Tuesday, November 28, 2017
SAINT LOUIS, Mo. – Fifty-nine student athletes have been named to the 25th All-Pioneer Football League teams, Tuesday. All selections were made by the league’s coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.
San Diego senior defensive lineman Jonathan Petersen, who was the league’s unanimous selection as Defensive Player of the Year, was a unanimous pick for First-Team All-PFL. It is the third consecutive year the Torero’s defensive leader has earned First-Team All-PFL honors.
Petersen was joined as a unanimous First-Team All-PFL honoree by Dayton punter Sean Smith and Butler wide receiver Pace Temple. It is the second consecutive season three student-athletes were unanimous First-Team choices by the league’s coaches.
In addition to Petersen, Marist wide receiver Juston Christian, Dayton defensive back and return specialist Christian Searles and Dayton’s Smith also were named First-Team All-PFL for a third time in their career. Searles earned First-Team All-PFL honors at two different positions in the same season for the second time in his career and has earned five first-team citations in his career.
A further three 2017 honorees received their second first-team award, each from San Diego: quarterback Anthony Lawrence and offensive linemen Miles McArdle and Daniel Cooney.
A testament to the league’s burgeoning underclassmen ranks, 14 of the first and second-team All-PFL selections were freshmen or sophomores in 2017. That total includes a quartet of freshmen named All-PFL: first-team selection Davidson freshman running back Wesley Dugger as well as second team honorees Campbell quarterback Daniel Smith, San Diego freshman running back Emilio Martinez, Dayton tight end Adam Trautman and Stetson defensive back JJ Henderson.
In addition to the 59 student-athletes recognized on the league’s first and second teams, 74 student-athletes received honorable mention recognition.
The Academic All-PFL team, highlighted by the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, will be released Wednesday, concluding the league’s awards week.
2017 All-Pioneer Football League First Team |
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| (as selected by PFL head coaches) | ||||||
| Pos. | Player | School | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Hometown |
| OFFENSE (3 RBs due to tie in voting) | ||||||
| WR | Pace Temple (U, 2) | Butler | 6-2 | 200 | Jr. | Geneva, Ill. |
| WR | Juston Christian (1, 3x) | Marist | 6-0 | 186 | Jr. | Owings Mills, Md. |
| WR | Justin Priest | San Diego | 6-2 | 212 | Sr. | El Dorado Hills, Calif. |
| QB | Anthony Lawrence (1) | San Diego | 6-1 | 195 | RJr. | La Mesa, Calif. |
| TE | Ross Dwelley (2) | San Diego | 6-5 | 240 | RSr. | El Dorado Hills, Calif. |
| RB | Sam Schrader | Butler | 5-10 | 210 | RSr. | Mishawaka, Ind. |
| RB | Wesley Dugger | Davidson | 6-0 | 192 | Fr. | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| RB | Tucker Yinger (H) | Dayton | 6-0 | 191 | Sr. | Columbus, Ohio |
