BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference released the yearly for the 2022 season and Notre Dame College was well represented, once again. For the second consecutive season, a Falcon has been named Defensive Player of the Year and this season that player is Nathan Moore. Eight players from NDC were named to the First Team, while 18 total players were listed. (Release)
 
Nathan Moore is the Defensive Player of the Year, in what is becoming a tradition at NDC. Last year Guam Lee became the first player in program history to take the award. In the NCAA Division II rankings, Moore is tied for 8th with 109 total tackles and tied for fifth with 65 solo tackles. In the Mountain East Conference, he ranks third in tackles, fourth in assisted tackles and is tied for first with teammate Davonte Murray with 15 tackles for loss. The native of Rootstown, Ohio has been recognized by the MEC four times in his career, and this is the third consecutive season he's been placed on the All-MEC First Team. This season he became the career leader at NDC in solo, assisted and total tackles and took over the program record for most solo tackles in a season. He currently sits in third place in MEC history for career tackles.
 
"Nate has been a tremendous leader of our defensive unit," head coach Garrett Mack said. "He does so much more than just play linebacker for us -- he helps orchestrate one of the best defensive units in the country. He plays with passion and resilience that is going to be tough to replicate when he graduates. Nate Moore is arguably one of the best linebackers to ever play the spot at Notre Dame College."
 
First Team

CJ Kiss
-Ranked second on the team with three touchdown catches
-Caught 18 passes for 186 yards
-Averaged 10.3 yards per catch
-Caught a season-high five catches for 55 yards in a win over Fairmont State (10/29)

Nick Beans
-Started every game at center
-Blocked for 193 first downs on the offensive side
-A part of an offensive line that blocked for 1,607 rushing yards
-A three-time First Team honoree and took MEC Offensive Freshman of the Year award in 2019

Carson Heidecker
-Started every game on the offensive line
-A part of a line that blocked for an offense that averaged 33.2 points per game
-NDC averaged 146.1 rush yards per game behind the offensive line
-The Falcons ran for 18 touchdowns

Jack Kosko
-Currently 12th in the conference with 4.5 sacks this season
-Finished the regular season with 15 solo tackles, 14 assisted and 29 total tackles
-Totaled eight tackles for loss and is second on the team with six quarterback hurries
-He holds the NDC program record in fumbles recovered with eight, ranks second in NDC history with 44 tackles for loss and third in NDC history with 24 sacks

Teddy Tiokeng
-Ranks third in the conference, just behind teammates Nathan Moore and Davonte Murray, with 14.5 tackles for loss
-Second in the conference with nine sacks
-Currently has 36 solo, 24 assisted tackles and ranks second on the team with 60 total tackles
-Totaled career-highs with 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks against UNC Pembroke (11/5)

Antoine Holloway II
-Tied for fourth in passes defended in the conference
-Tied for 13th in passes defended in Division II
-Ranks second on the team with 40 solo tackles and fourth with 53 total tackles
-Intercepted two passes

Wendell McClain
-Tied for second in the MEC with five interceptions and is tied for seventh in the conference with 13 passes defended
-Has tallied 40 solo tackles, which is tied for second on the team, and 49 total tackles
-Intercepted a pass three weeks in a row from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1
-Blocked two punts

Second Team

Idris Lawrence
-Led NDC in rushing attempts (173), rushing yards (954), yards per rush (5.5) and rushing touchdowns (8)
-Finished fourth in the MEC in rushing 
-Ranks seventh in NDC single season history in rushing touchdowns, and eighth in rushing yards and rushing yards per game (86.7)

Jeremy Hamilton
-Led NDC in receptions (49), receiving yards (607), receiving touchdowns (4) and receiving yards per game (55.2)
-Ranked sixth in the MEC in receptions and ninth in yards
-Tallied two season-long catches of 47 yards at Frostburg State (10/8) and at Fairmont State (10/29) 

Reece Perkins
-Finished second on the team in receptions (26), receiving yards (341) and receiving yards per game (31.0)
-Tied for second on the team with three receiving touchdowns
-Posted a season-long 45 yard touchdown catch at Ashland (9/1) 

Cael Bright
-Posted 34 solo and 15 assisted tackles, totaling 49 tackles
-Second on the team with four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns
-Added seven tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one sack and four quarterback hurries 

Tavon Hooks
-Logged 12 solo and five assisted tackles, totaling 17 tackles
-Fourth on the team with seven pass breakups
-Tallied one tackle for loss and one interception 

Dominic Buttazzoni
-Ranked tied for first in the MEC with a 39.5 average yards per punt, which is second in NDC single season history
-Seated tied for second in the MEC with six punts of 50 or more yards
-Had 12 punts downed inside the 20 yard line 

Cameron Shirkey
-Led the MEC and set the NDC single season record by converting 89.5-percent of his field goals
-Tied for the NDC single season record with 17 made field goals
-Had the third longest field goal in the MEC this season at 46 yards 

Honorable Mention

Chris Brimm
-Finished second in the MEC with an average of 212.8 passing yards per game
-Accounted for 18 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns 

Jay Sharp
-Led the MEC with 30.1 average yards per kick return, totaling 391 yards on the year
-Generated a season-long 99 yard kick return for a touchdown against Charleston (10/1) 

Adam Riegler
-Paved the way for 146.1 rushing yards per game and 18 rushing touchdowns this season
-Blocked for a passing attack which averaged 220.3 yards per game and 18 passing touchdowns