Kats Dominate Preseason All-SLC Picks
7/20/2016 11:50:00 AM | Football
Following its fourth NCAA Division I Championship football playoffs semifinals in five years, Sam Houston dominates the 2016 preseason All-Southland Conference team. The Bearkats have placed seven players on the all-league first team and six more on the second team.
First team selections include linemen Bridge Blount and Curtis Riser, running back Corey Avery and wide receiver Yedidiah Louis on offense; lineman P. J. Hall and defensive back Darion Flowers on defense and kicker Luc Swimberghe on special teams. Louis also was named preseason All-Southland in the all-purpose back position.
Second team all-conference members are quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe, wide receiver Davion Davis and lineman Sam Hardy on offense and linemen Luis Carreno and Sione Latu and linebacker Collins Okotcha on defense.
Avery, a junior from Dallas / Carter, ranked No. 2 in the Southland in both scoring (108 points) and rushing (98.9 yards per game) last year. He ran for more than 100 yards six times.
A hometown Huntsville produuct, Blunt is a two-time honorable mention all-league lineman who started 31 games in his career. Riser, a senior from DeSoto, started six games last year. The pair blocked for an offense that led the nation in first downs and total yards last fall.
Louis earned preseason honors at two positions (wide receiver and all-purpose player). The junior from New Orleans begins the year ranked No. 6 in Sam Houston career receiving (1,797 yards).
Swimberghe ranks No. 2 in Sam Houston career kicking points (272) and No. 3 in all-time Kat scoring (272 points). The Natchitoches, La., product has kicked 31 career field goals and 179 PATs.
Hall, a two-time All-American from Seguin, stands No. 1 in SHSU all-time tackles for losses (52) and ranks No. 2 in career sacks (23) and kick blocks (10).
Flowers, a senior from Tyler, has started every game the past two years, collecting 125 tackles.
Briscoe passed for 1,883 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. The Houston / Stratford product threw for 1,012 yards and eight scores in the playoffs. Davis was the Kats' fourth-leading receiver as a true freshman in 2015. The Hutto sophomore caught 40 passes for 446 yards and three scores.
Hardy started all 15 games at offensive tackle. The West Hills, Calif., native is a transfer from Wyoming. Carreno ranked No. 2 in the Bearkat defensive line with 56 tackles last season. The junior from Coppell has 72 career stops with 14 for losses. Latu has started 37 games at defensive tackle including all 15 contests last year. The senior from Euless has made 26 tackles for loss in his career. Okotcha had an outstanding season as a redshirt freshman linebacker in 2016. He totaled 23 tackles including three for losses.
The annual preseason poll of the Southland's head coaches will be announced next week at Football Media Day in Lake Charles, La. So far, Sam Houston has been tabbed as league favorite for the 2016 race by four national college football magazines.
Tickets for Sam Houston's home football games at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium and the 91st “Battle of the Piney Woods” presented by H-E-B at NRG Stadium in Houston are now on sale online and at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office on the west side of the stadium.