| FB | Zach Nelson | San Diego | 6-2 | 240 | RSo. | Danville, Calif. |
| OL | Payson Wick (H) | Drake | 6-3 | 282 | 5th. | Floosmoor, Ill. |
| OL | Ryan Lemke (H) | Drake | 6-3 | 297 | 5th | Germantown, Wis. |
| OL | Miles McArdle (1) | San Diego | 6-3 | 290 | Sr. | Napa, Calif. |
| OL | Joe Hurney (2) | San Diego | 6-2 | 290 | Sr. | Charlotte, N.C. |
| OL | Daniel Cooney (1) | San Diego | 6-8 | 315 | RJr. | Western Springs, Ill. |
| DEFENSE | ||||||
| DL | Emmanuel Olenga | Campbell | 6-4 | 260 | RSo. | Charlotte, N.C. |
| DL | Nathan Clayberg (H) | Drake | 6-4 | 282 | Sr. | Pella, Iowa |
| DL | Tanner Evans (H) | Drake | 6-2 | 246 | 5th | Gretna, Neb. |
| DL | Jonathan Petersen (U, 1, 3x) | San Diego | 6-1 | 240 | RSr. | Poway, Calif. |
| LB | Jack Crain (2) | Dayton | 6-2 | 227 | RSr. | Lisle, Ill. |
| LB | Willie Barrett (2) | Marist | 5-11 | 227 | RJr. | Holiday, Fla. |
| LB | Max Michaels | San Diego | 5-9 | 190 | RSr. | Poway, Calif. |
| LB | Jeb Boudreaux (2) | Stetson | 5-10 | 200 | 5th | Mobile, Ala. |
| DB | Carlos Merritt | Campbell | 6-0 | 195 | RSr. | Union City, Ga. |
| DB | Christian Searles (1, 3x) | Dayton | 5-9 | 182 | Sr. | Chicago, Ill. |
| DB | Sean Lynch | Drake | 5-9 | 181 | Sr. | Hawthorn Woods, Ill. |
| DB | Colton Giorgi | San Diego | 6-1 | 208 | Sr. | El Dorado Hills, Calif. |
| SPECIAL TEAMS | ||||||
| PK | Drew Bevelhimer | Butler | 6-1 | 185 | So. | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| P | Sean Smith (U, 1, 3x) | Dayton | 6-4 | 222 | Jr. | Avondale, Pa. |
| RS | Christian Searles (1) | Dayton | 5-9 | 192 | Sr. | Chicago, Ill. |
| LS | Conrad Mueller (H) | Davidson | 5-11 | 193 | Sr. | Waxhaw, N.C. |
| Notes in parentheses: U-indicates a player was a unanimous first-team selection, 4x-is a four-time first-team All-PFL selection; 3x-is a three-time first-team All-PFL selection, 1-was a first-team selection in 2016, 2-was a second-team selection in 2016, H-was a honorable mention selection in 2016; FR-was a Freshman Player of the Year in 2016. | ||||||
2017 All-Pioneer Football League Second Team |
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| (as selected by PFL head coaches) | ||||||
| Pos. | Player | School | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Hometown |
| OFFENSE (3 RBs, 6 OLs due to ties in voting) | ||||||
| WR | Aaron Blockmon | Campbell | 6-1 | 206 | RJr. | Sanford, N.C. |
| WR | Steven Doran | Drake | 6-3 | 212 | Jr. | Germantown, Wis. |
| WR | Jarin Higginbotham | Morehead State | 6-0 | 195 | RJr. | Liberty Township, Ohio. |
| QB | Daniel Smith | Campbell | 6-0 | 200 | RFr. | Leesburg, Va. |
| TE | Adam Trautman | Dayton | 6-1 | 225 | Fr. | Williamsburg, Mich. |
| RB | Irvin Riley | Jacksonville | 5-9 | 185 | So. | Savannah, Ga. |
| RB | Marcellus Calhoun | Marist | 6-0 | 197 | RSr. | Columbus, Ohio |
| RB | Emilio Martinez | San Diego | 5-9 | 190 | Fr. | Salinas, Calif. |
| FB | Keenan Simpson | Jacksonville | 5-7 | 205 | So. | Summerville, S.C. |
| OL | Shuler Littleton | Campbell | 6-7 | 300 | RJr. | York, S.C. |
