Bloomington, Minn. – Five Gustavus Adolphus football players were named to the 2014 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team by a vote of the leagues coaches as a part of the 2014 MIAC Football Awards released Tuesday afternoon. Four players earned a spot on the first team offense, while a fifth was recognized on the special teams first team.
Student-athletes bringing in All-MIAC First Team honors on offense include quarterback Mitch Hendricks (Jr., Bemidji, Minn.), wide receivers Matt Boyce (Jr., Excelsior, Minn.) and Gabriel Boyce (Jr., Excelsior, Minn.), and offensive lineman Marcus Kelly (Jr., Woodbury, Minn.). Thomas Scheusener (Sr., Rapid City, S.D.) represented Gustavus on the special teams first team.
To go along with Gustavus’s five first team recipients, a total of eight Gusties earned a place on the offensive and defensive second teams. Running back Luke Martinez (Jr., Lenexa, Kan.) and offensive lineman Scott Newby (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) made it on the second team offense, while defensive lineman Zach Severson (Sr., Savage, Minn.), linebackers Zack Martinez (Jr., Lenexa, Kan.) and Anthony Boyce (Sr., Excelsior, Minn.), cornerbacks Nick Frandsen (Jr., North Oaks, Minn.) and Michael Hintze (Sr., Brooklyn Park, Minn.), and safety Xavier Fust (Sr., Columbia Heights, Minn.) garnered second team defense honors.
Saint John’s star running back Sam Sura (Jr., South St. Paul, Minn.) took home the conference’s top honor, as he was named the Jim Christopherson MIAC Most Valuable Player, and Johnnie Head Coach Gary Fasching fittingly received the award named for his predecessor as he was vote the John Gagliardi MIAC Coach-of-the-Year. Augsburg defensive lineman Chris DeVet (Sr., Shoreview, Minn. / Mounds View) claimed the league’s other top individual honor – the Mike Stam Award – as the league’s top interior lineman.
One of the most prolific passers in the country, Mitch Hendricks earns All-Conference honors for the first time in his career after what was a historic season. Hendricks went 271-for-405 (66.9%) for 3,405 yards to go along with 35 passing touchdowns. He averaged 340.3 passing yards per game and also added four rushing touchdowns and 212 yards on the ground. Hendricks all but re-wrote the single-season passing record books at Gustavus by setting new marks in yards (2,815 – Jordan Stolp, 2007), completions (220 – Jordan Stolp, 2007), attempts (384 – Jordan Stolp, 2007), and touchdowns (31 – Bob Southworth, 1998; 31 – Joe Thorvig, 2001). He threw for more than 300 yards in five games and three or more touchdowns in seven. The Bemidji product’s 504-yard, seven-touchdown performance through the air against Augsburg on Sept. 27 shattered previous single-game school records in both yards and touchdown passes. At the time of this release, Hendricks ranks third in the nation in passing yards and passing yards per game, fourth in passing touchdowns, completions per game, and points responsible per game (23.4), seventh in points responsible for (234), fifth in total offense per game (361.5), and 14th in completion percentage.
Of the 271 passes that Mitch Hendricks completed this season, 167 of them were caught by the Boyce twins, Matt and Gabriel, who both make their first appearance on the All-Conference First Team. Matt Boyce brought down 78 passes for 1,196 yards to go along with 17 touchdowns. He averaged 119.6 yards per game and 15.3 yards per catch. He shattered Ryan Hoag’s 2001 touchdowns record of 14 and went over 100 yards receiving six times, which ranks second. Matt’s 78 receptions rank third all-time while his 1,196 yards rank second.
Countering his brother brother’s over-the-top threat, Gabriel Boyce did his damage from the slot and solidified himself as one the most dangerous possession receivers in the country. He caught a team-best 89 passes for a total of 1,057 yards, averaging 105.7 yards per game and 11.9 yards per catch. Gabriel’s 89 catches rank second in school-history behind Chad Arlt’s 2008 record of 100. He also went over 100 yards receiving in four games and caught at least nine passes in eight.
Matt Boyce’s touchdown total currently ranks second in the nation while his receiving yards and per game average both rank 10th. Gabriel’s 8.9 receptions per game average ranks fifth. Matt and Gabriel’s 27 combined receiving touchdowns leads all NCAA Division III duos while their 2,253 combined yards rank second.
A staple member of Gustavus’s offensive line the past two seasons, Marcus Kelly earns All-Conference honors for the first time after serving as the Hendricks’ center. A consistent and tireless worker with textbook technique, Kelly was the foundation for the high-powered Gustavus offense that averaged 37.9 points, 139 yards rushing, and 346 yards passing per game. He allowed the fewest amount of sacks of any member of the front, made all the line calls, dictated the cadence, and opened up holes for a running game that totaled more than 100 yards rushing in all but one game this season.
Rounding out Gustavus’s first team performers was Thomas Scheusener who makes his first showing in the MIAC’s postseason awards. A first team punter, Scheusener helped the Gusties control the field possession battle throughout the year. He totaled 1,108 yards on 29 punts for a league-best average of 38.2 yards per punt. He placed nine punts inside the 20-yard-line and boomed four over 50 yards. The Rapid City, South Dakota product, who made the transition from soccer to football his junior year, is the first Gustie punter to earn All-MIAC marks since Matt Knutson ’10 did so in 2009.
It is the first time since the 2002 and 2003 seasons that Gustavus has seen five or more of its players take home All-Conference First Team marks back-to-back years.
To go along with the team’s first and second team recipients, Gustavus also placed Andrew Lonneman (Sr., DL, Adrian, Minn.), Travis Pepper (Sr., DL, Overland Park, Kan.), Mitch Snare (Sr., DL, Rosemount, Minn.), and Joe Theiler (So., OL, Maple Grove, Minn.) on the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team.
As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC announced the ninth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for football. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. This season, Zach Vine (Sr., Lino Lakes, Minn.) was honored on the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team.
Gustavus finished its 2014 campaign 6-4 overall and 4-4 in the MIAC, good for a fifth place standing.