FINDLAY, OHIO – Jaren Maybin (Jr.-Baltimore, Md.) and Lawrence Moore (So.-Country Club Hills, Ill.) became the first Iowa Wesleyan College football players in four years to receive first team all-league honors when the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League released its all-league team on Friday.
Maybin and Moore gave IWC multiple first team All-MSFA selections for the first time since 2002. The two also combined with Second Team All-MSFA Midwest defensive back Gerald Knighten (Jr.-Bellwood, Ill.) to give IWC three players combined on the first and second teams for the first time since 1999.
Maybin finished the season with 970 yards rushing, placing third in the MSFA Midwest in rushing after leading the league in that category for much of the year. The running back also led the Tigers with eight touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards per carry in piling up the seventh-highest single season rushing total in Wesleyan history. Maybin had four 100-yard rushing games and also had 25 receptions, tying for third on the team in that category.
Moore had 76 receptions for 1,001 yards and five touchdowns this season in one of the finest seasons in IWC school history for a wide receiver. He ranked second in the MSFA Midwest and fifth nationally in the NAIA in receptions, and also was second in the MSFA Midwest and seventh nationally in receiving yards. He is just the fourth player in Tiger history to pile up over 1,000 yards receiving in a season and had five games with at least 100 yards receiving and seven games with at least six catches.
Both Maybin and Moore received all-league recognition for the first time in their careers, stepping up their contributions significantly this year after playing in reserve roles last season, when Moore had 12 receptions for 87 yards as a freshman and Maybin played as a wide receiver and had 10 receptions for 90 yards. The two first team all-league performers played a part in IWC finishing putting up the program’s best season offensively in eleven years. The Tigers’ 325.5 yards of offense per game was IWC’s highest total since the 1997 team averaged 374.3 yards a game.
On defense, Knighten made the move to defensive back this season after playing his first two years at IWC as a wide receiver, where he led the team in receptions both years. This year he started the year as a safety and later played cornerback and led the team with four interceptions, tying for fourth in the MSFA Midwest League. Knighten also tied for the team lead with four passes broken up. He helped the Tigers finish first in the entire 16-team Mid-States Football Association and sixth nationally in pass defense, allowing 145.3 passing yards per game.
The last time Wesleyan had a pair of players make First Team All-MSFA Midwest was in 2002, when current Tigers assistant Joe Stubbs was all-league as a running back and James Summerall was first team as both a wide receiver and return specialist. IWC last had more than three players receive first and/or second team recognition in 1999, when Terry Taylor, Ben Ballard and Jake Merrill all were named to the first team and Ezekiel Keith was second team all-league.
In addition to two first teamers and one second team selection, IWC also had ten players receive Honorable Mention All-MSFA Midwest recognition. Receiving this honor were quarterback Bryan Abihider (Sr.-Hemet, Calif.), tight end Deleon Bolds (Sr.-Chicago, Ill.), wide receiver Greg Fields (So.-St. Louis, Mo.), offensive lineman Clint Hunold (Sr.-Donnellson, Iowa), linebackers Scott Baldwin (Jr.-Penn Valley, Calif.), Kyle DeRossett (Sr.-Dupo, Ill.), and Jerry Wimes (Sr.-Mount Dora, Fla.) and defensive backs Scott Knipfer (Sr.-Cottage Grove, Wis.), Mervin Shaw (Sr.-St. Louis, Mo.) and Darious Watson (Jr.-Bellwood, Ill.).
Hunold was named honorable mention all-league for the third straight season. DeRossett was named honorable mention for the second straight year, while the other eight players received honorable mention honors for the first time in their careers. The ten honorable mention players for IWC tied for most in that category in the league.
The Tigers lose ten seniors from this year’s squad after finishing 3-8 overall, 1-6 and seventh in the MSFA Midwest League. IWC’s three wins was the program’s most in a season since 2005.
For more information regarding the IWC football program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
