Sports
UMHB places six on All-American team
Friday, 27 January 2012 by Keith Bahlmann
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team placed six players on the Beyond Sports College Network All-America Teams released yesterday. The Cru had two First Team All-America selections, placed two players on the Second Team and had a pair of Honorable Mention All-Americans.
Offensive tackle Nate Menkin and linebacker Javicz Jones were both First Team picks. Menkin, a senior from Lago Vista High School, was one of UMHB's highest-grading offensive linemen this season. He helped clear the way for a Cru rushing attack that averaged 291.0 yards per game and 5.5 yards per rushing attempt. UMHB averaged 43.4 points per game and 451.6 yards of total offense per contest. Jones, a junior from Katy Morton Ranch High School, shattered his own UMHB and American Southwest Conference single-season record with 141 tackles this season. He added 12.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four pass break-ups and a blocked punt. He returned a fumble for a touchdown and the Cru also recovered one of his forced fumbles and the blocked punt for touchdowns.
Offensive guard Michael Coles and kick returner Geoff Myles were both named to the All-America Second Team. Both players are juniors from San Antonio Stevens High School. Coles was also one of UMHB's highest-grading linemen and joined Menkin in paving the way for the Cru's offensive attack. Myles tied the UMHB single-season record with a pair of punt returns for touchdowns on the season. He averaged 16.8 yards per punt return and 25.6 yards per kickoff return on the year. Myles also broke the UMHB and ASC records for career punt return yardage this season.
Running Back Darius Wilson and defensive tackle Chris Brent were Honorable Mention All-America selections. Wilson, a junior from Cy-Springs High School, ran for 1,339 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Cru this season despite sitting out one game. He also led the ASC in rushing this season. Brent, a senior from Kaufman High School, led UMHB with 13.0 tackles for loss. He posted 46 total tackles, 3.0 sacks, a pass break-up and a forced fumble.
The UMHB football team finished the 2011 season with a 12-1 overall record and won the American Southwest Conference Championship with an 8-0 league mark. The Cru advanced to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III National Championships before falling to Wesley College 27-24.
