CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) announced the Football All-Conference and marquee awards winners on Thursday.
After sweeping the conference slate, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology earned three of the major award winners.
Senior
Noah Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind.) earned the title of 2021 HCAC Offensive Player of the Year. Thomas led the league in yards (955-yards), touchdowns (10), and yards per game average (95.5 ypg). He racked up 54 catches over the course of 2021, with his longest a 58-yard haul-in against Defiance College.
Fellow Fightin’ Engineer
Michael Stevens (Orland Park, Ill.) was named the 2021 HCAC Defensive Player of the Year. The senior was atop the league leaderboards in several categories, including second in forced fumbles (three) fourth in solo tackles (49), fifth in total tackles (77), 10th in assisted tackles (28), and 11th in sacks (1). Stevens also picked up an interception he returned for 32-yards and had a career-high 11 tackles against Manchester University.
Joining his teammates for the 2021 awards is
Jailen Hobbs (Bunnlevel, N.C.), named the 2021 HCAC Special Teams Player of the Year. The sophomore was a standout returner for the Fightin’ Engineers, with 15 kickoff returns in 2021 for an impressive 394-yards. His average per return was an impressive 26.3-yards and he had a long return of 65-yards. Hobbs also racked up an notable tally on punt returns, with 12 returns for 95-yards, for an average of 7.9-yards.
The HCAC recognizes an athlete in their first year of athletic competition who stands out above the rest as the Newcomer of the Year. The coaches selected
Garrett Cora (Lizton, Ind.) as the 2021 HCAC Newcomer of the Year. The running back put up impressive numbers in his first year in a Grizzlies uniform, posting 700-yards on the ground. Cora was second in the league in yards per game with 70.0 and was fourth in the conference with his seven touchdowns. His 4.4-yards per carry is good enough for seventh in the league standings, and he tallied and impressive 160 carries over the course of 2021.
Rose-Hulman head coach
Jeff Sokol was voted as the 2021 HCAC Coach of the Year, following a perfect 7-0 record in HCAC play, claiming the 2021 HCAC Football Regular Season title and a berth in the 2021 NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. He also led the Fightin’ Engineers to an 8-2 mark overall on the year.
Offensive Player of the Year – Noah Thomas, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Defensive Player of the Year – Michael Stevens, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Special Teams Player of the Year – Jailen Hobbs, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Newcomer of the Year – Garrett Cora, Franklin College
Coach of the Year – Jeff Sokol, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
The HCAC also honors an All-Conference First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention team. The members of those teams are selected by a vote of league coaches and are listed below.
For more information on HCAC football, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the internet at www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on Twitter and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.
All-Conference First Team
| Name |
POS |
Institution |
| Noah Able |
DB |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Winston Amankwah |
DB |
Rose-Hulman |
| Kiefer Askew |
DB |
Hanover |
| Dylan Boswell |
P |
Franklin |
| Kyzer Bowen |
LB |
Rose-Hulman |
| Caleb Brewster |
LB |
Hanover |
| Austin Brock |
WR |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Rashard Brown |
DB |
Rose-Hulman |
| Shawn Coane |
RB |
Hanover |
| Thomas Coltrain |
LB |
