McPhatter leads local group on Division II football all-star list
The Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Region Committee released the 2018 NCAA Division II All-Super Region 1 squad Friday, and several local players were named to the lists.
Lamont McPhatter, a New Castle graduate and junior safety at Cal (Pa.), was selected the Defensive Player of the Year after recording 63 tackles, five interceptions, 3.5 sacks and nine passes defensed to go along with two fumbles caused and two fumbles recovered.
He returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown in the victory over IUP and returned a fumble 82 yards for a score against Edinboro.
Joining McPhatter on the first-team defense were Edinboro senior defensive lineman Derek Dorr, Slippery Rock junior linebacker Brad Zaffram and Edinboro senior cornerback Zuril Hendrick.
Wes Hills, a senior running back from Slippery Rock who will play in Saturday’s National Football League Players Association Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., highlights the first-team offense.
The PSAC West was well-represented on the offensive team. Seneca Valley graduate Steve Gaviglia, a senior offensive tackle at Slippery Rock; and Plum’s Jake Chapla, a junior place kicker with The Rock, were selected along with Edinboro junior running back Walter Fletcher, Gannon senior running back Marcus Jones, Mercyhurst senior fullback Theo Blackston and Seton Hill junior wide receiver Ardell Brown.
Brashear graduate Jeff Arnold, a junior center at IUP, was named to the second-team offense.
The first- and second-team all-region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2018 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named later this month.
Notre Dame (Ohio), West Chester, LIU-Post (N.Y.), Slippery Rock and Edinboro all had four first-team selections to lead the way. West Chester (PA), Hillsdale (Mich.) and LIU-Post put a total of 10 on the all-region squads, while Notre Dame had nine and Slippery Rock placed eight.
Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MLove_Trib.
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
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