By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University football team, which posted a 7-4 record in 2022, earned 18 All-MIAA honors Tuesday, led by senior star James Letcher Jr., who repeated as the conference's special teams player of the year while also picking up unanimous first team All-MIAA honors at wide receiver and first team honors as a return specialist.
Washburn senior James Letcher Jr. was named the MIAA special teams player of the year and made the all-conference team at two positions for the second straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn senior Grant Bruner, who leads the nation in tackles, was named to the All-MIAA firt team at linebacker. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn junior offensive lineman Andrew Funk (72), congratulating teammate James Letcher Jr., received All-MIAA first-team honors. [File photo/TSN]
Letcher, Jr. became the first Ichabod to earn the conference special teams player of the year honor twice and only the second Ichabod to win it.
Letcher, a former Piper standout, averaged 26 yards per punt return on 11 attempts with two touchdowns, including an 89-yard return against Missouri Southern in last Saturday's season finale.
As a wide receiver, Letcher led the MIAA in receiving with 80 receptions, 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He averaged 13.5 yards per catch and a league-best 7.3 receptions per game, tallying 97.8 receiving yards per game.
Overall, Letcher had 24 more catches and 344 receiving yards than anyone else in the league.
Letcher has been a three-time All-MIAA selection at wide receiver, with two first team selections, and is a three-time selection as a return specialist. Letcher also leads the league in all-purpose yards with 1,575 averaging 143.2 yards per game – more than 42 yards ahead of the next closest player.
Washburn senior linebacker Grant Bruner earned first-team All-MIAA honors at linebacker as he leads the nation with 137 tackles, including a nation-best 80 solo tackles, while averaging 12.5 tackles per game. Bruner received honorable mention in 2019.
Junior offensive lineman Andrew Funk was a first team All-MIAA selection after helping the Ichabods to the fourth-best offense in the league at 401.5 yards per game with the No. 2 passing offense and the No. 6 rushing units.
The Ichabod offensive line as a whole was second in the MIAA allowing only 13 sacks this season. Funk was an honorable mention all-MIAA pick in 2021.
Senior wide receiver Peter Afful was a second team All-MIAA pick after finishing seventh in the league with 660 receiving yards and third in the MIAA with eight touchdowns.
Afful had 34 catches for 660 yards, averaging 19.4 yards per catch, which was fourth in the league. Afful was an honorable mention All-MIAA pick in 2021.
Senior defensive lineman Landen Urban picked up second-team All-MIAA honors after recording 28 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss and a sack this season.
Urban is a repeat selection as a second-team all-league pick.
Sophomore fullback Connor Searcy received third-team All-MIAA recognition as a tight end/fullback, earning his first all-league honor.
Searcy had eight catches out of the backfield for 69 yards while helping clear the way for an Ichabod rushing attack that averaged 122 yards a game.
Junior offensive lineman Jacob Glendenning, a Washburn Rural product, was a third team All-MIAA pick after helping the Ichabods to the fourth-best offense in the league at 401.5 yards per game. The Ichabod offensive line as a whole was second in the MIAA allowing only 13 sacks this season. It is Glendinning's first All-MIAA honor.
Senior defensive back Christian Clark, a Shawnee Heights graduate, was fourth in the MIAA in passes defended with 10 breakups en route to earning third-team All-MIAA honors while adding two interceptions and 27 total tackles with 21 solo stops.
Senior defensive back Peyton Lane earned his second All-MIAA award with a third-team all-league selection after receiving honorable mention at defensive back last year.
This season Lane recorded two interceptions for 46 yards in returns, plus a 40-yard fumble return while tallying 40 overall tackles with 23 solo stops and three tackles for loss.
The Ichabods had seven players earn honorable mention all-MIAA honors.
Sophomore quarterback Kellen Simoncic passed for 2,354 yards while completing 195 of 312 passes with 25 touchdowns, including a school-record-tying six touchdowns against Central Missouri.
Junior running back Taylon Peters led the Ichabods with 632 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 143 carries while picking up 27 receptions for 250 yards and three TDs and recording 882 all-purpose yards. He was seventh in the MIAA in rushing yards.
Other Ichabods receiving honorable mention included junior offensive lineman Mason Honne, senior defensive end Braden Rose, senior defensive tackle Daniel Piburn, senior linebacker Derrick McClendon and senior defensive back Jamison Phelps.
