SOUTHLAND RELEASE

THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University football team placed 10 student-athletes on the 2017 All-Southland Team, as the league office announced Tuesday its postseason honors.
 
All 10 Colonels landed on second team, with five on offense – running back Kyran Irvin, wide receiver Damion Jeanpiere Jr., linemen Chandler Arceneaux and Ryan Hanley, and kicker Lorran Fonseca; and five on defense – linemen Kenny Dotson and Sully Laiche, linebacker Allen Pittman, and safeties Corey Abraham and Ahmani Martin. Offensive lineman Eddie Houston and defensive lineman Tevin Lawson were selected as honorable mention.
 
The 10 first-/second-team honorees is the third most of any team in the conference. Sam Houston State led the way with 13 and conference champion Central Arkansas had 12.
 
Irvin finished the regular season ranked second in the SLC in rushing yards per game (75.1), averaging 5.3 yards a carry for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. He had two 100-yard games in league play and three overall, highlighted by a 160-yard outing on 11 carries in the first half at Stephen F. Austin.
 
Jeanpiere spearheaded the passing attack, ranking fourth in the SLC with 66.8 ypg. On the year, he has totaled 735 yards and four touchdowns on only 35 receptions, placing him 13th-best in the FCS with 21.0 yards per catch. Jeanpiere started the season off with two 100-yard games – 145 and two scores vs. McNeese and a career-high 174 on five catches at Texas A&M. He also added his first career rushing touchdown in the River Bell Classic at Southeastern Louisiana.
 
Hanley, Arceneaux and Houston anchor the offensive line that has allowed only 18 sacks for the year. In addition to the pass protection, Nicholls ranks third in the Southland in rushing offense and has had seven 100-yard rushers by four different players. The season high in rushing yards came in the win at SFA where the team totaled 418 yards on the ground.
 
Fonseca has put together an impressive inaugural campaign, leading the FCS with 18 made field goals while ranking 10th in percentage at 81.8 percent. He set two program records this season – five made field goals for a single game in the Colonels' nine-point win over Abilene Christian and he broke Jose Bran's mark of 16 in 1990 for a single season. Fonseca has also been a weapon on kickoffs, ranking sixth in the FCS with 32 touchbacks.
 
For the defense, Laiche, Dotson and Lawson are just three representatives of the dominating line that fuels the Colonels, who ranks 17th in the FCS in sacks with 32.  Laiche and Dotson finished the regular season with 6.5 sacks to tie for sixth in the league. Lawson had 23 stops playing on the interior, while Dotson posted a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss from the end position.  
 
At linebacker, Pittman earned his second All-Southland nod in as many years after leading the Colonels in tackles with 78.  Along with a 16-tackle effort in the near-upset at Texas A&M, Pittman recorded a pair of firsts this season in his short career. He had his first sack in the win over Abilene Christian and at Lamar; Pittman notched his first career interception and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown.
 
Rounding out the honorees is two of the top tacklers in the Southland – safeties Abraham and Martin. Abraham was second on the Colonels with 72 stops (6.0 for loss) and had two forced fumbles. Martin finished the regular season with 58 tackles, highlighted by a nine-tackle effort in the River Bell Classic.
 
The defense ended the regular season ranked first in the Southland in passing yards allowed, third in points and total yards allowed, and fourth in rushing. The squad also scored three touchdowns and ranked 12th in the nation in tackles for loss with 8.0 per game.
 
The Colonels continue their season this weekend (Nov. 25) as they host South Dakota for the first round of the FCS playoffs. Kickoff at John L. Guidry is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here, or by visiting the Nicholls Athletic Ticket Office Wednesday and Friday during normal business hours.

2017 Southland Conference Football Individual Superlative Winners
 
Coach of the Year: Steve Campbell, Central Arkansas
Player of the Year: Hayden Hildebrand, Central Arkansas
Offensive Player of the Year: Davion Davis, Sam Houston State
Defensive Player of the Year: George Odum, Central Arkansas
Freshman of the Year: Kierre Crossley, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Lorenzo Nunez, Southeastern Louisiana
Offensive Lineman of the Year: John Cook, Central Arkansas
 
2017 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Offense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
QB	Hayden Hildebrand2	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Bossier City, La.
RB	Corey Avery3	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Dallas, Texas
RB	David Hamm	McNeese	Jr.	Klein, Texas
TE/HB	Lawayne Ross	McNeese	So.	Richwood, Texas
WR	Davion Davis2	Sam Houston State	Jr.	Hutto, Texas
WR	Nathan Stewart2	Sam Houston State	So.	Dallas, Texas
WR	Brandon Cox	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Conway, Ark.
OL	John Cook2	Central Arkansas	Jr.	Grenada, Miss.
OL	Gilberto Garcia	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Morrilton, Ark.
OL	Mitchell Watanabe	Sam Houston State	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas
OL	Cade Camp	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Allen, Texas
OL	Maea Teuhema	Southeastern Louisiana	Jr.	Keller, Texas
AP	Davion Davis	Sam Houston State	Jr.	Hutto, Texas
PK	Gunnar Raborn	McNeese	Jr.	Lafayette, La.
P	Joe Zema	UIW	Gr.	Melbourne, Australia

