WACO, Texas – Prior to the 2019 season, four College of Idaho football players had earned All-America honors and only one had been selected to AFCA-NAIA All-America team in the 74-year history of the program.
An 11-1 season, a conference title, and a postseason berth changed things in Season No. 75.
Placekicker
Kyle Mitchell headlined a group of three Coyote players honored today by the American Football Coaches Association as part of their All-America Team.
The senior was named a first-team selection – joining
Nate Moore as the only first-team AFCA pick in program history. Teammates
Darius-James Peterson and
Josh Brown were named to the second-team at quarterback and offensive line.
Mitchell, a senior from Herriman, Utah, had the best season of any kicker in the NAIA – leading the association with 15 made field goals and 55 made extra points – establishing C of I school records for field goals and extra points made in a game, season and career. He led all NAIA kickers with six made field goals of over 40 yards – including a game-winning 58-yard kick that is still the longest made field goal in college football this season.
Peterson, a senior from Novato, Calif., becomes the first Coyote quarterback to earn All-America honors. The 4-year starter was the catalyst of a record-setting C of I offensive attack, establishing a new school record with 2,423 passing yards in 2019 and tying the school mark with 21 passing touchdowns. The Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Year finishes his career with school records for rushing yards (3,413), passing yards (6,096), total offense (10,509), rushing touchdowns (46) and passing touchdowns (49).
Brown, a senior from Colfax, Wash., becomes just the second C of I offensive lineman to earn All-America honors – joining Norman Hayes, who earned All-Little All-America honors in 1953. The 6-foot-7, 305-pound left tackle was instrumental in a C of I rushing attack that averaged 260 yards per game and established a new school record for rushing yards in a season (3,118), while helping a youthful offensive line unit allow just one sack per game.
One other Frontier Conference selection was named to the All-America team – as Montana Western linebacker Jason Farris was a first-team pick.
2019 AFCA NAIA Coaches' All-America Team - First Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Johnny Feauto 6-0 186 Sr. Kansas Wesleyan Myers Hendrickson Boulder, Colo. (Fairview)
RB Charles Salary 5-7 185 Sr. Marian (Ind.) Mark Henninger LaPorte, Ind. (LaPorte)
RB Marquis Stewart 5-11 206 Sr. Benedictine (Kan.) Larry Wilcox St. Louis, Mo. (Miller Career Academy)
WR DeVon McCoy 6-6 220 So. Kentucky Christian Corey Fipps North Charleston, S.C. (R.B Stall)
WR Brayden Smith 6-4 203 Jr. Indiana Wesleyan Jordan Langs Wyoming, Mich. (Byron Center)
WR Jermaine Trotman Jr. 5-11 165 Jr. St. Andrews (N.C.) David Harper Virginia Beach, Va. (Ocean Lakes)
OL *Tre Coney 6-1 275 Sr. Reinhardt (Ga.) James Miller Dublin, Ga. (Dublin)
OL Mike Davis 6-5 323 Sr. Southeastern (Fla.) Keith Barefield Bradenton, Fla. (Southeast)
OL Austin Sherrill 6-6 337 Jr. Keiser (Fla.) Doug Socha Concord, N.C. (Mount Pleasant)
OL Paxton De Haan 6-3 317 Sr. Northwestern (Iowa) Matt McCarty Orange City, Iowa (Unity Christian)
OL Andrew Rupcich 6-7 305 Jr. Culver-Stockton (Mo.) Tom Sallay Wonder Lake, Ill. (McHenry)
Defense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Jeremiah Pharms 6-3 245 Sr. Friends (Kan.) Dion Meneley Stockton, Calif. (Amos Alonzo Stagg)
DL James Jamicich 6-3 245 Sr. Saint Francis (Ind.) Kevin Donley Fort Wayne, Ind. (Carroll)
DL Robert Robinson 6-1 260 Jr. Briar Cliff (Iowa) Dennis Wagner Los Angeles, Calif. (Palmdale)
