ST. LOUIS – Led by three-time honorees Taryn Christion and Christian Rozeboom, 11 South Dakota State players were honored Monday as members of the all-Missouri Valley Football Conference Team.
A senior quarterback from Sioux Falls, Christion shared first-team honors with North Dakota State’s Easton Stick after passing for a league-best 28 touchdowns during the regular season. He completed 163-of-270 passes for 2,549 yards and compiled an efficiency rating of 169.5.
Christion was the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016 and was a second-team all-conference selection in 2017. He holds MVFC career records for touchdown passes (100), passing yards (11,064) and total offense (12,461 yards).
Rozeboom, a junior linebacker from Sioux Center, Iowa, earned first-team all-MVFC recognition for the third time. He has tallied a team-best 73 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, while adding two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Rozeboom reached double figures in tackles three times, including a season-high 13 in the regular-season finale against South Dakota.
Garnering first-team all-conference recognition for the second year in a row was senior cornerback Jordan Brown. A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Brown leads the squad with 10 pass breakups and shares the team lead with three interceptions. Of his 22 tackles this season, 19 have been solo stops.
Rounding out the Jackrabbits’ five first-team selections were wide receiver Cade Johnson and offensive lineman Tiano Pupungatoa.
Johnson, a sophomore from Papillion, Neb., has been the top receiving target this season, hauling in 52 receptions with league-bests of 1,072 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. He was a member of the MVFC All-Newcomer Team a year ago, when he set a Jackrabbit single-season record for kickoff return yards with 839.
Pupungatoa, a senior from River Falls, Wis., is a three-year starter at guard for the Jackrabbits. He has helped power the SDSU offense to averages of 45.4 points and 511.2 yards per game – both of which lead the 10-team league.
Three other Jackrabbits received second-team recognition, including defensive end Ryan Earith. A junior from Papillion, Neb., Earith has posted team highs of 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2018. He also has forced and recovered a fumble this season.
The other two second-team honorees came from the special teams unit and hail from Yankton as senior punter Brady Hale and Bradey Sorenson were honored. A four-year starter, Hale has averaged 42.5 yards per attempt during the 2018 season, landing 19 of his 43 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Sorenson has handled the long-snapping duties each of the past two seasons for the Jackrabbits and has been perfect on his snaps for placekicks and punts this season.
Completing the SDSU honorees were honorable mention selections Adam Anderson, Evan Greeneway and Luke Sellers. Anderson, a junior from Orlando, Fla., ranks second on the squad in all three main receiving categories with 42 catches for 669 yards and six touchdowns.
Greeneway, a junior tackle from Yankton, and Sellers, a junior fullback from Papillion, Neb., have both been key members of a Jackrabbit offensive unit that has paved the way for the team to average 232.9 yards per game on the ground – the program’s highest rushing output in the Division I era.
Selections to the all-Missouri Valley Football Conference Team were based on a vote conducted among the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and select media.
As announced Wednesday, Stick was named Offensive Player of the Year and teammate Jabril Cox was Defensive Player of the Year. SDSU’s Pierre Strong Jr. was Freshman of the Year and Indiana State’s Ryan Boyle was Newcomer of the Year. The Sycamores’ Curt Mallory was voted the ‘Bruce Craddock’ Valley Football Coach of the Year.
South Dakota State, coached by John Stiegelmeier, finished the regular season with an 8-2 overall record, including a second-place mark of 6-2 in MVFC play. The Jackrabbits are making their seventh consecutive appearance in the FCS Playoffs and will play host to Duquesne in second-round action Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
The MVFC all-Newcomer Team will be announced Tuesday.
