Eureka duo leads 2017 UMAC football awards
Photos by Traci Zeibert (Eureka), Paul Leslie (Minnesota Morris) and MacMurray College
ST. PAUL, Minn.---The 2017 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) football season was one to be remembered with Eureka College winning it's first conference title aand the first affliate member to earn the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. Following a 8-1 conference season, the Red Devils had two players headline the UMAC football awards announced Wednesday.
The nation's leading scorer in LeAnthony Reasnover collected the Most Valuable Offensive Player honor, while one of his front men in Ryan Barth was named the Most Valuable Lineman. On the defensive side, Javon Muhammad of MacMurray College was selected as the Most Valuable Defensive Player and John Hoff of the University of Minnesota Morris repeated as Most Valuable Special Teams Player.
Following a remarkable turnaround season at the helm of the Martin Luther College squad, Head Coach Mark Stein was selected UMAC Coach of the Year by his peers. The All-UMAC First and Second Teams for offense, defense and special teams were also named with MacMurray and the University of Northwestern leading the way with 11 total honorees each.
Heading into the season, it seemed as though Eureka's chances at a title might be out of reaching in losing two-straight – including the conference opener to Northwestern. However, Reasnover got hot in the final weeks of the season and help Eureka run over MacMurray and the College of St. Scholastica to lock up the title. In the final three wins of the seaosn, Reasnover rushed for over 250 yards in each outing and tallied 15 touchdowns to help anchor the Red Devils' offense.
Reasnover led the league in total conference rushing yards (1,746), while his overall 1,834 yards rank second in all of Division III for the regular season. He leads the nation in rushing (31) and total touchdowns (32), and his seven rushing touchdowns in the final game of the regular season were just one short of the Division III record for a single game. This season, Reasnover was held to one touchdown or less against just two UMAC opponents – otherwise, he scored at least three touchdowns in the seven remaining games and rushed for 100 yards or more in eight UMAC games.
Without a stout offensive line, Reasnover wouldn't have been able to set program records for rushing during his junior campaign. Barth was the leader of a line that helped Eureka finish as the top scoring offense with 41.3 points per game in UMAC play and 430.7 yards of offense per game, which was third most in the league. Barth helped Eureka tally 40 rushing touchdowns to anchor their offense. Barth also was a part of a line that allowed just three sacks for a total of 13 yards all conference season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Muhammad was dominant from his defensive line position for MacMurray. The junior led the league in tackles for a loss in conference games with 27 for a total of 110 yards for an avearge of three per game. His 2.7 per game overall this season is top in Division III. Muhammad was the lone UMAC player to reach double-digits in sacks with 12 against UMAC foes for 1.33 per game. He ranked in the top 10 nationally for sacks per game (1.20) as well. MacMurray also led the league in total sacks with 25.
For the second season in a row, Hoff – who was a D3football.com Preseason All-American – added another accolade to his resume after leading the UMAC in kicking. Hoff made a UMAC-best seven field goals with a 58.3 percent conversion rate. He made a long field goal of 42 yards and tallied two over 40 yards and five over 30 yards in overall games this season. Additionally, he was 12-of-13 on point-after attempts and averaged 51.7 yards per kickoff.
Martin Luther's turnaround may have been one of the biggest stories in UMAC football this season. Led by third year Head Coach Stein, the Knights posted the most wins in a single season since 2010 when they went 5-4. This year, the Knights ended with a 4-5 UMAC record and 5-5 overall mark defeating Minnesota Morris twice including a season-opening non-conference win. That turnaround was significant considering the Knights were winless in 2016 and won just one league game in 2015 during Stein's first season. The Knights also had four players earn All-UMAC Second Team honors under Stein this fall.
In the all-conference awards, Reasnover was among eight players who earned either First or Second Team honors for the third time in their careers including Kenneth Jinkins of St. Scholastica and Nick Swore of Northwestern who have been First Team honorees for at least one position three times. The others include Latif Adams (Westminster College), Matt Quarles (Westminster), Hunter Thompson (St. Scholastica), Trever Zeibert (Eureka) and Jake Zoellick (St. Scholastica).
Barth, Hoff and Muhammad led a group of nine players who have been back-to-back First Team picks including Gideon Brunham (Northwestern),Chazz Middlebrook (MacMurray), Trevon Moore (Eureka), Aaron Olson (St. Scholastica), Jonathan Senger (St. Scholastica) and Beau Walter (Northwestern). Eight honorees were being recognized as First or Second Team for the second time including Cory Farneti (MacMurray), Chris Friend (Eureka), Ben Lyons (Northwestern), Devonta Preston (MacMurray), Michael Slingsby (Eureka), Ray Vogel (Eureka), Anthony Washington (Westminster) and Trent White (Westminster).
