TAMUC – Sports

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball qualifies for NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988

INDIANAPOLIS– The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team has been selected to compete in the 2017 NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship for the first time since 1988, as announced Monday evening. The Lions are the ­­­No. 6 seed in the South Central Region and will face No. 3 seed Metro State in the regional quarterfinal round.

The South Central Regional Tournament will take place in Denver, Colo. on the campus of Regis University, the No. 1 seed in the region. The tournament will begin Nov. 30 and will conclude Dec. 2. A single-elimination tournament, the regional winner, must win three matches in three consecutive days to advance to the Elite Eight, held in Pensacola, Fla.

It is A&M-Commerce’s fourth NCAA Tournament selection, chosen for three consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 1986-88. During the 1986 season, the Lions made it all the way to the Elite Eight round of the tournament. During both the 1987 and 1988 seasons, A&M-Commerce advanced to the second round before being defeated by Central Missouri each time.

The Lions enter the tournament with a record of 21-11, with a 15-5 record in the Lone Star Conference. The Lions finished in second place in the LSC, their best finish since the 1994 season and advanced to the semifinal round of the LSC postseason tournament. The Lions were undefeated at home, winning all 11 of their home contests. It is just the third time in program history the Lions recorded a winning home season. The other teams to do so were the 1986 and 1987 teams, both of which also made the NCAA Tournament.

 

FOOTBALL

Luis Perez named as the nominee for Harlon Hill Trophy for second consecutive season.

FLORENCE, Ala. – Texas A&M University-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez has been announced as one of 34 student-athletes from across the nation nominated for the 2017 Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II College Football Player of the Year, as revealed by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee.

He is one of eight candidates from Super Region Four. Players are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at the 169 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions. The 34 initial candidates are on the ballots, and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national vote when regional tally concludes on November 27. They announce the winner of the 2017 award on Friday, December 15 via a webcast and the winner will be honored at a luncheon on the University of North Alabama campus on January 5, 2018.

Perez is the nation’s leading passer and was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year and First Team all-Lone Star Conference last week. He is the fourth Lion quarterback since the LSC was founded in 1932 to earn back-to-back First Team All-LSC honors.

He has averaged 339.7 yards per game passing through the first round of the playoffs and has now thrown for 300 or more yards 14 times, including the last nine games consecutively, without throwing an interception in his previous 254 passing attempts. This season, he has completed 305-of-426 passes for 3,737 yards and 38 touchdowns against only six interceptions. He needs 27 yards passing in the second round of the playoffs to set the single-season yardage mark at the school. He is the only quarterback in the top 10 of the passing rankings which are still playing in the Division II playoffs.
He has become the A&M-Commerce career leader in passing yardage, touchdowns, and completions in only two years at the school. Over his two seasons, he has completed 549-of-815 passes for 7,063 yards and 70 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. The Lions have a 21-3 record with Perez as their starting quarterback.
Perez has also been a model student and citizen in his time with the Lions. He was a nominee for the AFCA/Allstate Good Works Team before the season.

Perez and the Lions have advanced to the Regional Semifinal round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship against Central Washington this Saturday. Kickoff in Ellensburg, Wash., is set for Noon PST (2 p.m CST).

SUPER REGION FOUR HARLON HILL TROPHY NOMINEES

Player	Pos	Ht	Wt	Cl	School	Hometown
Dennis Gardeck	LB	6-0	230	Sr.	Sioux Falls	Lake in the Hills, Ill.
Ja’Quan Gardner	RB	5-7	205	Sr.	Humboldt State	Ceres, Calif.
Chad Hovasse	WR	6-1	215	Jr.	Adams State	Colorado Springs, Colo.
Cameron Mayberry	RB	5-11	200	So.	Colorado Mines	Stillwater, Okla.
Luis Perez	QB	6-3	220	Sr.	A&M-Commerce	Chula Vista, Calif.
Layton Rabb	QB	6-5	225	Jr.	Midwestern State	Llano, Texas
Paul Revis	WR	5-9	175	Sr.	Western Oregon	Scappoose, Ore.
Shane Zylstra	WR	6-4	215	So.	Minnesota State	Spicer, Minn.

