ONU RECOGNIZED IN MSFA MIDWEST LEAGUE POSTSEASON AWARDS

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Donovan Bobo, Brayden Cook, Brian Jenkins, Graham Johnson, Blake Lamb, and Evan Leake were named first team all-Mid States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League selections, as the league office announced its postseason awards Monday.

The Olivet Nazarene University football team also had nine members earn second-team recognition - JT Price, Joshua Anderson, Scott Leonard, John Harman, Abraham Flores-Cuen, Gerald Blackmon, Lucas Eckles, and Chase Balser.

Bobo, making his first all-MSFA appearance, was a staple on the offensive line for ONU this season. The senior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., spent eight games protecting the blindside at the left tackle position. Behind Bobo and the offensive front, the ONU offense averaged 376 yards per game, the highest mark in the Midwest League.

Cook earned his first all-MSFA selection this season after racking up 39 total tackles across eight games played. The senior linebacker from Wheaton, Ill., picked up 8.5 tackles-for-loss, including 2.5 sacks, and forced a fumble to earn the first-team distinction.

Jenkins earned his third-consecutive all-MSFA first team after leading the team in receptions (41) and receiving yards (551) this season, while sharing the team-lead in touchdown receptions with eight. The West Lafayette, Ind., native finishes his stellar career at ONU as the program's all-time leader in receiving touchdowns with 41.

Lamb, a senior from Lebanon, Ohio, matched Jenkins with eight touchdown grabs from the tight end position to earn first-team all-MSFA honors. On the year, Lamb hauled in 24 receptions for 458 yards, good for a team-leading 19.1 yards yards per catch, to earn his first-ever all-conference nod.

Johnson, a sophomore kicker from Bourbonnais, Ill., rounded out the quartet of Tigers making their first appearance on the all-MSFA first team. He was successful on seven of his 11 field goal attempts and converted 38-of-41 PATs. Johnson was also twice named the MSFA Midwest Specials Player of the Week throughout the season (9/25, 11/13).

Leake had a special season as ONU's primary returner, earning the first-team selection after bringing back four touchdowns on returns. The senior from Mt. Vernon, Ill., racked up 567 return yards for a pair of touchdowns on kickoffs while totaling 296 more yards and two touchdowns on punt returns.

Leake also earned recognition as a second-team all-MSFA running back, totaling a team-leading 1,454 all-purpose yards as the team's go-to back. He was able to do a lot of his damage behind Price, who also earned a second-team selection on the offensive line. The junior from Tallahassee, Fla., now a three-time all-MSFA selection, was a stalwart at right guard for the Tigers this season,  assisting in their dominance on the offensive side of the ball that saw an average of over 220 passing yards this season.

The ONU defense was well-represented on the MSFA Midwest's second team. Anderson and Leonard landed on the team as the team's primary gap-closers on the defensive line, with the former totaling 33 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, and three sacks, and the latter racking up 17 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, and a half-sack.

Sophomores Harman and Flores-Cuen both earned second-team recognition after leading the ONU defense in total tackles, sacks, and tackles-for-loss. Harman, from Stoughton, Wis., was the team leader in all three categories (88 tackles, 14 TFL, 8 sacks) while Flores-Cuen, a Yuma, Ariz., native, was second in each statistic (79 tackles, 9 TFL, 4.5 sacks).

Blackmon and Eckles led an ONU secondary that limited opponents to less than 200 passing yards per game on average to garner all-MSFA second-team selections. Blackmon, a senior from Joliet, Ill., finished the season with 23 total tackles and one pick. Eckles, a Lee's Summit, Mo., native senior, was third on the team with 39 tackles and led the team with four interceptions.

Balser was the lone ONU freshman to earn all-conference recognition. The Lewis Center, Ohio native played the crucial long-snapper position for the Tigers this season, assisting Graham on all of his field goals and PATs throughout the year.

Three other Tigers received all-MSFA honorable mention. Cameron Crouch, a senior quarterback from Newark, Ohio, completed 76-of-140 passes for 981 yards and 14 touchdowns. Jeremy Gesky was part of the group up front protecting Crouch. Gesky, a senior from Manteno, Ill., started nine games at left guard for ONU. Ryan Morrison-Gravenberg rounded out the ONU all-conference picks. The senior wide receiver from Moreno Valley, Calif., finished the year second on the team in receptions (27) and receiving yards (485).

View the entire list of MSFA-Midwest selections HERE.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu