Chambers, McCrary pace ACU's all-conference selections
11/20/2018 2:31:00 PM | Football
All-Southland Conference Team
ABILENE – A program record-tying 12 ACU Wildcats were voted to the 2018 All-Southland Conference football team, which was announced Tuesday afternoon by the league office.
The Wildcats' selections were led by junior middle linebacker Jeremiah Chambers, who was voted to the first team, and junior running back Billy McCrary, who was voted the league's Co-Newcomer of the Year, along with earning second team all-league honors.
One of the top defensive players in the Southland Conference, Chambers was a true three-down linebacker, playing on running and passing downs, rarely coming off the field for the defense, and also playing on special teams. He finished third in the league in total tackles (113) and sixth in solo tackles (59). He was eighth in the league in tackles for loss (14.5) and had one pass breakup, one pass defended, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. His 113 tackles this season are tied for 10th-best in ACU single-season history, and his 113 tackles this season give him 183 in his three seasons as a Wildcat.
Chambers finished the 2018 season with six games with double digits in tackles, including a career-high 16 at McNeese on Oct. 6. He earned Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 15 after leading ACU to a 28-12 upset over then-No. 9 Nicholls. In that game he had 14 tackles (8 solo), including 3.0 tackles for loss and one sack. A team captain, Chambers was a key cog in the league's third-ranked total defense, third-ranked scoring defense, third-ranked rushing defense, second-ranked defense on third downs and the top-ranked defense on fourth downs.
McCrary – voted to the second team as a running back – shared league Newcomer of the Year honors with Lamar running back Jordan Hoy. McCrary averaged the most yards per carry in the conference (8.2) and found pay dirt 10 times through the air and on the ground. His 222-yard rushing game against Southeastern Louisiana on Oct. 20 was the second-best rushing game by a Southland player this season. Hoy, a two-time Offensive Player of the Week, scored seven of his nine touchdowns and racked up 692 yards of total offense in two crucial road wins against SFA and UCA in place of Darrell Colbert Jr.
Also voted to the second team for the Wildcats were offensive linemen Bill Weber and Dakota Laws, tight end Cody Ennis and safety Bolu Onifade.
Laws and Weber – along with Kade Parmelly, who was an honorable mention selection on the offensive line – were part of an offensive line that gave up a Southland-low 16 sacks on the season. ACU has also went from last in the league in rushing and near the bottom in total offense in 2017 to third in the league in total offense and fourth in rushing offense in 2018. ACU's offensive line play was pivotal in the Wildcats leading the league in total first downs, first downs per game and ranking second in time of possession and third-down conversions.
As a senior, Ennis turned in the best season of his career, finishing with 32 catches for 347 yards and one touchdown. Anthony's primary target on fourth down, he was a big reason why ACU converted 9 of 17 fourth-down plays into first downs. An all-around player at the TE position, Ennis's blocking is also a primary reason ACU went from 11th in the league in rushing yards in 2017 to fourth this season.
One of the top play-makers in the league from the safety position, Onifade was third on the team with 59 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception, six passes broken up and seven passes defended. A big hitter, his play in the secondary was one of the primary reasons for ACU's 17-10 win at Sam Houston State on Nov. 10.
Nicholls quarterback Chase Fourcade headlines the 2018 all-conference teams, which are presented by Ready Nutrition.
Fourcade paced the conference in passing efficiency (148.5), throwing the league's fewest interceptions (six) and completing 176 passes for 2,447 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead the Colonels to a conference co-championship. He added nine scores on the ground and rushed for 488 yards, which ranked second among quarterbacks in the league.
The Metairie, La., native is one of seven superlative award winners announced Tuesday, along with Coach of the Year Eric Morris (Incarnate Word), Offensive Player of the Year Jazz Ferguson (Northwestern State) and Defensive Player of the Year BJ Blunt (McNeese).
UIW quarterback Jon Copeland is the Freshman of the year, and Abilene Christian's Billy McCrary and Lamar's Jordan Hoy are co-Newcomers of the Year. Offensive Lineman of the Year is Lamar's Garrett Bowery.
