BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference announced its 2022 football awards winners and all-conference teams on Tuesday afternoon following the competition of the regular season over the weekend.
Concord wide receiver Jarod Bowie was recognized as the MEC Offensive Player of the Year, while Notre Dame linebacker Nathan Moore headlined the defensive honorees as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Charleston running back Chavon Wright was voted as the league’s top freshman on offense, while West Liberty’s Cameron Rice (defensive lineman) was honored as the MEC Defensive Freshman of the Year. Concord’s Dave Walker was voted the 2022 MEC Coach of the Year.
Bowie, a junior from Martinsburg, W.Va., earned MEC Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the country in receptions (102), receiving yards (1,773) and receiving touchdowns (18) this season. He also ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring (108 points) and all-purpose yards (1,772) during the 2022 regular season. He had 919 more receiving yards and eight more touchdowns than the next closest player in the MEC individual statistics. He averaged 161.2 receiving yards per game and 17.4 yards per catch this season.
Moore, a senior linebacker from Rootstown, Ohio, earned MEC Defensive Player of the Year honors after ranking in the top 10 in the country in total tackles during the 2022 season. He finished the year with 109 total stops, including 65 solo tackles and 15 tackles for loss. He also contributed four sacks and three pass break-ups for the Falcons this season. He had six double-digit tackle performances this season, including a season-high 17 tackles at West Virginia Wesleyan (10/15) and 14 stops at West Virginia State (9/24).
Wright, from Pembroke Pines, Fla., ranked third in the Mountain East Conference in rushing during the 2022 season with 1,175 yards on the ground. He carried the ball 199 times on the year and averaged 5.90 yards per carry. He also rushed for 17 touchdowns and averaged 106.8 yards per game on the ground. In the passing game, he hauled in seven catches for 50 yards and also scored a touchdown. He finished the season with five-consecutive, 100-yard rushing performances, including over 200 yards on the ground in each of the final two games of the regular season. He also scored 2+ touchdowns in each of the final five games of the 2022 season.
Rice, from Morgantown, W.Va., finished the season with 31 tackles from his spot on the defensive line, including 20 solo tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss. He also recorded 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two pass break-ups for the Hilltoppers. He recorded seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in week seven against Fairmont State.
Walker, Concord’s third-year head coach, led the Mountain Lions to a 9-2 overall record in 2022, including an 8-2 record in conference play to finish as league runner-up. The Mountain Lions received votes in the AFCA National Poll and ranked as high as No. 8 in the Super Region 1 Rankings during the 2022 season. Concord had one of the most explosive offenses in the country during the 2022 season, ranking in the top 10 in both total offense and passing offense. Concord’s 39.5 points per game also ranked in the top 15 nationally.
The MEC all-conference teams and individual award winners are selected by a vote of the league's head coaches.
| 2022 MEC Individual Awards |
Offensive Player of the Year: Jarod Bowie (Concord)
Offensive Freshman of the Year: Chavon Wright (Charleston)
Defensive Player of the Year: Nathan Moore (Notre Dame)
Defensive Freshman of the Year: Cameron Rice (West Liberty)
Coach of the Year: Dave Walker (Concord) |
| 2022 All-MEC First Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
|
| QB |
Jack Mangel |
Concord |
|
| RB |
Sy Alli |
