2019 ALL-GAC AWARDS | RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Wednesday, following a vote of the Great American Conference’s head football coaches, the league announced its All-Conference teams and year-end individual awards. The coached voted Oklahoma Baptist quarterback Preston Haire as the GAC’s Offensive Player of the Year, Northwestern Oklahoma State linebacker Maurice Wright, Jr. as Defensive Player of the Year and Arkansas-Monticello quarterback Demilon Brown as Freshman of the Year. Ouachita’s Todd Knight claimed the Coach of the Year honor.
Haire led the Bison to a 7-4 record, their most successful season since they joined the GAC in 2015. The Bison offense led the GAC in yards per game and ranked second in points per game. Haire threw for 3,041 yards and 26 touchdowns. He added 542 yards on the ground and scored seven rushing touchdowns. He ranks fifth in the country with his 3,583 yards of total offense. During the year, he moved into the top five of the GAC’s all-time lists for passing yards, total offense and touchdown passes.
Wright, Jr. capped a stellar four-year career with the Rangers by racking up a GAC-leading 130 tackles. Twice her registered at least 20 tackles, including 25 against Harding on October 26 to establish a GAC single-game record. It also represented the highest tackle count in a Division II game in almost four years. He added 8.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two interceptions. He finished his career with 457 tackles, the second-best tally in league history.
Brown made an instant impact on the Weevil offense. Against East Central, in his debut as the full-time quarterback, he threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 155 yards and scored three more times. He finished the season by completing 62.1 percent of his attempts for 1,057 yards and nine touchdowns. On 110 carries, he gained 803 yards and with five touchdowns.
Knight garnered his fifth GAC Coach of the Year accolade as he led the Tigers to their third-straight GAC title and their fourth appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Tigers went 11-0 in the regular season for the second-straight year and matched Henderson State’s record for consecutive GAC wins, 27.
Seven of Knight’s Tigers landed on the All-GAC First Team. Tackle Cori Gooseberry earned his spot on the offensive line with unanimous consent. Two additional members of the Ouachita line - center Jacob Roberts and tackle Anthony Chairez - made the First Team. Brockton Brown ran behind that line to the tune of 943 and a GAC-single-season record 22 rushing touchdowns. Allie Freeman claimed First-Team spots at both receiver and kick returner. He set the GAC single-season record for receptions with 86 as well as career records for receptions, 246, and all-purpose yards, 5,269.
On the defensive side, defensive end Dameyun McDonald and corner back Keandre Evans earned First-Team honors. McDonald tallied 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks while Evans intercepted three passes and led the GAC with 17 passes defended.
Harding placed six on the First Team. Fullback Cole Chancey made the team as a unanimous selection. He set the GAC single-season record for rushing yards with 1,338, one more yard than his 2017 total. He moved up to second on the league’s career rushing yards list, 127 shy of Ouachita’s Kris Oliver.
Three members of the Bisons defense – Jacory Nichols, Dylan Hendricks and Jordan Allison – as well as two special teams performers – punter Cameron Scott and special teamer Jon Cain also made the First Team. Harding’s defense ranks second in the country in scoring defense. Nichols intercepted four passes and returned three back for touchdowns. Hendricks ranked second on the team in tackles. Scott led the GAC with a 44.2 yards-per-punt average. Cain served as Harding’s long snapper.
Southern Arkansas saw three starters from their defense – defensive tackle Antonio Washington, linebacker Malik Preston and safety Brock Floyd – earn spots on the First Team plus kicker Austin Wilkerson. Washington ranked third in the GAC with 12.5 tackles for loss. Preston led SAU with 62 tackles. He also forced two fumbles. Floyd tallied 61 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown. Wilkerson led GAC kickers with 82 points. He did not miss and extra point, went 13-for-14 on field goals and made the longest field goal in the GAC this year, a game-winning 48-yard try against Oklahoma Baptist on the game’s final play.
East Central’s Ontario Douglas joined Brown and Chancey in the GAC First Team back field. He surpassed 1,000 yards for the second time in his career. His 18 touchdowns ranked second to Brown within the GAC and fifth in Division II.
Three addition members of the ECU offense joined Douglas on First Team in tight end Dilland Gardner and linemen Wyatt Galante and Judd Terry. Garder caught 20 passes for 302 yards and pair of touchdowns. The East Central offense finished the season as the only GAC team to average at least 190 rushing yards and 190 passing yards per game. The Tigers averaged 404 yards per game, an increase of 171 from their 2018 average.
Henderson State’s L’liott Curry and Oklahoma Baptist’s Josh Cornell paired with Freeman as the league’s First Team wide receivers. Curry received unanimous support after he finished the regular season ranked in the top 11 nationally in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns. Within the GAC Cornell also trailed only Curry with his 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Reddie outside linebacker Mercardo Anderson and Ranger cornerback Aharon Barnes gave Henderson State and Northwestern two First-Team selections. Anderson ranked second in the GAC in both tackles for loss, 14.5, and interceptions, four. Barnes ranked second in the nation with four blocked kicks.
Southern Nazarene’s Nate Walker and Arkansas Tech’s Tre Chism rounded out the First Team. Walker gained 580 all-purpose yards and scored six touchdowns while Chism ranked third in the GAC with 5.5 sacks.
In total, Ouachita led the way with 18 All-GAC selections. Henderson State and Southern Arkansas produced 12 All-GAC picks followed by 11 from Harding.