A first-year head coach, Morris engineered an amazing turnaround in guiding the Cardinals to a regular-season co-championship after a 1-10 mark last season. UIW is in its second season of Division I competition and was picked to finish ninth in the conference preseason poll.
Honorable Mention Wildcats
Luke Anthony – Among FCS top 10 in completions, attempts, passing yards, completions per game and total offense. Anthony led the Southland in completions and attempts and was second in TD passes in 2018. He was second in total passing yards and fourth in passing yards per game. He finished the season with 319 completions and 484 attempts to set new single-season ACU records.
Cole Burgess – One of the Wildcats' top defense linemen, Burgess started four games and played in all 11, finishing the season with 6.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 4 QB hurries, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Burgess was a key cog in the league's third-ranked total defense, third-ranked scoring defense, third-ranked rushing defense, second-ranked defense on third downs and the top-ranked defense on fourth downs.
Adonis Davis – Started 10 of 11 games at cornerback for a Wildcat defense that ranked third in the league in both total defense and scoring defense. Tied for the league lead in passes defended (15) and pass breakups (11) and tied for second in INTs (4). He was fourth in the league in INT return yards (64).
Jack Gibbens – Started all 11 games for the Wildcats and finished tied for 12th in the Southland in total tackles (78) and tackles per game (7.1). He also had 9.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks to his credit. Gibbens was a key cog in the league's third-ranked total defense, third-ranked scoring defense, third-ranked rushing defense, second-ranked defense on third downs and the top-ranked defense on fourth downs.
Dante Hibbert – One of the top interior linemen in the Southland Conference, Hibbert had his best season in three years as a Wildcat, finishing with 38 tackles (15 solo) to go along with 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. A two-time team captain, Hibbert was a key cog in the league's third-ranked total defense, third-ranked scoring defense, third-ranked rushing defense, second-ranked defense on third downs and the top-ranked defense on fourth downs.
Kade Parmelly – A two-year starter on the Wildcats' offensive line, he's played both guard and tackle in his two seasons. ... Part of an offensive line that gave up a Southland-low 16 sacks on the season. ACU went rom last in the league in rushing and near the bottom win total offense in 2017 to third in the league in total offense and fourth in rushing offense in 2018.
ABILENE – A program record-tying 12 ACU Wildcats were voted to the 2018 All-Southland Conference football team, which was announced Tuesday afternoon by the league office.
The Wildcats' selections were led by junior middle linebacker Jeremiah Chambers, who was voted to the first team, and junior running back Billy McCrary, who was voted the league's Co-Newcomer of the Year, along with earning second team all-league honors.
One of the top defensive players in the Southland Conference, Chambers was a true three-down linebacker, playing on running and passing downs, rarely coming off the field for the defense, and also playing on special teams. He finished third in the league in total tackles (113) and sixth in solo tackles (59). He was eighth in the league in tackles for loss (14.5) and had one pass breakup, one pass defended, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. His 113 tackles this season are tied for 10th-best in ACU single-season history, and his 113 tackles this season give him 183 in his three seasons as a Wildcat.
Chambers finished the 2018 season with six games with double digits in tackles, including a career-high 16 at McNeese on Oct. 6. He earned Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 15 after leading ACU to a 28-12 upset over then-No. 9 Nicholls. In that game he had 14 tackles (8 solo), including 3.0 tackles for loss and one sack. A team captain, Chambers was a key cog in the league's third-ranked total defense, third-ranked scoring defense, third-ranked rushing defense, second-ranked defense on third downs and the top-ranked defense on fourth downs.
McCrary – voted to the second team as a running back – shared league Newcomer of the Year honors with Lamar running back Jordan Hoy. McCrary averaged the most yards per carry in the conference (8.2) and found pay dirt 10 times through the air and on the ground. His 222-yard rushing game against Southeastern Louisiana on Oct. 20 was the second-best rushing game by a Southland player this season. Hoy, a two-time Offensive Player of the Week, scored seven of his nine touchdowns and racked up 692 yards of total offense in two crucial road wins against SFA and UCA in place of Darrell Colbert Jr.
Also voted to the second team for the Wildcats were offensive linemen Bill Weber and Dakota Laws, tight end Cody Ennis and safety Bolu Onifade.
