BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference announced their football awards on Tuesday, and 19 student-athletes from Notre Dame College were named to the All-MEC First, Second or Honorable Mention teams. Guam Lee took co-Defensive Player of the Year. (Release)

Notre Dame clinched their fourth consecutive Mountain East Conference title last Saturday, with a 72-7 victory over Alderson Broaddus. The Falcons matched their 2019 conference mark of 9-1 and continued their streak of at least 10 wins for the third consecutive full season. In a shortened spring 2021 season, the Falcons went 5-0.

Guam Lee becomes the first player in program history to take home a Defensive Player of the Year award from the conference. This season, Notre Dame's defense ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division II in several categories. The Falcons are second in turnover margin per game (plus-1.64), second in defensive touchdowns (6), third in takeaways (32), fourth in interceptions (17), fifth in fumbles recovered (15), sixth in tackles for loss per game (8.8) and 10th in red zone defense, allowing teams to convert with points just 63.3 percent of the time.

"All of our All-Conference award winners are very deserving and it is a testament to all their hard work on and off the field," said head coach Mickey Mental.

First Team/Defensive Player of the Year
Guam Lee
-Ranks fifth in the country with three fumble recoveries and seventh with 1.9 tackles for loss per game
-Leads the team this season in solo tackles (52), total tackles (78), tackles for loss (23), fumble recoveries (3), forced fumbles (4). Ranks second in assisted tackles (26) and sacks (9).
-Tied for the MEC lead in tackles for loss, and is two away from breaking the NDC single-season record
-Holds the program career record in solo tackles (188), total tackles (335), forced fumbles (7), fumbles recovered (8), fumbles returned for touchdown (4)

First Team
Chris Brimm
-In Division II top 25 ranks, he is 11th with 8.96 yards per pass attempt, 12th with a 164.1 pass efficiency, 15th with 25 pass touchdowns, 19th with a 64.1-percent pass completion percentage and 23rd with 2,696 passing yards
-Threw for a career-high 449 yards against West Liberty on Sept. 18, and recorded six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing)
-Holds the program career records in passing touchdowns (83), passing yards (8,646), passing efficiency (148.63), completion percentage (60.4), average yards per game (13.2)

First Team
Devanaire Conliffe
-Ranks 19th in Division II with 11 receiving touchdowns and 25th with 909 receiving yards
-Second in the conference in touchdowns and receptions per game (4.9)
-Leads the team in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, receiving yards per game (82.64)

First Team
Nick Beans
-Played and started all 11 games as the center
-Part of an offensive line unit that ranks seventh in the country by allowing 0.73 sacks per game

First Team
Brandon Nicholson
-Played and started all 11 games
-Part of an offensive line unit that has blocked for 2,164 rushing yards, which ranks third in the MEC

First Team
Noah Harris-Lyles
-Ranks sixth in the country with 1.05 sacks per game and eighth with 1.9 tackles for loss per game
-Broke the program record with 4.5 sacks in a game against West Virginia State on Sept. 25.
-Third in the MEC with 20.5 tackles for loss and second with 10.5 sacks

First Team
Jack Kosko
-Fifth in the country with three fumble recoveries
-Forced a fumble against West Virginia Wesleyan, on Oct. 16
-Fourth on the team with eight tackles for loss

First Team
Nathan Moore
-Leads the team in assisted tackles with 27, and is second on the team with 41 solo tackles and 68 total tackles
-Retuned an interception for a touchdown against Glenville State on Oct. 23
-Ninth in the conference in total tackles

First Team
Antoine Holloway II
-Tied for sixth in the country and is second in the MEC with six interceptions
-Has defended eight passes, overall
-Tied for first in NDC history in single-season interceptions

First Team/Honorable Mention
Bryce Sheppert
-Named First Team on the defensive side and honorable mention as a kick/punt returner
-Defensed five passes (four breakups, interception) and now sits tied for first in NDC history in career interceptions (9)
-Blocked two punts
-As a returner, he is one of five in Division II to return both a kick and a punt for a touchdown

Second Team
Tyris Dickerson
-Ran for a team-high 879 yards and nine touchdowns in 167 attempts
-Fourth in the MEC in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns
-Sixth in MEC in average rush yards per game (79.9)

Second Team
CJ Kiss
-Caught 16 passes for 242 yards
-Second on the team with four touchdown receptions
-Has had two games with three catches

Second Team
Jimmy Burchett
-Played and started in all 11 games
-Part of an offensive line unit that blocked for 27 rushing touchdowns

Second Team
Michael Kyle
-Played in all 11 games
-A part of the offensive line unit that blocked for 2,771 passing yards

Second Team
Dylan Spaeth
-Recorded a career-high 53 tackles, 36 solo tackles, 17 assisted tackles, two pass breakups, two interceptions
-Returned an interception for a touchdown on Nov. 13, against Alderson Broaddus
-Ranks third on the team in solo, assisted and total tackles, tackles for loss and sacks

Second Team
Ron Salters
-Totaled 19 tackles
-Broke up four passes
-Has defended 27 passes in his career, which is second in NDC history

Second Team
Dominic Buttazzoni
-Totaled 39 punts for 1,553 yards (39.8 yards per punt)
-Tied for second in the MEC with three touchbacks.
-Put 14 punts inside the 20 and had six of 50 yards, or more

Second Team
Tanner Harding
-Ranks 20th in Division II with 90 points scored, 26th in points per game (8.2), 26th in field goal percentage (73.3) and 27th in field goals per game (1).
-Has gone 57-for-58 on extra-point kicks
-Became career leader at NDC in total points scored (410), field goals (52), extra points (254), field goal percentage (72.2), extra point percentage (93)

Honorable Mention
Adam Riegler
-Played and started all 11 games
-Part of an offensive line unit that allowed an MEC low eight sacks