Sam Houston State’s 2012 Southland Conference championship team produced 21 players who have earned spots on the all-league honor squad.
Those awards include both “Player of the Year” recognition for running back Timothy Flanders and “Defensive Player of the Year” Darnell Taylor. Darnell and his twin brother Darius also become the first pair of twins at Sam Houston to earn all-conference recognition together.
The Bearkats’ list of All-Southland players after an 8-3 overall regular season and 6-1 march to a second consecutive league title include 10 first team selections, six second team honorees and six honorable mention players.
First team offense All-Southland players from Sam Houston include Flanders, tight end T. J. Jones, offensive linemen Kaleb Hopson and Chris Rogers and all-purpose back Richard Sincere.
First team defense Bearkats are defensive lineman J. T. Cleveland, lineback Darius Taylor, defensive backs Darnell Taylor and Dax Swanson and punter Matt Foster.
Second team all-conference Kats include quarterback Brian Bell, wide receiver Trey Diller, defensive lineman Gary Lorance and defensive backs Kenneth Jenkins and Bookie Sneed. Diller also received second team recognition as kick return specialist.
Receiving All-Southland honorable mention were running back Keshawn Hill, offensive linemen Donald Jackson and Riley Smith, defensive lineman Jarrett Brown, linebacker Jesse Beauchamp, defensive back Robert Shaw and place kicker Miguel Antonio.
Flanders and Darnell Taylor both earned their “Player of the Year” recognition for the second consecutive seasons. Flanders, Jenkins and Cleveland are three-time All-Southland selections.
Darnell Taylor, Hopson, Sincere, Swanson, Foster, Bell and Sneed each are in their second consecutive year as All-Southland honorees.
Sam Houston State will face Cal Poly in the second round of the NCAA Division I football championship Saturday, Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
Complete ticket information is available on www.gobearkats.com. The SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
2012 All-Southland Conference Football Team
First-Team Offense
Pos.
Name
University
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
QB
Wynrick Smothers
Central Arkansas
6-1
208
Jr.
RB
Timothy Flanders
Sam Houston State
5-9
210
Jr.
RB
Gus Johnson
Stephen F. Austin
5-10
215
So.
TE
T.J. Jones
Sam Houston State
6-3
245
Sr.
WR
Cordell Roberson
Stephen F. Austin
6-3
215
Sr.
WR
Jesse Grandy
Central Arkansas
5-11
165
Sr.
WR
Dominque Croom
Central Arkansas
6-1
193
Sr.
OL
Corey Howard
Central Arkansas
6-1
290
Sr.
OL
Kaleb Hopson
Sam Houston State
6-6
300
Sr.
OL
John Steel
Stephen F. Austin
6-5
295
Sr.
OL
Arinze Agada
McNeese State
6-1
286
Jr.
OL
Chris Rogers
Sam Houston State
5-11
270
Sr.
AP
Richard Sincere
Sam Houston State
5-10
180
Jr.
PK
Eddie Camara
Central Arkansas
5-9
168
So.
First-Team Defense
Pos.
Name
University
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
DL
Willie Jefferson
Stephen F. Austin
6-6
234
Sr.
DL
J.T. Cleveland
Sam Houston State
6-0
290
Sr.
DL
Jonathan Woodard
Central Arkansas
6-5
251
Fr.
DL
Darren Robinson
Stephen F. Austin
5-11
247
So.
LB
Darius Taylor
Sam Houston State
6-0
240
Sr.
LB
Seth Allison
Central Arkansas
5-11
195
Sr.
LB
Derek Rose
Northwestern State
5-11
229
Sr.
DB
Darnell Taylor
Sam Houston State
6-0
195
Sr.
DB
Robert Alford
Southeastern La.
6-0
185
Sr.
DB
Dax Swanson
Sam Houston State
5-11
185
Sr.
DB
Josh Aubrey
Stephen F. Austin
5-11
202
Sr.
DB
Jestin Love
Central Arkansas
6-0
208
Jr.
P
Matt Foster
Sam Houston State
6-6
195
Sr.
KR
Jesse Grandy
Central Arkansas
5-11
165
Sr.
Second-Team Offense
Pos.
Name
University
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
QB
Brian Bell
Sam Houston State
6-2
175
Jr.
RB
Marcus Wiltz
McNeese State
5-9
192
Jr.
RB
Jackie Hinton
Central Arkansas
5-10
210
Sr.
TE/HB
Nick Scelfo
Nicholls State
6-4
235
So.
WR
Trey Diller
Sam Houston State
6-2
200
Sr.
WR
Darius Carey
McNeese State
6-0
184
Sr.
WR
D.J. Ward
Stephen F. Austin
5-11
180
Fr.
OL
Alec Savoie
McNeese State
6-7
309
Sr.
OL
Gasten Gabriel
Southeastern La.
6-5
310
Jr.
OL
Taylor Johnson
McNeese State
6-4
290
Sr.
OL
Cole Caruthers
Central Arkansas
6-4
284
So.
OL
Sean Robertson
Lamar
6-1
270
Sr.
AP
Xavier Roberson
Southeastern La.
5-9
170
Fr.
PK
John Shaughnessy
Northwestern State
5-11
181
Sr.
Second-Team Defense
Pos.
Name
University
Ht.
Wt.
Cl.
DL
Matt Hornbuckle
Central Arkansas
6-2
281
Jr.
DL
Gary Lorance
Sam Houston State
6-0
290
Jr.
DL
Jesse Dickson
Lamar
6-3
265
Jr.
DL
Everett Ellefsen
McNeese State
6-3
230
So.
LB
Jordan Piper
Nicholls State
5-10
242
Sr.
LB
Devan Walker
Southeastern La.
6-3
240
Sr.
LB
Joe Narcisse
McNeese State
5-11
222
Sr.
DB
Terence Cahee
McNeese State
5-9
190
Jr.
DB
Kenneth Jenkins
Sam Houston State
5-10
195
Sr.
DB
Bookie Sneed
Sam Houston State
6-0
180
Jr.
DB
Jamaal White
Northwestern State
6-0
192
Sr.
DB
Cortez Paige
Northwestern State
6-1
181
Sr.
P
Beau Mothe
Southeastern La.
6-3
210
Sr.
KR
Trey Diller
Sam Houston State
6-2
200
Sr.
PR
Darius Carey
McNeese State
6-0
184
Sr.
2012 Southland Conference Individual Superlatives
Player of the Year: Timothy Flanders, Sam Houston State
Offensive Player of the Year: Wynrick Smothers, Central Arkansas
Defensive Player of the Year: Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Corey Howard, Central Arkansas
Freshman of the Year: Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Kevin Johnson, Lamar
Coach of the Year: Clint Conque, Central Arkansas
Honorable Mention:
Quarterback: Brady Attaway, Stephen F. Austin. Running Back: Marcus Washington, Nicholls State; Keshawn Hill, Sam Houston State. Tight End/H-Back: Mike Brooks, Stephen F. Austin; Jeremy Meyers, Southeastern Louisiana; Corey Simmons, Northwestern State; Chase Dixon, Central Arkansas. Wide Receiver: Kevin Johnson, Lamar; Dezmin Lewis, Central Arkansas; Louis Hollier, Northwestern State; Erik Buchanan, Nicholls State; Tony McCrea, Southeastern Louisiana. Offensive Linemen: Warren Jones, Northwestern State; Austin Wright, Stephen F. Austin; Abasi Salimu, Nicholls State; Donald Jackson, Sam Houston State; Andrew Ratliff, Stephen F. Austin; Riley Smith, Sam Houston State; Jonathan Landry, McNeese State; Carson Chaisson, McNeese State. Offensive All-Purpose: Phillip Harvey, Northwestern State; Ryan Gambel, Stephen F. Austin. Defensive Linemen: Lesley Deamer, Northwestern State; Pat Williams, McNeese State; Tremaine Lucas, Southeastern Louisiana; Jarrett Brown, Sam Houston State; Ryan Chambers, Stephen F. Austin; John Prescott, Lamar; Wade Williams, Northwestern State. Linebacker: Ryan Epperson, Stephen F. Austin; Justin Heard, Central Arkansas; Jermaine Longino, Lamar; Marcus Malbrough, Lamar; Kerry Guidry, Nicholls State; Patrick Black, Northwestern State; Robert Shaw, Sam Houston State; Jesse Beauchamp, Sam Houston State; Collin Garrett, Stephen F. Austin. Defensive Back: Branden Thomas, Lamar; Guy Morgan; McNeese State; Ford Smesny, McNeese State; Chad Allen, Lamar; Caleb Nelson, Stephen F. Austin; Tyler Stoddard, Southeastern Louisiana; Dillon Winfrey, Central Arkansas; Todd Washington, Southeastern Louisiana. Placekicker: Miguel Antonio, Sam Houston State; Jordan Wiggs, Stephen F. Austin. Punter: Cory Kemps, Nicholls State. Kick Return Specialist: Kevin Johnson, Lamar; Phillip Harvey, Northwestern State.
