KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State landed 19 players on the 2018 All-MIAA Football Team, released on Tuesday (Nov. 13). Three individuals received special awards as Jose Delgado earned Defensive Player of the Year, Dante Brown earned Special Teams Player of the Year, and Chris Brown earned Coach of the Year for a second-straight season.
Fort Hays State had 21 selections overall to the All-MIAA Team as two players earned honors at two positions. Special Teams Player of the Year Dante Brown earned first-team honors at both kicker and punter, while Layne Bieberle was a third-team selection at wide receiver and honorable mention selection as a punter returner.
First-team honors went to linebacker Jose Delgado, defensive tackle Wyatt Parker, safety Doyin Jibowu, and kicker/punter Dante Brown.
Delgado, a senior from Derby, Kansas, finished the regular season with 106 tackles, going past the century mark for the third straight season. With 391 tackles in his career, Delgado has been a steady force in the middle of the Tiger defense. He added 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups in the regular season. This is the third All-MIAA honor for Delgado, while earning first-team honors for the second straight year. Delgado gives FHSU the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year for the third-straight year, following Nathan Shepherd in 2017 and Sie Doe, Jr. in 2016.
Parker, a senior from Blue Springs, Missouri, finished the regular season with 62 tackles, while leading the Tigers in sacks (5.5) and forced fumbles (4). He also collected 9.5 tackles for loss and one interception for the season. Parker receives his second all-conference nod after earning second-team honors last year.
Jibowu, a senior from Denver, finished the regular season with 53 tackles, including 5.5 for loss. He has two interceptions this year and ranks second on the team in pass breakups with 10. Jibowu is a three-time All-MIAA selection, earning a first-team pick for the second straight year.
Brown, a junior from Mississauga, Ontario, has enjoyed a special season kicking the ball for FHSU. He passed the MIAA record for field goals in a season, now with 26, and broke the FHSU record for points scored in a season, entering the postseason with 114. Brown also received first-team honors at punter, averaging 41.6 yards per attempt. He earned Special Teams Athlete of the Week five times this year.
Second-team honors went to offensive lineman Amari Angram-Boldin, defensive tackle Malik Young, and safety Connor Shedeed.
Angram-Boldin, a sophomore from Pahokee, Florida, has been the starting left guard for the Tigers on the offensive line all season. He converted to the offensive line from defensive line prior to the start of the 2018 season.
Young, a senior from Marietta, Georgia, has been solid at defensive tackle for the Tigers in his only year with the program after transferring from the University of Oregon. He has 37 tackles, five for loss, and one sack, while leading the team in blocked kicks with two.
Shedeed, a senior from Gretna, Nebraska, grabs his second all-conference award as the team’s free safety. He ranks second on the team in tackles with 86, while leading the team in interceptions with three. He was an honorable mention All-MIAA pick last year.
The Tigers enjoyed five third-team selections on offense, including quarterback Jacob Mezera, running back Charles Tigner, wide receiver Layne Bieberle, tight end Matt Wendelberger, and offensive lineman Romello Burke, while defensive end Sterling Swopes received a third-team selection on defense.
Mezera, a senior from Jacksonville, Florida, is now a three-time All-MIAA selection after a second-team selection last year and honorable mention pick in 2016. He threw for 2,226 yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season. He now has over 600 completions and 7,600 yards passing in his career, with 60 passing touchdowns. Mezera is the record holder for a career in all three categories.
Tigner, a junior from Glennville, Georgia, picks up third-team honors at running back for the second consecutive year. He rushed for 721 yards on 142 carries in the regular season with five touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per rush. He posted an 81.2 all-purpose yards per game average in the regular season.
Bieberle, a junior from Claflin, Kansas, grabbed two All-MIAA honors this year, both as a wide receiver and punt returner. He grabs his second all-conference nod as a receiver after honorable mention honors in 2016. Bieberle averaged 16.4 yards per catch in the regular season, producing 806 receiving yards on 49 catches with five touchdowns. He gets an honorable mention selection as a punt returner by averaging 10.5 yards per return in the regular season with 304 yards on 29 returns.
Wendelberger, a junior from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, is now a three-time All-MIAA selection after second-team honors last year and an honorable mention pick in 2016. He finished the regular season with 493 yards on 32 catches with four touchdowns.
Burke, a junior from Sarasota, Florida, earns his first all-conference selection, playing the majority of the season at center. He started the final 10 games of the season at center after starting the year at right guard. He is the most experienced starter on the offensive line for the Tigers, helping the team average 413.5 yards per game.
Swopes picks up his first all-conference honor. The sophomore defensive end from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, produced 41 tackles in the regular season, along with a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss. He also racked up 5 sacks and a team-best 10 quarterback hurries.