 

FOOTBALL

Fifth-seed Lions put clamps on fourth-seed Winona State to pick up first road playoff win since 1990, 20-6.

WINONA, Minn. – The fifth-seeded Texas A&M University-Commerce football team defeated fourth-seeded Winona State University, 20-6, in the Super Region Four quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship on Saturday at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium.

The Lions advance the Super Region Four semifinal round for the second consecutive season with a record of 10-1. Winona State’s season ends with a 10-2.

A&M-Commerce will play on Saturday, November 25, against top-seeded Central Washington (11-0) at Tomlinson Field in Ellensburg, Wash. The announcement of the official kickoff is soon.

The win was A&M-Commerce’s first road playoff victory since 1990.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– The Lion defense limited the Warriors to 227 yards and six points. WSU came into the game averaging 35.8 points per game.
– The Lion offense gained 456 yards, with 308 yards through the air and 148 yards on the ground.
– The Lions won the turnover battle 3-1 against a Winona team that was ranked fifth nationally in turnover margin entering the contest.
– Brucks Saathoff, Dominique Ramsey, and Alex Shillow each had interceptions for the Lions. Saathoff was the Lions’ leading tackler with eight stops.
– Quarterback Luis Perez completed 28-of-41 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
– Vincent Hobbs was on the receiving end of both six-pointers. He had five catches for 57 yards.
– Running back, Carandal Hale, carried the ball 23 times for 106 yards.
– Kristov Martinez was 2-of-3 on field goal attempts, with made kicks of 46 and 22 yards. The 46-yard field goal in the third quarter tied his career long.
– The Lion defense broke up nine passes, sacked the WSU quarterback three times, and made eight tackles for loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions held the Warriors to a three-and-out on the opening drive of the game and proceeded quickly into WSU territory, but the drive bogged down, and they stopped a fourth down attempt.

The A&M-Commerce defense forced a three-and-out by WSU on the second drive and responded with another to get on the scoreboard. Perez completed 6-of-6 passes on the effort and found Hobbs in the end zone from nine yards out to make it a 7-0 game at the 7:20 mark of the first quarter after a Martinez PAT.

After another Warrior three-and-out, the Lions needed a fourth down conversion to keep their ensuing drive alive, with Perez finding Hobbs in space for a 20-yard completion on fourth-and-9. That duo hooked up again for the Lions’ second touchdown of the day with 2:26 to go in the first quarter on a 4-yard scoring pass from Perez to Hobbs, making it 14-0.

That 14-0 scoreline would roll into the second quarter, where the Warriors picked up their initial first down of the day on their fourth drive. WSU drove deep into Lion territory, where Saathoff snagged his first interception of the season at the 1-yard line, returning it 25 yards.

After the Lions punted for the first time on the day, Winona State constructed an eight-play, 57-yard drive that ended with the Warriors’ first points, as Carter McCauley banked in a 27-yard field goal off of the left upright with 6:45 left in the first half.

The Lions were forced to punt on their next drive but immediately got the ball back on a Ramsey interception, which he returned to the Winona 18. A&M-Commerce drove inside the WSU five, but the ball was lost in a pile-up just short of the Warrior goal line, and the hosts came away with possession.

The Lions’ final drive of the half came up empty after Martinez narrowly missed a 37-yard field goal at the end of the half, leaving the score at 14-3.

After the break, the Lions lit up the scoreboard again, as Martinez tied his career-long field goal with a 46-yarder, pushing the Lion lead to 17-3 with 11:47 left in the third quarter.

The A&M-Commerce secondary snuffed out another deep Warrior drive when Alex Shillow came down with the Lions’ third interception of the day at the Warrior 2-yard line.

