Ferrer, Price voted MEL Players of Year
FINDLAY, OHIO – A pair of highly-successful senior performers, quarterback Nick Ferrer of the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) and defensive back Darius Price of Siena Heights University, have been selected as the 2017 MSFA Mideast League offensive and defensive players of the year in a vote by the league's coaches.
Ferrer becomes the just third player to earn MSFA Player of the Year twice after he was selected in 2015. Other two-time honorees are Takari Johnson of Concordia University in 2013 & 2014 and Derek Besgrove of Walsh in 2002 & 2003.
Ferrer, the 2015 MEL Player of the Year as well, has guided top-ranked and defending national championship Saint Francis to the Mideast title at 6-0 and has the Cougars 10-0 and headed to the NAIA Championship Series for 17th time in the school's 20th year of football. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder has set the MSFA career touchdown passing record (127) and also surpassed the 11,000-yard passing mark (11,580) this season, becoming only the third player in the 24-year history of the MSFA to do so.
The three-time all-MEL honoree, leads the MSFA in passing (232 of 331, 3,240 yards, 30 TDs) at 324 yards per game, in passing efficiency (180.4) and total offense (315.3) yards per game. As its starting quarterback, USF has posted a 34-2 in three seasons.
Price, a 6-2, 225-pound student-athlete, became a rare four-time all-MSFA player this season, the first since Tevin Lake of Marian University in 2014. Price, who was an all-league linebacker for the first three years of his career before moving to the secondary in 2017 to help the Saints fill a team void, logged 41 total tackles with 1.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, a forced fumble, two recovered fumbles and 9 pass breakups as Siena Heights finished 2-3 in the Mideast and 5-5 overall.
Joshua Schumacher, who has coached Concordia to its first-ever NAIA Championship Series appearance, is the MEL Coach of the Year. Schumacher, who was elevated to head coach of the Cardinals last fall, guided Concordia to a 9-1 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the MEL, losing only to Saint Francis in the school's seventh year of football.
One of Schumacher's top aides, defensive coordinator Andrew Rode, is the MEL Assistant Coach of the Year.
Two Ferrer teammates, junior linebacker Piercen Harnish and senior defensive back Spencer Cowherd, are also three-time all-MEL selections. Joe Connor, a Concordia junior running back; Marian's Darrion McAlister (sr., offensive linmen) and Brad Mullings (jr., defensive lineman); and Saint Francis' Eric Hemmelgarn (sr., defensive lineman) are two-time all-league picks.
Mideast League
First Team Offense
QUARTERBACK
***Nick Ferrer (Westfield, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-4, 230, Sr.
RUNNING BACKS
**Joe Conner (Flat Rock, Mich.), Concordia, 6-0, 211, Soph.
Justin Green (Griffith, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 5-10, 196, Jr.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Herman Mason (Lansing, Mich.), Concordia, 6-2, 206, Sr.
Johnny William (Indianapolis, Ind.), Marian, 5-11, 170, Fr.
Bryant Hudson (Flint, Mich.), Concordia, 6-0, 190, Sr.
Grant Hohlbein (Adrian, Mich.), Taylor, 6-1, 210, Sr.
Sean Boswell (Indianapolis, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 5-9, 185, Sr.
TIGHT END
Brandon Dillon (Bringhurst, Ind.), Marian, 6-5, 245, Jr.
LINEMEN
**Darrion McAlister (Kokomo, Ind.), Marian, 6-1, 250, Sr.
Alex Woods (Greenwood, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-2, 265, Sr.
Jarin Bush (Flora, Ind.), Marian, 6-5, 295, Jr.
Ryan Borders (Jamestown, Ind.), Marian, 6-4, 285, Sr.
Darricle Jones (Eastpointe, Mich.), Concordia, 6-2, 270, Sr.
Jaylen Gamble (Indianapolis, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-2, 296, Sr.
PLACEKICKERS
Gavin Gradner (Van Wert, Ohio), Saint Francis, 5-10, 175, R-Fr.
Joshua Kuklies (Hopkins, Mich.), Concordia, 6-0, 174, Jr.
RETURN SPECIALIST
Justin Green (Griffith, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 5-10, 196, Jr.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR
Nick Ferrer (Westfield, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-4, 230, Sr.
First Team Defense
LINEMEN
**Eric Hemmelgarn (Portland, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-5, 320, Sr.
Kaleb Pohlman (Liberty Center, Ohio), Concordia, 6-3, 240, Sr.
**Brad Mullings (Parkland, Fla.), Marian, 6-4, 250, Jr.
Marcus Stepp (Fort Wayn, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-1, 218, Jr.
Malik Edwards (Port Huron, Mich.), Siena Heights, 6-0, 260, Jr.
LINEBACKERS
***Piercen Harnish (Ossian, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-0, 224, Jr.
Andrew O'Hara (Cleveland, Ohio), Concordia, 6-4, 226, Jr.
Eric Dunten (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-1, 215, Jr.
Cameron Gray (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Taylor, 6-0, 235, Sr.
DEEP BACKS
****Darius Price (Saginaw, Mich.), Siena Heights, 6-2, 225, Sr.
Wilmer Cole (Indianapolis, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-1, 189, Jr.
Ra-Heem Hill (Detroit, Mich.), Concordia, 5-11, 192, Sr.
***Spencer Cowherd (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-2, 195, Sr.
PUNTERS
Andrew O'Hara (Cleveland, Ohio), Concordia, 6-4, 226, Jr.
