Ward, Pace, Lewallen, Woods and Gordon Claim Preseason All-Southland Nods
7/12/2018 11:01:00 AM | Football
Five Lumberjack football players placed on league’s preseason all-conference teams; junior safety Alize Ward earns spot on first and second team
Complete 2018 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams
FRISCO, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin football team was represented well Thursday morning as the 2018 Preseason All-Southland Conference football teams were announced by the league office. A total of five Lumberjacks appear on the two teams with sophomore safety Alize Ward being named to the first team as a defensive back and earning a spot on the second team as an all-purpose player.
Junior wide receiver Tamrick Pace along with senior punter Caleb Lewallen were both tabbed as preseason All-Southland Second Team offense picks, while senior linebacker Ryan Woods and sophomore safety Trenton Gordon were placed on the preseason All-Southland Second Team defense.
Ward, one of SFA's biggest playmakers in 2017, seeks to have another stellar season this fall after making the second-most tackles (75) on the team a year ago. An All-Southland Second Team selection a season ago, Ward led the 'Jacks with 40 solo stops and was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, picking off for passes and racking up 122 interception return yards for the second-most in the league. Ranking 18th in the conference in tackles per game (6.8), Ward's 1.3 passes defended per game were 18th best nationally.
As SFA's primary kickoff return man in 2017, Ward was one of the primary reasons the 'Jacks set a single-season program record and rank third nationally, second in the Southland, in yards per kickoff return (26.5). Ward's 25 yards per kickoff return average last season was 13th-best in the nation and second-best among all kickoff returners in the conference. He accumulated 726 yards on 29 kickoff returns for the fourth-most in a single season in school history and had three different games with over 100 kickoff return yards. Between his kickoff returns and interceptions, the San Diego, California, native amassed 852 all-purpose yards last fall and averaged 77.5 all-purpose yards per contest.
Pace, who is on pace to become one of SFA's all-time greats in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions, avoided a sophomore slump in 2017 by leading the team in receptions (53) and receiving yards (645) for the second consecutive season. Hauling in five touchdown catches, Pace averaged 4.8 receptions per game last season to rank 55th nationally and fourth in the Southland in that category en route to All-Southland Second Team accolades. He also ranked sixth in the 11-team league in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, while standing ninth in receiving yards per game (58.6).
With a pair of 100-yard receiving games and eight different contests with five or more receptions a year ago Pace has tallied 1,481 receiving yards in just 15 games played. The Brownsboro, Texas, native ranks 23rd in career receiving yards among all 'Jacks who have played the game.
Lewallen, a native of Kingwood, Texas, enters his final year as a Lumberjack after totaling 2,935 yards on 75 punts in 2017 as SFA's starting punter and kickoff specialist. Behind Lewallen's leg, the 'Jacks ranked 25th nationally and third in the Southland in net punting (37.7 YPP) last season. His 39.1 yards per punt was the seventh-best average in the Southland as he landed five punts inside opponents' 20-yard line and had five punts of 50 yards or farther.
Woods had a breakout season last fall, starting the final seven games and making 55 total tackles to tie for the fifth-most on the team. The Pearland, Texas, native posted 24 unassisted tackles, made 5.5 tackles for loss, broke up a pass, had a quarterback hurry and recovered a fumble. He looks to continue where he left off in 2018 after claiming five or more tackles in six different games last year and collecting 10 or more stops in the last two games of the season.
The Lumberjacks' leading tackler in 2017 as a true freshman, Gordon wasted no time in making his impact in the Southland. The Rowlett, Texas, native led SFA with 76 total tackles, including the second-most solo stops (39). Ranking ninth in the league in tackles per game (7.6), Gordon posted 1.5 tackles for loss and recovered a fumble while tallying a career-high 11 tackles on three different occasions.
Woods will join senior quarterback Foster Sawyer and interim head coach Jeff Byrd next Thursday, July 19 for the 2018 Southland Football Media Day, which will be held at the Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria hotel in Houston.
The Purple and White open up the 2018 season Saturday, Sept. 1 with a trip to Southeastern Conference stalwart Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, available everywhere via the ESPN app. The 'Jacks host NCAA Division II Tarleton State in a 6 p.m. tilt for its home opener Saturday, Sept. 8.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2018 SFA football season can visit the new home for SFA Tickets at SFATickets.com or contact the SFA Athletic Ticket Office at 936-468-JACK.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football leading up to the 2018 season.