The Tigers received six honorable mention picks, including wide receiver Harley Hazlett, linebacker Kolt Trachsel, cornerbacks Aquil Knowles and Keylon Kennedy, safety Tanner Hoekman, and the aforementioned selection for Bieberle as a kick returner.
Hazlett grabs an honorable mention selection for the second-straight year. The junior from Abilene, Kansas was an all-around offensive threat for the Tigers in the regular season. He led the MIAA in receptions with 77 to go with 801 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He also ran the ball 18 times for 59 yards and two touchdowns, and went a perfect 2-of-2 passing for 70 yards and a touchdown.
Trachsel also picks up an honorable mention selection for the second-straight year. The junior from Goodland, Kansas finished the regular season with 54 tackles, three sacks, and an interception.
Knowles, a senior from Miami, Florida, picked up his first all-conference honor. He finished the regular season with 42 tackles, one interception, and a team-high 13 pass breakups.
Kennedy, a redshirt-freshman from Daytona Beach, Florida, earns all-conference honors in his first year on the field for FHSU. He finished the regular season with 44 tackles and eight pass breakups.
Hoekman earns an honorable mention selection for the second straight year. The Abilene, Kansas junior finished with 65 tackles and two interceptions in the regular season.
Hickman earns an honorable mention nod in his first year with the Tigers. The Pahokee, Florida junior finished the regular season with 656 all-purpose yards (460 rushing, 148 receiving, and 48 kick return) and six total touchdowns.
Chris Brown picks up Coach of the Year honors for the second straight year. Brown has led the Tigers to a record of 20-3 over the last two seasons. He guided the Tigers to a second-straight MIAA Championship this year as the team went 9-2 in the regular season. Brown has a career record of 58-33 at FHSU and has guided the program to postseason play the last four years (bowl games in 2015 and 2016, NCAA Playoffs in 2017 and 2018).
2018 All-MIAA Football Team
MIAA Postseason Awards
Offensive Player of the Year – Braxton Marstall – Emporia State
Defensive Player of the Year – Jose Delgado – Fort Hays State
Special Teams Player of the Year – Dante Brown – Fort Hays State
Freshman of the Year – Braden Wright – Northwest Missouri
Coach of the Year – Chris Brown – Fort Hays State
First-Team Offense
QB – Braxton Marstall – Emporia State
RB – Darrius Webb – Nebraska Kearney
WR – James Brania-Hopp – Washburn
WR – Kyrion Parker – Central Missouri
TE – Erik Henneman – Lindenwood
All-Purpose Back – Tucker Horak – Pittsburg State
OL – Derrick Puni – Central Missouri
OL – Zach Flott – Northwest Missouri
OL – Kyle Hinton – Washburn
OL – Hayden Eatinger – Missouri Western
OL – Ryan Dodd – Pittsburg State
OL – Noah Hammons – Central Oklahoma
OL – Tanner Owen – Northwest Missouri
K- Dante Brown – Fort Hays State
KR/PR – Brandin Dandridge – Missouri Western
*Teams Reflect Ties In Voting
First-Team Defense
DL- Austen Eskew – Northwest Missouri
DL – Simanu’a Thomas – Pittsburg State
DL – Jon Harris – Lindenwood
DL – Wyatt Parker – Fort Hays State
DL – Sam Roberts – Northwest Missouri
LB – Jose Delgado – Fort Hays State
LB – Derrick McGreevy – Washburn
LB – Sal Slivio – Nebraska Kearney
DB – Corey Ballentine – Washburn
DB – Doyin Jibowu – Fort Hays State
DB – O’Shay Harris – Central Oklahoma
DB – Anthony Lane – Northwest Missouri
P – Dante Brown – Fort Hays State
*Teams Reflect Ties In Voting
Second-Team Offense
QB – Braden Wright – Northwest Missouri
RB – Landon Nault – Emporia State
WR – Justin Brown – Emporia State
WR – Shawn Bane – Northwest Missouri
TE – Seth Hebert – Central Missouri
All-Purpose Back – Montrez Jackson – Nebraska Kearney
OL – Lucas Beddow – Lindenwood