Luke Frain (Indianapolis, Ind.), Marian, 6-1, 205, Soph.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Darius Price (Saginaw, Mich.), Siena Heights, 6-2, 225, Sr.
Second Team Offense
QUARTERBACK
Seth Suida (Livonia, Mich.), Concordia, 6-2, 208, Sr.
RUNNING BACKS
D'aries Davis (Wyandotte, Mich.), Siena Heights, 5-9, 190, Jr.
Charles Salary (LaPorte, Ind.), Marian, 5-7, 185, Soph.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Rocky James (Xenia, Ohio), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-1, 171, Soph.
Dan Ricksy (Lafayette, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 5-10, 178, Soph.
Damon Wright (Detroit, Mich.), Siena Heights, 6-1, 175, Jr.
Donte Desalle (Nashville, Tenn.), Concordia, 6-0, 168, Soph.
TIGHT END
Jay Alvarez (Lansing, Mich.), Concordia, 6-1, 210, Sr.
LINEMEN
Nathan Gifford (Las Vegas, Nev.), Concordia, 6-1, 266, Sr.
Connor Holcomb (Kendallville, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-2, 270, Sr.
Austin Garde (Huntington, Ind.), Taylor, 6-4, 310, Sr.
Donovan Corlew (Cleveland, Ohio), Concordia, 6-2, 284, Fr.
Johnny Reed (Chicago, Ill.), Missouri Baptist, 6-0, 320, Jr.
Colton Pfaendtner (Saint Clair, Mich.), Siena Heights, 6-4, 300, Jr.
Dalton Button (Winamac, Ind.), Marian, 6-2, 290, Soph.
PLACEKICKER
Brady Tanguay (Trenton, Mich.), Siena Heights, 6-1, 180, Jr.
RETURN SPECIALIST
Devin-Michael Griffin (Saint Louis, Mo.), Missouri Baptist, 6-1, 190, Soph.
Second Team Defense
LINEMEN
Keith Rubin (Whitmore Lake, Mich.), Concordia, 6-3, 277, Jr.
Chad Scaggs (Avon, Ind.), Marian, 6-3, 240, Jr.
Jordan May (Fishers, Ind.), Saint Francis, Ind., 6-2, 242, Jr.
Nick Edney (Garden City, Mich.), Concordia, 6-2, 267, Fr.
LINEBACKERS
Austin Ginther (Noblesville, Ind.), Marian, 6-0, 220, Soph.
Nick Stalworth (Clarkston, Mich.), Siena Heights, 6-0, 220, Fr.
Jay Koski (Portage, Mich.), Concordia, 5-11, 212, Jr.
Bailey Bennett (Greenwood, Ind.), Marian, 6-0, 210, Fr.
DEEP BACKS
Dovi Gamble (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Taylor, 6-0, 205, Sr.
JaRon Clark (Indianapolis), Marian, 6-0, 180, Sr.
Lee Stewart III (Lima, Ohio), Saint Francis, Ind., 5-11, 190, Sr.
Timothy Koehler (Belvidere, Ill.), Concordia, 5-11, 188, Jr.
PUNTER
Tyler Hach (Saint Louis, Mo.), Missouri Baptist, 6-0, 160, Sr.
Honorable Mention
CONCORDIA – Tim Iltis (Davenport, Iowa), 6-2, 233, Jr., DL; Amaan Payne (Holt, Mich.), 6-0, 195, Soph., LB; Tarek Dalou (Dearborn Heights, Mich.), 5-9, 169, Soph., DB.
LINDENWOOD-BELLEVILLE – Calvin Rogers (San Diego, Calif.), 6-1, 220, Sr., LB; Donnie Foster (Belleville, Ill.), 6-2, 220, Sr., TE; Misikei Fuiava-Thomsen (Eugene, Ore.), 6-0, 260, Fr., DL.
MARIAN – Luke Johnston (Indianapolis, Ind.), 6-4, 205, Soph., QB; Michael Annee (Indianapolis, Ind.), 6-2, 250, Sr., DL; David Diehl (Indianapolis, Ind.), 5-11, 190, Jr., DB.
MISSOURI BAPTIST – Kendall Davis (Edwardsville, Ill.), 5-9, 180, Soph., RB; D'Ante Cox (Rochester, Ill.), 6-1, 180, Fr., WR; Dontrail Johnson (Webster Grove, Mo.), 6-1, 185, Jr., LB.
SIENA HEIGHTS – Logan Smith (Liberty Center, Ohio), 6-3, 220, Soph., LB; DeVante Collins-Anderson (Columbus, Ohio), 5-10, 350, R-Jr., DT; DJ Haskins (Flint, Mich.), 6-2, 275, R-Sr, OL.
SAINT FRANCIS, IND. – Nick Shoemaker (Avon, Ind.), 6-3, 266, Soph., OL; Blake Schumacher (Fort Wayne, Ind.), 5-11, 186, Soph., DB; Ryan Johnson (Xenia, Ohio), 5-10, 170, Soph., DB.
TAYLOR – Everett Pollard (Atlanta, Ga.), 6-5, 230, Jr., QB; Logan Ball (Yorktown, Ind.), 6-4, 295, Sr., OL; Tyler Gerig (Fishers, Ind.), 5-11, 170, Jr., DB.
COACH OF YEAR: Joshua Schumacher, Concordia
ASSISTANT COACH OF YEAR: Andrew Rode, Concordia
**** -- 4-Time 1st Team *** -- 3-Time 1st Team ** -- 2-Time 1st Team