Two former Shawnee County standouts earned All-MIAA first-team recognition for Emporia State.
Topeka High graduate Corey Thomas earned first-team recognition at wide receiver while Rossville product Dawson Hammes was a first-team pick at linebacker.
Rossville product Cole Schumacher received honorable mention at wide receiver.
Emporia State finished the regular season with an 8-3 record.
2022 All-MIAA Football
First Team
Quarterback – TJ Davis – Nebraska Kearney
Running Back – Caleb Lewis – Pittsburg State
Wide Receiver – James Letcher, Jr. – Washburn*
Wide Receiver – Bryce Murphy – Pittsburg State
Wide Receiver – Manny Ramsey – Fort Hays State
Wide Receiver – Corey Thomas – Emporia State
Tight End/Fullback – Devon Garrison – Pittsburg State
All-Purpose Back – Jamar Moya – Northwest Missouri
Offensive Line – Andrew Funk – Washburn
Offensive Line – Hunter Hayes – Nebraska Kearney
Offensive Line – Trase Jeffries – Pittsburg State
Offensive Line – Conner Lierz – Emporia State
Offensive Line – Kory Woodruff – Pittsburg State
Kicker – Nick Williams – Missouri Southern
Kick/Punter Returner – James Letcher, Jr. - Washburn
Defensive Line – Elijah Green – Northwest Missouri
Defensive Line – Zach Howard – Northwest Missouri
Defensive Line – Dubem Okonkwo – Pittsburg State
Defensive Line – David Olajiga – Central Missouri
Defensive Line – Jordan Williams – Emporia State
Linebacker – Grant Bruner – Washburn
Linebacker – Dawson Hammes – Emporia State
Linebacker – P.J. Sarwinski – Pittsburg State
Defensive Back – Brandon Miekus – Pittsburg State
Defensive Back – Jaedon Pool – Emporia State
Defensive Back – Cahleel Smith – Northwest Missouri
Defensive Back – DJ Stirgus – Missouri Western
Defensive Back – Darius Swanson – Nebraska Kearney
Punter – Ross Brungardt – Emporia State
Second Team
Quarterback – Braden Gleason – Emporia State
Running Back – Nathan Glades – Missouri Southern
Wide Receiver – Peter Afful - Washburn
Wide Receiver – Christian Carter – Pittsburg State
Wide Receiver – Traveon James – Missouri Western
Wide Receiver – Arkell Smith – Central Missouri
Tight End/Fullback – Cam Grandy – Missouri Western
All-Purpose Back – Montrez Jackson – Nebraska Kearney
Offensive Line – Xavier Cason – Emporia State
Offensive Line – Evan Clark – Missouri Western
Offensive Line – Mitch Goff – Northwest Missouri
Offensive Line – Pat Kelly – Fort Hays State
Offensive Line – Dan Sunderman – Central Missouri
Kicker – Nicky Quevedo – Central Oklahoma
Kick/Punter Returner – Kashan Griffin – Northwest Missouri
Defensive Line – CJ Ravenell – Missouri Western
Defensive Line – Michael Slater – Central Oklahoma
Defensive Line – Tell Spies – Nebraska Kearney
Defensive Line – Landen Urban – Washburn
Defensive Line – Zeke Wall – Pittsburg State
Linebacker – Richard Jordan, Jr. – Missouri Southern
Linebacker – Sam Phillips – Northwest Missouri
Linebacker – Isaac Vollstedt – Northwest Missouri
Defensive Back – Gabriel Amegatcher – Nebraska Kearney
Defensive Back – Kobe Cummings – Missouri Western
Defensive Back – Diondre Glover – Central Missouri
Defensive Back – Jordan Lamotte – Northeastern State
Defensive Back – Derrick Maxwell – Emporia State
Defensive Back – Rico Payton – Pittsburg State
Punter – Nick Williams – Missouri Southern
Third Team
Quarterback – Chad Dodson, Jr. – Pittsburg State
Running Back – Billy Ross – Emporia State
Wide Receiver – Aderias Ealy – Lincoln
Wide Receiver – Jaedon Stoshak – Missouri Southern