Another Winona drive had the brakes slammed on it by the Lion defense inside the 10, as the hosts came away with only a field goal. McCauley’s 26-yarder with 38 seconds left in the third quarter made it a 17-6 game.

After the teams traded punts, the Lions used big completions to move downfield. Perez opened up the drive with a 38-yard completion to Wilson, then ran into the red zone on a 30-yard pass to Wimberly. A nine-play, 85-yard drive was capped by a 22-yard Martinez field goal to make it a 20-6 lead with 7:25 to play in the game.

Winona State trailed by two scores with time to cut into the lead and manufactured a 15-play drive that included two fourth-down conversions. Their final crack at fourth down was stopped short by a Saathoff tackle, and the Warriors were short by the length of the ball.

The Lions still needed to run out the clock, and the Warriors looked like they would have a chance to get the ball back before Hale burst through the left side for 33 yards on third-and-10 to seal the win.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Threes and free throws fall in Lions’ 71-64 win over St. Edward’s.

AUSTIN– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team got a 71-64 road win against St. Edward’s on Saturday. The Lions broke out of their shooting slump in the game, shooting 42 percent from the field.

The win brings the Lions to 2-2 on the season while the Hilltoppers fall to 2-2 on the year.

The Lions return to action on Wednesday with a home game against LeTourneau University. The game will begin at 2 p.m. at the Field House. Admission to the game will be free of charge as part of Fan Appreciation Day.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Brianna Wise scored a career-high 25 points in the contest, including hitting all five of her three-pointers. She also had five rebounds.
– Artaejah Gay scored a season-high 19 points, hitting two threes. She also made all seven of her free throws. Gay had four blocks, moving into fifth all-time in blocks in program history.
– Princess Davis scored 14 points and dished out a season-high five assists. She ran into 8th all-time in assists in program history.
– Melanie Ransom had five points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Alex Nance and Jocelyn Pierce had three points apiece.
– Jenna Price had two points, two assists, and six rebounds. Lauren Parker and Jasmyn Eckerman had two rebounds respectively.
– The Lions shot 42 percent from the field, including 50 percent from three. The Lions also shot 83 percent from the free throw line.
– A&M-Commerce had five three-point plays in the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions got off to a quick start. Wise hit a three-pointer and then Price had a fast break layup on an assist from Ransom, giving the Lions a quick 5-0 lead. After a bucket from SEU, Wise and Gay hit consecutive threes to provide A&M-Commerce with an 11-2 lead after three minutes of play. Davis got off to a good start as the facilitator, assisting on each triple in the early stages.

The Hilltoppers got back into the game with a run of their own, scoring 10 points in a row. The Lions missed seven baskets in a row on the run and had multiple turnovers to let SEU back into the game. Gay hit a late three to give the Lions a 15-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Davis had two quick layups early in the second quarter as the Lions again took a four-point lead. But the Hilltoppers kept the game close, still drawing a pair of Lion turnovers to tie the game at 23.

The Lions then had another run, scoring 11 points in a row. Ransom had a layup and drew a foul after an offensive rebound, scoring on a three-point play. Wise also had a three-point play to bring the Lions lead back up to eight points. Pierce had yet another three-point effort as the Lions built their lead to 34-23, their most significant of the first half. The Lions took that lead into halftime.

Gay led the Lions with ten first-half points. Wise had nine points and four rebounds. Davis had four rebounds and four assists. The Lions shot 48 percent in the first half and held St. Edward’s to just 25.8 percent from the field. Both teams had turnover problems, with a combined 27 giveaways in the first half.

The turnover woes continued for the Lions to start the second half. Two early takeaways by the Hilltoppers led to layups to cut into the Lion lead. After a Wise three, SEU had two threes of their own to cut the lead to 37-33. Wise was on fire from behind the arc, hitting consecutive threes to bring the Lion lead back up to 10 points. She also had two free throws to end the quarter, and the Lions led 45-35 after three quarters.