Northwestern also won the team sportsmanship award, an accolade that is selected by the UMAC coaches and awarded to the team that best represents sportsmanship throughout the entire season. Each team also had one representative named to the individual sportsmanship award list.
*Most Valuable Offensive Player: LeAnthony Reasnover, Jr., Eureka
#Most Valuable Defensive Player: Javon Muhammad, Jr., MacMurray
^Most Valuable Special Teams Player: John Hoff, Jr., Minnesota Morris
%Most Valuable Lineman: Ryan Barth, Jr., Eureka
Coach of the Year: Mark Stein, Martin Luther
2017 UMAC All-Conference First Team Offense
| Pos. |
Name |
Team |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
| QB |
Zach Edwards |
St. Scholastica |
So. |
West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley |
| QB |
Trent White |
Westminster |
Sr. |
Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte |
| RB |
Chazz Middlebrook |
MacMurray |
Sr. |
Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville |
| RB* |
LeAnthony Reasnover |
Eureka |
Jr. |
Momence, Ill/Momence |
| WR |
Demetrius Curry |
MacMurray |
So. |
Hanford, Calif./Hanford |
| WR |
Aaron Olson |
St. Scholastica |
Jr. |
Esko, Minn./Esko |
| WR |
Hunter Thompson |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo |
| TE |
Greg Franchomme |
Greenville |
Jr. |
Waterloo, Belgium/ITSSEP |
| TE |
Isaiah Zepeda |
Crown |
So. |
Los fresnos, Texas/Los Fresnos |
| OL% |
Ryan Barth |
Eureka |
Jr. |
Minonk, Ill./Fieldcrest |
| OL |
Steven Davis |
Greenville |
Sr. |
St. Louis, Mo./Westminster Christian |
| OL |
Jon Pollock |
MacMurray |
Sr. |
Moline, Ill./Moline |
| OL |
Elliott Simon |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti |
| OL |
Mike Slingsby |
Eureka |
Sr. |
Granville, Ill./St. Bede Academy |
2017 UMAC All-Conference First Team Defense
| Pos. |
Name |
Team |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
| DL# |
Javon Muhammad |
MacMurray |
Jr. |
Chicago, Ill./Glenbard West |
| DL |
Macae Skaggs |
Eureka |
Jr. |
Farmington, Ill/Farmington |
| DL |
Beau Walter |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
Conway, Ark./Conway |
| DL |
Trever Zeibert |
Eureka |
Sr. |
Monee, Ill./Peotone |
| DL |
Jake Zoellick |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
Sarona, Wis./Rice Lake |
| LB |
Gideon Burnham |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson |
| LB |
Chris Friend |
Eureka |
Sr. |
Washington, Ill./Washington |
| LB |
London Gulley |
MacMurray |
Sr. |
Bay Minette, Ala./Baldwin County |
| LB |
Jonathan Senger |
St. Scholastica |
Jr. |
Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo |
| LB |
Daniel Stratton |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
Lucerne Valley, Calif./Lucerne Valley |
| DB |
Cory Farneti |
MacMurray |
Sr. |
Carlinville, Ill./Carlinville |
| DB |
Kenneth Jinkins |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley |
| DB |
Trevon Moore |
Eureka |
So. |
Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley |
| DB |
Nick Swore |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
Grand Rapids, Mich./Northpointe Christian |
| DB |
Anthony Washington |
Westminster |
Jr. |
Webster Groves, Mo./Webster Groves |
2017 UMAC All-Conference First Team Special Teams
| Pos. |
Name |
Team |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
| K^ |
John Hoff |
Minnesota Morris |
Jr. |
Falls Church, Va./Homeschool |
| KR |
Kenneth Jinkins |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley |
| P |
Drew Shipley |
Minnesota Morris |
So. |
Couer d'Alene, Idaho/Lake City |
| PR |
Matt Quarles |
Westminster |
Jr. |
Detroit, Mich./Fort Zumwalt West |
2017 UMAC All-Conference Second Team Offense
| Pos. |
Name |
Team |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
| QB |
