Mocs Well Represented In Post Season Football Honors

  • Tuesday, November 23, 2021
--The Chattanooga Mocs figured prominently in the Southern Conference honors in both the coaches and media voting. Two of the major awards went to defensive lineman Devonnsha Maxwell and offensive lineman Cole Strange.

Maxwell, named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award Monday, is the Defensive Player of the Year according to the coaches around the league, while Cole Strange repeated as Jacobs Blocking Award winner. Maxwell shared DOPY on the media side with Stone Snyder from VMI.

There were eight Mocs named first two between the two voting panels.
Strange and Maxwell were joined by offensive lineman McClendon Curtis, running back Ailym Ford and safeties Brandon Dowdell and Jerrell Lawson as consensus first team selections. Defensive lineman Ben Brewton joined them on the coaches side, while Ty Boeck was on the media side.

Boeck (coaches) and Brewton (media) were second teamers on the other ballot. Linebacker Jay Person and defensive back Rashun Freeman made the coaches second team. Defensive back Reuben Lowery III and tight end KeShawn Toney earned All-Freshman status.

The seven first teamers on both teams led the league. The Mocs and Bucs matched each other with 12 honorees on the coaches all-conference and all-freshman squads.

“It shows we had lot guys deserving, a lot of guys who played well and had good years,” Coach Rusty Wright shared. “They did the things to back it up and people took notice.
 
Strange repeated as Jacobs Blocking Award winner this time outright after sharing it in the spring. It's the fifth such honor for the program with Mike Nease getting the first in 1983 and Corey Levin adding two in 2014 and 2015.

“There’s very few of them that play the game the way he does and as hard as he does,” Wright continued. “He plays it the right way giving himself a chance every Saturday. There’s no doubt he’s the best offensive lineman in the league.”
 
Maxwell's DPOY is the ninth on the coaches side joining Junior Jackson (1989), Troy Boeck (1990), Josh Beard (2009), Davis Tull (2012, 2013, 2014), Keionta Davis (2016) and Isaiah Mack (2018). It's the fifth time the media cited a Mocs defender: Beard (2009), Tull (2012, 2014) and Mack (2018).

“There’s no doubt about Devonnha and the type of year he had, especially being an interior defensive lineman,” Wright added. “That’s a hard thing to do. He backed it up with his play. It’s just a sign of things to come for him.”

Strange is an apt term for this note. It’s Cole’s fifth All-SoCon selection but FIRST first team despite sharing the Jacobs Blocking Award a year ago. It marks three straight first team nods for Maxwell, while Boeck slides in with three straight picks but first on first team.

McClendon Curtis repeated on the first team from the spring, while Brandon Dowdell earned his second first team award (2019). Jay Person added a second consecutive second team nod. Ford got his second first team slot after making it as a true freshman in 2019. It’s the first honors for Brewton, Lawson and Freeman.

2021 Coaches All-Southern Conference Football Team

Offensive Player of the Year – Quay Holmes, R-Jr., RB, ETSU

Defensive Player of the Year – Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., DL, Chattanooga

Freshman of the Year – Andreas Keaton, DB, Western Carolina

Jacobs Blocking Award – Cole Strange, Sr., OL, Chattanooga

Coach of the Year – Randy Sanders, ETSU

 

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Liam Welch, Gr., Samford

RB: Ailym Ford, So., Chattanooga

RB: Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU

OL: McClendon Curtis, Jr., Chattanooga

OL: Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga

OL: Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU

OL: Anderson Tomlin, R-Jr., Furman

OL: Jason Poe, Gr., Mercer

TE: Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman

WR: Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

WR: Raphael Williams, R-Fr., Western Carolina

 

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Ben Brewton, So., Chattanooga

DL: Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga

DL: Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer

DL: Warren Dabney, Sr., VMI

LB: Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU

LB: Donovan Manuel, R-So., ETSU

LB: Stone Snyder, Jr., VMI

DB: Brandon Dowdell, Sr., Chattanooga

DB: Jerrell Lawson, Sr., Chattanooga

DB: Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU

DB: Lance Wise, So., Mercer

 

FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS

PK: Jerry Rice, R-So., VMI

P: Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel

LS: Robert Soderholm, Sr., VMI

RS: Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

 

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Rogan Wells, Gr., Western Carolina

RB: Jacob Saylors, Jr., ETSU

RB: Irvin Mulligan, Jr., Wofford

OL: Tavon Matthews, So., ETSU

OL: Pearson Toomey, So., Furman

OL: Gavin Orr, Sr., Samford

OL: Nick Hartnett, R-Jr., VMI

OL: Zak Kurz, Sr., Wofford

TE: Nate Adkins, Jr., ETSU

WR: Jakob Herres, Sr., VMI

WR: Michael Jackson, Sr., VMI

 

