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TAMUC – Sports

 

FOOTBALL

Perez named Super Region Four Offensive Player of the Year by D2CCA; Machorro, Martinez also on the all-region list.

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez was named the Super Region Four Offensive Player of the Year by the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) on Friday, leading three Lions who earned all-region honors.

Perez and offensive lineman Jared Machorro were named first team all-region and advance to the All-America ballot. Kicker Kristov Martinez was named second team all-region.

Perez adds the regional player of the year award to a long and growing list of accolades for one of the best seasons in college football. The Harlon Hill Trophy finalist is Division II’s leading passer and the only one of the top 19 passers in the nation still playing in the Division II playoffs. He averages 344.3 yards per game, completing 346-of-491 passes for 4,131 yards with 41 touchdowns and ten interceptions. He has thrown for over 300 yards in his last ten consecutive games.

Perez won the Lone Star Conference’s J.W. Rollins Award as the offensive player of the year and has been named the First Team All-Lone Star Conference quarterback in both of his seasons as a Lion. The preseason All-American was also a nominee for the AFCA/Allstate Good Works Team.

He is Division II’s active career leader in passing yards per game (298.3 yards per game in his career), ranking ninth in all NCAA divisions. He is one of only three players in all NCAA divisions with over 4,000 passing yards this season in 12 games played. He has a career record of 22-3 as the Lions’ starting quarterback. Over his two-year Lion career, Perez has completed 590-of-880 passes for 7,457 yards with 73 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He has thrown for over 300 yards in 15 of his 25 career games.

Machorro earns first team all-region honors from the D2CCA for the second consecutive season. He was previously 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 lead the nation in passing. He has twice earned first-team all-LSC honors. Machorro is the sixth Lion to win Offensive Lineman of the Year honors since the award instituted in 1985, and the first A&M-Commerce player to do in a single-division LSC.

Martinez was the first team all-Lone Star Conference kicker and has been a critical element in the Lions’ advancement to the national quarterfinals. He has made 17-of-21 field goals and 55-of-56 PATs this season for 106 points. The leading kick scorer in the LSC scored 15 points in the season-ending win at Tarleton, and Martinez has scored 10 or more points in six games this season. He also made two 38-yard field goals in the overtime periods of the Lions’ 34-31 double-overtime victory at Central Washington in the regional semifinal. He is the Lions’ all-time leading scorer.

This trio will lead the Lions into the Super Region Four final of the NCAA Division II Football Championship against No. 1 Minnesota State on Saturday. Kickoff of the national quarterfinal game is at noon.

D2CCA All-Super Region Four Teams

First Team Offense

Pos Player School Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
TE Kyle Self Central Washington Sr. 6-5 229 Vaughn, Wash.
OL Jared Machorro A&M-Commerce Sr. 6-7 280 Coldspring, Texas
OL Alex Cappa Humboldt State Sr. 6-7 305 Dublin, Calif.
OL James Moore Central Washington Jr. 6-5 310 Tacoma, Wash.
OL Nicholas Streubel Central Washington So. 6-3 294 Oak Harbor, Wash.
OL Islam Sbeih Midwestern State Sr. 6-1 298 East Oakland, Calif.
WR Weston Carr Azusa Pacific So. 6-2 200 Benicia, Calif.
WR Shane Zylstra Minnesota State-Mankato So. 6-4 215 Spicer, Minn.
QB Luis Perez A&M-Commerce Sr. 6-3 220 Chula Vista, Calif.
RB Ja’Quan Gardner Humboldt State Sr. 5-7 205 Ceres, Calif.
RB Cameron Mayberry Colorado School of Mines R-So. 5-11 200 Stillwater, Okla.
RS Virnel Moon Colorado Mesa Sr. 5-10 165 El Cajon, Calif.
K Casey Bednarski Minnesota State-Mankato Jr. 6-1 230 Oconomowoc, Wis.

First Team Defense

Pos Player School Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
DL Evan Perrizo Minnesota State-Mankato Sr. 6-5 275 Eden Prairie, Minn.
DL Markus Jones Angelo State Jr. 6-3 255 Crowley, Texas
DL Bo Banner Central Washington Sr. 6-2 241 Bellingham, Wash.
LB Kevin Haynes Central Washington Sr. 6-1 228 Battle Ground, Wash.
LB Dennis Gardeck Sioux Falls Gr. 6-0 20 Lake In The Hills, Ill.
LB Brandon Payer Colorado State-Pueblo Jr. 6-4 248 Pine, Colo.
LB Kirby Hora Augustana (S.D.) Jr. 6-2 210 Sioux Falls, S.D.
S Andrew Spencer Winona State Sr. 6-1 210 Lake Villa, Ill.
S John Vogeler Bemidji State Jr. 6-3 212 Alexandria, Minn.
CB Tyler Hasty Central Washington Jr. 6-0 190 Bellevue, Wash.
CB Darius Williams Colorado State-Pueblo Jr. 6-0 195 Gilbert, Ariz.
P Casey Bednarski Minnesota State-Mankato Jr. 6-1 230 Oconomowoc, Wis.