George Harris |
Greenville |
So. |
Silverdale, Wash./KSS |
| QB |
Nathan Randall |
MacMurray |
Jr. |
White Hall, Ill./North Greene |
| RB |
Latif Adams |
Westminster |
Sr. |
St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central |
| RB |
Jonny Pruiett |
Greenville |
Sr. |
Perryville, Mo./Perryville |
| WR |
Chase Abbington |
Westminster |
Sr. |
St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South |
| WR |
Josh Arndt |
Martin Luther |
Jr. |
Rosemount, Minn./Saint Croix Lutheran |
| WR |
Devonta Preston |
MacMurray |
Jr. |
Bay Minette, Ala./Baldwin County |
| WR |
Gavin Welch |
Northwestern |
So. |
Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo |
| TE |
Trevor Lundberg |
Northwestern |
So. |
Houston, Minn./Houston |
| OL |
Cody Bedlion |
Crown |
Sr. |
Bottineau, N.D./Bottineau |
| OL |
Brian Doering |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
Mapleton, Minn./Maple River |
| OL |
Anthony Fowler |
MacMurray |
Jr. |
Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington |
| OL |
Joshua Frailing |
Martin Luther |
Jr. |
Appleton, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran |
| OL |
Andy Lawrence |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly |
| OL |
Sam Poole |
Westminster |
So. |
South Callaway, Mo./Warrenton |
2017 UMAC All-Conference Second Team Defense
| Pos. |
Name |
Team |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
| DL |
Clayton Bristol |
Westminster |
So. |
Fulton, Mo./Fulton |
| DL |
Colton Faure |
Greenville |
Sr. |
Susanville, Calif./Lassen |
| DL |
Christian Henriksen |
Iowa Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Donnellson, Iowa/Central Lee |
| DL |
Ben Johnson |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
Camrillo, Calif./Oaks Christian |
| DL |
Ray Vogel |
Eureka |
Sr. |
Bartonville, Ill./Limestone |
| LB |
Bryson Johnson |
Greenville |
Fy. |
Visala, Calif./Goldenwest |
| LB |
Tristan Pankow |
Martin Luther |
So. |
Bay City, Mich./Michigan Lutheran Seminary |
| LB |
Aaron Regnier |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
Hawley, Minn./Hawley |
| LB |
Jackson Ringhausen |
Westminster |
Jr. |
Bowling Green, Mo./Bowling Green |
| LB |
Drew Shipley |
Minnesota Morris |
So. |
Couer d'Alene, Idaho/Lake City |
| DB |
Chris Blanchard |
MacMurray |
Jr. |
Wiggins, Miss./Stone |
| DB |
Joseph Herrewig |
Martin Luther |
So. |
Fond du Lac, Wis./Winnebago Lutheran Academy |
| DB |
Ben Maki |
Northwestern |
So. |
Elk River, Minn./Spectrum |
| DB |
Joseph Mosley |
Iowa Wesleyan |
So. |
Cypress, Texas/Cypress Springs |
2017 UMAC All-Conference Second Team Special Teams
| Position |
Name |
Team |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
| K |
Ben Lyons |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
North Olmstead, Ohio/Ohio Distance & Electronic
Learning Academy |
| KR |
Joseph Mosley |
Iowa Wesleyan |
So. |
Cypress, Texas/Cypress Springs |
| P |
Corbin Edwards |
MacMurray |
So. |
Pleasant Hill, Ill./Pleasant Hill |
| PR |
Kenneth Jinkins |
St. Scholastica |
Sr. |
West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley |
2017 UMAC Football All-Sportsmanship Awards
Team Award – Northwestern
Crown – Nick McCormick, Sr., Edwards, Ill/Elmwood-Brimfield
Eureka – Jake Price, Sr., Wyoming, Ill./Stark County
Greenville – Jonny Pruiett, Sr., Perryville, Mo./Perryville
Iowa Wesleyan – Christian Henriksen, Sr., Donnellson, Iowa/Central Lee
MacMurray – Cooper Bowles, Jr., Quincy, Ill./Quincy
Martin Luther – Jacob Heyn, Sr., Crete, Ill./Illinois Lutheran
Minnesota Morris – Mitch Fischer, Sr., Redwood Falls, Minn./Redwood Valley
Northwestern – Beau Walter, Sr., Conway, Ark./Conway
St. Scholastica – Rick Johnson, Sr., Wrenshall, Minn./Esko
Westminster – Zach Roseman, Jr., St. Louis, Mo./St. John Vianney