Eighteen Northwest Missouri State University football student-athletes were named to the All-MIAA teams in a release from the conference office on Tuesday. Senior Trevor Adams was named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year, junior Matt Longacre earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and Adam Dorrel was named Coach of the Year.
Northwest finished the season 11-0 and won the outright MIAA championship, the 25th conference title in program history. The Bearcats earned the top seed in the NCAA Division II playoff’s Super Region Three, and will host the winner of the Minnesota Duluth and Emporia State contest on Nov. 30 at noon at Bearcat Stadium.
Joining Adams and Longacre on the All-MIAA first team was offensive lineman Cody Carlson, defensive lineman Brandon Yost, linebacker Eric Reimer, linebacker D.J. Gnader and defensive back Brandon Dixon.
Offensive lineman C.J. Keeney, defensive back Brian Dixon and punter Kyle Goodburn each earned second-team honors. Tight end Marcus Wright and offensive lineman Cole Chevalier were named to the third team. Earning honorable mention accolades was running back Billy Creason, receiver Clint Utter, tight end Joel Gantz, defensive lineman Bryant Hummel, defensive lineman Matt Meinert and defensive back Bryce Enyard.
Trevor Adams started 10 games for the Bearcats in 2013. He finished the regular season with an NCAA leading 192.1 pass efficiency rating and the nation’s second highest completion percentage of 73.5%. Adams is now tied for third all-time in Bearcat history with 65 career touchdown passes. Earlier this season, he was named a National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar Athlete and was a first-team CoSida academic All-District performer. He earned MIAA Athlete of the Week honors following a 306-yard, three touchdown performance against then-No. 8 Washburn on Nov. 2.
Matt Longacre earned two MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week honors in 2013. His first award came after a 53-7 victory over Nebraska-Kearney on Sept. 28, in which he scored the second touchdown of his career on a 17 yard fumble recovery. He earned the weekly honor again after a Nov. 9 win over then-No. 10 Emporia State, when he had 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. This season, Longacre leads the team with 7.5 sacks (2nd MIAA) and 12.5 tackles for loss (3rd MIAA). He ranks fourth on the team with 40 tackles to go along with 10 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. His 19 career sacks ranks sixth all-time.
Adam Dorrel is in his third season as the head football coach at Northwest Missouri State. Dorrel has compiled a career record of 32-6 and the team’s 11-win season ties for the 10th highest win total in program history, a feat he accomplished in his first season in 2011. Dorrel is a former All-American offensive lineman for Northwest. He was a three-time All-MIAA performer for the Bearcats.
Cody Carlson has started all 11 games for the Bearcats and anchors an offensive line that has only given up 11 sacks all season.
Brandon Yost is third on the team with 41 tackles. This season he compiled 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks. He has also intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles.
Eric Reimer has recorded 80 tackles on the season, ranking second on the team with 12.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Remimer has also forced a fumble and had three quarterback hurries.
D.J. Gnader has recorded a team-high 81 tackles on the season in 2013. He has intercepted two passes, had seven passes defended, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery, 4.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He was the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week following a 12-tackle performance against then-No. 19 Missouri Western on Nov. 16.
Brandon Dixon earned MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week honors after shutting down the Saginaw Valley State passing attack on Sept. 5. Dixon has started 10 games this season and has seven passes defended, six pass breakups, one interception, one blocked kick, 24 total tackles and one fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown.
Northwest 2013 All-MIAA Honors:
Offensive Player of the Year: Trevor Adams
Defensive Player of the Year: Matt Longacre
Coach of the Year: Adam Dorrel
First Team: Trevor Adams (QB), Cody Carlson (OL), Matt Longacre (DL), Brandon Yost (DL), Eric Reimer (LB), D.J. Gnader (LB), Brandon Dixon (DB).
Second Team: C.J. Keeney (OL), Brian Dixon (DB), Kyle Goodburn (P).
Third Team: Marcus Wright (TE/FB), Cole Chevalier (OL).
Honorable Mention: Billy Creason (RB), Clint Utter (WR), Joel Gantz (TE), Bryant Hummel (DL), Matt Meinert (DL), Bryce Enyard (DB).
— Northwest Sports Information —