The Hilltoppers cut into the Lion lead early in the fourth, scoring the first five points of the quarter. A three and a three-point play from SEU tied the game at 48 with seven minutes left to play.

After four free throws from Wise, Davis scored on another three-point play to give A&M-Commerce the 55-52 lead with five minutes to play. Gay had five late points in the quarter as she made two free throws and then scored a three-point play to keep the Lion lead at five with three minutes to play.

After a few possessions of neither team scoring, Davis hit a jumper with a minute and a half remaining to give the Lions a 62-55 lead. After SEU missed another shot, they were forced to foul to try and extend the game. The Hilltoppers sent Davis to the line twice, and she made three of her four attempts. Gay added two more free throws, and the Hilltoppers ran out of time, as the Lions left with the seven-point win.

 

VOLLEYBALL

Lions comeback comes just short with a five-set loss to TWU in LSC Tournament semifinal.

STEPHENVILLE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce lost a five-set battle to Texas Woman’s University on Friday in the Lone Star Conference Tournament semifinal round. The Lions fell behind two sets to one before battling back in the fourth game. A fifth set rally fell just short. The set scores were 23-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-22 and 11-15.

The loss brings the Lions to 21-11 on the season and eliminates them from tournament play. The Pioneers improve to 16-17 on the season and advance to the LSC Championship round.

The Lions await the NCAA South Central Region rankings to determine if they will continue into the NCAA Tournament. The Lions were the sixth seed headed into the weekend, with the top eight teams earning bids into the tournament. They release the final regional rankings Monday at 6:30 p.m. during the NCAA’s annual selection show.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Layne Little led the team with 17 kills. She also had 15 digs, an ace, and two blocks.
– Shelley Chapron had 13 kills and hit .321. She had nine blocks in the match, including two solo blocks.
– Jaryn Wacker and Jaslyn Wacker both had eight kills in the game. Neka Nelson had six kills, Mariyah Oliver had five kills, and Sydney Reyes had three.
– Gabriela Rosa led the team with 29 assists and had 13 digs. Rylie Fuentes had 27 assists and added 18 digs.
– Savannah Rutledge led the team with 32 digs while Lacie Jessup had 26.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions got off to a hot start, taking the first four points of the first set. Chapron had a kill and a block in the rally. The Lions pushed their lead to eight points early in the game, leading 14-6 midway through the set.

TWU then started to rally, overcoming the Lion lead and going on a six-point run to tie the match at 16-all. The Lions had multiple hitting errors in the rally as the Pioneers were able to take the lead for the first time in the game. TWU pushed its lead to two points at 20-18.

The Lions battled back to score four of the next five points to retake the lead in a tight finish. The match was tied at 21, 22 and 23 before the Pioneers scored the final two points to win the first set 25-23. Chapron had five kills in the first set, and Little and Jaslyn Wacker had four apiece for the Lions.

The Lions scored three of the first four points of the second set as they looked to even up the match. After TWU took a 4-3 lead, the Lions scored six points in a row to take a 9-4 advantage. The Pioneers scored three in a row to get back in as the Lions led 12-9 midway through the second set.

The Lions then went on another run, taking a five-point lead. TWU had multiple attack errors as the Pioneers tried to hit over the Lion block. TWU found space, cutting the Lion lead to one point. The Lions finished the set well as they built their lead back up late in the game. The Lions took the second game 25-20. There were 21 combined attack errors in the second set, as the Lions had five blocks.

In the third set, it was the Pioneers who got off to the quick start, scoring the first three points. The Lions battled back, tying the game at 6-all after a three-point rally of their own. The teams battled back and forth as the score was 11-10 in favor of the Lions midway through the set.

The Pioneers then took control of the set. They scored five points in a row to take the lead and built their lead to as many eight points at 22-14. The Lions wouldn’t go quietly, making the next three points to get back within five. It was part of a rally that saw the Lions score five points in a six-point span to cut the lead down to three points. The Lions could not finish off the rally however and fell in the third set 25-20.