2015 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Team
First-Team Offense
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
QB |
Zach Conque |
SFA |
6-6 |
237 |
Sr |
|
RB |
Kade Harrington |
Lamar |
5-9 |
190 |
Sr |
|
RB |
SHSU |
5-10 |
190 |
Jr |
|
|
TE |
Zach Hetrick |
McNeese |
6-3 |
250 |
Sr |
|
WR |
SHSU |
5-8 |
187 |
Jr |
|
|
WR |
Desmond Smith |
UCA |
6-1 |
201 |
Sr |
|
WR |
Kent Shelby |
McNeese |
6-3 |
194 |
Jr |
|
OL |
SHSU |
5-10 |
295 |
Sr |
|
|
OL |
Bret Treadway |
Lamar |
6-3 |
280 |
Sr |
|
OL |
SHSU |
6-4 |
320 |
Sr |
|
|
OL |
Stockton Mallett |
UCA |
6-3 |
298 |
Jr |
|
OL |
Mason Martin |
McNeese |
6-2 |
286 |
Sr |
|
AP |
SHSU |
5-8 |
187 |
Jr |
|
|
PK |
SHSU |
6-0 |
197 |
Sr |
First-Team Defense
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
DL |
SHSU |
6-1 |
280 |
Jr |
|
|
DL |
Isaiah Golden |
McNeese |
6-2 |
335 |
Jr |
|
DL |
Larance Hale |
Lamar |
6-2 |
280 |
Sr |
|
DL |
John Franklin |
SFA |
6-4 |
284 |
Jr |
|
LB |
Sam Denmark |
ACU |
6-1 |
230 |
Jr |
|
LB |
Ashari Goins |
McNeese |
5-10 |
200 |
Jr |
|
LB |
Antreon Bennett |
SE La. |
6-0 |
225 |
Sr |
|
DB |
Tremon Smith |
UCA |
6-0 |
185 |
Jr |
|
DB |
Jabari Butler |
ACU |
5-11 |
180 |
So |
|
DB |
Dominique Hill |
McNeese |
5-10 |
177 |
Jr |
|
DB |
D. T. Sanders |
Nicholls |
6-0 |
190 |
Sr |
|
DB |
SHSU |
6-0 |
195 |
Sr |
|
|
P |
Christian Guzman |
HBU |
5-11 |
165 |
Jr |
|
KR |
Rodney Randle |
Lamar |
5-10 |
200 |
So |
|
PR |
Brandon Cox |
UCA |
5-9 |
180 |
Jr |
Second-Team Offense
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
QB |
SHSU |
6-3 |
220 |
Jr |
|
|
RB |
Ryan Ross |
McNeese |
5-9 |
205 |
Jr |
|
RB |
De'Mard Llorens |
NW St. |
5-10 |
214 |
Sr |
|
TE |
Cody Dauksch |
UCA |
6-1 |
221 |
Sr |
|
WR |
SHSU |
5-11 |
175 |
So |
|
|
WR |
Jatavious Wilson |
UCA |
5-9 |
171 |
Sr |
|
WR |
Shakeir Ryan |
NW St. |
5-8 |
161 |
Sr |
|
OL |
Riley Mayfield |
ACU |
6-7 |
305 |
Jr |
|
OL |
Terrance Boyd |
NW St. |
6-3 |
324 |
Sr |
|
OL |
Dakota Laws |
ACU |
6-3 |
320 |
So |
|
OL |
SHSU |
6-3 |
310 |
Sr |
|
|
OL |
Travis Romero |
SE La. |
6-3 |
320 |
Jr |
|
AP |
Jatavious Wilson |
UCA |
5-9 |
171 |
Sr |
Second-Team Defense
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
DL |
SHSU |
6-2 |
245 |
Sr |
|
|
DL |
Jammerio Grass |
McNeese |
6-3 |
240 |
Jr |
|
DL |
Terrence Partee |
UCA |
6-3 |
278 |
Sr |
|
DL |
SHSU |
6-0 |
285 |
Sr |
|
|
LB |
Josh Zellars |
UIW |
6-0 |
210 |
Sr |
|
LB |
SHSU |
6-1 |
220 |
So |
|
|
LB |
Garrett Dolan |
HBU |
6-2 |
240 |
Jr |
|
DB |
Jermaine Antoine |
McNeese |
5-11 |
191 |
Jr |
|
DB |
George Odom |
UCA |
6-2 |
185 |
Jr |
|
DB |
Brendan Langley |
Lamar |
6-1 |
190 |
Sr |
|
DB |
Adrian Norwood |
UIW |
6-0 |
210 |
Sr |
|
DB |
Patrick Martin |
SFA |
5-9 |
186 |
Sr |
|
KR |
Jatavious Wilson |
UCA |
5-9 |
171 |
Sr |
|
PR |
Jordan Hicks |
UIW |
5-8 |
175 |
Sr |
