seth Laughter 6-2 287 SR North Greenville (S.C.) Debary, Fla.
DT Joseph Mozone 6-1 321 JR Valdosta State North Augusta, S.C.
LB Gavin Burford 6-2 230 SR West Florida Lewisville, Texas
LB Temoris Coats 5-11 205 SR Carson-Newman Greenwood, S.C.
LB Ivan Hogans 6-2 210 SO Tusculum Stockbridge, Ga.
LB Patrick Prosser 5-11 230 SR Virginia State Newport News, Va.
LB Davoris Thomas 5-10 190 JR Tuskegee Mobile, Ala.
S Malik Goodman 5-11 185 JR Tusculum Jacksonville, Fla.
S Sterling Hammond 6-1 210 JR Virginia Union Caret, Va.
S Camron Young 5-11 185 JR Fort Valley State Eastman, Ga.
CB Stephen Denmark 6-3 212 SR Valdosta State Tallahassee, Fla.
CB Desmond Fairell 6-0 185 JR Carson-Newman Miami, Fla.
CB George Parker 6-3 200 SR Chowan Richmond, Va.
CB Mandell Ray 6-4 200 SR Morehouse Lafayette, Ala.
P Thomas Cook 5-9 185 JR Limestone Moore, S.C.
P Isaac Parks 6-0 210 SO North Carolina-Pembroke Greensboro, N.C.
RS Tyeous Sharpe 5-10 185 SO Fayetteville State Winston-Salem, N.C.
