Tuesday, November 27, 2018
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Sixty student-athletes have been named to the 26th 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.

Marist senior wide receiver Juston Christian and Dayton senior punter Sean Smith joined an elite group of PFL athletes, each earning their fourth career First-Team All-PFL selection. Christian ended his career as the first PFL wide receiver – and 17th in FCS history – to surpass 4,000 career receiving yards (4,069 career yards). Smith’s tenure with the Flyers saw him set the PFL career mark for punting average (42.50) which had stood since 2012.

In addition, redshirt senior quarterback Anthony Lawrence and redshirt senior offensive lineman Dan Cooney – both members of the San Diego football squad – earned their third First-Team All-PFL honor. Lawrence, behind an offensive line led by Cooney, finished with a PFL record 12,628 career passing yards.

Lawrence led a group of four unanimous First-Team All-PFL honorees. He was joined by San Diego junior wide receiver Michael Bandy, Butler senior wide receiver Pace Temple, and Dayton redshirt senior running back Tucker Yinger.

Other repeat First-Team All-PFL selections were Temple, Yinger, Davidson sophomore running back Wesley Dugger, San Diego redshirt junior offensive lineman Jake Michaels, Drake redshirt senior defensive lineman Nathan Clayberg and Marist redshirt senior linebacker Willie Barrett. All told, 10 members of the First-Team All-PFL were repeat honorees from 2017.

Eleven members of the first and second-team All-PFL selections were freshmen or sophomores in 2018. That total includes six underclassmen named First-Team All-PFL: Dugger, Jacksonville freshman fullback Garnett Nicolas, Davidson sophomore offensive lineman Zion Johnson, San Diego redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Nick Friedel, and Dayton redshirt sophomore linebacker Andrew Lutgens.

In addition to the 60 student-athletes recognized on the league’s first and second teams, 72 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.

2018 All-Pioneer Football League Honorable Mention

BUTLER: Bobby Jensen (OL), Mickey Kane (DL), Carter Raliegh (LB), Dakota Sneed (OL), Brad Sznajder (RB), Ugo Udeogu (DL); DAVIDSON: Tony Collins (LB), Dreylan Hines (DB), Nick Nolting (LS), Clay Robinson (DL), Danial Runck (OL), Bryce Simmons (OL), Will Wicks (WR and RB); DAYTON: Joe Bruni (PK), Kyle Butz (RS), Jack Cook (QB), Michael Niese (OL), Isaac Sexton (DL); DRAKE: Jacob Bacon (OL), Devin Cates (WR), Cooper Christiano (DB), Zach DeLeon (TE), Brady Eckert (LS), Ross Kennedy (P), Jordan Lewinsky (OL), Peter Read (DL), Zac Rujawitz (LB), Tyler Terveer (OLB), Terry Wallen (RS); JACKSONVILLE: Javier Arce-Ramirez (PK), Dane Cordell (OL), CJ Lewis (DB), Crandall Maines (DL), Thomas Oporto (LB), Calvin Turner Jr. (QB), Caysaun Wakeley (LB); MARIST: Wes Beans (DB), Maliek Carr (LB), Grant Dixon (LB), Joe Giordano (LS), Jon Kanda (TE), Justice Seales (DB), Eric Taylor (DL), Ryan Webb (DB), Dan Wittekind (OL), Eddie Zinn Turner (DL); MOREHEAD STATE: Jamil Butler (DL), Andrew Foster (P), Ian Holder (RS), Kris Jones (OL), Sayyid Kanu (DB), Josh Poe (OL), Ben Price (OL); SAN DIEGO: David Tolbert (DB); STETSON: Bradley Alexander (LG), Alex Brown (RG), Reggie Gantt (SS), JJ Henderson (RS), Grant Hodges (FB), Justin Jordan (WR), Jonny Messina (K), Fermon Reid (DL), Jalon Scott (DB), Colin Wray (LS); VALPARAISO: Jamari Booker (DB), Jack Jarnigan (OL), Griffin Norberg (WR), Austin Petrie (LB), James Reed (DL), Tom Schofield (OL), Mike Wheeler (DL).