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Adrian Hope, Sr., Furman

DL: Parker Stokes, Sr., Furman

DL: Chris Hill, Fr., Mercer

DL: Seth Simmer, Gr., Samford

LB: Ty Boeck, Jr., Chattanooga

LB: Jay Person, So., Chattanooga

LB: Willie Eubanks III, Sr., The Citadel

DB: Rashun Freeman, Sr., Chattanooga

DB: Destin Mack, Jr., The Citadel

DB: Mike Price, R-So., ETSU

DB: Travis Blackshear, Jr., Furman

DB: Ethan Caselberry, Sr., VMI

DB: Aljareek Malry, Jr., VMI

 

SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS

PK: Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU

P: Timmy Bleekrode, R-So., Furman

P: Jack Culbreath, So., VMI

LS: Steele Judy, R-Fr., The Citadel

RS: Jacob Saylors, Jr., ETSU

 

ALL-FRESHMAN OFFENSE

KeShawn Toney, Chattanooga

Tyler Cherry, The Citadel          

Joshua Harris, Furman

Jace Wilson, Furman    

Dylan Davis, Furman

Jabari Brooks, Samford

Hunter Rice, VMI

 

ALL-FRESHMAN DEFENSE

Reuben Lowery III, Chattanooga

Dominick Poole, The Citadel

Zion Alexander, ETSU

Dominic Morris, Furman

Bryce Stanfield, Furman

Savio Frazier, Mercer

Kandler Martin, VMI

Andreas Keaton, Western Carolina

Amir Annoor, Wofford

Brandon Maina, Wofford

Chuck Smith, Wofford

 

All-Freshman Special Teams

Trey Turk, Mercer

 

2021 SCSMA ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM

Roy M. “Legs” Hawley Offensive Player of the Year – Quay Holmes, R-Jr., RB, ETSU

Defensive Player of the Year – Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., DL, Chattanooga

Defensive Player of the Year – Stone Snyder, Jr., LB, VMI

Freshman of the Year – Dominick Poole, DB, The Citadel

Wallace Wade Coach of the Year – Randy Sanders, ETSU

 

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Liam Welch, Gr., Samford

RB: Ailym Ford, So., Chattanooga

RB: Quay Holmes, R-Jr., ETSU

RB: Jacob Saylors, Jr., ETSU

OL: McClendon Curtis, Jr., Chattanooga

OL: Cole Strange, Sr., Chattanooga

OL: Tre'mond Shorts, R-Jr., ETSU

OL: Jason Poe, Gr., Mercer

OL: Nick Hartnett, R-Jr., VMI

TE: Ryan Miller, Jr., Furman

WR: Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

WR: Raphael Williams, R-Fr., Western Carolina

 

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Devonnsha Maxwell, Jr., Chattanooga

DL: Adrian Hope, Sr., Furman

DL: Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer

DL: Warren Dabney, Sr., VMI

LB: Ty Boeck, Jr., Chattanooga

LB: Donovan Manuel, R-So., ETSU

LB: Stone Snyder, Jr., VMI

DB: Brandon Dowdell, Sr., Chattanooga

DB: Jerrell Lawson, Sr., Chattanooga

DB: Tyree Robinson, Sr., ETSU

DB: Lance Wise, So., Mercer

 

FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS

PK: Tyler Keltner, So., ETSU

P: Jack Culbreath, So., VMI

LS: Chandlor Mullins, R-So., ETSU

RS: Montrell Washington, Sr., Samford

 

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

QB: Rogan Wells, Gr., Western Carolina

RB: Fred Davis, R-Fr., Mercer

RB: Irvin Mulligan, Jr., Wofford

OL: Haden Haas, Gr., The Citadel

OL: Tavon Matthews, So., ETSU

OL: Anderson Tomlin, R-Jr., Furman

OL: Pearson Toomey, So., Furman

OL: Gavin Orr, Sr., Samford

TE: Michael Vice, Jr., Samford

WR: Jakob Herres, Sr., VMI

WR: Michael Jackson, Sr., VMI

 

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

DL: Ben Brewton, So., Chattanooga

DL: Parker Stokes, Sr., Furman

DL: Seth Simmer, Gr., Samford

DL: Micheal Mason, Jr., Wofford

LB: Willie Eubanks III, Sr., The Citadel

LB: Jared Folks, Gr., ETSU

LB: Kareem Taylor, Gr., Western Carolina

DB: Destin Mack, Jr., The Citadel

DB: Alijah Huzzie, R-Fr., ETSU

DB: Travis Blackshear, Jr., Furman

DB: Ethan Caselberry, Sr., VMI

DB: Ronald Kent Jr., Jr., Western Carolina

 

SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS

PK: Jerry Rice, R-So., VMI

P: Matt Campbell, Jr., The Citadel

LS: Robert Soderholm, Sr., VMI

RS: Jacob Saylors, Jr., ETSU

RS: Calvin Jones, Fr., Western Carolina
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