After trailing 3-2 early in the fourth set, TWU then scored four points in a row to take the lead. The Pioneers built the lead up to five points before a four-point run from the Lions cut the score to just 10-9. After the teams traded points, TWU again went on a four-point run to take an 18-12 lead.

The Lions battled back, scoring four points in a five-point stretch to cut the TWU lead down to 21-19. The Lions continued to fight, taking the lead. The Lions scored nine of the final 10 points. Little had six kills in the set and also had a solo block to send the match to a deciding fifth game.

It was a tight battle to begin the fifth. The teams split the first 10 points before TWU took a three-point lead midway through the set at 8-5. TWU pushed its lead to five points before the Lions fought back, cutting the Pioneer lead to just one point. TWU wouldn’t be denied, however, taking the final three points to win the match.

 

FOOTBALL

RICHARDSON – Led by two individual award winners, the Texas A&M University-Commerce football program had 29 total honors as the Lone Star Conference Football All-Conference, All-Academic, and they announced the special award winners Friday.

Eight Lions were named first team all-LSC, nine Lions were named second-team all-LSC, eight Lions earned all-LSC honorable mention, and two Lions earned LSC All-Academic honors.

Luis Perez won the J.W. Rollins Award as the LSC’s Offensive Player of the Year and was also named the first team all-LSC quarterback. Perez led the nation in passing, averaging 342.9 yards per game. He completed 277-of-385 passes for 36 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He set the school career passing yardage record with 6,755 entering Saturday’s NCAA Division II playoff game at Winona State. His 521 career completions and 68 passing touchdowns are also school records – all while only playing in two seasons.

Perez earns first-team all-LSC honors for the second time in his career. He is the first Lion quarterback to win first-team all-LSC in consecutive seasons since Bobby Bounds in 1990 and 1991. He is the fourth Lion quarterback to earn first-team all-LSC honors more than once.

Jared Machorro was named the LSC Offensive Lineman of the Year and was named first-team all-LSC after leading the offensive line to a dominant season that saw the Lions qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the third consecutive season. It is the second straight season he has earned first team all-LSC honors. Machorro is the sixth Lion to win Offensive Lineman of the Year honors since the award began in 1985, and the first A&M-Commerce player to do in a single-division LSC.

Also earning first team all-conference honors were tight end Vincent Hobbs, kicker Kristov Martinez, kick returner Buck Wilson, defensive end Michael Onuoha, inside linebacker Brucks Saathoff, and cornerback Yusef Sterling-Lowe. Wilson was also named a second-team all-LSC wide receiver.

Hobbs earns all-conference honors for the first time in his career. He had 36 receptions for 487 yards and three touchdowns this season, including a monster catch-and-run against Eastern New Mexico for one of the highlight plays of the season.

Martinez earns all-conference honors for the second time after being named second-team all-LSC in 2016. He was the leading scorer amongst kickers in league with 88 points on 49 PATs, and 13 field goals. He was twice named the LSC Special Teams Player of the Week as he also set the school’s career records for scoring and PATs in his junior season. The management major earned LSC All-Academic honors for the second consecutive season.

Wilson averaged 31.7 yards per kickoff return, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at West Texas A&M. He would lead the LSC in kickoff return average, but the defense has allowed so few scores, that he does not have the number of kickoff returns to qualify. Wilson ranked fifth in the LSC in receiving average with 68.4 yards per game. He caught 46 passes for 684 yards and nine touchdowns. It is Wilson’s second time earning first-team all-LSC return specialist honors, as he also received the distinction in 2015.

Onuoha was an honorable mention pick in 2016 and earned first-team all-LSC honors this season. He had 35 tackles with six tackles for loss and two sacks, along with five quarterback hurries. He had a season-high seven tackles at Midwestern State.

