CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri claimed three of the four major 2018 Ohio Valley Conference football awards in voting conducted by league head coaches and communication directors Tuesday.
Senior running back Marquis Terry was named Offensive Player of the Year, while junior linebacker Zach Hall was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year. The duo's coach, Tom Matukewicz, earned the Roy Kidd OVC Coach of the Year honor, while Tennessee Tech quarterback Bailey Fisher was named OVC Freshman of the Year. It is the first time in school history where SEMO won the league's Coach, Offensive and Defefensive Player of the Year awards in the same season. Matukewicz (Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year), Terry (Walter Payton Offensive Player of the Year) and Hall (Buck Buchanan Defensive Player of the Year) are all finalists for STATS national awards.
Jacksonville State, who won its OVC record fifth-straight OVC Championship, had the most selections with 14, including eight first-team selections, while SEMO followed with 10, including five first-team picks. The All-OVC first-team included 10 seniors, 12 juniors, three sophomores and a freshman while the second-team included 15 seniors and 12 juniors.
Terry is just the second Southeast Missouri player to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors, joining Henry Harris in 2010. Terry played a big part in leading the Redhawks to an 8-3 overall record and only the second FCS Playoff berth in program history, joining the 2010 team led by Harris. Terry, despite missing parts of three games this season, ranks fifth nationally in rushing touchdowns (14), 13th in total rushing yards (1,162), 14th in all-purpose yards (141.64/game), 15th in rushing (105.6 yards/game), 21st in scoring (8.2 points/game) and 26th in rushing yards/carry (6.21). In a September victory at Southern Illinois, he had 438 all-purpose yards (311 rushing yards, 114 kick return yards, 13 receiving yards) which is the most by any NCAA player (FBS, FCS, D2 or D3) in a game in 2018. His 311 rushing yards in that game rank third-most by a FCS player this season. Terry also added a 200-yard rushing game (in a win over Dayton) and capped the season with four 100-yard rushing performances in his final five outings. He is the second-straight running back to win the OVC Offensive Player of the Year Award and fourth over the past 10 years.
Hall, helped key a defense that ranks first nationally in turnover margin (+2.09/game), turnovers gained (31) and passes intercepted (21) entering the playoffs. The junior tallied 150 tackles (13.6/game), which puts him second nationally (one behind the leader), and one off the SEMO school record. He had a season-best 22 tackles in the season-opener against FBS foe Arkansas State (a performance that earned him National Defensive Player of the Week). Overall, Hall had double-digit tackles in nine of 11 games and had 15 or more tackles in a game on five occasions. Hall did more than just make tackles, as he intercepted four passes (ranking 27th nationally with 0.4 interceptions/game), forced four fumbles (a mark that ranked him 10th in the FCS with 0.36/game) and recovered two fumbles (21st nationally), one of which he returned for a touchdown. He tallied 11 tackles-for-loss and had a pair of sacks, a pass breakup, six quarterback hurries, blocked a kick and recorded a safety. Hall is the fourth SEMO player to be named OVC Defensive Player of the Year and first since 2012 (LB Blake Peiffer).
Matukewicz, guided SEMO to its first winning season since 2010 and only the second playoff berth in school history this year. After back-to-back 3-8 seasons, the Redhawks finished at 8-3 overall and 6-2 in OVC play and enter the playoffs ranked 20th in the nation (its first ranking since the 2014 season, and first time ranked in the Coaches Poll since 2014). During the year, the Redhawks topped #4 Jacksonville State, 37-14, ending the Gamecocks OVC record 36-game Conference winning streak. The win was the fourth by Matukewicz over a nationally-ranked team during his five-year tenure (most wins over ranked foes by any coach in SEMO history). Entering the postseason, SEMO ranks first nationally in turnover margin (+2.09/game), turnovers gained (31) and passes intercepted (21). The offense also takes care of the ball, ranking first nationally in fewest fumbles lost (1) and fifth in turnovers lost (8). Offensively, the team ranks ninth nationally in scoring offense (39.2 points/game), which is on pace to break the school record for points/game in a season (currently 34.7 points/game by the 2002 team); a year ago the Redhawks averaged only 20.5 points/game. Matukewicz is the fourth SEMO head coach to win the honor, joining John Mumford (1994), Tim Billings (2002) and Tony Samuel (2010 - he would go on to win the Eddie Robinson Award). The OVC Coach of the Year award is named after Eastern Kentucky legend Roy Kidd, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, who won the award a record 10 times during his career (1964-2002) and retired with 314 victories, the second-most in I-AA/FCS history.
Northern Illinois transfer quarterback Daniel Santacaterina, offensive tackle Drew Forbes and defensive back Bydarrius Knighten joined Terry and Hall as first-team selections.
