Ten Yellow Jackets Earn HCAC Accolades

GREENWOOD, IND.  --  Ten members of the Defiance College football team have been earned Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason honors for their individual efforts this season.  [2016 All-HCAC Teams]

The Yellow Jackets had five players selected first-team in seniors Kenny Jones (Toledo/Bowsher), Keandre Gilmer (Toledo/Rogers), juniors Markell Moncrief (Detroit, Mich./Southfield Lathrup), Greg Ward, Jr. (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti) and freshman DeVonte Cravin (Ama, La./Hahnville).

Jones earns All-Conference honors for the second time in his career and his first first-team recognition.  He was a second-team honoree last year.  This past season, he recorded 32 tackles (29 solo and three assists) and led the team, and the HCAC, in interceptions with a career-high six and blocked kicks with three.  He also led the team in pass breakups (six).  In addition, Jones also added one tackle for loss.  Jones ends his career with 119 tackles (98 solo and 21 assists), 14 interceptions, four fumble recoveries, five blocked kicks, a sack and has scored five touchdowns defensively.

Gilmer becomes a two-time All-HCAC award winner with his first first-team honor following a career season in which he led the Jackets and finished fifth in the conference in tackles with 83 (51 solo and 32 assists), which is a career-high.  He recorded three games this season of 10 or more tackles, including a career-best 14 stops on two occasions in back-to-back games.  Gilmer also tallied career-highs in interceptions (three) and sacks (four).  Gilmer was second on the team in tackles for loss with 11.5 in addition to a fumble recovery and a fumble forced.

Moncrief has been named to the All-Conference Team for the first time in his career after finishing in a tie for third on the team in tackles with 63 (50 solo and 13 assists).  He posted one game with 10 or more tackles with a career-high 12 tackles against Rose-Hulman (Ind.).  He had 6.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks.  Moncrief finished in a tie for second in interceptions with a career-high four INTs and also finished tied for second in pass breakups with five.  He also had a forced fumble.   

Ward garners All-HCAC honors for the first time in his career.  This season, he had 29 total tackles (18 solo and 11 assists) and led the team in both tackles for loss (14) and sacks (eight).  His eight sacks also ranked second most in the HCAC.  In additoin, Ward had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Cravin earns first-team honors as a returner following a season that saw him total 397 yards on kickoffs, which was the fifth highest in the conference.  He averaged 23.4 yards per return which put him third amongst the conference.  Cravin recorded a season-high 154 kick return yards in the game against Franklin.  In addition to returning kicks, Cravin returned one punt for 12 yards.  Offensively, Cravin ended the season with 26 rushing yards and was tied for third on the team in receptions with 20 for 288 yards.  He led the team in receiving touchdowns with six and was tied for the team-lead in scoring with 36 points.

Defiance had three players named second-team All-HCAC in seniors Matt DeVore (Van Buren), Joey Rebottaro (Tecumseh, Mich./Tecumseh) and Cody Wilson (McComb).  

DeVore becomes a two-time All-Conference award winner and earns second-team accolades for the second straight season.  He ended his senior campaign with career-highs in tackles (59), tackles for loss (10) and sacks (6.5).  His 59 tackles (35 solo and 24 assists) were fifth most on the team and had a career-best 10 tackles against Rose-Hulman. In addition, DeVore had one fumble recovery.  DeVore ends his career with 144 total tackles (77 solo and 67 assists) with 24 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.  He recorded one interception, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and scored on career touchdown.

Rebottaro caps his four-year career with his first All-HCAC selection.  Rebottaro has a been a member of the offensive line each season and was part of an offensive squad that averaged 315.3 yards of offense in 2016.  The Jackets finished fifth in the HCAC in team rushing with 1,369 yards (136.9 yards per game).  Rebottaro helped DC record five victories which marked the most wins in a season since 2010 when the Jackets finished with a 6-4 mark.  

Wilson earns his third All-Conference Award and his first second-team honor after earning honorable mention recognition the previous two seasons.  In a repeat of last season, Wilson saw playing time in nearly every aspect of the game and accounted for 706 all-purpose yards (271 rushing, 401 receving and 34 kick returns), placing him third on the team.  He started the season primarily as a receiver and led the team in both receptions (42), yards (401) and had two touchdowns.  Near the end of the season, Wilson saw time at quarterback and recorded his first two 100-yard rushing games of his career in the final games of the season.  He ended up third on the team in rushing with 271 yards on 34 carries (8.0 yards per rush) and a team-high four TD.  Wilson also completed four-of-five passes for 30 yards and a score.  For his career, Wilson has 2,790 all-purpose yards with 748 yards rushing, 1,563 yards receving and a combined 479 return yards (139 punt returns and 340 kick returns).  He scored 15 total touchdowns (seven rushing and eight receiving) and also passed for a touchdown.  

The Yellow Jackets had one representative on the honorable mention squad in junior Tyler Gillig (Tiffin/Tiffin Columbian).  Gillig moved into a tight end role offensively and caught 10 passes for 85 yards and had a pair of TD receptions.  He recorded a season high in receptions against Anderson (Ind.) in which he had three receptions for 13 yards and a TD.  Gillig turned in a season-best in reception yards the week prior against Manchester (Ind.) with 33 yards on one catch.

Joining the list of honorees was junior Reed Guerin (West Palm Beach, Fla./Park Vista) who was selected to the HCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.  Guerin was also a member of the offensive line and saw a significant increase in playing time in 2016.  He played in all 10 games and helped the Jackets average 315.3 yards of offense, including finishing fifth in the HCAC in team rushing with 1,369 yards (136.9 yards per game).