Sports

Jacks help to fill All-MCAC list

By Matthew Semisch

11/25/2014

The football team from Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) has enjoyed an excellent first season as a member of a conference, and things got even better last week.

When the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) released its three All-MCAC team rosters, 15 Lumberjacks found themselves on the list.

DCB (8-2) was a playoff semifinalist in its first season in the league. The Lumberjacks will be heading to Cedar Falls, Iowa late next week to take part in the Graphic Edge Bowl against Ellsworth Community College (Iowa) on Dec. 7. 

Five DCB football players were named to the All-MCAC first-team list, while 10 other Jacks players were named to the second and third teams.

DCB’s defense has played arguably the biggest part in the Lumberjacks’ success thus far. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that four of the Jacks’ five first-team all-league members play on the defensive side of the ball.

Two of those four are freshmen, while the other pair are second-year players for the Jacks. Defensive ends Eli Thomas and Joseph Townsend are the two first-year defenders from DCB that made the first-team list.

Sophomore linebacker Carlton Rematt also made the list, as did second-year safety La’Mar Stevenson. Freshman offensive linebacker Antonio Weatherspoon was also on the first-team roster.

Five more DCB players found their way onto the second-team All-MCAC list. Four of those are freshmen.

Quarterback Krae Kelso, running back Joe Hines, kicker Drayton Murphy and defensive lineman Jaquan Dews are DCB’s four newcomers on the second-team roster. Sophomore defensive back Devin Davis also found his way into that group.

The All-MCAC honorable mentions list also featured a quintet of Jacks.

Three of those are first-year players for DCB. Linebacker Kelsey Poe, defensive back Lamonte Smith and defensive lineman Paulo Ta’a were the Jacks’ trio of freshmen on the list.

Two DCB sophomores, defensive back DeAndre Norris and wide receiver Dontrael Brown, were also handed All-MCAC honorable mentions.

There were also several notable snubs that didn’t make their way onto the All-MCAC honors list. Arguably chief amongst them was freshman defensive back Josh Best, who has snagged a team-best eight interceptions and returned them for combined 281 yards.

Best has also broken up three passes so far this season.