Rochester, Mn-
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) recently announced the 2017 Region XIII Football All-Region team.
Minnesota College Athletic Conference student-athletes from both the Eastern and Western Divisions of the MCAC comprised the team, recognizing the top football student-athletes along with the naming the Region XIII Coach-of-the-Year and the Region XIII MVP.
Northland CTC swept the two individual honors in All-Region announcement, with second year head coach Jim Cox taking the Coach-of-the-Year honor and quarterback Shannon Patrick earning the Most Valuable Player designation for Region XIII. Cox, with a two-year mark of 14-6, guided the Pioneers to a 3-2 Western Division and 9-3 overall mark in 2017 as well as a berth in the opening game of the Graphic Edge Bowl, where they will take on 3-8 Ellsworth Community College at 11am on Sunday, December 3. The opening game will be followed by the Graphic Edge Feature Game, with #3 Iowa Western Community College facing #5 Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Shannon Patrick's outstanding season at Northland has him among the leaders the NJCAA in several passing categories, including 4,122 total passing yards, 325 completions and 41 touchdowns on the year. He also is tops in yards-per-game (374.7) and attempts (537) and is 11th in passing efficiency at a 145.4 rating.
The 2017 All-Region team is sponsored by Fitbox Mobile; Fit Box is setting the new standard for mobile outdoor fitness in Minnesota.
2017 NJCAA ALL-REGION XIII FOOTBALL TEAM
Shannon Patrick Northland Community & Technical College – MVP
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Ht: 6'2 Wt: 220 Quarterback Sophomore West Palm Beach, FL |
Shannon Patrick finished the 2017 Minnesota College Athletic Conference season with 41 touchdowns, 4,122 total passing yards and 325 completions in 11 games. The West Hollywood, Florida product hit his target 60.5% of the time and earned a 145.4 passing efficiency rating, good for 11th in the NJCAA among all quarterbacks. With Patrick at the helm, Northland won their first MCAC State Championship Game 68-35 over Mesabi Range College. Patrick's landmark season earned him the Most Valuable Player designation by Region XIII head coaches in 2017. |
Brandon Perce Rochester Community & Technical College
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Ht: 6' Wt: 205 Linebacker Sophomore West Allis, WI |
Brandon Perce was a force for the Yellowjackets from his linebacker position, racking up 128 total tackles in nine games. The sophomore had 4.5 sacks, forced three fumbles and averaged 14.2 tackles per game. His 72 assists led the NJCAA through early November and was recognized as the NJCAA National Player-of-the-Week in Week 3 of the 2017 campaign. RCTC earned a 4-1 Eastern Division mark and advanced to the MCAC quarterfinals, where they lost to Mesabi Range College, 30-19 at home to conclude their season. Rochester CTC finished with a 7-2 overall record to close out 2017. |
Elijah Todd Dakota College-Bottineau
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Ht: 6' Wt: 228 Running Back Sophomore Springfield, OH |
In the otherwise pass-centric MCAC Western Division, Dakota College-Bottineau running back Elijah Todd stood out as a workhorse rusher, carrying 162 times for 1,121 yards and 15 touchdowns. Todd averaged 6.9 yards a carry for the Jacks and helped lead DCB to a 5-0 Divisional mark and the regular season Western title. His longest run was for 81 yards and his 15 touchdowns ties him for fourth in the NJCAA football ranks in 2017. Todd had a 124.5 average per game rushing mark in Minnesota College Athletic Conference play this past fall. |
Malik Williams Northland Community & Technical College
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Ht: 5'8 Wt: 220 Receiver Sophomore Lakeworth, FL |
Malik Williams tallied 87 catches over the course of the 2017 MCAC regular season and playoffs for a total of 1,165 yards through the air. Williams found the end-zone 13 times for the Pioneers, including a longest catch of 91 yards. Over the course of 10 games, Williams averaged over 116 yards receiving per contest. The sophomore from Lakeworth, Florida caught more than eight passes per game and will travel to the Graphic Edge Bowl where the Pioneers will take on Ellsworth Community College (3-8) at 11am on Sunday, December 3. |
Reginald Colson III Minnesota West Community & Technical College
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Ht: 6'2 Wt: 197 Receiver Freshman Broward, FL |
In eight regular season games, Reginald Colson III had 1,170 receiving yards for the Minnesota West CTC Blue Jays. Colson led the NJCAA in the yards-per-game receiving category, clocking in with more than 146 yards each contest. He scored 15 touchdowns and had a longest catch of 80 yards among his 52 total receptions. Colson's yard-per-game mark of 146.3 a game was almost 25 yards higher per contest than the nation's second leading receiver, Terry Williams of Itawamba (121.7) |
Treevon Prater Rochester Community & Technical College
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Ht: 6'1 Wt: 195 Defensive Back Sophomore East St. Louis, IL |
Treevon Prater, a sophomore for Rochester CTC, had 12 kickoff returns for a total of 328 yards in 2017, earning an average of 27.3 per return. His longest kickoff return was 47 yards. As a punt returner, Prater had 16 touches for 245 yards and a long of 38 yards. Combined, Prater was second on his Rochester CTC team in all-purpose yards with 568 total. As a defensive back, Prater collected 59 tackles (27 solo/32 assists), with two interceptions and a touchdown. Prater and his Yellowjacket teammates finished 2017 with a 6-3 overall record, 4-1 in the Eastern Division.