Wheeling |
|
| RB |
Myles Miree |
Fairmont State |
|
| RB |
Thurlow Wilkins |
Concord |
|
| RB |
Chavon Wright |
Charleston |
|
| WR |
Javian Bellamy |
Glenville State |
|
| WR |
Jarod Bowie |
Concord |
|
| WR |
Marquan Herron |
Charleston |
|
| TE |
C.J. Kiss |
Notre Dame |
|
| FB/HB |
Niko Kausky |
Charleston |
|
| OL |
Gottlieb Ayedze |
Frostburg State |
|
| OL |
Nick Beans |
Notre Dame |
|
| OL |
Carson Heidecker |
Notre Dame |
|
| OL |
Donovan McCollister |
Charleston |
|
| OL |
Ian Pomeroy |
Glenville State |
|
| OL |
Cade Raudebaugh |
Wheeling |
|
| == |
|
|
|
| DL |
Dajor Davenport |
Concord |
|
| DL |
Luke Freeman |
Frostburg State |
|
| DL |
Jack Kosko |
Notre Dame |
|
| DL |
Branden Spencer |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| DL |
Teddy Tiokeng |
Notre Dame |
|
| LB |
Brocton Blair |
Fairmont State |
|
| LB |
Dylan Culpen |
Frostburg State |
|
| LB |
Ty Maust |
Concord |
|
| LB |
Nathan Moore |
Notre Dame |
|
| LB |
Jason Simon |
Wheeling |
|
| DB |
Wylan Harich |
Frostburg State |
|
| DB |
Antonie Holloway |
Notre Dame |
|
| DB |
Wendell McClain |
Notre Dame |
|
| DB |
Brandon Penn |
Glenville State |
|
| DB |
Shon Stephens |
West Liberty |
|
| DB |
Nirion Washington |
Charleston |
|
| == |
|
|
|
| P |
Avery Book |
Glenville State |
|
| PK |
Dayne Koontz |
Frostburg State |
|
| KR/PR |
Dante Bowlding |
UNC Pembroke |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2022 All-MEC Second Team |
| QB |
Donovan Riddick |
West Virginia St. |
|
| RB |
Idris Lawrence |
Notre Dame |
|
| RB |
Josh Maxwell |
Frostburg State |
|
| RB |
Quincy Wimbish |
West Liberty |
|
| WR |
Kris Copeland |
Concord |
|
| WR |
Jeremy Hamilton |
Notre Dame |
|
| WR |
Barry Hill |
West Virginia St. |
|
| WR |
Lowell Patron |
Wheeling |
|
| WR |
Marvin Sims |
Alderson Broaddus |
|
| TE |
Will Hall |
Frostburg State |
|
| FB/HB |
Reece Perkins |
Notre Dame |
|
| OL |
Barnabas Banning |
Charleston |
|
| OL |
Trey Milam |
West Va. Wesleyan |
|
| OL |
Franscico Pedrozo |
West Liberty |
|
| OL |
Jacob Perry |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| OL |
Bo Rowland |
Concord |
|
| OL |
Andres Sagastume |
West Virginia St. |
|
| == |
|
|
|
| DL |
David Gilcrest |
West Liberty |
|
| DL |
Bob Jonjo |
Glenville State |
|
| DL |
Tyreke King |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| DL |
Brandon Munoz |
Wheeling |
|
| DL |
Cameron Rice |
West Liberty |
|
| DL |
Randy Robinson |
Fairmont State |
|
| LB |
Seth Arnold |
Glenville State |
|
| LB |
Cael Bright |
Notre Dame |
|
| LB |
Marcus Davis |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| LB |
Zach Dixon |
West Liberty |
|
| LB |
Willie Floyd |
Charleston |
|
| LB |
Deontre Logan |
West Va. Wesleyan |
|
| DB |
Tavon Hooks |
Notre Dame |
|
| DB |
Jovon Jackson |
Fairmont State |
|
| DB |
Virgil Lemons |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| DB |
Mike Sawyer |
Concord |
|
| DB |
Rich White |
Wheeling |
|
| == |
|
|
|
| P |
Dom Buttazonni |
Notre Dame |
|
| PK |
Cam Shirkey |
Notre Dame |
|
| KR/PR |
Chris Canaday |
Wheeling |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2022 All-MEC Honorable Mention |
QB: Chris Brimm (NDC), Josh Jones (UNCP)
RB: Joel Felder (WVSU), Alfred Menjor (GSU)
WR: Jordan Marcucci (FROST), Devin Washington (WVWC)
TE: Carter Giacomo (FAIR)
FB/HB: Bryant Evans (FROST)
OL: Caderian Carter (UC), Roy Coppedge (GSU), Greg Gaines (FROST), Adam Riegler (NDC), Davis Roberson (CU), Kelvin Watts (GSU)
DL: Garrion Corbin, Jr. (ABU), Nick Evans (UC), Yasir Holmes (FROST), Robert Horsey (FROST), Corlyn Witcher (WVSU)
LB: Jayvon Johnson (WU), Jalen Jones (WVSU), Michael Schweinefuss (ABU), Colby Street (FROST)
DB: Akyian Loney (FROST), John Merica (CU), Shaun Sterling (GSU), Takulve "TK" Williams (ABU)
P: Sergei Buchheit (FAIR)
PK: Tim McCutchen (UC)
KR/PR: Jay Sharp (NDC), Quientin Williams (WVSU) |