Football 11/13/2018 4:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Has 16 Honored in MIAA Football Postseason Awards

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced Tuesday its postseason awards for the 2018 football season and the University of Central Oklahoma was well represented with multiple players earning spots on each team.

READ THE MIAA RELEASE HERE

Noah Hammons and O'Shay Harris were named to the All-MIAA First Team, Tyler Stilwell and Justin Stewart were named to the All-MIAA Second Team, and Dustin Basks, Nick George, Eli Hooks, Colton Lindsey, Alex Figueroa and Malik Walker were all named to the All-MIAA Third Team. Clay McKenzie, Mekail Hall, Daunte McGee, Alex Quevedo, Noble Lybrand, and Jakarri Hunt were all also named All-MIAA Honorable Mention.

"I'm proud of Noah and O'Shay to have earned First Team in this league, that's a big deal," UCO head football coach Nick Bobeck said. "There are so many good athletes in this league. On every team. For them and all of our guys to be recognized, that's a big deal and that's something they should be proud of. Their hard work has paid off. And nobody can ever take that from them."

Hammons, a senior from Moore, Okla., is a regular starter at right tackle for the Bronchos and aided in an offense that put up just under 30 points per game this season. UCO averaged 29.3 points and also averaged 395.4 yards per game, which ranked seventh in the MIAA.

Harris had a big year as the regular starting safety for the Bronchos. The junior from Lone Grove, Okla. was second on the team in tackles with 67. He had seven pass breakups and two interceptions. He also forced two fumbles and recovered another, which he returned 70 yards for a touchdown.

Stilwell, a junior from Yukon, Okla., was a regular starter like Hammons. Stilwell bounced around the line a lot though due to injuries, but that also highlighted his ability to do whatever the team needed. He played both right guard and left tackle at times this season, helping the Bronchos to another good season on offense.

Stewart is a senior from Corona, Calif. and was a huge playmaker on the defensive line for the Bronchos. He had 37 tackles this season, starting all 10 games at defensive end. Stewart also had five tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks on the season.

Basks has a team-high 57 receptions this season for 749 yards and five touchdowns. His longest catch of the season is a 72-yard touchdown he hauled in during the Bronchos' upset of then fourth-ranked Northwest Missouri. Basks also snuck in three carries for 25 yards and one touchdown. He needs only 57 yards to crack the top-10 in UCO single season history.

George missed a few games to injury this season, but the junior from Green Cove Springs, Fla. was key in helping the Bronchos offense to a nearly 30-point per game average.

Hooks played opposite Stewart on the defensive line and was just as effective. The senior from Edmond, Okla. had 24 tackles, 6.5 for a loss, and made 3.5 sacks this season. His sacks led the team and ranked 13th in the MIAA. His 48 yards lost on tackles behind the line also ranked eighth in the league.

Figueroa is now a two-time All-MIAA performer after the senior from Stafford, Va. earned Second Team honors in 2017. The outside linebacker made 39 tackles this season, including 4.5 behind the line of scrimmage, and also had two pass breakups.

Lindsey joins Figueroa as a two-time performer. He also earned Third Team All-MIAA a year ago. The senior from Norman, Okla. is one of the best linebackers in the league. He made 82 tackles this season including five for a loss. Lindsey also had three interceptions, two forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

Walker was a shutdown cornerback all season for the Bronchos. The Spiro, Okla., senior made 39 tackles and had five pass breakups to go with one interception.

McKenzie has 661 yards rushing this season and eight rushing touchdowns. He also has 15 receptions for 115 yards and two scores. The sixth-year senior running back from Callisburg, Texas, who was a First Team All-MIAA selection in 2015, and a Second-Team selection in 2016, bounced back from missing most of the 2017 season to eclipse the 3,000-yard career rushing yards mark in 2018. He also just surpassed 4,000 all-purpose yards for his career at UCO.

Hall, a redshirt freshman from Oklahoma City, burst onto the scene in his first year on the field this season. He grabbed 34 catches for 589 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 66-yard and a 65-yard score in a 62-0 win over Northeastern State in Week 10.

McGee, another redshirt freshman, from Yukon, Okla., had four catches for 66 yards at the tight end position, but was also key in helping the Broncho run game and pass blocking schemes.

Quevedo, a sophomore from Azle, Texas, was 9-for-14 on field goals this season and hit 41 of 42 PATs in contributing to the Bronchos offensive successes. He also was big on kickoffs for the Bronchos, averaging 59.8 yards per kick while only registering 20 touchbacks on 61 kickoffs.

Lybrand plays defensive tackle for the Bronchos and the senior from Bethany, Okla. was huge this year in the Central interior. He had 20 tackles and made 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage, both sacks. Lybrand also had one pass breakup at the line and made one fumble recovery on a botched snap.

Hunt moved into a regular role at safety as the season progressed and took every opportunity in becoming a wrecking ball defender for the Bronchos. The junior from Hollywood, Fla. made 35 tackles and had three pass breakups in the defensive backfield.

Central Oklahoma's football season is not done with the MIAA Postseason Awards. The Bronchos (7-4) earned their fourth bowl bid in five years and will meet Angelo State in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl in Waco on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 4 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Dustin Basks: WR; 5' 9"; Junior

#11 Alex Figueroa: LB; 6' 4"; Senior

#52 Nick George: OL; 6' 0"; Junior

#17 Mekail Hall: WR; 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman

#77 Noah Hammons: OL; 6' 2"; Senior

#14 O'Shay Harris: DB; 6' 1"; Junior

#35 Eli Hooks: DE; 6' 0"; Senior

#27 Colton Lindsey: LB; 6' 4"; Senior

#92 Noble Lybrand: DL; 6' 2"; Senior

#85 Daunte McGee: HB; 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Dustin Basks
: 5' 9"; Junior
: WR

#11 Alex Figueroa
: 6' 4"; Senior
: LB

#52 Nick George
: 6' 0"; Junior
: OL

#17 Mekail Hall
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman
: WR

#77 Noah Hammons
: 6' 2"; Senior
: OL

#14 O'Shay Harris
: 6' 1"; Junior
: DB

#35 Eli Hooks
: 6' 0"; Senior
: DE

#27 Colton Lindsey
: 6' 4"; Senior
: LB

#92 Noble Lybrand
: 6' 2"; Senior
: DL

#85 Daunte McGee
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman
: HB