Football: All-LSC South Division Awards announced

RICHARDSON, Texas – Abilene Christian had 12 first-team picks and six individual award winners recognized Wednesday when the annual Lone Star Conference South Division football awards were announced by LSC officials.

   The Wildcats, who claimed the LSC and South Division titles, had seven players on the top offense and five more on the first-team defense after recording the first 11-0 regular season mark in program history.  ACU added several individual honors with the Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year Royland Tubbs, Offensive Back of the Year Mitchell Gale, Receiver of the Year Edmund Gates, Freshman of the Year Daryl Cantu-Harkless, Defensive Lineman of the Year Aston Whiteside and Coach of the Year Chris Thomsen.

    West Texas A&M had 15 players honored on the first- and second-teams with six on offense and nine on defense including Defensive Back of the Year Tae Evans.

  Texas A&M-Kingsville put 14 athletes on the top two teams with five on offense and nine on defense plus the Linebacker of the Year Tressor Baptiste.

   ACU, Kingsville and WTAMU were each selected for the NCAA Division II playoffs.  The Wildcats (11-0) are the top seed in Super Region Four, while the Javelinas (10-1) are the second seed and the Buffaloes (8-3) are No. 5.  ACU and Kingsville both earned byes in the first round and will host second round contests on Nov. 27. The Wildcats will play the winner of the WTAMU-Central Missouri match-up, and the Javelinas face the Northwest Missouri-Missouri Western victor.  In the first round (Nov. 20), the Buffaloes play at Central Missouri.  Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. from Warrensburg, Mo.

   Midwestern State, who will represent the league in the Kanza Bowl on December 4th, had six players represented on the first and second squads with five offensive and one defensive.  The Mustangs Amini Silatolu shared Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year acclaim.

   Tarleton State had one first and one second-teamer, while Angelo State placed two on the first team and five on the second.

    Incarnate Word had five honorable mention selections in their first year of LSC competition.
   Overall, 111 student-athletes were recognized by the LSC's postseason awards program, with 32 players named to the first team, 31 on the second team and another 48 gaining honorable mention. The all-conference honors were selected by the head coaches of the seven South Division teams.