 
2017 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Defense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
DL	P.J. Hall4	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Seguin, Texas
DL	Chris Chambers	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Pearl, Miss.
DL	Chris Terrell	Central Arkansas	So.	Pensacola, Fla.
DL	Eric Jackson	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Apopka, Fla.
LB	Garrett Dolan2	Houston Baptist	Sr.	Mont Belvieu, Texas
LB	Sione Teuhema2	Southeastern Louisiana	Sr.	Keller, Texas
LB	Justin Johnson2	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Converse, Texas
DB	Tremon Smith3	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Anniston, Ala.
DB	George Odum2	Central Arkansas	Sr.	Millington, Tenn.
DB	Max Lyons	Southeastern Louisiana	Sr.	Los Angeles, Calif.
DB	Dominique Hill2	McNeese	Sr.	Mansfield, La.
DB	Raphael Lewis	Houston Baptist	Jr.	Elk Grove, Calif.
KR	Desmond Hite	UIW	So.	Cypress, Texas
PR	Davion Davis	Sam Houston State	Jr.	Hutto, Texas

 
2017 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Offense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
QB	Jeremiah Briscoe2	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Houston, Texas
RB	Carlos Blackman	Central Arkansas	So.	Gosnell, Ark.
RB	Kyran Irvin	Nicholls	So.	Darrow, La.
TE/HB	Ragan Henderson	Sam Houston State	Sr.	Rice, Texas
WR	Yedidiah Louis3	Sam Houston State	Sr.	New Orleans, La.
WR	Damion Jeanpiere	Nicholls	Jr.	Kenner, La.
WR	Tamrick Pace	Stephen F. Austin	So.	Brownsboro, Texas
OL	Ryan Hanley	Nicholls	Jr.	Metaire, La.
OL	Chris Zirkle	Northwestern State	Jr.	League City, Texas
OL	Chandler Arceneaux2	Nicholls	Jr.	Bourg, La.
OL	Andy Dodd	McNeese	Gr.	Lindale, Ga.
OL	Eric David	Sam Houston State	So.	Richmond, Texas
AP	Desmond Hite	UIW	So.	Cypress, Texas
PK	Lorran Fonseca	Nicholls	Jr.	Hercules, Calif.
P	Christian Guzman	Houston Baptist	Sr.	Brookshire, Texas

 
2017 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Defense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
DL	Sully Laiche2	Nicholls	So.	Gramercy, La.
DL	John Franklin3	Stephen F. Austin	Sr.	Greenville, Texas
DL	Kenny Dotson	Nicholls	Jr.	Plaquemine, La.
DL	Chris Stewart	Sam Houston State	Jr.	Petal, Miss.
LB	Sam Denmark3	Abilene Christian	Sr.	Las Cruces, N.M.
LB	Ashari Goins2	McNeese	Sr.	Monroe, La.
LB	Allen Pittman2	Nicholls	So.	St. Rose, La.
DB	Nate Jones	Lamar	Jr.	Mansfield, Texas
DB	Alize Ward	Stephen F. Austin	So.	San Diego, Calif.
DB	Corey Abraham	Nicholls	Jr.	Breaux Bridge, La.
DB	Juan Jackson	Central Arkansas	So.	Gardendale, Ala.
DB	Ahmani Martin	Nicholls	Jr.	Reserve, La.
KR	Juwan Petit-Frere	Southeastern Louisiana	So.	Orlando, Fla.
PR	Max Lyons	Southeastern Louisiana	Sr.	Los Angeles, Calif.

 
Honorable Mention: RB: Kierre Crossley, Central Arkansas; Derrick Mitchell, UIW; Justin Pratt, McNeese; Chris Jones, Northwestern State; Marcus Cooper, Southeastern Louisiana. TE/HB: Trevor Crain, Abilene Christian; Case Robinson, Lamar. WR: Troy Grant, Abilene Christian; Roman Gordon, Central Arkansas; Kent Shelby, McNeese. OL: Micah Parten, Central Arkansas; Terence Hickman II, UIW; Matt Oubre, Lamar; Eddie Houston, Nicholls; Jermaine Jones, Southeastern Louisiana; Tyler Tezeno, Sam Houston State; Devonte Jones, Stephen F. Austin. AP: Cedric Battle, Central Arkansas. PK: Matt Cummins, Central Arkansas; Dillon Burkhard, Southeastern Louisiana. P: Patrick Ponder, Central Arkansas. DL: Tyler Helaire, Houston Baptist; Manasseh Miles, Lamar; Jammerio Gross-Whitaker, McNeese; Obinna Iheoma, Tevin Lawson, Nicholls; Northwestern State; Lyn Clark, Northwestern State; Lamont Alexander, Stephen F. Austin. LB: James Graves, Central Arkansas; Cody Moncure, Houston Baptist; Mar'kel Cooks, UIW; B.J. Blunt, McNeese; Jake Jiannoni, Southeastern Louisiana. DB: Brandon Richmond, Abilene Christian; Jaylon Lofton, Central Arkansas; Andre Fuller, McNeese; Isaac Warren, Northwestern State; Adrian Contreras, Sam Houston State; Jaylen Thomas, Sam Houston State; Mayori Ellison, Southeastern Louisiana.