-SFA-
FRISCO, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin football team was represented well Thursday morning as the 2018 Preseason All-Southland Conference football teams were announced by the league office. A total of five Lumberjacks appear on the two teams with sophomore safety Alize Ward being named to the first team as a defensive back and earning a spot on the second team as an all-purpose player.
Junior wide receiver Tamrick Pace along with senior punter Caleb Lewallen were both tabbed as preseason All-Southland Second Team offense picks, while senior linebacker Ryan Woods and sophomore safety Trenton Gordon were placed on the preseason All-Southland Second Team defense.
Ward, one of SFA's biggest playmakers in 2017, seeks to have another stellar season this fall after making the second-most tackles (75) on the team a year ago. An All-Southland Second Team selection a season ago, Ward led the 'Jacks with 40 solo stops and was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, picking off for passes and racking up 122 interception return yards for the second-most in the league. Ranking 18th in the conference in tackles per game (6.8), Ward's 1.3 passes defended per game were 18th best nationally.
As SFA's primary kickoff return man in 2017, Ward was one of the primary reasons the 'Jacks set a single-season program record and rank third nationally, second in the Southland, in yards per kickoff return (26.5). Ward's 25 yards per kickoff return average last season was 13th-best in the nation and second-best among all kickoff returners in the conference. He accumulated 726 yards on 29 kickoff returns for the fourth-most in a single season in school history and had three different games with over 100 kickoff return yards. Between his kickoff returns and interceptions, the San Diego, California, native amassed 852 all-purpose yards last fall and averaged 77.5 all-purpose yards per contest.
Pace, who is on pace to become one of SFA's all-time greats in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions, avoided a sophomore slump in 2017 by leading the team in receptions (53) and receiving yards (645) for the second consecutive season. Hauling in five touchdown catches, Pace averaged 4.8 receptions per game last season to rank 55th nationally and fourth in the Southland in that category en route to All-Southland Second Team accolades. He also ranked sixth in the 11-team league in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, while standing ninth in receiving yards per game (58.6).
With a pair of 100-yard receiving games and eight different contests with five or more receptions a year ago Pace has tallied 1,481 receiving yards in just 15 games played. The Brownsboro, Texas, native ranks 23rd in career receiving yards among all 'Jacks who have played the game.
Lewallen, a native of Kingwood, Texas, enters his final year as a Lumberjack after totaling 2,935 yards on 75 punts in 2017 as SFA's starting punter and kickoff specialist. Behind Lewallen's leg, the 'Jacks ranked 25th nationally and third in the Southland in net punting (37.7 YPP) last season. His 39.1 yards per punt was the seventh-best average in the Southland as he landed five punts inside opponents' 20-yard line and had five punts of 50 yards or farther.
Woods had a breakout season last fall, starting the final seven games and making 55 total tackles to tie for the fifth-most on the team. The Pearland, Texas, native posted 24 unassisted tackles, made 5.5 tackles for loss, broke up a pass, had a quarterback hurry and recovered a fumble. He looks to continue where he left off in 2018 after claiming five or more tackles in six different games last year and collecting 10 or more stops in the last two games of the season.
The Lumberjacks' leading tackler in 2017 as a true freshman, Gordon wasted no time in making his impact in the Southland. The Rowlett, Texas, native led SFA with 76 total tackles, including the second-most solo stops (39). Ranking ninth in the league in tackles per game (7.6), Gordon posted 1.5 tackles for loss and recovered a fumble while tallying a career-high 11 tackles on three different occasions.
Woods will join senior quarterback Foster Sawyer and interim head coach Jeff Byrd next Thursday, July 19 for the 2018 Southland Football Media Day, which will be held at the Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria hotel in Houston.
The Purple and White open up the 2018 season Saturday, Sept. 1 with a trip to Southeastern Conference stalwart Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, available everywhere via the ESPN app. The 'Jacks host NCAA Division II Tarleton State in a 6 p.m. tilt for its home opener Saturday, Sept. 8.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2018 SFA football season can visit the new home for SFA Tickets at SFATickets.com or contact the SFA Athletic Ticket Office at 936-468-JACK.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football leading up to the 2018 season.
-SFA-
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