https://ucasports.com/news/2019/11/26/football-bears-nab-13-all-southland-selections.aspxFRISCO, Texas _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears saw a league-high 13 players named to the All-Southland Conference football team released Tuesday, including
SLC Freshman of the Year Tyler Hudson. Hudson, a receiver from Spring, Texas, earned the biggest postseason honor for the Bears after catching a team-high 52 passes for 939 yards and 12 touchdowns and averaging 18.1 yards per reception.
He was also named to the All-SLC second-team. UCA, ranked No. 7/9 in the nation heading into the FCS Playoffs, had three first-team selections, six second-team picks and four more that were named to the third team.
Heading the list are first-teamers Lujuan Winningham at wide receiver, Hunter Watts in the offensive line and Robert Rochell at cornerback. Winningham, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound sophomore from Humble, Texas, had a season-ending injury in the eighth game of the season but put up gaudy enough numbers prior to that to earn first-team honors. Winningham caught 50 passes for 814 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 16.3 yards per reception.
Watts, a 6-8, 320-pound senior from San Antonio, Texas, led a young offensive line that helped the Bears average 393 yards of total offense a game and win a share of the SLC championship. Rochell, a 6-2, 176-pound junior from Shreveport, La., led the league in interceptions with five and was second in pass breakups with 11.
UCA's second-team selections included Hudson, quarterback Breylin Smith, running back Carlos Blackman, defensive end Nathan Grant, safety Juan Jackson and kick returner Cameron Myers. Smith, a 6-3, 210-pound sophomore from Conway, was third in the league in passing yards average (292.2), third in pass efficiency (145.0), fourth in passing yards (3,506), and third in total offense (288.7). He set the school record for single-season passing yards this season. Blackman, a 6-1, 228-pound senior from Gosnell, Ark., led the Bears in rushing with 663 yards and seven touchdowns and is a three-time All-SLC honoree.
Grant, a 6-4, 245-pound junior, finished the regular season with 39 tackles and a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss. Jackson, a senior from Gardendale, Ala., led the Bears in tackles with 61 for the second straight season and also forced two fumbles. Myers, a 6-1, 205-pound redshirt freshman from Plant City, Fla., averaged 23.2 yards on kick returns, which ranked third in the SLC.
Named to the third team were offensive linemen Toby Sanderson and Jaylen Hendrix, placekicker Hayden Ray and linebacker T.J. Campbell. Sanderson is a 6-2, 295-pound junior and two-year starter from Edmond, Okla. Hendrix is a 6-4, 330-pound sophomore from Everman, Texas, and a first-year starter. Ray, a 5-11, 160-pound sophomore from Bryant, Ark., was 40 for 41 on extra points and 15 of 17 on field goals this season, with a long of 45 yards. His field-goal percentage led the SLC. Campbell, a 6-1, 232-pound sophomore transfer, was UCA's second-leading tackler with 58 stops, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
UCA, which drew the eighth seed and a first-round bye in the FCS Playoffs, will take on the winner of Illinois State-Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Dec. 7 at First Security Field at Estes Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
https://www.southland.org/news/2019/11/26/southland-announces-2019-all-conference-football-teams.aspxSouthland Announces 2019 All-Conference Football Teams
11/26/2019 11:00:00 AM
FRISCO, Texas – For the second-straight season, a Nicholls student-athlete headlines the Southland Football All-Conference Teams as
defensive lineman Sully Laiche is the conference’s Player of the Year, the league announced Tuesday. Yearly awards are presented by Ready Nutrition.
The first defensive player to earn the league’s top annual honor since 2007 (Bryan Smith, McNeese), Laiche led all FCS players with 2.1 tackles for loss per game and ranked fifth nationally in sacks per game (1.1). He led the Southland with 9.0 sacks in conference play and recorded at least one TFL in each of his nine starts.
Named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the FCS’ top defensive player, Laiche totaled 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in the regular season to bring his career totals to 59 TFL and 35.5 sacks. His sack total is the fourth-highest in Southland Conference history.
Laiche is one of seven superlative award winners announced Tuesday, along with
Offensive Player of the Year Chase Fourcade (Nicholls) and Defensive Player of the Year Chris Livings (McNeese). Sam Houston State’s Trace Mascorro is the Newcomer of the Year, and Central Arkansas’ Tyler Hudson is the Freshman of the Year. The Offensive Lineman of the Year Award goes to Nicholls’ PJ Burkhalter, and Southeastern Louisiana’s Frank Scelfo is the Coach of the Year. Last year’s Player of the Year, Fourcade finished his final regular season as the most efficient passer in the league in both overall (151.3) and conference-only games (157.7). He ranked ninth among FCS quarterbacks in completion percentage (66.1) and averaged the second-most yards of total offense in Southland contests (303.2).
Joining Laiche as one of just nine players in conference history to compile 30 career sacks, Livings finished the year with 9.5, which was good for third in the Southland. Livings recorded a team-high 12 tackles for loss and posted at least half a sack in each of the team’s final five games, including a season-high three against Northwestern State.
A transfer from UTEP, Mascorro started all 12 games at defensive tackle for the Bearkats, who led the league in tackles for loss and sacks as a team. He tallied 15.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. Mascorro registered at least two TFL in five games.
A finalist for the Jerry Rice Award (top FCS freshman), Hudson made an immediate impact with a touchdown grab in his first game, an upset of FBS foe Western Kentucky. He went on to finish tied for the league lead with 12 touchdowns and hauled in a conference-best 10 scoring receptions in league play.
Burkhalter served as the starting center and left guard for Nicholls, who led the Southland with just over 200 rushing yards per game and ranked second in scoring (32.
and total offense per game (449.7).
In year two under Scelfo’s direction, the Lions went from a 4-7 team in 2018 to a 7-4 squad in the FCS Playoffs. With an offense that ranks third among FCS programs in pass yards per game (328.5) and a defense that ranks second nationally in sacks per game (3.70), SLU took down two opponents ranked No. 6 at the time of their game (Jacksonville State, Central Arkansas).
Central Arkansas leads the way with 13 total all-conference selections, followed by Nicholls and Sam Houston State each with 12. Southeastern Louisiana placed 11 on the all-league teams while McNeese had nine honorees.
Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist and Lamar garnered five picks each, and UIW, Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin rounded out the teams with four selections apiece.
In total, 17 honorees are returning all-Southland selections, led by Laiche and teammate Allen Pittman with their fourth picks.
UCA running back Carlos Blackman is the lone three-time honoree. All-Southland Conference teams are voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Voting for one’s own athletes is not permitted.
2019 Southland Conference Football Individual Superlative Winners
Player of the Year: Sully Laiche, Nicholls
Offensive Player of the Year: Chase Fourcade, Nicholls
Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Livings, McNeese
Newcomer of the Year: Trace Mascorro, Sam Houston State
Freshman of the Year: Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas
Offensive Lineman of the Year: PJ Burkhalter, Nicholls
Coach of the Year: Frank Scelfo, Southeastern Louisiana
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