Laws and Weber – along with Kade Parmelly, who was an honorable mention selection on the offensive line – were part of an offensive line that gave up a Southland-low 16 sacks on the season. ACU has also went from last in the league in rushing and near the bottom in total offense in 2017 to third in the league in total offense and fourth in rushing offense in 2018. ACU's offensive line play was pivotal in the Wildcats leading the league in total first downs, first downs per game and ranking second in time of possession and third-down conversions.
As a senior, Ennis turned in the best season of his career, finishing with 32 catches for 347 yards and one touchdown. Anthony's primary target on fourth down, he was a big reason why ACU converted 9 of 17 fourth-down plays into first downs. An all-around player at the TE position, Ennis's blocking is also a primary reason ACU went from 11th in the league in rushing yards in 2017 to fourth this season.
One of the top play-makers in the league from the safety position, Onifade was third on the team with 59 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception, six passes broken up and seven passes defended. A big hitter, his play in the secondary was one of the primary reasons for ACU's 17-10 win at Sam Houston State on Nov. 10.
Nicholls quarterback Chase Fourcade headlines the 2018 all-conference teams, which are presented by Ready Nutrition.
Fourcade paced the conference in passing efficiency (148.5), throwing the league's fewest interceptions (six) and completing 176 passes for 2,447 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead the Colonels to a conference co-championship. He added nine scores on the ground and rushed for 488 yards, which ranked second among quarterbacks in the league.
The Metairie, La., native is one of seven superlative award winners announced Tuesday, along with Coach of the Year Eric Morris (Incarnate Word), Offensive Player of the Year Jazz Ferguson (Northwestern State) and Defensive Player of the Year BJ Blunt (McNeese).
UIW quarterback Jon Copeland is the Freshman of the year, and Abilene Christian's Billy McCrary and Lamar's Jordan Hoy are co-Newcomers of the Year. Offensive Lineman of the Year is Lamar's Garrett Bowery.
A first-year head coach, Morris engineered an amazing turnaround in guiding the Cardinals to a regular-season co-championship after a 1-10 mark last season. UIW is in its second season of Division I competition and was picked to finish ninth in the conference preseason poll.
Honorable Mention Wildcats
Luke Anthony – Among FCS top 10 in completions, attempts, passing yards, completions per game and total offense. Anthony led the Southland in completions and attempts and was second in TD passes in 2018. He was second in total passing yards and fourth in passing yards per game. He finished the season with 319 completions and 484 attempts to set new single-season ACU records.
Cole Burgess – One of the Wildcats' top defense linemen, Burgess started four games and played in all 11, finishing the season with 6.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 4 QB hurries, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Burgess was a key cog in the league's third-ranked total defense, third-ranked scoring defense, third-ranked rushing defense, second-ranked defense on third downs and the top-ranked defense on fourth downs.
Adonis Davis – Started 10 of 11 games at cornerback for a Wildcat defense that ranked third in the league in both total defense and scoring defense. Tied for the league lead in passes defended (15) and pass breakups (11) and tied for second in INTs (4). He was fourth in the league in INT return yards (64).
Jack Gibbens – Started all 11 games for the Wildcats and finished tied for 12th in the Southland in total tackles (78) and tackles per game (7.1). He also had 9.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks to his credit. Gibbens was a key cog in the league's third-ranked total defense, third-ranked scoring defense, third-ranked rushing defense, second-ranked defense on third downs and the top-ranked defense on fourth downs.
Dante Hibbert – One of the top interior linemen in the Southland Conference, Hibbert had his best season in three years as a Wildcat, finishing with 38 tackles (15 solo) to go along with 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. A two-time team captain, Hibbert was a key cog in the league's third-ranked total defense, third-ranked scoring defense, third-ranked rushing defense, second-ranked defense on third downs and the top-ranked defense on fourth downs.
Kade Parmelly – A two-year starter on the Wildcats' offensive line, he's played both guard and tackle in his two seasons. ... Part of an offensive line that gave up a Southland-low 16 sacks on the season. ACU went rom last in the league in rushing and near the bottom win total offense in 2017 to third in the league in total offense and fourth in rushing offense in 2018.
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