ALL-MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE TEAM
Standings
MVFC Overall
W-L PF/PA W-L PF/PA Strk
North Dakota State 8-0 328/114 11-0 453/134 W17
South Dakota State 6-2 319/203 8-2 454/223 W4
Indiana State 5-3 238/238 7-4 349/310 W5
Northern Iowa 5-3 220/177 7-5 317/254 W2
Western Illinois 4-4 195/199 5-6 263/286 L2
Illinois State 3-5 221/191 6-5 350/220 W1
Youngstown State 3-5 174/217 4-7 254/299 L1
South Dakota 3-5 217/294 4-7 294/376 L1
Missouri State 2-6 144/306 4-7 253/396 L5
Southern Illinois 1-7 194/314 2-9 331/448 L3
FCS Playoffs
First round – Saturday, Nov. 24
Northern Iowa 16, Lamar 13
Second round – Saturday, Dec. 1
Montana State (8-4) at No. 1 North Dakota State, 2 p.m.
Duquesne (9-3) at No. 5 South Dakota State, 2 p.m.
Northern Iowa at No. 6 UC Davis (9-2), 6 p.m.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB – Taryn Christion, SDSU, 6-2, 225, Sr., Sioux Falls; Easton Stick, NDSU, 6-2, 221, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
RB – Ja’Quan Keys, InSU, 5-10, 220, Sr.; Tevin McCaster, YSU, 5-10, 195, Sr., Hammond, La.; James Robinson, IlSU, 5-10, 220, Jr., Rockford, Ill.
FB – Clint Ratkovich, WIU, 6-1, 210, So., Crete, Ill.
WR – Cade Johnson, SDSU, 5-10, 180, So., Papillion, Neb.; Spencer Schnell, IlSU 5-9, 180, Sr., Elkhart, Ind.; Darrius Shepherd, NDSU, 5-11, 188, Sr., Blue Springs, Mo.
TE – Briley Moore, UNI, 6-3, 242, Jr., Blue Springs, Mo.
OL – Zack Johnson, NDSU, 6-6, 316, Jr., Blaine, Minn.; Tiano Pupungatoa, SDSU, 6-5, 310, Sr., River Falls, Wis.; Cal Twait, UNI, 6-5, 305, Sr., Manson, Iowa; Tanner Volson, NDSU, 6-4, 306, Sr., Balfour, N.D.; Gavin Wiggins, YSU, 6-4, 310, Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.
Defense
DL – Darin Greenfield, USD, 6-3, 240, Jr., Sheldon, Iowa; Greg Menard, NDSU, 6-2, 240, Sr., Lakeville, Minn.; Rickey Neal Jr., UNI, 6-1, 241, Sr., Racine, Wis.; Khalen Saunders, WIU, 6-2, 310, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
LB – Jabril Cox, NDSU, 6-3, 231, So., Kansas City, Mo.; Jonas Griffith, InSU, 6-4, 220, So., Louisville, Ky.; Christian Rozeboom, SDSU, 6-2, 230, Jr., Sioux Center, Iowa; Pete Swenson, WIU, 6-3, 230, Sr., Mason City, Iowa.
DB – Jordan Brown, SDSU, 6-1, 200, Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz.; Jeremy Chinn, SIU, 6-2, 211, Jr., Fishers, Ind.; Robbie Grimsley, NDSU, 6-0, 194, Sr., Hutchinson, Minn.; Luther Kirk, IlSU, 6-2, 195, Jr., Garland, Texas; Xavior Williams, UNI, 5-11, 175, So., Burlington, Iowa.
Special Teams
PK – Austin Errthum, UNI, 5-10, 180, Sr., Kalona, Iowa.
LS – Steven Wethli, YSU, 6-0, 230, Sr., New Castle, Pa.
P – Garret Wegner, NDSU, 6-0, 191, So.
RS – Darrius Shepherd, NDSU, 5-11, 188, Sr., Blue Springs, Mo.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB – Ryan Boyle, InSU, 6-2, 215, Jr., Urbandale, Iowa.
RB – Bruce Anderson, NDSU, 5-11, 210, Sr., Ruskin, Fla.; D.J. Davis, SIU, 5-8, 168, Jr., Pompano Beach, Fla.; Lance Dunn, NDSU, 5-9, 208, Sr., Waterloo, Iowa.