Saathoff also vaulted to first-team all-LSC after earning honorable mention in 2016. He led the Lions in tackles with 59 stops including three tackles for loss and two sacks. Saathoff forced a fumble, had a pass breakup, and five quarterback hurries. He had a season-high 12 tackles in the win at West Texas A&M, winning LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Sterling-Lowe was previously an honorable mention pick and earned first-team all-LSC honors this season. He was named the LSC Defensive Player of the Week with two interceptions at A&M-Kingsville. He had 27 tackles as a cornerback with a season-best eight stops against Eastern New Mexico.

Representing the Lions on the second team were guard Poet Thomas, center Jon Aguilar, wide receivers Darrion Landry and Buck Wilson, defensive tackle D.D. Fletcher, outside linebacker Kieston Carter, safeties Chris Smith and Alex Shillow, and long snapper Austin Jordan.

Both Thomas and Aguilar were crucial components in one of the nation’s top offensive line units. Both were an honorable mention in 2016 before elevating to second-team all-LSC status in 2017.

Landry tied for third in the conference with nine touchdown receptions in his first season as a Lion. He had 37 receptions for 547 yards to average 54.7 yards per game.

Fletcher earns all-conference accolades for the first time in his career. He was a constant disruption in the backfield and finished the season with 17 tackles, including four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also had two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.

Carter was all-LSC honorable mention as a junior and earns second team all-conference honors as a senior. He was named the LSC Defensive Player of the Week against Tarleton State in the final week of the regular season. He had 29 tackles with 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He ranked fifth in the league in tackles for loss.

Smith earns his first career all-LSC honor. He was the LSC Defensive Player of the Week in the season’s opening week thanks to a game-deciding safety in the 8-7 win at North Alabama. He made 27 tackles with two tackles for loss and had two pass breakups.

Shillow earns all-LSC honors in his first season on the field. The redshirt freshman made 41 tackles, had two interceptions and a fumble recovery, and broke up five passes. He made the most tackles of any player in the Lion secondary.

Jordan was an all-LSC honorable mention last year and elevated to second team all-conference this season. He was an integral part of the punt and kick units as the Lions had some of the top special team’s units in the nation. He also caught his first career touchdown pass from the tight end position on his Senior Day.

Earning all-LSC honorable mention were wide receiver D’Arthur Cowan, running back Carandal Hale, return specialist Shawn Hooks, defensive tackle Peyton Searcy, inside linebacker Neema Behbahani, outside linebacker Travon Blanchard, cornerback Darent White, and punter Tristan Perry.

Cowan ranked 13th in the conference, averaging 54.5 yards per game receiving. He had 42 receptions for 545 yards and eight touchdowns.

Hale was the Lions’ top running back as a redshirt freshman. He had 533 yards rushing on the year, with 104 yards against Angelo State. He had 775 all-purpose yards when including his 242 receiving yards on 35 catches.

Hooks averaged 13.1 yards per punt return to lead the conference. He was first-team all-LSC in 2016. He also had 25 receptions for 303 yards and three touchdowns.

Searcy had 27 tackles with six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Behbahani was the Lions’ second-leading tackler with 43 stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a pass breakup, a fumble recovery, and three quarterback hurries.

Blanchard had 32 stops on the year with eight tackles for loss and three sacks. He blocked one kick, forced one fumble, intercepted one pass, and had four pass breakups. White had 17 tackles on the season with an interception and three pass breakups.

Perry ranked fourth in the LSC in punting as a true freshman. He averaged 40.5 yards per punt on 33 boots with 15 inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and four punts of over 50 yards, including the conference’s longest punt at 76 yards.

Linebacker Garrett Blubaugh also joined Martinez on the LSC All-Academic team. The starting linebacker also carries high marks as a pre-medical major.

