Football 11/15/2022 12:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

A Dozen Bronchos Honored By MIAA

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A dozen Central Oklahoma football players were recognized by the MIAA Tuesday with All-league honors following the conclusion of the 2022 regular season.

READ THE MIAA RELEASE HERE

Central Oklahoma finished the 2022 season this past Saturday with a win over Central Missouri to wrap up the year with a 6-5 record.

Michael Slater and Nicky Quevedo both were named Second Team All-MIAA. Oscar Hammond, Layne Grantham, Robert Fuentes and Kobey Stephens were all named Third Team All-MIAA.

Andrew Carney, Cooper McCoy, Noah Dobson, Noah West, Connor Johnson and Dylan Buchheit were each named All-MIAA Honorable Mention.

"I'm proud of the guys for all the work they put in this season for us," UCO head football coach Adam Dorrel said. "It's great for them to be recognized. The deserve it."

Quevedo, a sophomore from Azle, Texas, was No. 5 in the MIAA in leading Central Oklahoma in scoring with 67 points. He hit 14 field goals this season and converted 25 PATs. Quevedo led UCO hitting 14 of 18 field-goal attempts this season with a long of 45 yards. He went 5-for-5 from 30-39 yards and was 7-for-9 from 40-49 yards.

Quevedo also handled kickoff duties for the Bronchos and averaged 58.9 yards per kick on 54 kickoffs this season, with 24 touchbacks and no out of bounds kicks.

Slater led the heavily recognized Central Oklahoma defense that ranked No. 5 in the MIAA in scoring, total defense, run and pass defense. UCO was second in the MIAA and 38th nationally in turnovers gained with 21 (13 interceptions and eight fumbles recovered).

Slater, a senior defensive end from St. Louis, Mo., had 27 tackles this season and seven tackles for a loss. He had 4.5 sacks, eight QB hurries, and one fumble forced and recovered. Slater also was credited with one pass breakup.

Fuentes also had 27 tackles this season and he had a team-high 10 tackles in the backfield. The senior defensive end from San Antonio, Texas added 3.5 sacks, two QB hurries and also had one pass breakup. He was seventh in the MIAA with 10 tackles for a loss.

Stephens, a sophomore defensive back from Wewoka, Oklahoma, was key in Central's pass defense. He had 39 tackles on the year, including 1.5 in the backfield. Stephens also had two interceptions and four pass breakups. He helped the Bronchos to 13 interceptions, which ranked second in the MIAA.

West, Johnson, and Buchheit all were key in UCO's defensive efforts this season. The sophomore from Tulsa, West had 39 tackles, 9.5 for a loss, and a team-high 5.5 sacks. He added two interceptions and a forced fumble, as well as one pass breakup and a QB hurry.

Also a sophomore from Tulsa, Johnson had 51 tackles, including three in the backfield. He also had one sack, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Johnson didn't stop there, adding two pass breakups and one QB hurry.

Buchheit led the Bronchos with 71 tackles this season. His 183 career tackles lead all UCO football players. The junior from Moore, Oklahoma also made three tackles in the backfield and broke up two passes this season.

Grantham, a junior from Moore, Oklahoma, moved to center this season and helped the Central offense 22.4 points per game on 340.5 yards of total offense per game. UCO put up 192.7 passing yards and 147.8 rushing yards per game behind Grantham's leadership up front.

Hammond was a key figure for the Central Oklahoma offense this season – his true freshman season. The Collinsville, Oklahoma product, who won a high school state championship less than a year ago at UCO's Chad Richison Stadium, was second on the team with 25 receptions for 327 yards.

Hammond had one touchdown, which came on an 80-yard play in a win against Fort Hays State in Edmond. He had a season-high five receptions that day for 148 yards.

Carney, who played quarterback on that high school state championship team throwing the ball to Hammond, moved into the fullback position as a true freshman for the Bronchos and was among the all-around solid performers all year.

Carney, who was honored as an All-Purpose Back, had 43 rushes for 182 yards and three touchdowns this season. He also had eight catches for 109 yards and another touchdown. His 23-carry, 117-yard game last week helped the Bronchos end the season with a win.

McCoy, a sophomore from Durant, Oklahoma, at left guard, and Dobson, a sophomore from Midwest City, Oklahoma, at left tackle, joined Grantham with a solid performance on the offensive line this season. The duo aided in Central's 16 rushing touchdowns and 13 passing touchdowns this season.

UCO posted a 6-5 record in 2022, its first winning season since 2018. Dorrel, in his first season at Central, played 22 sophomores, 18 redshirt freshmen, and 10 true freshmen. That group of 50 is two-thirds of the 74 that took snaps on the field this Fall.

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Players Mentioned

#10 Dylan Buchheit: DB; 6' 1"; Junior

#78 Noah Dobson: OL; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#0 Robert Fuentes: DL; 6' 4"; Senior

#77 Layne Grantham: OL; 6' 2"; Junior

#21 Connor Johnson: LB; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#51 Cooper McCoy: OL; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#96 Nicky Quevedo: K; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#8 Michael Slater: DL; 6' 2"; Senior

#3 Kobey Stephens: DB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#40 Noah West: DL; 6' 3"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#10 Dylan Buchheit
: 6' 1"; Junior
: DB

#78 Noah Dobson
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: OL

#0 Robert Fuentes
: 6' 4"; Senior
: DL

#77 Layne Grantham
: 6' 2"; Junior
: OL

#21 Connor Johnson
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: LB

#51 Cooper McCoy
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: OL

#96 Nicky Quevedo
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: K

#8 Michael Slater
: 6' 2"; Senior
: DL

#3 Kobey Stephens
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: DB

#40 Noah West
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: DL