Slippery Rock's Rivers III Headlines PSAC Football Western Division All-Conference Teams
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- Slippery Rock senior Roland Rivers III was voted the 2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Football Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Year, the league announced Wednesday afternoon in conjunction with the release of the all-conference football teams.
All-conference teams and major award winners were determined by a vote of the league’s West head coaches.
Rivers III is the fourth The Rock athlete to garner the award while it marks the sixth time Slippery Rock has boasted the winner. He is the first since 2013 (Nigel Barksdale). Rivers III has been electric all season and was named the MVP of the PSAC Championship after leading The Rock to a thrilling 37-35 win. The senior threw for 302 yards and rushed for 53 while amassing four touchdowns in the victory. Rivers III currently leads all of DII in touchdown passes (40), passing efficiency (192.70) and points responsible for per game (25.3). He is third in passing yards (3409). The senior has thrown at least four touchdowns passes on seven occasions and turned in a pair of six-touchdown efforts (Sep. 5 & Sept 21). He rushed for a season-high 135 yards in a win against Cal U (Nov. 2).
IUP senior Damon Lloyd was tabbed the Defensive Athlete of the Year and is the fourth Crimson Hawk to garner the merit. It marks the fifth time IUP has boasted the winner and first since 2008 (Terrence Jackson). The senior has spearheaded the league’s toughest defense while IUP has allowed only 16 points per game. Lloyd leads the PSAC and is ranked 14th in DII in total tackles (111) and is 21st in the country in tackles per game (10.1). He was named West Defensive Athlete of the Week after recording 13 tackles in Week 11 against Shippensburg. Lloyd has recorded seven double-digit tackle games, including a season-high 14 against New Haven in IUP’s season opener. He has accumulated 6.5 tackles-for-loss, six passes defended, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Cal U’s Noah Dillow was tabbed Freshman of the Year. He is the fourth Vulcan to receive recognition and it marks the second consecutive season Cal U has boasted the winner (Noah Mitchell). Cal U is the first team to win the award in back-to-back years since Mercyhurst (2011 & 12). He is the first defensive player from Cal U to earn the award since 2010. Dillow finished third on the team with 59 tackles. He has turned in 5.5 tackles-for-loss and two interceptions. Dillow and the Vulcan defense are third in the PSAC in points allowed (17.5).
Slippery Rock’s Shawn Lutz was selected as Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. He is the first coach to repeat in the division since Lou Tepper (2005 & 06). The Rock won the PSAC Championship for the first time since 2015. Under Lutz’s direction, Slippery Rock is a perfect 11-0 and secured the No. 1 seed in the NCAA DII Super Region I and received a first-round bye. 14 The Rock athletes were named to an all-conference team this season. Lutz’s offense is fifth in DII in points per game (46.9).
IUP led the division with 15 all-conference representatives while Slippery Rock was second with 14. Cal U had nine.
IUP senior Jeff Arnold landed on an all-conference team for the fourth time in his career.
A full list of honorees is below.
PSAC FOOTBALL WEST MAJOR AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year: Roland Rivers III, Slippery Rock
Defensive Player of the Year: Damon Lloyd, IUP
Freshman of the Year: Noah Dillow, Cal U
Coach of the Year: Shawn Lutz, Slippery Rock
PSAC FOOTBALL WESTERN DIVISION ALL-CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| QB |
Roland Rivers III* |
Slippery Rock |
Sr. |
Ellenwood, Ga. / Martin Luther King |
| RB |
Nelson Brown^ |
Cal U |
Sr. |
Salisbury, Md. / Wicomico |
| RB |
Mylique McGriff |
Clarion |
Jr. |
Havre de Grace, Md. / McDonogh |
| RB |
Garrett Owens^ |
Mercyhurst |
Jr. |
North East, Pa. / North East |
| OT |
Vitaliy Gurman |
Edinboro |
Jr. |
Rochester, N.Y. / Spencerport |
| OT |
Chris Larsen |
Slippery Rock |
Sr. |
Erie, Pa. / Erie McDowell |
| OG |
Joshua Dauberman |
IUP |
Jr. |
Hughesville, Pa. / Hughesville |
| OG |
Ryan Podgorski |
Slippery Rock |
Sr. |
South Park, Pa. / South Park |
| C |
Jeff Arnold*^^ |
IUP |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear |
| TE |
Jason Armstrong |
Mercyhurst |
So. |
Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe |
| WR |
Duane Brown |
IUP |
So. |
Spring Church, Pa. / Apollo-Ridge |
| WR |
Tyson Hill* |
Cal U |
Jr. |
New Kensington, Pa. / Valley |
| WR |
Henry Litwin |
Slippery Rock |
Jr. |
Linesville, Pa. / Conneaut Area |
| PK |
Jake Chapla^* |
Slippery Rock |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Plum |
PSAC FOOTBALL WESTERN DIVISION ALL-CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| DL |
Gerald Brown |
Cal U |
So. |
Duquesne, Pa. / West Mifflin |
| DL |
Saif Khan^ |
Clarion |
Sr. |
Lorton, Va. / South County |
| DL |
Chad Kuhn |
Slippery Rock |
Jr. |
Vandergrift, Pa. / Kiski Area |
| DL |
Jeff Marx* |
Slippery Rock |
So. |
Youngstown, Ohio / Ursuline |
| DL |
Dondrea Tillman*^ |
IUP |
Sr. |
Sterling, Va. / Potomac Falls |
| LB |
Nick Amendola^* |
IUP |
Sr. |
North Huntingdon, Pa. / Norwin |
| LB |
Damon Lloyd** |
IUP |
Sr. |
Bel Air, Md. / John Carroll |
| LB |
Israel Xavier |
Cal U |
So. |
Cleveland, Ohio / Mayfield |
| LB |
Brad Zaffram* |
Slippery Rock |
Sr. |
Buffalo, N.Y. / Canisius |
| DB |
Fardan Allen |
Seton Hill |
Sr. |
Rochester, N.Y. / Rush Henrietta |
| DB |
Brandon Anderson** |
Edinboro |
Sr. |
Willingboro, N.J. / Holy Cross |
| DB |
Lamont McPhatter II** |
Cal U |
Sr. |
New Castle, Pa. / New Castle |
| DB |
Nazir Streater |
IUP |
Jr. |
Palmyra, N.J. / Camden Catholic |
| RS |
Ta’Nauz Gregory^ |
Edinboro |
Sr. |
Erie, Pa. / Cathedral Prep |
| P |
Brendan Cole** |
Mercyhurst |
Sr. |
Queens, N.Y. / Saint Francis |
PSAC FOOTBALL WESTERN DIVISION ALL-CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE SECOND TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| QB |
Quinton Maxwell |
IUP |
Gr. |
Rayville, Mo. / Richmond R-XVI |
| RB |
Malik Anderson |
IUP |
Jr. |
Ellicott City, Md. / Howard |
| RB |
Justice Evans^ |
IUP |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Central Catholic |
| RB |
Dorian Woody |
Edinboro |
Fr. |
Forest Hill, Md. / John Carroll |
| OT |
Ken Roman |
IUP |
Sr. |
Hawley, Pa. / Wallenpaupack |
| OT |
Jake Tecak |
Slippery Rock |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Plum |
| OG |
Brendan Badstibner |
Cal U |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Baldwin |
| OG |
Ryan Pasternak |
Edinboro |
So. |
DuBois, Pa. / DuBois Area |
| C |
Christian DiGalbo^ |
Cal U |
Sr. |
Secane, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner |
| TE |
Jacob Watts |
IUP |
Sr. |
Scranton, Pa. / Scranton |
| WR |
Jordan Dandridge^ |
Cal U |
Sr. |
Duluth, Ga. / Duluth |
| WR |
JoJo Gause |
IUP |
Sr. |
Rochester, N.Y. / Bishop Kearney |
| WR |
Ta’Nauz Gregory |
Edinboro |
Sr. |
Erie, Pa. / Cathedral Prep |
| WR! |
Jermaine Wynn Jr. |
Slippery Rock |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Woodland Hills |
| PK |
Vicente Arrigada |
Edinboro |
Fr. |
Bliss, N.Y. / Letchworth Central |
PSAC FOOTBALL WESTERN DIVISION ALL-CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown / Previous School |
| DL |
Jay Bullock |
Gannon |
Jr. |
Garfield Heights, Ohio / University School |
| DL |
Brad Burrows |
Mercyhurst |
So. |
Willowick, Ohio / Eastlake North |
| DL |
Dajour Fisher |
IUP |
So. |
Aliquippa, Pa. / Aliquippa |
| DL |
Gilberto Ortiz |
Edinboro |
Jr. |
Dunkirk, N.Y. / Pine Valley |
| DL |
Ayron Thompson Jr. |
Mercyhurst |
So. |
Middletown, Ohio / Middletown |
| LB |
Julian Cox |
Cal U |
Sr. |
New Castle, Pa. / New Castle |
| LB |
Jayden Emberton-Gaines |
Seton Hill |
Jr. |
Lemon Grove, Calif. / Mater Dei |
| LB |
Joe Scro |
Mercyhurst |
Jr. |
Liverpool, N.Y. / Liverpool |
| LB |
Alex Zacharysz |
Mercyhurst |
Sr. |
Strongsville, Ohio / Strongville |
| DB |
Eric Glover-Williams^ |
Slippery Rock |
Sr. |
Canton, Ohio / Canton McKinley |
| DB |
Khadir Roberts |
Slippery Rock |
Jr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / Archbishop Carroll |
| DB |
Aaron Rogers |
Edinboro |
Sr. |
Burlington, N.J. / Burlington Township |
| DB |
JR Stevens^ |
IUP |
Sr. |
Langhorne, Pa. / Neshaminy |
| RS |
Jermaine Wynn Jr. |
Slippery Rock |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Woodland Hills |
| P |
Jake Chapla^^ |
Slippery Rock |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Plum |
* Indicates previous All-PSAC First Team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC Second Team selection
! Indicates tie