2017 LSC FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
SPECIAL AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year (J.W. Rollins award): Luis Perez, Texas A&M-Commerce
Offensive Back of the Year: Kamal Cass, Eastern New Mexico
Receiver of the Year: Jordan Thomas, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Jared Machorro, Texas A&M-Commerce
Freshman of the Year: John O’Kelley, UT Permian Basin
Defensive Player of the Year (J.V. Sikes award): Markus Jones, Angelo State
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Markus Jones, Angelo State
Linebacker of the Year: Justin Jackson, Angelo State
Defensive Back of the Year: Fred Lawrence, Angelo State
Coach of the Year: Bill Maskill, Midwestern State

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Islam Sbeih	Midwestern State	OG	Sr.	East Oakland, Calif.
Josh Bongiovanni	Eastern New Mexico	OG	Sr.	Tracy, Calif.
Jared Machorro	Texas A&M-Commerce	OT	Sr.	Coldspring, Texas
Isaiah Talbert	Eastern New Mexico	OT	Sr.	Denver, Colo.
A.J. Roland	Midwestern State	C	Jr.	Saches, Texas
Stehly Reden	Texas A&M-Kingsville	TE	Sr.	Valley Center, Calif.
Vincent Hobbs	Texas A&M-Commerce	TE	Jr.	Mesquite, Texas
Jordan Thomas	Texas A&M-Kingsville	WR	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas
D’Angelo Bowie	Western New Mexico	WR	Sr.	Virginia Beach, Va.
Donovan Thompson	Angelo State	WR	Sr.	Houston, Texas
Jeff Thomas	Tarleton State	WR	Sr.	Duncanville, Texas
Luis Perez	Texas A&M-Commerce	QB	Sr.	Chula Vista, Calif.
Kamal Cass	Eastern New Mexico	RB	Sr.	Clovis, N.M.
Adrian Seales	Midwestern State	RB	Jr.	Port Arthur, Texas
Jordan Johnson	West Texas A&M	FB	So.	Eagle Lake, Texas
Kristov Martinez	Texas A&M-Commerce	PK	Jr.	Edinburg, Texas
Buck Wilson	Texas A&M-Commerce	RS	Sr.	Commerce, Texas

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Tyrell Thompson	Tarleton State	DT	Jr.	Copperas Cove, Texas
Bright Ihegworo	Angelo State	DT	So.	Sugar Land, Texas
Markus Jones	Angelo State	DE	Jr.	Crowley, Texas
Michael Onuoha	Texas A&M-Commerce	DE	Jr.	Edmond, Okla.
Brad Hardin	Eastern New Mexico	ILB	Jr.	Aztec, N.M.
Brucks Saathoff	Texas A&M-Commerce	ILB	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas
Justin Jackson	Angelo State	OLB	Jr.	Missouri City, Texas
Desmond Blue	Eastern New Mexico	OLB	Sr.	Sarasota, Fla.
Yusef Sterling-Lowe	Texas A&M-Commerce	CB	Sr.	Oakland, Calif.
Fred Lawrence	Angelo State	CB	Sr.	Abilene, Texas
Josh Wydermyer	Midwestern State	S	Jr.	Austin, Texas
Ian Davis	Western New Mexico	S	Sr.	Grass Valley, Calif.
Toby Amadi	Eastern New Mexico	S	Sr.	Wylie, Texas
John Cummings	West Texas A&M	P	Sr.	Plano, Texas
Bobby Joe Nielsen	Midwestern State	DS	Sr.	Lampasas, Texas