Second Team Offense

Pos Player School Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
TE Colt Foster Chadron State R-So. 6-2 220 Hemingford, Neb.
OL Austin Fleer Colorado Mesa Sr. 6-8 300 Aurora, Colo.
OL Jake Porter Minnesota State-Mankato Sr. 6-2 295 Fort Dodge, Iowa
OL Sakalaia Hungalu Azusa Pacific Jr. 6-2 290 Honolulu, Hawai’i
OL Jake Gronholz Winona State Sr. 6-3 281 Lake Mills, Wis.
OL Nolan Folkert Minnesota Duluth Sr. 6-4 295 Elgin, Minn.
WR Paul Revis Western Oregon Sr. 5-9 175 Scappoose, Ore.
WR Jordan Thomas Texas A&M-Kingsville R-Sr. 6-0 165 San Antonio, Texas
QB Eystin Salum Colorado Mesa Jr. 6-1 185 Denver, Colo.
RB Kamal Cass Eastern New Mexico Sr. 5-11 185 Clovis, N.M.
RB Nate Gunn Minnesota State-Mankato So. 6-2 215 Minooka, Ill.
RS Jake Balliu Winona State So. 5-9 175 Lake Villa, Ill.
K Kristov Martinez A&M-Commerce Jr. 5-6 135 Edinburg, Texas

Second Team Defense

Pos Player School Class Ht. Wt. Hometown
DL Billy Greer Central Washington R-Fr. 6-0 256 Tacoma, Wash.
DL Blake Nelson Colorado Mesa Sr. 5-11 230 Centennial, Colo.
DL Truett Box Chadron State Sr. 6-2 285 Cheynne Wells, Colo.
LB Justin Jackson Angelo State Jr. 6-2 210 Missouri City, Texas
LB Dominic Barry Western New Mexico R-Sr. 6-0 237 Moreno Valley, Calif.
LB Basil Jackson Tarleton State Sr. 6-0 230 Arlington, Texas
LB Aaron Berry Azusa Pacific Jr. 6-2 210 Perris, Calif.
S Taliuaki Suliafu Azusa Pacific Sr. 6-1 200 Moreno Valley, Calif.
S Jackson Huerta Central Washington Jr. 5-10 194 Covington, Wash.
CB Emery Taylor Colorado State-Pueblo So. 5-9 162 Aurora, Colo.
CB Glenn Harris Wayne State (Neb.) Sr. 6-1 180 Kansas City, Mo.
P John Cummings West Texas A&M Sr. 6-0 218 Plano, Texas

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Texas A&M Commerce Mens Basketball – Texas A&M-Commerce at Cameron – November 30, 2017

Final Score: A&M-Commerce 69 at Cameron 68

Final stats can be downloaded in PDF, HTML and XML formats using the URLs below:

 

Late layup gives Lions 69-68 win at Cameron to move to 6-0.

LAWTON, Okla. – A Reggie Reid spin move to the basket with 6.3 seconds to play capped a 6-0 run that sealed a tight 69-68 win for the Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball team at Cameron University on Thursday night.

With the win, the Lions move to 6-0 on the season and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference, while Cameron falls to 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the league. It is the second season in a row that the Lions have won their first six games to open the season.

The Lions stay on the road for their second LSC game, taking on Midwestern State at 4 p.m. Saturday in Wichita Falls.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Dorian Armstrong made his first seven field goal attempts and was a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range on the way to a 22-point, 8-rebound performance.
– Willie Rooks scored 16 points with two rebounds and two assists.
– Reid played all 40 minutes and scored 13 points, including the game-winning basket.
– The Lions shot 47.4 percent from the floor, making 27-of-57 shots.
– There were six ties and nine lead changes. The Lions outscored the Aggies in the paint by a 36-22 margin.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Armstrong netted his first two shots from close range before long-range shots put the Lions on top. A Rooks triple and a pair of Armstrong threes gave the Lions a 13-8 lead just over five minutes into the game.

After the Aggies scored a three, A&M-Commerce scored seven of the next nine points, with Armstrong’s third three-pointer of the half giving the guests a 20-13 lead with 11:57 to go in the frame.

A seven-point Lion surge by a pair of Reid free throws and five points from Rooks gave A&M-Commerce its largest lead of the half at 27-15 with just over 10 minutes to go.

Unfortunately for the Lions, they would miss their next ten field goal attempts, allowing Cameron to go on a 17-2 run. That momentum swing saw the hosts go up 32-29 with 3:29 to go in the period. The Lions were able to score the last four points on a layup by Stefan Bozickovic and a Reid floater just before the buzzer.

The Lions shot 46.2 percent (12-of-26) in half and turned the ball over five times. A&M-Commerce scored seven points off of Cameron’s three turnovers. Armstrong had 15 points in the first half on 5-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-3 shooting from behind the arc. Horne had five of the Lions’ 14 rebounds, but the guests were outrebounded by the Aggies, 20-14, in the period.

Cameron scored the opening basket of the second half to go up by three points before the Lions scored eight consecutive points. Armstrong scored five points in the run, and a Reid free throw at the 16:10 mark put the Lions up 43-38.

