After one season with the Blinn Buccaneers, defensive lineman Antwuan Jackson Jr. (Ellenwood, Ga.) was named the most valuable player in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference.
“It is a great honor, and another thing for me to put on my resume and build off of,” Jackson said. “This was my number one goal coming here, and hopefully I am a first team All-American too.”
Jackson recorded nine sacks for 60 sack yards, forced three fumbles, and totaled 64 tackles.
“Antwuan is a game changer,” said Ryan Mahon, Blinn head football coach. “He changes the aspect and the scope of the game, and that is what really makes him stand out.”
Jackson joined three other Buccaneers on the first team all-conference list. Linebacker Chadwick Thibodeaux (Houston) and defensive back Vonte Davis (Rosenberg) also earned first team honors on defense, while punter Reed Bowman (Magnolia) earned first team honors on special teams. Thibodeaux racked up 47 tackles for the Buccaneers, while Davis totaled 44 tackles, forced three fumbles, and caught two interceptions, and Bowman led the Buccaneers with 35 punts for 1,862 yards.
Blinn had seven players that made second team all-conference. Quarterback Devin Williams (Mansfield), running back Carlos Grace (Crosby), wide receiver Dandre Reed (San Antonio) and offensive lineman William Gilchrist (Deer Park) earned second team honors on offense.
Williams led the Buccaneers with 2,022 passing yards for 14 touchdowns and was second on the team with 404 yard rushing for three touchdowns, Grace led the Buccaneers in rushing with 1,146 yards for 11 touchdowns and was third in the nation with 127.3 yards per game, and Reed led Blinn with 44 receptions for 737 yards.
Defensive lineman Jalan Cooper (Spring) and cornerback Dominique Harrison (Houston) were also named to the second team all-conference list, along with kicker Ryan Buckley (Houston).
Cooper led the Buccaneers with 73 tackles, while recording 3.5 sacks, and Harrison tallied 25 tackles, while catching four interceptions. Buckley led the Buccaneers with 11 field goals in 20 attempts and 36 extra points in 38 attempts to total 69 points.
Four Buccaneers earned honorable mention as center Clayton Woods (Highland Park) earned honors on the offensive side and defensive lineman Zechariah Hopkins (Cuero), linebacker Brennon Davis (Grapevine) and defensive back Nate Betts (Kerens) earned honors on the defensive side.
Hopkins earned 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks in five games, Davis was fourth on the team with 49 tackles and recorded one interception, and Betts was third on the team with 53 tackles and broke up five passes.
No. 10 Blinn holds a 6-3 record and will face No. 6 Snow in the 2017 El Toro Bowl on Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Yuma, Arizona.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 36 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.