| OL | Ben Gauthier | Dayton | 6-2 | 275 | Jr. | Avon, Ohio |
| OL | Jordan Lewinsky | Drake | 6-5 | 290 | Sr. | Mequon, Wis. |
| OL | Richard Duncan-Murphy | Marist | 6-3 | 325 | RSr. | Bensalem, Pa. |
| OL | Liam Maloney | Morehead State | 6-4 | 328 | RSr. | Liberty Township, Ohio |
| OL | Tom Schofield | Valparaiso | 6-3 | 285 | Jr. | Chicago, Ill. |
| DEFENSE | ||||||
| DL | Chad Burdo | Butler | 6-1 | 275 | RSr. | Oswego, Ill. |
| DL | Josh Willis | Butler | 6-2 | 234 | RSr. | Bowie, Md. |
| DL | Mack Marrin | Drake | 6-2 | 246 | 5th | Mendota Heights, Minn. |
| DL | Eddie Zinn-Turner | Marist | 6-1 | 298 | RSo. | Malvern, Ohio |
| LB | Ethan Brunhofer | Butler | 6-2 | 220 | Sr. | Denver, Colo. |
| LB | Mike Maize | Drake | 5-11 | 238 | 5th | Des Plaines, Ill. |
| LB | Trevor Tufano | Jacksonville | 5-11 | 210 | So. | New Smyrna Beach, Fla. |
| LB | Nick Turner | Valparaiso | 6-1 | 225 | Jr. | Gurnee, Ill. |
| DB | Isaak Newhouse | Butler | 6-1 | 200 | Sr. | Grand Haven, Mich. |
| DB | Griffin Garland | Jacksonville | 6-0 | 195 | Sr. | Jupiter, Fla. |
| DB | Ray Clark | San Diego | 5-11 | 201 | Sr. | Brentwood, Calif. |
| DB | JJ Henderson | Stetson | 5-10 | 161 | RFr. | Tampa, Fla. |
| SPECIAL TEAMS | ||||||
| PK | Trevor Smith | Davidson | 6-3 | 195 | Sr. | Tampa, Fla. |
| P | Jack Flatau | San Diego | 5-9 | 180 | RSr. | Oceanside, Calif. |
| RS | Bailey Gessinger | Valparaiso | 5-10 | 165 | So. | Napanee, Ind. |
| LS | Griffin Garland | Jacksonville | 6-0 | 195 | Sr. | Jupiter, Fla. |
2017 All-Pioneer Football League Honorable Mention
BUTLER: Connor Andras (DL & LS); Mason Brunner (LB); Bobby Jensen (OL); Duvante Lane (FB); Dakota Sneed (OL). CAMPBELL: Mitchell Brown (K); Ray Miller (LB); Jack Ryan (LB); Tyler Shirley (LS); Dante Simmons (CB). DAVIDSON: George Hatalowich (DB); Nick Nolting (OL); Bryce Perry Martin (DL); Will Wicks (WR). DAYTON: Wes Hegemann (OL); Alex Jeske (QB); David Leisring (DB); Nick Surges (DL); Matt Tunnacliffe (LS). DRAKE: Jabari Butler (CB); Devin Cates (WR); Danny Donley (K); Grant Kraemer (QB); Kyrell Newell (CB); Connor Ostrander (TE); Peter Read (DL); Kieran Severa (LB); Terry Wallen (DB); Will Warner (DB). JACKSONVILLE: Jake Dempsey (OL); Prince Gray (WR); Tyler Havenner (DL); Jake Howell (OL); Thomas Oporto (LB); Jaleel Roberts (OL); Emon Smith (DB); Calvin Turner Jr. (DB); Caysaun Wakeley (LB). MARIST: Wes Beans (DB); Lawrence Dickens (WR); Jordyn Jean-Felix (DB); Brandon Miller (CB); Dan Wittekind (OL). MOREHEAD STATE: Braylyn Cook (DB); Brandon Fields (LS); Landon Hurst (WR); Chauncey Johns (DB); Lawson Page (QB); Juanyea Tarver (RS). SAN DIEGO: Michael Bandy (WR); KJ Mahoney (LB); Emilio Martinez (RS); Kishan Patel (CB); Trevor Provencio (OL); Connor Spencer (DL); Marcus Vaivao (LB). STETSON: Eddie Curry (DL); Jeff Fallabel (DL); Matias Gasc (P); Justin Jordan (WR); Eric Martin (DB); Donald Parham (TE); Andrew Rogalski (OL); Shayne White (DL). VALPARAISO: Jack Jarnigan (OL); Dimitrios Latsonas (K); Jarrett Morgan (RB); Donny Navarro (WR); JJ Nunes (DB); Drew Snouffer (LB).