Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
2021 D3football.com All-Region 5 Teams
Dec. 8, 2021 - The North Central College football team has been recognized for its competitive success this season with a program-record 10 selections to the 2021 NCAA Division III All-Region 5 Teams, as selected by D3football.com. This year's selections were announced on Tuesday.
First, Second, and Third Team selections from each of the six Division III regions were announced Tuesday, as well as Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year and Coaches of the Year. A total of 78 players received All-Region 5 recognition, selected from 146 total nominations by sports information directors at each of the region's institutions.
Making a fourth straight All-Region Team is wide receiver Andrew Kamienski who received First Team accolades for the second time after being named to the Third Team in 2017 and the Second Team in 2018. Kamienski is joined on the First Team by guard Sharmore Clarke, running back Ethan Greenfield, defensive end Dan Gilroy, linebacker Ben Wong and cornerback Jake Beesley. Kamienski, this year's College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Art Keller Offensive Player of the Year, has caught a team-high 66 passes for 1,144 yards and 11 touchdowns this season and has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, the premier individual award in Division III football. He ranks fourth in Division III history in career receiving yards (4,898), sixth in touchdown receptions (58) and eighth in total receptions (328).
Clarke earned his third straight First Team All-Region nod, which follows a third straight CCIW Offensive Lineman of the Year award. Greenfield, a second-time First Team pick, ranks second nationally in scoring (13.1 points per game) and total touchdowns (24), third in rushing touchdowns (23) and fourth in rushing yards (1,482). Beesley is also a second-time First Team selection and has already set a North Central single-season record for pass breakups (16), while Gilroy has made a team-high 15 tackles for loss along with 8.5 quarterback sacks and Wong is the Cardinals' leading tackler (58) for the second consecutive season.
Second Team All-Region selections are defensive tackle Cameron Martin and safety Braden Lindmark, while wide receiver DeAngelo Hardy and offensive tackle Jeske Maples are on the Third Team. Martin registered 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 quarterback sacks, while Lindmark contributed 38 tackles and five pass breakups. Hardy has caught 42 passes for 946 yards 11 TDs and is on pace to set a new program record for yards per reception (22.5) and Maples started each of North Central's games at right tackle and earned First Team All-CCIW honors in his first season of collegiate play.
All 10 individuals are eligible for the D3football.com All-America Teams, which will be announced on the evening of Friday, Dec. 17, prior to the Division III national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, in Canton, Ohio. A total of 29 CCIW representatives made this year's All-Region Teams.
No. 1-ranked North Central (12-0) travels to face the fourth-ranked University of Mount Union (Ohio) in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Football Championship on Saturday. Kickoff at Mount Union Stadium is scheduled for 12:00 noon Eastern time and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Click HERE for links to live coverage.
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