Santacaterina, who passed for 2,598 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first season as SEMO's starting quarterback, was also named to the league's All-Newcomer Team. He was one of two quarterbacks selected to the first-team offense due to a tie in voting along with JSU sophomore Zerrick Cooper.
Forbes, a Preseason All-American, enters Saturday's playoff game with a streak of 33 consecutive starts at left tackle.
Knighten notched 75 tackles, an interception, nine pass breakups, a forced fumble and fumble recovery this season.
Wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, center Lucas Orchard, defensive tackle Clarence Thornton and outside linebacker Justin Swift garnered second-team accolades.
Wilkerson hauled in 54 catches for 806 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Orchard started every game at center.
Thornton turned in 30 tackles, six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, and Swift notched 97 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three interceptions and scored two touchdowns.
2018 All-OVC Team and Award Winners
OVC Offensive Player of the Year: Marquis Terry (RB), Southeast Missouri
OVC Defensive Player of the Year: Zach Hall (LB), Southeast Missouri
OVC Freshman of the Year: Bailey Fisher (QB), Tennessee Tech
Roy Kidd OVC Coach of the Year: Tom Matukewicz, Southeast Missouri
FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State
QB - Daniel Santacaterina, Southeast Missouri
RB - Marquis Terry, Southeast Missouri
RB - Kentel Williams, Austin Peay
WR - Josh Pearson, Jacksonville State
WR - Alexander Hollins, Eastern Illinois
TE - Trae Barry, Jacksonville State
C - Tyler Scozzaro, Jacksonville State
OG - BJ Autry, Jacksonville State
OG - Darius Anderson, Jacksonville State
OT - Drew Forbes, Southeast Missouri
OT - Chidi Okeke, Tennessee State
FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Jaison Williams, Austin Peay
DL - Kenney Wooten, Murray State
DL - Randy Robinson, Jacksonville State
DL - Aaron Patrick, Eastern Kentucky
LB - Zach Hall, Southeast Missouri
LB - Quincy Williams, Murray State
LB - Gunnar Scholato, Austin Peay
DB - Marlon Bridges, Jacksonville State
DB - Bydarrius Knighten, Southeast Missouri
DB - Dajour Nesbeth, Tennessee State
DB - Leodis Moore III, Eastern Kentucky
FIRST-TEAM SPECIALISTS
K - Gabriel Vicente, Murray State
P - Steve Dawson, Murray State
RS - Malik Honeycutt, Murray State
SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Drew Anderson, Murray State
RB - Isaiah Johnson, Eastern Illinois
RB - LJ Scott, Eastern Kentucky
WR - Kristian Wilkerson, Southeast Missouri
WR - Chris Rowland, Tennessee State
TE - James Sheehan, Eastern Illinois
C - Lucas Orchard, Southeast Missouri
C - Byron Glass, Austin Peay
OG - Ethan Self, Austin Peay
OG - Raekwon Allen, Tennessee State
OT - Hunter Sosebee, Jacksonville State
OT - Cameron Kowalewski, Eastern Kentucky
SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Connor Christian, Jacksonville State
DL - Julian Crutchfield, UT Martin
DL - Levi Watson, Eastern Illinois
DL - Clarence Thornton, Southeast Missouri
LB - James Gilleylen, UT Martin
LB - Jalen Choice, Jacksonville State
LB - Justin Swift, Southeast Missouri
DB - Traco Williams, Jacksonville State
DB - Cornelius Floyd, Eastern Kentucky
DB - Malik Davis, Austin Peay
DB - Juantarius Bryant, Austin Peay
SECOND-TEAM SPECIALISTS
K - Nick Bruno, Eastern Illinois
P - Nick Bruno, Eastern Illinois
RS - Chris Rowland, Tennessee State
RS - DeVon Johnson, Tennessee State
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
QB - Johnathan Brantley, Eastern Illinois
QB - Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State
CB - Yul Gowdy, Jacksonville State
QB - Drew Anderson, Murray State
WR/RS - Malik Honeycutt, Murray State
QB - Daniel Santacaterina, Southeast Missouri
RB - Te'kendrick Roberson, Tennessee State
DE - Mekhi Brown, Tennessee State
K - Antonio Zita, Tennessee State
QB - Bailey Fisher, Tennessee Tech
WR/RS - Terry Williams, UT Martin
Note: The All-Newcomer team is comprised of first-year players in the OVC - that can be either true freshmen, redshirt freshmen or first-year transfers. The team consists of 11 total players and is not voted on by position. There were 13 players on the All-OVC first-team offense (2 QB's), second-team offense (2 C's) and second-team specialists (2 RS's) due to ties in voting.
