Six Bearkats Named Preseason All-Southland
7/16/2014 4:20:00 PM | Football
Six Sam Houston State University student-athletes have been named to the 2014 Southland Conference football preseason all-league team.
Senior safety Michael Wade, junior offensive lineman Donald Jackson III and sophomore kicking specialist Luc Swimberghe are first team selections.
Running back Keshawn Hill, defensive lineman Gary Lorance and tight end Shane Young, all seniors, were voted to the second team.
All six played important roles in leading Sam Houston to a 9-5 record last year and a third consecutive FCS national playoff berth.
Jackson (6-2, 274) was a first team All-Southland Conference offensive tackle last season. This year he has been named to two preseason All-America squads. The Kilgore native has started 25 games in the offensive line as a freshman and sophomore. He was named to the College Sports Journal Freshman All-America squad during SHSU's 2012 Southland championship season.
Wade (5-11, 195) is Sam Houston's top returning tackler with 105 stops last year (59 solo, 46 assists). The Arp product was a second team All-league selection as a safety. Credited with double figure tackles in four games, Wade had a 23-yard interception return to set up SHSU's first score in the victory over Lamar and a 48-yard return in the Nicholls win.
Swimberghe (6-0, 187) was the leading scorer for the Bearkats in 2013. He totaled 97 points with eight field goals and 73 successful point-after attempts. The 97 points is the third-highest kick scoring season total by a Bearkat. The former Tyler/Lindale performer ranked third among Southland kickers in scoring. His season long field goal was a 45-yard kick against Northwestern State.
Hill (5-10, 185) is a member of two SHSU 1,000-yard clubs with 1,396 career rushing yards and 2,312 all-purpose yards in the past three years. The Klein product is both a two-time honorable mention All-Southland and Academic All-league selection. He ranked sixth in the Southland in kickoff returns with an average of 22.3 yards per return as a junior. He returned a kickoff 93 yards in the Kats' 2013 victory over Northwestern State and had a 69-yard run-back for a TD in the 2012 “Battle of the Piney Woods.”
Young (6-3, 235) earned honorable mention All-Southland tight end honors in 2013. He started 13 games, catching 11 passes for 151 yards including touchdowns in both the Texas Southern and Stephen F. Austin victories. The former Lago Vista performer has played in 26 games for the Kats. He caught a nine-yard touchdown late in Sam Houston's 2012 playoff victory at Eastern Washington to help the Kats perserve a win that sent them to the FCS National Championship game.
Lorance (6-0, 285) is a two-time All-Southland defensive lineman who red-shirted last season after an injury in the season opener. The New Boston product has totaled 96 tackles including 24 for losses in his Bearkat career. Lorance was selected All-league during both Sam Houston's 2011 and 2012 Southland championship seasons.
The six preseason All-Southland Conference performers are part of a group of 53 lettermen returning for the 2014 Sam Houston State football season.
Sam Houston players report Sunday July 27 to begin 2014 preseason camp. The Bearkats open the season with the FCS Kickoff game on ESPN Saturday August 23 versus Eastern Washington at 2:30 p.m. (Central time) in Cheney, Washington.
The Kats will play five home games at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium this season. The home opener is Saturday August 30 against Alabama State. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.
Season tickets for all five contests at Bowers plus the 89th “Battle of the Piney Woods” at NRG Stadium in Houston on Nov. 1 are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com or at the SHSU Athletic Ticket Office.
