Green Knights Earn 17 Spots on All-MWC North Division Squad

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, November 13, 2018 | Football
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - Midwest Conference champion St. Norbert College had 17 players selected to the All-Midwest Conference North Division Team, announced today by the league office.

Senior offensive lineman Kyle Rademaker was named the MWC's offensive line most valuable player, while senior linebacker Matt Gurgone was named MWC defensive skill most valuable player. Coach Dan McCarty picked up his third MWC Coach of the Year honor.

Joining Rademaker and Gurgone on the first team were senior offensive lineman Isaac Mears, senior wide receiver Samuel Staehling, senior kicker Spenser Thompson-Meyers, junior punter Jeff Allen, junior defensive linemen Kordell Draves and Jerome Tillis, senior defensive lineman Will Utesch, senior linebacker Matt Barrett, senior defensive back Hunter Prokash and sophomore long snapper Jake Mueller.

Earning second-team All-MWC North accolades were junior offensive lineman Austin Rupiper, senior quarterback Drew Rhodes, senior linebacker Ben Kornowski, senior defensive back Nate Essman and junior defensive back Walter McBride.

Rademaker, an Eden Prairie, Minn., native, Mears, a Denmark native, and Rupiper, an Evansville native, led an offensive line that averaged 222.5 rushing yards per game and yielded just 12 quarterback sacks. Rademaker was a first-team All-MWC selection in 2017, while Mears was a second-team choice a year ago. It is Rupiper's first All-MWC honor.

Gurgone, an Orland Park, Ill., native, posted 53 overall tackles with 15 tackles-for-loss, five quarterback sacks, five passes defended, four interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was a first-team All-MWC honoree in 2017.

Staehling, a Plymouth native, has 25 receptions for 388 yards with four touchdowns out of St. Norbert's triple-option offense. Also the MWC Elite 20 Award football recipient for the second consecutive season, Staehling was a first-team All-MWC choice in 2017 and a second-team selection in 2016.

Thompson-Meyers, a San Ramon, Calif., native, leads the Green Knights in scoring with 78 points. He is 42-for-43 on point-after tries and is 12-for-15 on field-goal attempts. A first-team AFCA All-American in 2017, he is a four-time first-team All-MWC selection.

Allen, a Federal Way, Wash., native, ended the regular season with a punting average of 37.9 yards. He dropped 27 of his 53 punts inside the 20-yard line with 25 of his kicks ending in fair catches.

Draves, a Forestville native, registered 32 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, one quarterback sack and one pass defended. He was a first-team all-MWC choice in 2017.

Tillis, a Maywood, Ill., native, had 18 tackles with 4 1/2 tackles-for-loss and one quarterback sack on a line that helped allow just 57 rushing yards per game.

Utesch, a Walworth native, had 17 tackles with 3 1/2 tackles-for-loss and 1 1/2 quarterback sacks. He was a first-team All-MWC pick in 2017.

Barrett, a Battle Creek, Mich., native, has a team-high 77 tackles with 10 tackles-for-loss, 4 1/2 quarterback sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was a first-team All-MWC choice in 2016 and 2017.

Prokash, an Algoma native, has 33 tackles with five passes defended, four interceptions, three tackles-for-loss, two quarterback sacks and one fumble recovery. He was a first-team All-MWC seleection in 2017.

Mueller, an Oswego, Ill., native, has served as the Green Knights' long snapper in each of his two season.

Rhodes, a Waukesha native, leads the Green Knights in both passing and rushing. He has 642 rushing yards on 157 carries with two touchdowns while completing 127 of 216 passes for 1,439 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was a first-team All-MWC choice in 2017 as a return specialist.

Kornowski, a Green Bay native, has 44 tackles with 10 1/2 tackles-for-loss, 2 1/2 quarterback sacks and one interception. He was a first-team All-MWC honoree in 2017.

Essman, a Mukwonago native, has 31 tackles with a team-high eight passes defended, three tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

McBride, a Chicago, Ill., native, has 30 tackles with one interception, one fumble recovery and half a quarterback sack.