Wide Receiver – Jaylen Varner – Emporia State
Tight End/Fullback – Oscar Hammond – Central Oklahoma
Tight End/Fullback – Connor Searcy – Washburn
All-Purpose Back – Xavier Jackson – Central Missouri
Offensive Line – Jacob Glendinning – Washburn
Offensive Line – Layne Grantham – Central Oklahoma
Offensive Line – Keith Russell – Missouri Western
Offensive Line – Cooper Schettler – Pittsburg State
Offensive Line – Lepopeasenuu Tito-Fualaau – Missouri Southern
Kicker – Cole Lammel – Northwest Missouri
Kick/Punter Returner – Kolbe Katsis – Pittsburg State
Kick/Punter Returner – Jaedon Stoshak – Missouri Southern
Defensive Line – Solomona Fetuao – Missouri Southern
Defensive Line – Jake Fisher – Northwest Missouri
Defensive Line – Robert Fuentes – Central Oklahoma
Defensive Line – Myles Menges – Fort Hays State
Defensive Line – Jamie Tago – Missouri Southern
Linebacker – Travis DeGrate – Central Missouri
Linebacker – Atoa Fox – Nebraska Kearney
Linebacker – Alex Gaskill – Pittsburg State
Linebacker – Jacey Nutter – Nebraska Kearney
Linebacker – Isaac Wallace – Missouri Western
Linebacker – Makel Williams – Fort Hays State
Defensive Back – Christian Clark – Washburn
Defensive Back – Michael Lacey – Pittsburg State
Defensive Back – Peyton Lane – Washburn
Defensive Back – Mason Perez – Fort Hays State
Defensive Back – Kobey Stephens – Central Oklahoma
Punter – Hunter Kraus – Nebraska Kearney
Honorable Mention
Central Missouri – Cedric Case – QB; Malik Clayborn – TE/FB; Gabe Clark – OL; Curtis Appleton – DB; Noah Blair – DB; Ethan Brown – P; Jake Pospisil – K/P Returner
Central Oklahoma – Andrew Carney – APB; Cooper McCoy – OL; Noah Dobson – OL; Noah West – DL; Connor Johnson – LB; Dylan Buchheit - DB
Emporia State – Canaan Brooks – RB; Cole Schumacher, WR; Tyler Kahmann, WR; Tommy Zimmerman – TE/FB; Hayden Reed – OL; Dante Smith-Posey – OL; Rafe Goucher – DL; Rylan Miller – DL; Montrell Wilson – DB; Caden Dodson – K
Lincoln – Samuel Ingoli – TE/FB; Alejandro Flores – OL; Tommy Medellin – OL; Jahkari Larmond – DL; Samuel Amituanai – DL; Cody Bagby – DL; Jaylon Mosely – LB
Missouri Southern – Dwayne Lawson – APB; Kenneth Fehrman – OL; Solomon Garcia – DL; Coleman Booker – LB; Colton Winder – LB; Jalen Dennis – DB
Missouri Western – Jared Scott – RB; Jonas Bennett – APB; Brenden McClure – OL; Noah Price – OL; Brandon Johnson – DL; AJ Crayton – DL; Tylen Wallace – DL; Anthony Villanueva - LB
Nebraska Kearney – Daniel Cearns – RB; Cody Nelson, WR; Jon Merten – OL; Baylor Hellmuth – DL; Jimmy Harrison – LB; Tre O'Guinn – DB
Northeastern State – Dashawn Williams – WR; Chris Lee – DL; Johnny Jean – DB; Dawondrick Crockett – DB; Tyler Crawford – P
Northwest Missouri – Mike Hohensee – QB; Shane Fredickson – DB
Pittsburg State – Cole Sample – DL; Luke Jennings - LB
Washburn – Kellen Simoncic – QB; Taylon Peters – RB; Mason Honne – OL; Braden Rose – DL; Daniel Piburn – DL; Derrick McClendon – LB; Jamison Phelps - DB
2022 All-MIAA Postseason Awards
Offensive Player of the Year – TJ Davis, Quarterback – Nebraska Kearney
Defensive Player of the Year – Elijah Green, Defensive Tackle – Northwest Missouri
Special Teams Player of the Year – James Letcher, Jr., Kick/Punt Returner – Washburn
Freshman of the Year – Kolbe Katsis, Wide Receiver and Kick/Punt Returner – Pittsburg State
Coach of the Year – Brian Wright – Pittsburg State
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