The teams traded buckets through most of the half, with the Lions taking their largest lead of the second half at 53-46 on a Joseph Williams-Powell layup at the 10:53 mark.

The Aggies went on a 10-2 run over the next three and a half minutes to regain the lead at 56-55 with 7:36 to go.

A back-and-forth affair continued from there before a three-minute Lion scoreless streak allowed the Aggies to go up by five. Seven straight points from the hosts gave Cameron a 68-63 lead with 1:43 to play.

A&M-Commerce shut down the Aggie offense from there, as the hosts missed their final four shots of the game.

Reid took the game over, scoring the game’s final six points. His spinning layup with 6.3 seconds to play gave the Lions the lead at 69-68. The Aggies forced up a contested three-pointer at the end of the game, which was missed and sealed the Lion win.

The Lions scored 48.4 percent from the field in the second half and out-rebounded the Aggies 19-15. A&M-Commerce only turned the ball over twice in the second half.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Texas A&M Commerce Women’s Basketball – Texas A&M-Commerce at Cameron – November 30, 2017

Final Score: A&M-Commerce 79 at Cameron 69

Final stats can be downloaded in PDF, HTML and XML formats using the URLs below:

 

Lions turn it on in overtime to defeat Cameron 79-69 in LSC opener.

LAWTON, Okla.– The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s basketball team picked up a 79-69 overtime win over Cameron to open their Lone Star Conference season on Thursday. The Lions overcame a cold first quarter to run away with the game in the final five minutes.

The win brings the Lions to 4-3 on the season and 1-0 in the LSC. The Aggies fall to 2-4 and 0-1 in conference play.

The Lions return to the court on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for a road match against Midwestern State in Wichita Falls.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Brianna Wise scored 26 points, topping her career high for the third time this season. She also had nine rebounds and was 8-of-12 from the foul line.
– Melanie Ransom had 14 points, making all six of her free throws. Artaejah Gay scored 13 points.
– Jenna Price had her first double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
– Princess Davis had seven points, Agang Tac had four points, and Lauren Parker had two points and three assists.
– The Lions overcame an 18-11 deficit late in the first quarter after a pair of back-to-back Cameron three-pointers.
– A&M-Commerce shot 41.3 percent from the field in the game (26-of-63), while limiting the Aggies to a 32.4 percent clip (23-of-71). The Lions made 24 free throws to the Aggies’ 15.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After scoring the first shot of the game, the Lions then missed five shots in a row. CU took advantage and went up 6-2 early in the game. Ransom hit a three and two free throw to bring the game within one point midway through the quarter. After a Wise layup, Cameron hit two consecutive three-pointers to bring their lead to seven. The Lions trailed 18-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Wise hit a jumper and a layup early in the second quarter as the Lions cut into the Aggie lead. The Lions finally took the lead back late in the second quarter. Davis hit a layup to tie the game and Price hit a layup in transition from Davis to give the Lions a 23-21 lead. The Lions pushed their lead to four before a late Cameron basket sent A&M-Commerce with a 27-25 lead. The Lions outscored the Aggies 15-7 in the quarter.

It was a back and forth battle to start the second half. The teams were tied multiple times as the Lions would score before CU would answer back to tie. The Lions broke the trend and took a four-point lead midway through the third quarter. The Aggies then hit back-to-back threes to tie the game at 40. The Lions took a late lead and led 48-44 entering the final period.

Tac hit a layup early in the second quarter as the Lions took their largest lead of the game, a five-point lead, with seven minutes to play. The Aggies then went on a 5-0 run to tie the game again.

CU then found their range, hitting consecutive threes again to take a four-point lead of their own. With a minute to play, the Lions looked to overcome the deficit. Gay hit a jumper with 52 seconds left to cut the lead to just two. The Lions then caused a turnover, and after Wise missed a jumper, she got her rebound and drew a foul. She knocked in both free throws to tie the game with 22 seconds left. The Lion defense held, and the teams went into overtime tied at 61.

Gay hit an early jumper in the lane to begin the overtime period. Wise then scored on a coast-to-coast layup to give A&M-Commerce the early four-point lead. The Aggies cut the lead down to just one point before Wise hit a layup to bring the edge back up to three.

Late in the quarter, Price hit a shot in the lane, and the Lions took a six-point lead with just over a minute to play. After the Aggies made a bucket, they started to foul to try and extend the game. However, the Lions hit their free throws and escaped Lawton with the eight-point win.

 

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball loses five-set heartbreaker to Metro State in the first round of NCAA Tournament.

DENVER– The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team lost an intense five-set match against the Metropolitan State of Denver on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament. After falling behind in the first set, the Lions won the second and third games before falling in the final two sets. The set scores were 11-25, 25-22, 25-21, 21-25 and 9-15.

The loss brings the Lions to 21-12 on the season and eliminates them from the NCAA Tournament. Metro State improves 22-8 and advances to the second round.

