OSKALOOSA — Eight members of the Statesmen football team earned postseason recognition as the all-Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division teams were announced last Friday.
Jagger Blubaugh (Jr., Wichita, Kan., Exercise Science) led the navy and gold as a first-team honoree on defense.
Dylan Wemer (Jr., Joplin, Mo., Physical Education (K-12)) was a second-team pick on offense, while the trio of Jaden Curtis (Sr., Glendale, Ariz., Digital Communication), Kyriee Lewis (So., Eight Mile, Ala., Sports Management), and Harlan Plumber (Jr., Bryan, Texas, Exercise Science) all received second-team honors on defense.
Trey Mosley (So., Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kinesiology) and Logan Myers (So., Joplin, Mo., Business Management), on offense, while Marquis Knighten (Grad., Buena Park, Calif., Master’s of Organizational Leadership), on defense, were selected to the honorable-mention teams.
The award is the first for Blubaugh, Curtis, Lewis, Plumber, Mosley, and Myers. Wemer and Knighten are now both three-time award-winners.
The group led William Penn to a 3-7 record this fall (1-4 North).
Blubaugh finished the season with 102 tackles (56 solos, 46 assists), including six for a loss. He tallied one sack, two interceptions, and three pass breakups. The junior had six games with double-figure tackles, highlighted by a season-best 18 stops.
Wemer guided the Statesmen offensive line which led the navy and gold to average 254.4 yards per game. It is his second laurel on the second team.
Curtis produced 32 tackles (14 solos, 18 assists) with 10 for a loss. He recorded six sacks, three pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. The senior tallied a season-high six tackles on two occasions.
Of Lewis’ 58 tackles (25 solos, 33 assists), 14.5 of them happened behind the line of scrimmage. He posted a team-high 10.5 sacks alongside one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two pass breakups. The sophomore had a high of 10 tackles and managed a sack in every game this year with a high of 3.5 sacks.
Plumber ended up guiding WPU with 109 tackles (59 solos, 50 assists) with 10.5 for loss. He forced one fumble, recovered two fumbles, and intercepted a pass. The junior recorded seven double-digit tackle performances with a high of 15 stops twice.
Mosley headed the receiving corps with 38 receptions for 438 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore tallied a school-record 14 receptions in one game and had 109 receiving yards in that contest.
Myers was another staple in WPU’s offensive line, helping the Statesmen average 148.4 passing yards and 106.1 rushing yards.
Knighten’s 49 tackles (23 solos, 26 assists, 6.5 for loss) were accompanied by 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass breakup. His top showing was 11 tackles. It is Knighten’s second laurel on the honorable-mention squad.
Johnny Sullivan of Grand View was selected as North Player of the Year, while he also shared Co-Offensive Player of the Year laurels with Gerald Monroe of Graceland.
Peru State’s Devin Adams collected North Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Cade Ross of Graceland was named Freshman of the Year.
James Lewis (Graceland), Lou Varley (Peru State), and Andy Jepson (Grand View) shared the Assistant Coach of the Year accolade, and Joe Woodley was tabbed as Coach of the Year by his peers.
For a complete list of the all-Heart honors, click HERE