FB – Brock Robbins, NDSU, 6-1, 248, Jr., Cavalier, N.D.
WR – Dakarai Allen, USD, 6-1, 185, Jr., Largo, Fla.; Raphael Leonard, SIU, 6-2, 193, Sr., Starkville, Miss.; Isaiah LeSure, WIU, 6-3, 180, Sr., Mount Horeb, Wis.
TE – Ben Ellefson, NDSU, 6-3, 249, Jr., Hawley, Minn.
OL – Drew Himmelman, IlSU, 6-10, 315, So., Geneseo, Ill.; Vitas Hrynkiewicz, YSU, 6-4, 300, Sr., Somerset, N.J.; Marquis Prophete, MSU, 6-5, 318, Sr., Florissant, Mo.; Dillon Radunz, NDSU, 6-6, 299, So., Becker, Minn.; Wyatt Wozniak, InSU, 6-3, 290, Jr., Cypress, Texas.
Defense
DL – Bryce Douglas, UNI, 6-0, 304, Sr., Plainfield, Ill.; Ryan Earith, SDSU, 6-4, 255, Jr., Papillion, Neb.; Anthony Knighton, SIU, 6-4, 253, So., Fort Pierce, Fla.; Savon Smith, YSU, 6-1, 300, Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.
LB – Armand Dellovade, YSU, 6-0, 215, Sr., Imperial, Pa.; Duncan Ferch, UNI, 6-1, 234, Sr., State Center, Iowa; Quentin Moon, WIU, 6-2, 232, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.; Katrell Moss, InSU, 5-11, 220, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.
DB – Justin Fitzpatrick, WIU, 6-1, 200, Sr., O’Fallon, Mo.; Andrew Gray, USD, 6-2, 215, Sr., New Lennox, Ill.; Rondell Green, InSU, 6-0, 180, Sr., Bowling Green, Ky.; James Hendricks, NDSU, 6-1, 209, Jr., Bemidji, Minn. Devin Taylor IlSU, 6-1, 200, So., Lansing, Mich.
Special Teams
PK – Jerry Nunez, InSU, 5-11, 185, Jr., Naples, Fla.
LS – Bradey Sorenson, SDSU, 6-2, 225, So., Yankton.
P – Brady Hale, SDSU, 6-3, 210, Sr., Yankton.
RS – Steve McShane, WIU, 5-8, 185, Sr., Freeport, Ill.
HONORABLE MENTION
Illinois State – Paul Monaco, LS; JT Bohlken, P; Christian Uphoff, RS. Indiana State – Isaiah Edwards, OL; Tate Leavitt, OL; Dante Hendrix, WR. Missouri State – Angelo Garbutt, LB; McNeece Egbim, LB; Jordan Murray, TE; Tyler Currie, WR. North Dakota State – Jalen Allison, DB; Derrek Tuszka, DL; Cole Karcz, DL; Cam Pedersen, PK. Northern Iowa – Marcus Weymiller, RB; Jackson Scott-Brown, OL; Elias Nissen, TE. South Dakota – Cody Jennings, OL; Mason Scheidegger, OL; Austin Simmons, QB. South Dakota State – Luke Sellers, FB; Evan Greeneway, OL; Adam Anderson, WR. Southern Illinois – Bryce Notree, LB; Nigel Kilby, TE; Landon Lenoir, WR. Western Illinois – Xavier Rowe, DB; Sean McGuire, QB; Steve McShane, RB. Youngstown State – Chrispin Lee, DB; Shereif Bynum, DL; Miles Joiner, TE.
AWARD WINNERS (announced Nov. 21)
Offensive Player of the Year – Easton Stick, QB, NDSU.
Defensive Player of the Year – Jabril Cox, LB, NDSU.
Newcomer of the Year – Ryan Boyle, QB, InSU.
Freshman of the Year – Pierre Strong Jr., RB, SDSU.
‘Bruce Craddock’ Valley Football Coach of the Year – Curt Mallory, InSU.