The ticket office is located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
2014 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Team
|
First-Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
QB |
Bryan Bennett |
Southeastern La. |
6-3 |
205 |
Sr. |
|
RB |
Gus Johnson |
Stephen F. Austin |
5-10 |
224 |
Sr. |
|
RB |
Rasheed Harrell |
Southeastern La. |
5-10 |
195 |
Jr. |
|
TE |
Zach Hetrick |
McNeese State |
6-3 |
246 |
So. |
|
WR |
Reggie Begelton |
Lamar |
6-2 |
200 |
Jr. |
|
WR |
Dezmin Lewis |
Central Arkansas |
6-4 |
212 |
Sr. |
|
WR |
Tyler Boyd |
Stephen F. Austin |
5-10 |
185 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Antoine Everett |
McNeese State |
6-3 |
325 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Donald Jackson |
Sam Houston |
6-2 |
270 |
Jr. |
|
OL |
Cole Caruthers |
Central Arkansas |
6-4 |
292 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Jonathan Braddock |
Southeastern La. |
6-4 |
285 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Quentin Marsh |
McNeese State |
6-3 |
310 |
Jr. |
|
AP |
Xavier Roberson |
Southeastern La. |
5-9 |
170 |
Jr. |
|
PK |
Sam Houston |
6-0 |
185 |
So. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First-Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
DL |
Jonathan Woodard |
Central Arkansas |
6-6 |
271 |
Jr. |
|
DL |
Everett Ellefsen |
McNeese State |
6-3 |
233 |
Sr. |
|
DL |
Jacob Newman |
Southeastern La. |
6-2 |
275 |
Sr. |
|
DL |
Deon Simon |
Northwestern State |
6-4 |
315 |
Sr. |
|
LB |
Isiah Corbett |
Southeastern La. |
6-3 |
250 |
Sr. |
|
LB |
Bo Brown |
McNeese State |
6-1 |
232 |
Jr. |
|
LB |
Drew Misita |
Southeastern La. |
6-1 |
245 |
Sr. |
|
DB |
Harlan Miller |
Southeastern La. |
6-0 |
180 |
Jr. |
|
DB |
Imoan Claiborne |
Northwestern State |
5-11 |
187 |
Sr. |
|
DB |
Sam Houston |
5-11 |
195 |
Sr. |
|
|
DB |
Aaron Sam |
McNeese State |
5-9 |
182 |
Sr. |
|
DB |
Fred Thomas |
Northwestern State |
5-10 |
168 |
Sr. |
|
P |
Jean Breaux |
McNeese State |
5-10 |
170 |
Jr. |
|
KR |
Xavier Roberson |
Southeastern La. |
5-9 |
180 |
Jr. |
|
PR |
Kevin Johnson |
Lamar |
6-0 |
210 |
Sr. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second-Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
QB |
Caleb Berry |
Lamar |
6-2 |
195 |
Sr. |
|
RB |
Kelvin Bennett |
McNeese State |
5-11 |
170 |
Jr. |
|
RB |
Sam Houston |
5-10 |
205 |
Sr. |
|
|
TE |
Sam Houston |
6-4 |
253 |
Sr. |
|
|
WR |
Jeff Smiley |
Southeastern La. |
5-9 |
175 |
Jr. |
|
WR |
Damien Watts |
Central Arkansas |
5-10 |
197 |
Sr. |
|
WR |
Ernest Celestie |
McNeese |
5-11 |
190 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
C.J. Simon |
Central Arkansas |
6-3 |
296 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Byron Williams |
Stephen F. Austin |
6-4 |
302 |
Jr. |
|
OL |
Austin Douglas |
Northwestern St |
6-1 |
320 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Justin Brock |
Lamar |
6-5 |
300 |
Jr. |
|
OL |
Joe Graves |
Southeastern La. |
6-3 |
320 |
Jr. |
|
AP |
Daniel Taylor |
Northwestern St |
5-10 |
160 |
Jr. |
|
PK |
Eddie Camara |
Central Arkansas |
5-9 |
168 |
Sr. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second-Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
DL |
T.J. Randall |
Central Arkansas |
6-3 |
291 |
Sr. |
|
DL |
A.J. Bowen |
Southeastern La. |
6-2 |
320 |
Jr. |
|
DL |
JeMarcus Marshall |
Northwestern St |
6-3 |
241 |
So. |
|
DL |
Sam Houston |
6-0 |
290 |
Sr. |
|
|
LB |
Justin Church |
Southeastern La. |
6-4 |
235 |
Sr. |
|
LB |
Davin Bovie |
Nicholls |
5-11 |
180 |
Sr. |
|
LB |
Kaleb Muse |
Southeastern La. |
6-0 |
255 |
Sr. |
|
DB |
Gabe Hamner |
McNeese State |
6-0 |
190 |
Jr. |
|
DB |
Dillon Winfrey |
Central Arkansas |
5-8 |
174 |
Jr. |
|
DB |
Tyler Stoddard |
Southeastern La. |
6-2 |
210 |
Sr. |
|
DB |
Adam Jones |
Northwestern St |
6-2 |
197 |
So. |
|
DB |
Byron Cobb |
Nicholls |
5-10 |
175 |
Sr. |
|
P |
Nick Bruno |
Stephen F. Austin |
5-11 |
197 |
Jr. |
|
KR |
Jatavious Wilson |
Central Arkansas |
5-9 |
171 |
So. |
|
PR |
Ed Eagan |
Northwestern St |
5-10 |
181 |
Jr. |