It was the Lions’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1988.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Jaryn Wacker led the Lions with 12 kills in the match. She also had two blocks.
– Shelley Chapron had nine kills and led the team with five blocks.
– Layne Little had nine kills and seven digs. Neka Nelson added eight kills.
– Gabriela Rosa led the team with 27 assists. Rylie Fuentes added 12 assists.
– Savannah Rutledge led the team with 23 digs. Lacie Jessup added 16 digs.
– Mariyah Oliver had six kills, and Jaslyn Wacker had four.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams split the first six points of the first set before MSUD went on a run. They scored seven of the next eight points to take a 10-4 lead. The teams traded points again before blew the set open. The Roadrunners won the game 25-11.

The second set was an even battle early on. The teams split points before MSUD made an early run to take an 11-8 lead. The Lions then responded, scoring seven points in a row, including four kills in the race from Chapron. The Lions led 15-11.

The Roadrunners then cut into the Lion lead, tying the match at 19. With the score even at 21, the Lions scored four of the final five points to win the set. Oliver had a kill and two blocks in the rally.

MSUD scored the first three points of the third set before the Lions answered back to score four in a row to take the lead. With the score tied at five, the Lions scored three in a row to push their lead to 8-5. It was part of a run that gave the Lions a 12-6 lead in the set.

The Roadrunners cut into the lead, bringing it down to three points before the Lions again scored three in a row to lead 21-15. Metro State attempted a comeback, scoring three points in a row late but the Lions held on to win the set 25-21.

The teams split the first 14 points of the fourth set before Metro State went on a run. They scored six points in a row and took a 13-8 lead. The Lions answered back to tie the game at 13. MSUD clung to a slim lead late in the set leading 21-20. However, they finished the run and won the fourth set 25-21.

After the Lions scored the first point of the fifth set, the Roadrunners then scored eight points in a row to put the final game out of reach. The Lions attempted a comeback, scoring four of the next five points. But the deficit was too much, and they fell 15-9.

 

FOOTBALL

No. 8 Lions head to No. 7 Central Washington for NCAA Division II Super Region Four Semifinal.

COMMERCE – The No. 8 Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions’ football team will shoot for yet another road playoff victory with a tough test, playing at No. 1 Minnesota State University, Mankato in the Super Region Four final on Saturday with the national semifinals on the line.

WHO: Texas A&M University-Commerce at Minnesota State University, Mankato
WHERE: Mankato, Minn. | Blakeslee Stadium
WHEN: Noon CST on Saturday, December 2
RECORDS: A&M-Commerce is 11-1 overall. Minnesota State-Mankato is 13-0.
RANKINGS: A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 8 in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll and the D2Football.com Media Poll. Minnesota State-Mankato is ranked No. 1 in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll and No. 2 in the D2Football.com Media Poll.
SEEDINGS: A&M-Commerce is the fifth seed in Super Region Four and defeated fourth seed Winona State in the regional quarterfinal, 20-6, and Central Washington in the regional semifinal, 34-31 in double overtime. Minnesota State-Mankato is the second seed in Super Region Four and survived a thriller in the regional quarterfinal with a 13-10 overtime win over Colorado State-Pueblo, followed by a 63-21 win over Midwestern State in the regional semifinal.

LIVE AUDIO: Lion Sports Network — KETR 88.9 FM, Commerce (http://www.ketr.org)
LIVE VIDEO: HERE
LIVE STATS: HERE
TICKETS: HERE

VISIT PLAYOFF CENTRAL FOR INFORMATION ON WATCH PARTIES, ETC.

LIONS WIN ON THE ROAD, ADVANCE AGAIN
• The Lions’ epic 34-31 double-overtime win at Central Washington was one for the ages and will go down in Lion lore.
• A&M-Commerce has advanced to the third round of the Division II playoffs for the first time in its five appearances in the tournament.
• It is the first time the Lions have played three games in a single postseason.
• The win gave the Lions six road wins, marking the seventh time in program history that the Lions have won five or more true road games, including a six-win road season in 2016. The Lions also had six road wins in 1951, 1953, and 1980. The Lions had five road wins in 1957 and 1990. Each of those seasons, except for 1951, concluded with a postseason appearance.

STILL PUSHING #ToTheTop
• The Lions ended the regular season at No. 8 in the nation in both the AFCA and D2Football.com polls.
• A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 38 straight AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll.
• It is A&M-Commerce’s 44th all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.
• Central Washington is the fifth nationally-ranked team the Lions have faced this season, all inside the top 12.
• A&M-Commerce is the sixth nationally-ranked team the Mavericks have faced, including three in the top 10.

CARTHEL 5TH IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN WINS
• Head coach Colby Carthel now ranks fifth in A&M-Commerce history in coaching wins with 45 wins.
• However, he will be in fifth for a while, as his 45 wins are still 18 behind J.V. Sikes’ 63 wins in fourth place.

