ONU RECOGNIZED IN MSFA POSTSEASON AWARDS, RAINEY NAMED OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Terrian Rainey, Evan Leake, Brian Jenkins, Jalen Dunnigan, and JT Price were named first team all-Mid States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League, as the league office announced its postseason awards Monday. Rainey was also named the Offensive Lineman of the Year for the MSFA Midwest League. The Olivet Nazarene University football team also placed four members on the second team – Cameron Crouch, Jeremy Gesky, Joshua Anderson, and Drew Hanft.
View the entire list of MSFA-Midwest selections HERE.
Rainey, a first-team selection from a year ago, was a staple on the offensive line for ONU this season. The senior from Atlanta, Ga. spent nine games protecting the blindside at the left tackle position. Behind Rainey and the offensive front, the ONU offense averaged nearly 400 yards per game, the highest mark in the Midwest League. Rainey earned the Offensive Lineman of the Year award in the MSFA Midwest League for his work in the trenches this season.
Joining Rainey on the first team is fellow offensive lineman J.T. Price, who received second-team honors a season ago. Price, a sophomore from Tallahassee, Fla., was a stalwart at right guard for the Tigers season, assisting in their dominance on the offensive side of the ball that saw an average of over 220 passing yards this season.
Leake, a sophomore running back from Dix, Ill., amassed over 1100 yards of total offense as the go-to back for the Tigers, carrying the ball for 990 of those yards. He was named the MSFA Midwest Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 7 for his 224 rushing yards and two touchdown day against Trinity International.
Jenkins led the MSFA Midwest with 12 touchdown grabs this season, setting a new ONU single-season receiving touchdown record that had stood for 25 years. The two-time first-team selection from West Lafayette, Ind. led the team with 920 receiving yards on 42 receptions this season.
Dunnigan, a senior from Jacksonville, Fla., hauled in 33 receptions for 392 yards and five scores this year to earn his third-straight MSFA Midwest first-team selection. He has scored 28 touchdowns in his career, good for second all-time in ONU history.
Crouch shined this season after stepping into the starting quarterback role early on. The dual-threat senior from Newark, Ohio was responsible for 22 touchdowns this season, the second-most in the MSFA Midwest. Crouch threw for 1957 yards this season and rushed for 376 more for the Tigers.
Gesky, a native of Manteno, Ill., started 10 games at left guard and played a key role in ONU's explosive offense. The Tiger offensive contingent rushed for nearly 180 yards per game, good for second in the conference this season.
Representing the 'Purple Wave' defense in the postseason awards are Josh Anderson and Drew Hanft. Anderson, a senior from Edwardsville, Ill., was the gap-filler on the defensive line for ONU, leading the team in tackles for loss with 9.5. Hanft started all 11 games for the Tigers at linebacker. The Michigan City, Ind. native led the team in solo and assist tackles with 42 and 32, respectively. He also forced a fumble and broke up three passes.
Three other Tigers received all-MSFA honorable mention. Guillermo Chavarria Flores, a senior defensive lineman from Cumming, Ga., racked up 18 total tackles for the ONU defense. Alex Fish, a senior from South Bend, Ind., played the crucial long-snapper position for the Tigers this season. Latrell Wade brought down four receptions this season from the tight end position. The Jacksonville, Fla. junior also played a big role in the blocking game for the elite ONU offense.
--ONU—
*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu