Daniel and Washington Highlight Football's KCAC Honors
WICHITA, Kan. – The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference announced the 2015 Football All-Conference selections and individual award winners. The Swedes have 12 players who earned All-KCAC honors, Nile Daniel and Chris Washington earned First Team All-KCAC honors.
"I'm glad that we had some phenomenal guys representing us on the KCAC All-Conference team. Each player has worked extremely hard since I have arrived a year ago and are deserving of this honor," said head coach Paul Hubbard.
Daniel, a senior from Griffin, Georgia, earned First Team All-KCAC honors as a wide receiver. Daniel played in just nine games, but still led the Swedes receiving core. He led the team with 38 catches, 533 yards and four touchdowns. Daniel's longest reception was of 72 yards, he averaged 59.2 yards a game, and 14 yards a catch. Daniel also earned Honorable Mention All-KCAC as a kick returner. He returned 26 kickoffs for an average of 19.4 per return. He led the team with 1,155 all-purpose yards, an average of 128.3 yards per game, and more than double the next highest on Bethany's team. Daniel is 27th in All Purpose Yards per Game, and 42nd nationally in Total All Purpose Yards.
Hubbard went on to say, "Nile is an Unbelieveable talent. He gave us a constant deep threat while also being an outstanding blocker on the edge."
Washington, a senior from The Colony, Texas, also earned First Team All-KCAC honors as a linebacker. Washington started all 11 games and was second on the team with 74 tackles. He had 45 solo tackles and added 29 assisted tackles. 14.5 of Washington's tackles were behind the line of scrimmage (30th in the NAIA) for a loss of 87 yards by opponents. He also had five sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered a fumbled. Washington had a season high of nine tackles three times this season; Houston Baptist University, Langston University, and against Southwestern.
"Chris did really well at switching from defensive line to linebacker this season. Chris put a lot of effort to learn the new position and I am proud of the results he has earned."
The Bethany offensive line was solid all season long. Three of the five offensive linemen were All-Conference selections. Brooks Porter and Justin Burns were named Second Team All-KCAC while Cory McManus was Honorable Mention All-KCAC. The three led a Bethany team that rushed for over 200 yards three different games, including the final game of the season in which they rushed for 517 yards. The Bethany line gave up no sacks against Ottawa and also against McPherson.
"Justin really grew as a player this year. He is one of the best left tackles in the leagure and does a great job protecting the quarterback's blind side. Brooks value to our offensive success cannot be put into words. He played different positions across the line and excelled at all of them. He is a selfles player that any coach would love to work with. Cory was one of the best we have. He works extremely well in space, constantly blocks guys bigger than him, and he finishes blocks the way we want. He got to live every linemans dream and score a touchdown running the ball. It was a pleasure to watch these guys work together this year," added Hubbard.
Roman Roberson was named to the Second Team All-KCAC Defensive team. Roberson, just a freshman from Oceanside, California, was solid in the defensive backfield all season long. The freshman made 28 tackles, 23 unassisted, but made his mark with interceptions. Roberson had four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, he also broke up 11 passes. He is in the top 20 nationally in interceptions per game, and in total interceptions.
"Roman had a solid first season for Bethany. He has a knack for being where the ball is going which led to his four interceptions and his 11 knockdowns," said Hubbard of his first year corner.
Adam Maisch was named Second Team All-KCAC Special Teams as a kicker. Maisch is a senior from Copperopolis, California. Maisch ranks 22nd in the NAIA with eight made field goals. He has made just under 0.75 field goals a game. Maisch is 38th in the nation in Total Scoring (Kicking) with 49 points, and is 44th in scoring per Game (Kicking) with 4.5 points a game. He was Bethany's leading scorer this season with his 49 points, 25 extra points and eight field goals. In his final game as a Swede, Maisch was perfect. Bethany scored six touchdowns, and he made all six extra points. He also made a career long field goal, 45-yards, two different times. For his last effort, Maisch was named the KCAC Special Teams Player of the Week.
"Adam started the season strong and kicked well throughout the year," said coach Hubbard. "He did a great job when their was pressure which is a great tool to have as a kicker."
Kayden Clements, Freddie Frazier, Quincy Carter, Tayler Stull and Brett Crome all were Honorable Mention All-KCAC. Clements, a freshman running back from San Diego, California, was second on the team with 474 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He had an average of 47.4 yards a game and a long run of 67 yards. Frazier, a senior transfer from Miami, Florida, led the Bethany defense with 79 tackles and 46 solo tackles. He had double digit tackles three times this season and a high of 16 at Southwestern College. Frazier blocked three kicks and forced two fumbles as well. He was named the KCAC player of the week one time this season.
Carter, a junior defensive lineman from Dallas, Texas, forced two fumbles and knocked down two passes. His best game came at Southwestern where he had five tackles and 0.5 sacks. Stull was a dominate force in the back end of the Bethany defense. He made 57 stops, had three tackles for loss and a sack. The senior from McCracken, Kansas, had two interceptions, three passes knocked down, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Crome, a senior from Bremen, Kansas, averaged 40 yards per punt this season, and ranks 21st in the NAIA. His longest punt this season was against Friends and it was 76 yards. He had 18 punts downed inside the opponents 20 yard line, and eight punts go over 50 yards. Crome was named the KCAC Special teams player of the week after his game against Friends University.
"Kayden ran the ball well this year. He stepped in when his number was called and ran with extreme passion. Freddie was one of the most dominate defensive lineman in the league. He can control an entire side of the line when he his motor is going. Quincy has the ability to run by an offensive lineman every play. He has some nice pass rush moves and is able to cover ground quickly. Tayler is a four year starter for Bethany. He is a heavy hitter that some of his opponents got to feel first hand. Brett is a great athlete, punter, and a man of character. He's one of our captains and was always engaged in the game."
To see the KCAC Football All-Conference selections, click here.