Dangerfield Player Honored

Shawn Hooks named to College Football America Starting Lineup

COMMERCE – Named to the College Football America 2017 Yearbook Division II Starting Lineup CFA’s version of an All-America team announced Wednesday Texas A&M University-Commerce’s wide receiver and return specialist Shawn Hooks.

Hooks, a senior from Daingerfield, was one of the top return men in Division II as a junior and was the only player in the division with three punt returns for touchdowns in the 2016 season. Only three players in all divisions of college football had three punt returns for scores.

Hooks was named a D2CCA second team All-American and he was a Don Hansen’s Football Gazette Division II All-American honorable mention. He is a first team all-Super Region IV by the D2CCA and second team all-Super Region IV by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette. The first team, all-Lone Star Conference honoree, was also a two-time LSC Special Teams Player of the Week. He led the conference with 22 punt returns for 369 yards, averaging 16.8 yards per return. His three punt return touchdowns came against Western New Mexico, Angelo State, and Tarleton State, and his 79-yard return against WNMU was a career-long.

The back-to-back-to-back LSC champion Lions kick off the 2017 season on Thursday, August 31, at North Alabama. The home schedule starts on Saturday, September 9, against William Jewell. Tickets are available online at WeAreLionsTix.com, by visiting Lion Sales & Service at the box office in the Field House during regular business hours, or by calling (903) 468-8756.

2017 College Football America Division II Starting Lineup
Offense

Pos.	Name	School	Yr.
QB	Michael Kier	California (Pa.)	Sr.
RB	Marty Carter	Grand Valley St.	Jr.
RB	Max Mickey	Sioux Falls	Sr.
WR	Dre Hall	North Alabama	Sr.
WR	Damon Gibson	MSU-Moorhead	Sr.
TE	Brody Oliver	Colorado Mines	Jr.
OL	Gavin de los Santos	Harding	Sr.
OL	Joe Hillin	Mars Hill	Sr.
OL	Joseph Lacey	LIU Post	Sr.
OL	Lavonte Hights	Shepherd	Sr.
OL	Alex Cappa	Humboldt St.	Sr.
KR	Ta’Nauz Gregory	Edinboro	So.

Defense

Pos.	Name	School	Yr.
DL	Zach Sieler	Ferris State	Jr.
DL	Brandon Jones	Texas A&M-Kingsville	Jr.
DL	Jarell Bright	Winston-Salem St.	Jr.
LB	Bryan Jones	Saginaw Valley St.	Sr.
LB	Bo Highburger	Western Oregon	Jr.
LB	Kevin Haynes	Central Washington	Sr.
DB	Drew Hebel	Black Hills State	Jr.
DB	Joshua Simmons	Limestone	Sr.
DB	Carlo Thomas	Johnson C. Smith	Sr.
DB	Jared Chester	LIU Post	Sr.
P	Carter Anchors	Pittsburg State	Jr.
PR	Shawn Hooks	A&M-Commerce	Sr.

 

Wilfredo Sanchez named Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar

NORMAN, Okla. – Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golfer Wilfredo Sanchez has been named a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America, as announced Wednesday.

Sanchez completed his junior season as an individual qualifier for the NCAA Division II South Central/West Super Regional tournament, while also posting stellar academic credentials in his first year in Commerce.

Sanchez was named the Lone Star Conference Newcomer of the Year and was also a second team all-LSC honoree. He had five finishes inside the top five, including a runner-up finish at the Newman Fall Invitational. He placed fourth at the LSC Championship, helping lead the Lions to the conference title. The LSC championship was the Lions’ first conference championship in 19 years and second in 53 years.

In addition to a 74.36 stroke average in 33 rounds, Sanchez met rigorous academic requirements for this award, while majoring in industrial engineering. To be eligible for Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status an individual must be:
1. A junior or senior academically
2. Compete in at least three full years at the collegiate level.
3. Participate in 50-percent of his team’s competitive rounds
4. Have a stroke-average under 78.0 in Division II
5. Maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2.
A recipient must also be of a high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.