1 Ernest Hawkins 1964-85 132-92-6
2 Eddie Vowell 1986-98 74-71-1
3 Bob Berry 1935-41, 46-50 72-34-8
4 J.V. Sikes 1954-63 63-34-4
5 Colby Carthel 2013-pres. 45-15
6 M.A. Smith 1951-53 30-2-1

AGAINST THE NSIC
• It is the first season the Lone Star and Northern Sun conferences have been paired up in a super-region, and with the size of the NSIC (16 schools), that league no longer plays non-conference games in the regular season.
• The Lions are 2-1 all-time against the NSIC.
• It includes the 20-6 win at Winona State in the opening round of the playoffs this season.
• A&M-Commerce split a home-and-home series with Upper Iowa in 2010 & 2011.
• A&M-Commerce won at Memorial Stadium in 2010, 30-10, and was edged by UIU in Fayette in 2011, 15-14. (Current receivers coach Yogi Gallegos passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns in the game).
• The Lions’ only other contest against a current NSIC member was in 1991 when ET beat Wayne State (Neb.) 54-16 at Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats were a Division II independent at the time.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
• It is not just a Willie Nelson reference, even though Coach Carthel will appreciate it.
• It marks the fourth straight game the Lions have played on the road. It is the first time that A&M-Commerce has had four consecutive true road games in the same season.
• The 2009 Lions started the season with four straight games away from home, but one was the Harvey Martin Classic at the Cotton Bowl.
• Since World War II, the Lions have played four consecutive games away from home (including from one season to the next) seven times.
• Five straight games were played away from Commerce in 1957-58. The 1957 season closed with two road games. ET went to the Tangerine Bowl. Then the 1958 season opened with two road games.
• The 1990 Lions played two road games in the NCAA Division II Playoffs and wound up playing eight road games that season.
• The seven extended road trips have included the postseason four times, with the 1990 and 2017 NCAA Division II Playoff trips and the Tangerine Bowls in 1953 and 1957.

WHAT’S THIS STUFF?
• With the proliferation of artificial surfaces at all levels of football, the Lions rarely play on a natural surface anymore. Western New Mexico’s Ben Altamirano Field is the only grass surface remaining in the Lone Star Conference, with the opening of Eastern New Mexico’s Greyhound Stadium in 2016.
• Blakeslee Stadium has a natural surface.
• It is the second consecutive game the Lions have played on a grass field.
• The last time the Lions played on grass surfaces in straight weeks was in 2010 – at A&M-Kingsville’s Javelina Stadium and Eastern New Mexico’s Blackwater Draw Greyhound Stadium.

SENIORS BREAK SCHOOL RECORD
• With the win at Tarleton, the senior class broke the school record for wins in a four-year period. The previous record stood since the Tangerine Bowl runs of the early 1950s.
• That record extended with the win at Central Washington to 39 games won in a four-year span.

Years  Record
2014-17 39-10
1951-54 36-5-2
2013-16 35-14
1957-60 34-7
1972-75 32-13-1
1936-39 31-8
1990-93 31-16-1

PEREZ’ OUTSTANDING SEASON AND CAREER LEAD TO HARLON HILL FINALIST
• Lion quarterback Luis Perez was announced as a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy on Wednesday.
• He has won the Lone Star Conference J.W. Rollins Award as Offensive Player of the Year. He also earned First Team All-Lone Star Conference honors for the second consecutive season.
• A Lion quarterback has earned first-team all-LSC honors a total of 17 times since the league’s formation in 1931.
• He became the Lions’ fourth quarterback to repeat as a first-team all-LSC selection, joining Bobby Bounds (1990-91), LSC Hall of Honor member Wade Wilson (1979-80), and R.A. Hitt (1933-34), who was the second-ever all-LSC quarterback.

LION FIRST TEAM ALL-LSC QUARTERBACKS
2016, 2017 Luis Perez
1996 Cole Cayce
1990, 1991 Bobby Bounds
1982 Kyle Mackey
1979, 1980 Wade Wilson
1977 Terry Skinner
1972 Will Cureton
1960 James Williams
1959 Sam McCord
1954 Bobby Fox
1953 Jim Gray
1948 Bobby Griffin
1933, 1934 R.A. Hitt

• Perez’s passing average has vaulted him to the top of the Division II ranks. He is one of nine passers in Division II averaging over 300 yards passing per game.
• He is the only quarterback in the top 10 of this ranking to still be playing in the Division II playoffs after Shepherd and Bowie State bounced in the first round.
• The next closest in yards per game remaining in the playoffs is West Alabama’s Harry Satterwhite in 20th at 266.3 ypg.

Rk Team Cl. Gms A-C-I TD Yds Avg
1 Luis Perez, A&M-Commerce  Sr. 12 491-346-10 41 4,131 344.3
2 Connor Jessop, Shepherd Sr. 11 394-249-9 40 3,532 321.1
3 Tanner Garry, Slippery Rock Sr. 11 437-268-9 32 3,522 320.2
4 Amir Hall, Bowie St. Jr. 11 381-249-4 41 3,519 319.9
5 Grant Russell, Ohio Dominican Sr. 10 305-221-3 30 3,182 318.2
6 Brook Bolles, Central Mo. Jr. 11 396-223-12 21 3,485 316.8
7 Nick Rooney, Adams St. Jr. 10 441-271-10 29 3,153 315.3
8 Yianni Gavalas, LIU Post Sr. 10 363-257-8 37 3,087 308.7
9 Javia Hall, Western N.M. Sr. 10 458-255-12 24 3,006 300.6
10 Chas Stallard, Central Okla. Sr. 11 361-238-6 28 3,209 291.7
HARLON HILL TROPHY FINALISTS
Player Pos Ht Wt Cl School
SUPER REGION ONE
Connor Jessop QB 6-5 220 Sr. Shepherd
Marc Jones RB 5-11 225 Jr. Gannon
Marcus Martin DE 6-2 255 Sr. Slippery Rock
SUPER REGION TWO
Amir Hall QB 6-4 180 Jr. Bowie State
Devontae Jackson RB/KR 5-8 171 Jr. West Georgia
Harry Satterwhite QB 6-1 182 Jr. West Alabama
SUPER REGION THREE
Brook Bolles QB 6-3 190 Jr. Central Missouri
J.T. Luper WR 5-9 175 Sr. Central Oklahoma
SUPER REGION FOUR
Ja’Quan Gardner RB 5-7 205 Sr. Humboldt State
Luis Perez QB 6-3 220 Sr. A&M-Commerce