DL Jaron Green 6-1 295 Sr. Arizona Christian Jeff Bowen Mesa, Ariz. (Dobson)
LB *Jason Ferris 6-3 220 R-Sr. Montana Western Ryan Nourse Dillon, Mont. (Beaverhead County)
LB Austin Cuicchi 5-11 230 Sr. Grand View (Iowa) Joe Woodley Riverside, Calif. (California Riverside)
LB Joel Katzer 6-0 200 Sr. Morningside (Iowa) Steve Ryan Baldwin City, Kan. (Baldwin)
DB Trevon Claybourne 6-2 195 Sr. Siena Heights (Mich.) Matt Kohn Redford, Mich. (Cass Tech)
DB Twon Collymore 5-8 170 So. Sterling (Kan.) Chase Hansen Manning, S.C. (Manning)
DB Starr Thompson 6-0 176 Sr. Georgetown (Ky.) Bill Cronin Crestwood, Ky. (South Oldham)
DB Derick VandeBossche 6-1 175 Sr. Dickinson St. (N.D.) Pete Stanton Lusk, Wyo. (Niobrara County)
Specialists
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P *Drake Higgins 6-2 257 Sr. Missouri Valley Paul Troth Lathrop, Mo. (Lathrop)
PK
Kyle Mitchell 6-2 175 Sr. College of Idaho
Mike Moroski Herriman, Utah (Bingham)
AP Jaylen Boyd 5-10 195 Jr. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) Chris Oliver Princeton, Ky. (Caldwell County)
*-2018 AFCA All-American
2019 AFCA NAIA Coaches' All-America Team - Second Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB
Darius-James Peterson 5-11 190 Sr. College of Idaho
Mike Moroski Novato, Calif. (Marin Catholic)
RB JD Woods 5-8 192 Jr. Baker (Kan.) Jason Thoren Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence)
RB *Demarco Prewitt 5-10 213 Sr. Kansas Wesleyan Myers Hendrickson Menifee, Calif. (Paloma Valley)
WR Anthony Turner 6-4 205 Jr. Grand View (Iowa) Joe Woodley Hartwell, Ga. (Hart County)
WR Stevie Williams 6-1 180 Jr. Kansas Wesleyan Myers Hendrickson East Los Angeles, Calif. (James Garfield)
TE #Trenton Poe-Evans 6-2 203 Sr. Kansas Wesleyan Myers Hendrickson Needles, Calif. (Needles)
OL William Vander Woude 5-11 275 Sr. Dordt (Iowa) Joel Penner Merced, Calif. (Stone Ridge Christian)
OL *Dustin Rivera 6-0 270 Jr. Southwestern (Kan.) Brad Griffin Buckeye, Ariz. (Buckeye)
OL
Josh Brown 6-7 305 Sr. College of Idaho
Mike Moroski Colfax, Wash. (Colfax)
OL James Officer IV 6-3 285 Sr. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) Eric Hehman Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral)
OL Garrett Temme 6-6 280 Sr. Morningside (Iowa) Steve Ryan Petersburg, Neb. (Boone Central)
Defense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Mac Dutra 6-0 230 Sr. Marian (Ind.) Mark Henninger Brownsburg, Ind. (Tri West)
DL *Shaq Bradford 5-10 223 Sr. Kansas Wesleyan Myers Hendrickson San Diego, Calif. (Hoover)
DL Dominic Valentino 6-4 280 So. Cincinnati Christian Trevor Zeiders Cincinnati, Ohio (Stephen T. Badin)
DL Seth Fallen 5-11 245 Sr. Reinhardt (Ga.) James Miller Conyers, Ga. (Heritage)
LB *DaMarcus Wimbush 5-10 211 R-Jr. Bluefield (Va.) Dewey Lusk Danville, Va. (Tunstall)
LB Sam Morton 6-1 203 Sr. Evangel (Mo.) Chuck Hepola Strafford, Mo. (Strafford)
LB Kevin Brown 6-4 230 Sr. Dickinson St. (N.D.) Pete Stanton Windsor, Calif. (Windsor)
DB Sage Chen-Young 5-9 166 So. Keiser (Fla.) Doug Socha Wellington, Fla. (Wellington)
DB Dallis Flowers 6-2 190 Jr. Grand View (Iowa) Joe Woodley Chicago, Ill. (Oak Park River Forest)
DB Klayton Nordeen 6-1 190 Sr. Morningside (Iowa) Steve Ryan Alliance, Neb. (Alliance)
DB Dayton Bush 6-1 175 Sr. Benedictine (Kan.) Larry Wilcox Frisco, Tex. (Frisco)
Specialists
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P *Austin Bohn 6-4 195 Sr. Ottawa (Ariz.) Mike Nesbitt Erie, Colo. (Erie)
PK David Larson 6-4 175 Jr. Southeastern (Fla.) Keith Barefield Lakeview, Mich. (Lakeview)
AP Ke'von Johnson 5-6 160 So. Robert Morris (Ill.) Jared Williamson Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Catholic)
*-2018 AFCA All-American #-2017 AFCA All-American