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Lorine Parker Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College
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Ht: 6' Wt: 215 Running Back Sophomore Zephyrhills, FL |
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College running back Lorine Parker was a tough ball carrier to bring down in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference. Parker had 165 carries in 2017, amassing 724 yards over 8 games. Parker averaged 90.5 yards a contest overall and 109.7 yards in Eastern Division play. He found the end zone four times during the season and averaged 4.4 yards a carry for the Thunder. |
Adrian Jackson Central Lakes College
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Ht:6' Wt: 217 Linebacker Sophomore Minneapolis, MN |
Adrian Jackson, a linebacker for the 9-2 Central Lakes College squad, found a way to make his mark defensively for the Raiders in 2017. Jackson tallied 43 total tackles - including 32 solo stops - this past fall while helping lead CLC to the Eastern Division regular season title. Jackson also had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, while also picking up four sacks and averaging 4.3 tackles per game. Jackson and his Central Lakes teammates concluded their season in the Eastern Division semi-finals with a loss to Northland CTC after winning four straight contests to close out 2017. |
Dakari Highsmith Northland Community & Technical College
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Ht: 5'10 Wt: 184 SB/Tight End Sophomore Tampa, FL |
A key component of the NCTC Pioneer aerial assault in 2017, Dakari Highsmith hauled in 78 catches for 920 total yards and seven touchdowns. The sophomore from Tampa, Florida averaged 83.6 yards per game and had a longest catch of 70 yards. He also rushed 35 times for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns. Northland had a record-setting season in 2017, going 3-2 in the Western Division and 9-2 overall, culminated by winning the MCAC State Championship game 68-35 over Mesabi Range College. The Pioneers will take on Ellsworth Community College (3-8 Overall / 1-2 ICCC) in the 2017 Graphic Edge Bowl, where they will open for the feature game between #3 Iowa Western and #5 Northwest Mississippi. |
Nyassinu Crowell Central Lakes College
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Ht: 5'10 Wt: 194 Running Back Sophomore Livonia, MI |
Nyassinu "Nuke" Crowell put together several strong outings for the 2017 Eastern Division champion Central Lakes College Raiders this past fall. The sophomore running back from Livonia, Michigan averaged an even five yards per carry and was major factor in helping CLC earn a 8-2 overall and 4-1 Divisional mark. Crowell scored 10 touchdowns and had 178 rushing attempts in the 2017 MCAC fall campaign. Crowell's total rushing yardage was 888 yards total accrued across ten games. He also had three receptions for 76 total yards on the year. |
Jalen Wilkerson Mesabi Range College
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Ht: 6' Wt: 215 Sophomore OLB Monroe, MI |
Jalen Wilkerson, a sophomore for Mesabi Range College, collected 63 total tackles in 2017, with 55 solo stops and eight assists. Wilkerson had four interceptions on the season to go with 2.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries. One of Wilkerson's interceptions was returned for a touchdown. Wilkerson and his Norsemen teammates won back-to-back road MCAC playoff games to advance to the MCAC State Championship contest, where they fell to Northland CTC, 68-35. Mesabi Range will continue their season at the Red Grange Bowl, where they will face 6-3 College of DuPage, a NJCAA independent program. |
John McClure Ridgewater College
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Ht: 6'2 Wt: 195 Sophomore Safety St. Louis, MO |
John McClure, a safety for Ridgewater College, helped lead the Warriors to their second consecutive MCAC playoff appearance where they fell in the quarterfinals on the road to Dakota College - Bottineau, 20-9. From his role in the Warrior secondary, McClure had 36 total tackles, half of which were solo stops. He picked up half a sack along the way and had three interceptions for Ridgewater, appearing in eight contests. The Warriors finished the 2017 season at 3-6 overall, 2-4 in Western Division play. |
Justin Hooks Mesabi Range College
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Ht:6'1 Wt: 320 Freshman DL Kissimmee, FL |