• He did not play high school football, and was a competitive bowler, with 12 perfect 300 games to his name.
• He now has 15 games of 300-plus passing yards in his career, including ten straight games.
• He went 267 passing attempts without an interception over the course of 6-plus games.
• 449:46 of game time elapsed between Perez interceptions.

SINGLE SEASON PASSING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS
1. 41 Luis Perez 2017
2. 32 Luis Perez 2016
3. 31 Tyrik Rollison 2014
4. 30 Harrison Stewart 2015
5. 22 James Gray 1952

• Perez also became the school’s single-season passing yardage leader.
• He ranks second in all NCAA Divisions in passing yards this season through 12 games, behind only Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph (4,553). The only other quarterback with 4,000 yards this season is Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (4,097).

SINGLE SEASON PASSING YARDAGE LEADERS
1. 4,131 Luis Perez 2017 
2. 3,764 Tyrik Rollison 2014
3. 3,326 Luis Perez 2016
4. 3,173 Harrison Stewart 2015
5. 2,861 Buster Faulkner 2004
  • Perez is also the Lion career leader in three major passing categories.
CAREER PASSING YARDAGE LEADERS
1. 7,457 Luis Perez 2016-pres. 
2. 5,955 Bob Bounds 1987-91
3. 5,800 Kyle Mackey 1980-83
4. 5,635 Terry Skinner 1973-77
5. 5,362 Tyrik Rollison 2013-14
CAREER PASSING COMPLETION LEADERS
1. 590 Luis Perez (590-880-15) 2016-pres. 
2. 375 Bob Bounds (375-706-36) 1987-91
3. 372 Kyle Mackey (372-751-44) 1980-83
4. 367 Terry Skinner (367-813-45) 1973-77
5. 353 Adam Farkes (353-700-30) 2009-10
CAREER PASSING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS
1. 73 Luis Perez 2016-pres. 
2. 51 James Gray 1951-53
3. 48 Harrison Stewart 2013-15
4. 43 Jim Dietz 1967-70
43 Tyrik Rollison 2013-14
  • He ranks first in Division II and ninth in all of the NCAA in career passing yards per game.
Rk Team Div Yds/Gn
1 Luke Falk , Washington St. FBS 336.9
2 Mason Rudolph , Oklahoma St. FBS 323.6
3 Devlin Hodges , Samford FCS 312.2
4 Josh Rosen , UCLA FBS 310.1
5 Baker Mayfield , Oklahoma FBS 306.0
6 Gage Gubrud , Eastern Wash. FCS 306.0
7 Chase Burton, Franklin D-III 304.7
8 Riley Ferguson, Memphis FBS 299.9
9 Luis Perez, A&M-Commerce D-II 298.3
10 Ryan Sample, Benedictine (IL) D-III 293.5

KICKIN’ IT WITH KRISTOV
• Kicker Kristov Martinez was named the Lone Star Conference’s first team All-Conference kicker.
• He hit field goals of 38 yards in each of the two overtime periods of the 34-31 win at Central Washington
• He became the all-time leading scorer with an LSC Player of the Week effort in the regular season finale at Tarleton.
• He scored 15 points in that game and had scored 10 points or more in six games this season. The four field goals at Tarleton tied a school single-game record.
• He has scored 106 points this season. The late Saul Martinez scored 134 points in 2014 to set the school single-season record.
•Martinez was also an LSC All-Academic selection for the second consecutive season. He is majoring in management.

CAREER SCORING LEADERS
1. 307 Kristov Martinez (166 PAT, 47 FG) 2015-pres. 
2. 281 Billy Watkins (134 PAT, 49 FG) 1990-93
3. 224 David Dell (104 PAT, 40 FG) 1995-98
4. 222 Aundra Thompson (37 TD) 1972-75
5. 219 Saul Martinez (126 PAT, 31 FG) 2013-14

 

CAREER PATs MADE LEADERS
1. 166 Kristov Martinez (166-173) 2015-pres. 
2. 134 Billy Watkins (134-143) 1990-93
3. 126 Saul Martinez (126-130) 2013-14
4. 121 Leonard Allen (121-134) 1973-76
5. 105 Kevin Garman (105-113) 1981-84

 

CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE LEADERS
1. 49 Billy Watkins (49-84) 1990-93
2.

