Five Earn All-Southland Conference Honors

By Lion Athletics

FRISCO – Five members of the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team earned all-Southland Conference recognition in their first season in the conference as announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning.

The Lions had four on the first team and one on the second team. A&M-Commerce went 5-6 in 2022 overall and 3-3 in its first Southland Conference season, finishing tied for fourth, after being picked to finish sixth out of eight teams in the preseason poll.

Andrew Armstrong (Dallas – Bishop Dunne), the conference’s receiving yards leader, is named to first team all-conference and is joined on the first team by defensive lineman Celestin Haba (Columbia, S.C.), defensive back D’Ante Smith (Richardson – Berkner), and punt returner B.J. Busbee (Long Beach, Calif.), while linebacker Dee Walker (Moultrie, Ga.) is named to the second team.

Armstrong tied for the conference lead in touchdowns and is the conference leader as well as 14^th in the country in receiving yards. He had 100 yards or more in six games, recording multiple touchdown catches in four games. In six conference games, he racked up 531 receiving yards, which was more than any other player and was named the Southland Offensive Player of the Week on October 17.

Busbee is the leader in punt return yards during conference games, had the longest return (51 yards) of any player, and averaged 14.1 yards per punt return in conference games, which is second in the conference. In 11 games overall, he averaged 12.1 per punt return overall, which leads the conference.

The Lion defensive unit had three players earn all-conference honors this season. The Lions finished first in the Southland for total yards and passing defense as well as second in scoring defense and rushing defense.

Haba finished tenth in the conference with 3.5 sacks, had one interception, which he returned for a touchdown at Sam Houston. He also recovered one fumble, which is tied for sixth in the conference.

Smith is the conference leader in interceptions, fourth in passes defended, fifth in forced fumbles, and defended 11 passes (seven breakups, four interceptions), which leads the conference. He had seven tackles and two interceptions against UIW, totaling 2.5 tackles for loss as well.

Walker is 24^th in tackles during Southland play, had six or more tackles in seven games, recorded three quarterback hurries, totaled two tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. He had nine tackles each against UIW and Nicholls.

2022 Southland Conference Football Individual Superlative Winners
Player of the Year: Lindsey Scott, Jr., UIW
Offensive Player of the Year: Deonta McMahon, McNeese
Defensive Player of the Year: Kelechi Anyalebechi, UIW
Newcomer of the Year: Zach Patterson, Northwestern State
Freshman of the Year: Eli Ennis, Nicholls
Offensive Lineman of the Year: John Allen, Southeastern
Coach of the Year: Frank Scelfo, Southeastern

2022 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Offense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
QB	Lindsey Scott, Jr.	UIW	Gr.	Zachary, La.
RB	Deonta McMahon	McNeese	Sr.	Frostproof, Fla.
RB	Julien Gums	Nicholls	Sr.	New Orleans, La.
TE/HB	Travon Jones	Northwestern State	Fr.	Miami, Fla.
WR	Andrew Armstrong	A&M-Commerce	So.	Dallas, Texas
WR	Taylor Grimes	UIW	Sr.	Godley, Texas
WR	Darion Chafin	UIW	Gr.	Wichita Falls, Texas
OL	John Allen	Southeastern	Jr.	Jackson, Miss.
OL	Caleb Johnson	UIW	Gr.	Mount Pleasant, Texas
OL	Evan Roussel	Nicholls	So.	Lutcher, La.
OL	Reid Francis	UIW	Sr.	College Station, Texas
OL	Calvin Barkat	McNeese	Sr.	Sachse, Texas
PK	Garrison Smith	McNeese	Fr.	Norwalk, Ohio
P	Austin Dunlap	Southeastern	Jr.	Slidell, La.

2022 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Defense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
DL	Chris Whittaker	UIW	Gr.	Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.
DL	Steven Parker	UIW	Sr.	Dallas, Texas
DL	Celestin Haba	A&M-Commerce	Sr.	Columbia, S.C.
DL	Masry Mapieu	McNeese	Sr.	York, Neb.
LB	Kelechi Anyalebechi	UIW	Gr.	Pearland, Texas
LB	Kordell Williams	McNeese	R-Sr.	Carencro, La.
LB	Rodney Dansby	HCU	So.	Houston, Texas
DB	Jack Henderson	Southeastern	So.	Mandeville, La.
DB	Donte Thompson	UIW	Jr.	Pensacola, Fla.
DB	Zy Alexander	Southeastern	So.	Loreauville, La.
DB	Ferlando Jordan	Southeastern	R-Sr.	Atlanta, Ga,
DB	D’Ante Smith	A&M-Commerce	Sr.	Richardson, Texas
KR	Gage Larvadain	Southeastern	So.	Donaldsonville, La.
PR	BJ Busbee	A&M-Commerce	Sr.	Long Beach, Calif.

2022 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Offense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
QB	Zachary Clement	Northwestern State	So.	Broussard, La.
RB	Marcus Cooper	UIW	Gr.	Altair, Texas
RB	Carlos Washington, Jr.	Southeastern	Sr.	Clinton, Md.
TE/HB	Ivan Drobocky	Southeastern	So.	Bowling Green, Ky.
WR	Javon Antonio	Northwestern State	R-Jr.	LaPlace, La.
WR	Gage Larvadain	Southeastern	So.	Donaldsonville, La.
WR	Zach Patterson	Northwestern State	Jr.	Corinth, Miss.
OL	Jimeto Obigbo	UIW	So.	Arlington, Texas
OL	Nash Jones	UIW	Jr.	Nacogdoches, Texas
OL	Dom Serapiglia III	Southeastern	R-So.	Jefferson Hills, Pa.
OL	Caron Coleman	McNeese	Sr.	St. Louis, Mo.
OL	Jhy Orgeron	Southeastern	So.	Galliano, La.
PK	Riley Callaghan	Southeastern	Fr.	Ashburn, Va.
P	Brady Buell	HCU	Sr.	Traverse City, Mich.

2022 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Defense

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
DL	Perry Ganci	Nicholls	Jr.	New Orleans, La.
DL	Jalyx Hunt	HCU	Jr.	DeBary, Fla.
DL	Jomard Valsin, Jr.	Northwestern State	Sr.	Port Arthur, Texas
DL	Arlen Williams	Southeastern	R-Jr.	Boothville, La.
LB	Donte’ Daniels	Southeastern	So.	Slidell, La.
LB	Tyler Jackson	Lamar	Jr.	DeSoto, Texas
LB	Dee Walker	A&M-Commerce	Sr.	Moultrie, Ga.
DB	Jordan Jackson	Nicholls	Jr.	Prairieville, La.
DB	PJ Herrington	Northwestern State	Sr.	Natchez, Miss.
DB	William Hooper	Northwestern State	Sr.	Montgomery, Ala.
DB	Kaleb Culp	UIW	Jr.	Dallas, Texas
DB	Tyler Barnes	McNeese	Sr.	D’Iberville, Miss.
KR	Deonta McMahon	McNeese	Sr.	Frostproof, Fla.
PR	PJ Herrington	Northwestern State	Sr.	Natchez, Miss.