Defiance |
| Dante Darden |
DL |
Franklin |
| Andrew Dion |
QB |
Rose-Hulman |
| Jacob Doll |
OL |
Hanover |
| Jonathan Finn |
LB |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Jared Frank |
WR |
Hanover |
| Jarrett Gibson |
WR/R |
Franklin College |
| Alex Gresock |
TE |
Rose-Hulman |
| Devonte Hardiman |
DL |
Hanover |
| Jailen Hobbs |
R |
Rose-Hulman |
| Andrew Kibler |
K |
Manchester |
| Stephan Kosakowski |
DB |
Bluffton |
| Hunter Lacer |
OL |
Bluffton |
| Danny Mabe |
OL |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Cameron McClure |
OL |
Hanover |
| Tyce Miller |
DB |
Rose-Hulman |
| Joey Newton |
WR |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Jireh Ojata |
DL |
Franklin |
| Justin Pierson |
OL |
Rose-Hulman |
| Dana Shoulders II |
DL |
Bluffton |
| Tyler Smith |
DL |
Rose-Hulman |
| Michael Stevens |
LB |
Rose-Hulman |
| Aidan Sturgeon |
OL |
Rose-Hulman |
| Noah Thomas |
WR |
Rose-Hulman |
| Kyle Treber |
LB |
Hanover |
| Shane Welshans |
RB |
Rose-Hulman |
All-Conference Second Team
| Name |
POS |
Institution |
| Walt Ballinger |
RB |
Hanover |
| Carter Brown |
K |
Franklin |
| Armani Christopher |
OL |
Franklin |
| Garrett Cora |
RB |
Franklin |
| Devon Donawerth |
DB |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Sam Feola |
LB |
Anderson |
| Markus Finley |
OL |
Bluffton |
| Julius Fisher |
LB |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Dean Foundos |
TE |
Anderson |
| Carmelo Gurley |
R |
Manchester |
| Noah Hammond |
DL |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Evan Hosea |
OL |
Franklin |
| Daniel Huery |
WR |
Rose-Hulman |
| Andrew Kibler |
P |
Manchester |
| Brody Luker |
DB |
Hanover |
| Jalen Masden |
LB |
Manchester |
| Dylan McKinney |
WR |
Franklin |
| Eric Moultrie Jr. |
OL |
Defiance |
| Jason Pigg |
LB |
Franklin |
| Richard Pope IV |
DL |
Defiance |
| Austin Price |
R |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Jayleem Santos |
DL |
Hanover |
| Evan Stambaugh |
DB |
Franklin |
| Tanner Swindle |
DL |
Franklin |
| Zac Tallent |
WR |
Anderson |
| Josh Taylor |
QB |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Bo Thomas |
DL |
Rose-Hulman |
| Adam Tice-Saliu |
WR |
Rose-Hulman |
| Rigo Villa |
DL |
Defiance |
| Jaquan Walker |
DB |
Manchester |
| Andrew Weeks |
OL |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Kody Wilkerson |
LB |
Franklin |
| Nick Winders |
DB |
Franklin |
| Anthony Wright |
LB |
Mount St. Joseph |
All-Conference Honorable Mention Team
| Name |
POS |
Institution |
| Jake Baumgartner |
P |
Bluffton |
| Aaron Black |
DB |
Franklin |
| Maurice Brewer |
DL |
Defiance |
| Tristian Chambers |
DL |
Anderson |
| Marvin Collins |
DL |
Manchester |
| Jawan Coney |
DL |
Anderson |
| Pete Cross |
LB |
Rose-Hulman |
| Brophy Decklan |
DL |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Zane Dine |
WR |
Bluffton |
| Hunter Eads |
WR |
Hanover |
| Kyle Farfsing |
K |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Tyshaun Freeman |
RB |
Defiance |
| Harrington Greer |
WR |
Manchester |
| Tyson Harley |
QB |
Anderson |
| Cody Horner |
DB |
Hanover |
| Keith Holmes Jr. |
DL |
Bluffton |
| Chandler Kinhalt |
WR |
Mount St. Joseph |
| JR Mathews |
DL |
Manchester |
| Collin McCaffrey |
LB |
Anderson |
| Caden McClain |
LB |
Anderson |
| Mariano Mckenzie |
RB |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Devontay Moore |
LB |
Manchester |
| Ryan Murray |
P |
Mount St. Joseph |
| Jonathan Oliger |
K |
Rose-Hulman |
| Blake Rine |
QB |
Bluffton |
| Eric Roudebush |
P |
Hanover |
| Willis Sands Jr. |
LB |
Manchester |
| Louden Saulbeamer |
LB |
Bluffton |
| Amin Shaheed |
WR |
Defiance |
| Kainan Stoner |
RB |
Bluffton |
| Andrew Toler |
P |
Rose-Hulman |
| Jabari Webb |
DL |
Manchester |
| BJ Williams |
DL |
Hanover |