OL – Tyler Stilwell – Central Oklahoma
OL – Amari Angram-Boldin – Fort Hays State
OL – Zach Thomas – Pittsburg State
OL – Austin Unterreiner – Emporia State
K – Tyler Basch – Missouri Western
KR/PR – Shawn Bane – Northwest Missouri
Second-Team Defense
DL – Tye Spies – Nebraska Kearney
DL – Justin Stewart – Central Oklahoma
DL – Parker Bass – Emporia State
DL – Malik Young – Fort Hays State
LB – Nick Hess – Northwest Missouri
LB – Austin Tillman – Washburn
LB – Jace McDown – Emporia State
DB – Jack Richards – Northwest Missouri
DB – Morgan Selemaea – Pittsburg State
DB – Connor Shedeed – Fort Hays State
DB – Brandin Dandridge – Missouri Western
DB – Dallas Vaughn – Nebraska Kearney
P – Perry Schmiedeler – Washburn
Third-Team Offense
QB – Jacob Mezera – Fort Hays State
RB – Devante Turner – Central Missouri
RB – Charles Tigner – Fort Hays State
WR – Layne Bieberle – Fort Hays State
WR – Lorenzo West – Pittsburg State
WR – Dustin Basks – Central Oklahoma
TE – Matt Wendelberger – Fort Hays State
OL – Shawn Rouse – Missouri Western
OL – Jake Heckler – Central Missouri
OL – Tanner Hale – Missouri Western
OL – Nick George – Central Oklahoma
OL – Romello Burke – Fort Hays State
OL – Ryan Spelhaug – Northwest Missouri
K – Jared Vincent – Pittsburg State
KR/PR – Corey Ballentine – Washburn
*Teams Reflect Ties In Voting
Third-Team Defense
DL – Sterling Swopes – Fort Hays State
DL – Eli Hooks – Central Oklahoma
DL – Uchenna Egwuonwu – Lindenwood
DL – Tyler Baska – Missouri Western
DL – Cole Morris – Pittsburg State
LB – Alex Figueroa – Central Oklahoma
LB – Darian Taylor – Pittsburg State
LB – Colton Lindsey – Central Oklahoma
LB – Drew Seers – Lindenwood
DB – Jabbar Miles – Missouri Western
DB – Malik Walker – Central Oklahoma
DB – Chama Pierre – Northwest Missouri
DB – Darrius Williams – Lindenwood
DB – KiAnte Hardin – Pittsburg State
P – Carter Anchors – Pittsburg State
*Teams Reflect Ties In Voting
Honorable Mention
Central Missouri: Jeremy Hunt – QB, Shae Wyatt – WR, Devante Turner – KR/PR, Zach Aschemann – DL, John Embrey – LB, Zach Davidson – P
Central Oklahoma: Clay McKenzie – RB, Mekail Hall – WR, Duante McGee – TE, Alex Quevedo – K, Noble Lybrand – DL, Jakarri Hunt – DB
Emporia State: Tyler Harris – WR, Estevan Arana – OL, Braden Janzen – OL, Marek Thompson – DL, Tre’Vaughn Ammons – DL, Gary Woods II – LB,
Fort Hays State: Harley Hazlett – WR, Layne Bieberle KR/PR, Kolt Trachsel – LB, Aquil Knowles – DB, Keylon Kennedy – DB, Tanner Hoekman – DB, DJ Hickman – RB
Lindenwood: Cade Brister – QB, Nash Sutherlin – RB, Cam Sanders KR/PR, Antonio Davis – DL, CJ Bivens – LB, Grady Daniels – DB
Missouri Southern: Matt Griffith – OL, Mike Dzierzega – OL, Levi Marlay – DL, Akel Beard – LB, Korenzo Credit – DB, Riley Hathorn – P
Missouri Western: Dom Marino – QB, Shamar Griffith – RB, James Bailey, Jr. – RB, Jacob Olson – OL, Isaiah Colbert – OL, Kyle Dumler – DL, James Huskey – LB, Anthony Williams – LB, Sam Webb – DB,
Nebraska Kearney: Trey Lansman – WR, David Squiers – OL, Hinwa Allieu – DL, Jordan Ingraham – DL, Kendall Raschein – P, Brian Covarrubias – K
Northeastern State: Craig Davis – RB/KR/PR, Ryheem Brummitt – WR, Jason Staggs – OL, Jean Bazile – DB, Courtland Clark – DB
Northwest Missouri: Isaiah Strayhorn – RB, Josh Caldwell – RB, Marqus Andrews – TE, Spencer Phillips – DL, Mike Ehlke – DL, Ben Althoff – LB
Pittsburg State: Tyler Adkins – RB, KiAnte Hardin – KR/PR, Lorenzo West KR/PR, Bradley Payne – DL, Demetrius Bernard – LB, Jaylon Myers – DB, Carnell Lewis – DB, Josh Hornback – DB
Washburn: Marcus Meier – TE, Colton Dunke – OL, Jake Riederer – OL, Landen Urban – DL, Heath Tucker – DB, Josh Wright – DB
Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps last week’s home win over the Cardinals and previews Monday’s big showdown with the Rams in Los Angeles