Justin Hooks was able to get his hands on more quarterbacks than any other defender in the NJCAA in 2017; his 16 sacks led both the Minnesota College Athletic Conference and the NJCAA as of November 17. Hooks had 27 tackles for loss during the year, 55 total tackles and an interception. Lining up as a defensive lineman, the sophomore averaged 7.0 tackles a game over the course of 11 contests. Hooks, a freshman from Kissimmee, Florida and his Mesabi Range teammates will head to the Red Grange Bowl, where they will take on the College of DuPage in a match-up for the benefit of the Ronald McDonald House Foundation on Saturday, December 2. |
Benito Speight Minnesota State Community & Technical College
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Ht: 5'10 Wt:185 Cornerback Freshman Richmond, VA |
Defensive back and special teams performer Benito Speight of Minnesota State Community & Technical College in Fergus Falls, racked up 17 solo tackles from his secondary role. Speight also had four interceptions on the year, two of which were returned for touchdowns for the Spartans. As kick returner, Speight had 308 total yards on 14 touches, averaging 22.0 per return, with a longest run of 30 yards. He also had a pair of punt returns for 30 yards on the season for M State and first year head coach Korey Fry. |
Brendon Loch Central Lakes College
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Ht: 6'2 Wt: 223 DL Sophomore Belgrade, MN |
As a defensive lineman, Brendon Loch was a monster for Central Lakes College, tallying 43 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery over nine games. The sophomore from Belgrade, Minnesota helped lead a Raider defense which held all but one opponents to 21 points or less in 2017. With Loch on the defensive line, Central Lakes advanced to the MCAC semi-finals, where they dropped a 32-21 decision to Northland CTC to close out the 2017 campaign. |
Cedric King Vermilion Community College
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Ht: 5'9 Wt: 160 Defensive Back Freshman Ridge, FL |
Vermilion Community College defensive back Cedric King had eight interceptions during the 2017 regular season, placing him second nationally in the NJCAA behind only fellow MCAC athlete Darrel Munoz of Mesabi Range College. King also picked up 29 total tackles this past fall over nine games, had a sack and a pass breakup as well. King and his VCC teammates played their way to the Eastern Division quarterfinal playoff round, where they fell to Central Lakes College, 24-8. |
Nick Maudourie Dakota College-Bottineau
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Ht:6'5 Wt:238 Defensive Line Sophomore Sunrise, FL |
Nick Madourie, a sophomore from Sunrise, Florida, was second in all of NJCAA football in total sacks with 15.5 and led the country in total sack yardage (113) for the Dakota College-Bottineau Jacks. From the defensive line, he picked 45 total tackles in 2017, translating to 4.5 tackles per contest. Madouire and his Dakota College teammates, advanced to the MCAC Western Division semi-final contest, after going 5-0 in Divisional play and beating Ridgewater 20-9 in the quarterfinal round. Dakota lost to Mesabi Range, 48-43 in the Western semi-final to conclude the 2017 campaign. |
Justin Scott Northland Community & Technical College
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Ht: 6'2 Wt: 302 Defensive Line Sophomore Chicago, IL |
Justin Scott, a sophomore from Chicago, Illinois, was tabbed for All-Region honors after a strong 2017 season. Scott had 50 solo tackles and 22 assists to help Northland to a 3-2 Western Division record and 9-2 overall mark this past fall. Scott averaged 7.2 tackles per game and picked up a pair of sacks along the way. Northland won the MCAC State Championship game 68-35 over Mesabi Range College and will play Ellsworth Community College (3-8 overall) in the opening game of the Graphic Edge Bowl on December 3. |
Gregory Slade Jr. North Dakota State College of Science
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Ht: 6'2 Wt: 182 Freshman Placekicker Milwaukee, WI |
Wildcat kicker Gregory Slade Jr. was 14-of-20 in field goal attempts in 2017, good for fourth-best in the NJCAA. Slade was also 22-of-25 on PAT's for North Dakota State College of Science. In total, he racked up 64 total points, playing in nine contests. His longest field goal was 42 yards and his successful rate on field goal attempts was 70%, placing him in the top 25 in the country. Slade and his NDSCS teammates lost to Northland CTC in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs and forged a 5-4 overall record in 2017.