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Poet Thomas	Texas A&M-Commerce	OG	Sr.	Beverly Hills, Mich.
Kevin Fisher, Jr	Midwestern State	OG	Jr.	Lakeland, Fla.
Stuart Sanchez	Texas A&M-Kingsville	OG	Sr.	Corpus Christi, Texas
John Rowell	Midwestern State	OT	Jr.	Houston, Texas
Andre Gillette	Angelo State	OT	Jr.	Odessa, Texas
Jon Aguilar	Texas A&M-Commerce	C	Sr.	Lubbock, Texas
Lane Cummings	Eastern New Mexico	C	Sr.	Las Cruces, N.M.
Dorian Johnson	Midwestern State	TE	Sr.	Pasadena, Texas
Del’Michael High	Tarleton State	WR	Sr.	Mesquite, Texas
Darrion Landry	Texas A&M-Commerce	WR	Jr.	Baytown, Texas
Buck Wilson	Texas A&M-Commerce	WR	Sr.	Commerce, Texas
DeAndre Black	Midwestern State	WR	Sr.	Pittsburgh, Pa.
Layton Rabb	Midwestern State	QB	Jr.	Llano, Texas
Vincent Johnson	Midwestern State	RB	Jr.	Lubbock, Texas
Josh Stevens	Angelo State	RB	Sr.	Ormand Beach, Fla.
Xavier Turner	Tarleton State	RB	Jr.	North Richland Hills, Texas
Tayshaun Gary	Eastern New Mexico	FB	Jr.	El Paso, Texas
Alex Schrag	West Texas A&M	PK	Fr.	The Colony, Texas
Daniel McCants	Tarleton State	RS	So.	Killeen, Texas

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DD Fletcher	Texas A&M-Commerce	DT	So.	Arlington, Texas
Frank Seiuli	UT Permian Basin	DT	Sr.	Pago Pago, America Samoa
Alec DiValerio	Midwestern State	DE	Jr.	Saches, Texas
Chase Varnado	Tarleton State	DE	Sr.	Stephenville, Texas
Leo Marin	Western New Mexico	DE	Sr.	Carlsbad, Calif.
Basil Jackson	Tarleton State	ILB	Sr.	Arlington, Texas
Dominic Barry	Western New Mexico	ILB	Sr.	Moreno Valley, Calif.
Daelin Young	West Texas A&M	OLB	Sr.	Mesquite, Texas
Kieston Carter	Texas A&M-Commerce	OLB	Sr.	Mexia, Texas
Devin Hafford	Tarleton State	CB	So.	Atascocita, Texas
DaMarcus Wilson	Midwestern State	CB	So.	Forth Worth, Texas
Sir’Vell Ford	Midwestern State	S	Jr.	Richmond, Texas
Chris Smith	Texas A&M-Commerce	S	Jr.	Mansfield, Texas
Alex Shillow	Texas A&M-Commerce	S	R-Fr.	Pflugerville, Texas
Ron Reid	Tarleton State	P	Jr.	Burleson, Texas
Austin Jordan	Texas A&M-Commerce	DS	Sr.	Rowlett, Texas

HONORABLE MENTION
Blake Harrison	Angelo State	OG	So.	Ft Worth, Texas
AJ Wozniak	Angelo State	OG	Fr.	Flower Mound, Texas
Dillon Vaughn	West Texas A&M	OT	Sr.	Corpus Christi, Texas
Emmanuel Henry	Angelo State	OT	Jr.	Gurnee, Ill.
Caleb Brown	Midwestern State	OT	R-Fr.	Rowlett, Texas
Travis Vornkahl	West Texas A&M	OT	Jr.	Sealy, Texas
Hunter Bowers	UT Permian Basin	OT	So.	Corpus Christi, Texas
Ashmeed Ahamad	Angelo State	C	Sr.	Deer Park, Texas
Iverson Moana	Western New Mexico	C	R-Fr.	Pago Pago, American Samoa
Noah Perez	Tarleton State	C	So.	Stephenville, Texas
D’Arthur Cowan	Texas A&M-Commerce	WR	Sr.	Olive Branch, Miss.
D.J. Myers	Midwestern State	WR	Sr.	Woodbridge, Va.
Evan Beebe	Western New Mexico	WR	Jr.	San Diego, Calif.
Johnny Smith	Eastern New Mexico	WR	So.	El Paso, Texas
Javia Hall	Western New Mexico	QB	Sr.	Dallas, Texas
Zed Woerner	Tarleton State	QB	Sr.	Marble Falls, Texas
Wyatt Strand	Eastern New Mexico	QB	So.	Logan, N.M.
Nick Pelrean	Texas A&M-Kingsville	RB	Jr.	Houston, Texas
Carandal Hale