 

SOCCER

A Trio of Lions earns First Team All-Region honors from United Soccer Coaches.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer players have earned First Team All-South Central Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches, as announced Wednesday. Defender Delaney Bunselmeyer, forward Sophie Haywood, and midfielder Michelle Kotlik each earned their second all-region celebrations of the season.

Bunselmeyer – a junior from Denton – was also named first team all-region by the Division II Conference Commissioners’ Association (D2CCA). She was previously named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year, first team all-LSC, and CoSIDA Academic All-District after leading the Lion defense as A&M-Commerce had a 12-4-3 record in 2017. She led the defensive unit that allowed the fewest goals per game in the Lone Star Conference. It is her second season earning all-region honors as she was named third team all-region by the NSCAA in 2016.

Haywood – a senior from Hull, England – was also named second team all-region by the Division II Conference Commissioners’ Association (D2CCA). She was named the LSC Academic Player of the Year, first team all-LSC, CoSIDA Academic All-District, and LSC All-Academic. She led the Lions with ten goals and tied for the LSC lead in game-winning goals. She was also named the 2016 LSC Newcomer of the Year as a junior.

Kotlik – a sophomore from Grapevine – was also named second team all-region by the Division II Conference Commissioners’ Association (D2CCA). She was named the LSC Midfielder of the Year, first team all-LSC, CoSIDA Academic All-District, and LSC All-Academic. She had four goals and two assists on the season, commanding the midfield. It is her fourth career all-region honor, as she was named second-team D2CCA and NSCAA All-Region as a freshman in 2016.

2017 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer All-South Central Region Team

First Team

Pos. Player Class School Hometown
GK Taylor Proctor Sr. Colorado-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colo.
D Emily Garnier Sr. Colorado School of Mines Littleton, Colo.
D Delaney Bunselmeyer Jr. A&M-Commerce Denton, Texas
D Maggie Saras Sr. Regis Boise, Idaho
D Callie Smith Sr. Angelo State Round Rock, Texas
M Abigail Olmos Fr. Dallas Baptist Arlington, Texas
M Michelle Kotlik So. A&M-Commerce Grapevine, Texas
M Tarah Patterson Fr. Colorado-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colo.
M Sabrina Cone Jr. St. Edward’s Cedar Park, Texas
F Trenadey Scott So. Angelo State Fort Worth, Texas
F Sophie Haywood Sr. A&M-Commerce Hull, England
F Kaci Parks Fr. Dallas Baptist Plano, Texas

 

VOLLEYBALL

Chapron named AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region.

COMMERCE– Named Honorable Mention All-South Central Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, as announced Wednesday by the AVCA, is Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball player Shelley Chapron.

Chapron– a sophomore from Houston– had a remarkable debut season for the Lions. She was named the Lone Star Conference Newcomer of the Year as well as First Team All-LSC. Chapron was a brick wall in the middle for the Lions. She led the LSC in total blocks (150) and was second in blocks per set (1.23). She was also seventh in hitting percentage (.304). She was third on the team in points and kills, second in slugging percentage and first blocks.

Chapron and the Lions now head to the NCAA Division II Championship for the first time since 1988. They are the sixth seed in the South Central Region and will face third seed Metro State in the first round on Thursday at Noon MST (1 p.m. CST) in the single-elimination tournament. The Regional Semifinal match will be Friday and the Regional Championship, for a berth into the Elite Eight, will be on Saturday.

2017 AVCA Women’s Volleyball All-South Central Region Teams

FIRST TEAM

 Name  School  Year  Position
 Anna Demmer  Arkansas-Fort Smith  So.  OH
 MacKenzie Edwards  Colorado Mesa  Jr.  OH
 Mallory Grimsrud  Adams State  R-Sr.  MB
 Taylor Hamilton  Colorado-Colorado Springs  Sr.  MB
 Marina Hansen  Colorado School of Mines  Sr.  S
 Kristen Hornung  Regis  Jr.  MB
 Jordyn Keamo  Tarleton State  Sr.  S/RS
 Nikki Kennedy  Regis  So.  MB
 Sophia Proano  Colorado Christian  R-Sr.  RS
 Autumn Reese  Arkansas-Fort Smith  Jr.  L
 Hailey Roberts  Tarleton State  Sr.  OH
 Brianna Sotello  Angelo State  Sr.  OH
 Santaisha Sturges  Metro State.  Jr.  OH
 Abigail Tiesman  Colorado School of Mines  So.  MB

HONORABLE MENTION

 Name  School  Year  Position
 Silvia Basso  Regis  So.  S
 Caitlyn Burroway  Regis  Fr.  OH
 Shelley Chapron  Texas A&M-Commerce  So.  MB
 Lindsey Jin  Colorado School of Mines  Fr.  OH
 Miri Shade  Texas Woman’s  R-Sr.  OH
 Heather Verrill  Western New Mexico  Sr.  MB

Region Player of the Year: Hailey Roberts, Tarleton State, OH
Region Freshman of the Year: Lindsey Jin, Colorado School of Mines, OH
Region Coach of the Year: Joel List, Regis

 

FOOTBALL

Luis Perez named the finalist for Harlon Hill Trophy.