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Dontae Ensley Northland Community & Technical College
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Ht:6'6 Wt:235 Freshman Punter Cedar Springs, MI |
Northland CTC punter Dontae Ensley hit 52 punts over the 2017 MCAC football season, averaging 37.3 yards per effort, which led the league. The Cedar Springs, Michigan freshman had a longest kick of 66 yards and dropped nine punts inside the opponents 20-yard line. Ensley had 1,937 total yards while punting in 11 contests this year. Ensley, who also handles placekicking duties for the 9-2 Pioneers, will travel to the Graphic Edge Bowl on Sunday, December 3 where they will face the 3-8 Ellsworth Community College Panthers. |
Mashawn Gordon Ridgewater College
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Ht:5'8 Wt: 185 Sophomore Return Specialist St. Louis, MO |
Ridgewater College sophomore kick-return specialist Mashawn Gordon had 18 kickoff returns in 2017, racking up 674 yards, good for a 37.4 average. Gordon had four touchdowns among his efforts for the Warriors this past fall, who finished with a 3-6 overall record and earned a trip to the MCAC quarterfinals. Gordon also had a pair of punt returns, the longest of which was 25 yards. |
Deing Kug Dakota College - Bottineau
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Ht:6'6 Wt:330 Offensive Line Sophomore Lexington, NE |
Sophomore offensive lineman Deing Kug had a big impact on the Dakota College-Bottineau running game in 2017. The Jacks averaged 239.7 yards rushing with Kug helping lead the way, while DCB also threw for an average of 191.3 yards per game. Kug helped Dakota to a perfect 5-0 Western Division mark and 8-2 overall record in the MCAC. Kug and his teammates advanced to the MCAC semi-final round, where they dropped a 48-43 decision to Mesabi Range College at home in Bottineau, North Dakota. |
Ethan Halvorson Northland Community & Technical College
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Ht: 6' Wt: 225 Offensive Line Thief River Falls, MN |
Ethan Halvorson, an offensive lineman at Northland CTC, was a part of one of the most prolific passing attacks in the 2017 NJCAA football ranks. Halvorson and his linemates gave Pioneer quarterback Shannon Patrck plenty of time to rack up 41 touchdowns and over 4,000 passing yards while marching to the MCAC State Championship game, where they defeated Mesabi Range College 68-35. Halvorson and the Pioneers will compete at the Graphic Edge Bowl on Sunday, December 3. The 9-3 Pioneers will face Ellsworth Community College (3-8) in the opening game at 11am, with the feature game of #3 Iowa Western Community College and #5 Northwest Mississippi kicking off at 3pm in the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. |
Ahmad Queider Mesabi Range College
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Ht: 6'2 Wt: 300 Sophomore Offensive Line Mabelton, GA |
Mesabi Range College offensive lineman Ahmad Queider was a big part of the Norsemen historic season in 2017. Queider, a sophomore from Mabelton, Georgia and his teammates went 7-4 overall and played their way to the MCAC State Championship on the merits of back-to-back road playoff wins over Rochester CTC and Dakota College-Bottineau, respectively. Queider and the Norsemen will travel to Illinois to take part in the 2017 Red Grange Bowl, where 7-4 Mesabi Range will face the 6-3 College of DuPage Chapparals on Saturday, December 2 at 1pm. |
James Newman Dakota College - Bottineau
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Ht:6'1 Wt: 300 Offensive Line Sophomore Detroit, MI |
James Newman, a sophomore from Detroit, Michigan, was a part of one of top rushing attacks in NJCAA football in 2017 while lining up for Dakota College-Bottineau. Behind Newman and his fellow offensive linemates, Dakota College had two of the top backs in the MCAC, with Elijah Todd rushing for 1,121 yards and DeRante Sanders adding another 725 yards over the course of ten games. Newman also helped protect the Jacks passing game, which averaged almost 200 yards in the air and concluded the season with a passing efficiency rating of 133.1 in 2017. Newman and his Dakota College teammates bowed out of the MCAC playoffs with a 48-43 loss to Mesabi Range College. |
Brett Styve Rochester Community & Technical College
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Ht: 6' Wt: 245 Offensive Line Freshman South Winneshiek, IA |
Brett Styve, a offensive lineman from Rochester Community & Technical College, had earned a spot on the 2017 NJCAA All-Region team for his play this past fall. The freshman from South Winneshiek, Iowa helped the Yellowjackets to a 6-3 overall mark and a second place Eastern Division finish with a 4-1 mark. RCTC averaged 288.4 yards of total offense in 2017, while posting four games in which they scored 35 points or more against MCAC opponents. |
For full MCAC football statistics, please visit: http://www.mcacsports.org/sports/fball/2017-18/leaders
To Follow Minnesota College Athletic Conference sports in 2017, please go to: www.mcacsports.org
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About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.