FLORENCE, Ala. –Named as one of ten finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year is Texas A&M University-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez

The finalists were selected by the NCAA Division II sports information directors in regional voting and will now be on the national ballot where all 169 of the division’s SIDs will choose the award’s 32nd winner. The top two players from Super Region 3 and Super Region 4 advanced to the national ballot, while three players advanced from Super Region 1 and Super Region 2 due to ties in the voting.

Perez is one of two Harlon Hill Trophy finalists still playing in the national quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship. The Lions travel to Minnesota State-Mankato for the Super Region Four Final this Saturday at Noon.

Perez is Division II’s leading passer and the only one of the top 19 passers in the nation still playing in the Division II playoffs. He averages 344.3 yards per game, completing 346-of-491 passes for 4,131 yards with 41 touchdowns and ten interceptions. He has thrown for over 300 yards in his last ten consecutive games.

The Lions have advanced to the Regional Final and are playing a third playoff game for the first time in the school’s storied football history. Perez led the Lions to a wild comeback from a 21-point halftime deficit in a 34-31 double-overtime victory at Central Washington.

Perez won the Lone Star Conference’s J.W. Rollins Award as the offensive player of the year and has been named the First Team All-Lone Star Conference quarterback in both of his seasons as a Lion. The preseason All-American was also a nominee for the AFCA/Allstate Good Works Team.

He is Division II’s active career leader in passing yards per game (298.3 yards per game in his career), ranking ninth in all NCAA divisions. He is one of only three players in all NCAA divisions with over 4,000 passing yards this season in 12 games played. He has a career record of 22-3 as the Lions’ starting quarterback.

Over his two-year Lion career, Perez has completed 590-of-880 passes for 7,457 yards with 73 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He has thrown for over 300 yards in 15 of his 25 career games.

Perez is A&M-Commerce’s first-ever Harlon Hill Trophy finalist, and just the Lions’ third candidate. Wide receiver Gary Compton in 1990 and cornerback Eric Turner in 1992 were the Lions’ previous candidates.

2017 Harlon Hill Trophy Finalists

Player Pos Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
SUPER REGION ONE
Connor Jessop QB 6-5 220 Sr. Shepherd Ashburn, Va.
Marc Jones RB 5-11 225 Jr. Gannon Painesville, Ohio
Marcus Martin DE 6-2 255 Sr. Slippery Rock West Mifflin, Pa.
SUPER REGION TWO
Amir Hall QB 6-4 180 Jr. Bowie State Bowie, Md.
Devontae Jackson RB/KR 5-8 171 Jr. West Georgia Marietta, Ga.
Harry Satterwhite QB 6-1 182 Jr. West Alabama Mobile, Ala.
SUPER REGION THREE
Brook Bolles QB 6-3 190 Jr. Central Missouri Lincoln, Neb.
J.T. Luper WR 5-9 175 Sr. Central Oklahoma Sherman, Texas
SUPER REGION FOUR
Ja’Quan Gardner RB 5-7 205 Sr. Humboldt State Ceres, Calif.
Luis Perez QB 6-3 220 Sr. A&M-Commerce Chula Vista, Calif.

 

Jaslyn Wacker named D2CCA Second Team All-Region after a standout season.

DENTON – Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball middle blocker Jaslyn Wacker has been named Second Team All-Region by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, as announced Tuesday by the D2CCA.

Wacker – a junior from Austin – was a force on both offense and defense for the Lions. She was named First Team All-Lone Star Conference and was the first player in program history to receive the Academic Player of the Year. She led the team and was fifth in the LSC in hitting percentage (.307) and was fourth in blocks per set (1.08) and second in total blocks. Wacker had more than 300 kills during the year, the second most on the team. She is averaging 2.5 kills per set. Wacker was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team, advancing to the ballot for Academic All-America.

Wacker and the Lions now head to the NCAA Division II Championship for the first time since 1988. They are the sixth seed in the South Central Region and will face third seed Metro State in the first round on Thursday at Noon MST (1 p.m. CST) in the single-elimination tournament. The Regional Semifinal match will be Friday and the Regional Championship, for a berth into the Elite Eight, will be Saturday.

2017 D2CCA Women’s Volleyball All-South Central Region Teams

FIRST TEAM

 Player  School  Position
 Hailey Roberts  Tarleton State  OH
 Brianna Sotello  Angelo State  OH
 Santaisha Sturges  Metro State  OH
 Nikki Kennedy  Regis  MB
 Mallory Grimsrud  Adams State  MB
 Marina Hansen  Colorado School of Mines  S
 Autumn Reese  Arkansas-Fort Smith  L/DS

SECOND TEAM

 Player  School  Position
 Anna Demmer  Arkansas-Fort Smith  OH
 MacKenzie Edwards  Colorado Mesa  OH
 Kelsey Green  Regis  OH
 Jaslyn Wacker  A&M-Commerce  MB
 Heather Verrill  Western New Mexico  MB
 Jordyn Keamo  Tarleton State  S
 Andrea Aguilar  Eastern New Mexico  L/DS

D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year:
Hailey Roberts, Tarleton State