Tarleton State captured the Lone Star Conference Championship for the second straight season. The Texans finished the regular season unbeaten at 11-0 overall and 8-0 in league play.
Tarleton and Texas A&M-Commerce were selected to represent the Lone Star Conference in the 2019 NCAA Division II Football Championship. The Texans earned the No. 2 seed in Super Region Four, while the Lions were unseeded. TSU and A&M-C will play in the first round on Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. in Stephenville, Texas.
LSC football teams are 54-44 overall this season. The squads are 8-5 combined versus the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams, which are also in NCAA Super Regional Four.
LSC schedule and results available here:
http://www.lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=football
LSC FOOTBALL ON NEXSTAR
The Lone Star Conference and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. announced a new partnership to bring college football fans exclusive coverage of multiple matchups featuring NCAA Division II teams via live television broadcast and streaming online video.
Four LSC games - Western New Mexico at Texas A&M-Commerce (Oct. 26), Midwestern State at Tarleton State (Nov. 2), West Texas A&M at Texas A&M-Kingsville (Nov. 9), and Texas A&M-Commerce at Angelo State (Nov. 16) - will air via live television broadcast and/or streaming online video exclusively on network-affiliated stations and/or websites owned by Nexstar and select broadcast partners including: KTAB (Abilene), KASY (Albuquerque), KCPN (Amarillo), KBVO (Austin), KVEO (Brownsville), KTSM (El Paso), KLBK (Lubbock), KMID (Midland/Odessa), KSAN (San Angelo), KTPN (Tyler), KWKT (Waco) and KJBO (Wichita Falls).
LSC FOOTBALL ON ESPN3
A pair of Lone Star Conference games will be featured as part of the 2019 Division II football showcase schedule on ESPN3.
The Midwestern State at Texas A&M-Commerce match-up on October 12 in Commerce, Texas, and the Texas A&M-Commerce at West Texas A&M contest on November 2 in Canyon, Texas, were selected to be streamed on ESPN3, and available on the ESPN App.
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multiscreen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers via ESPN.com/watch and on smartphones, tablets and streaming devices through the ESPN app. The network currently is available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It also is available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
LSC TO HOST 2019 DIVISION II FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Following a tremendous experience in 2018, the NCAA Division II Football Committee has chosen McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas, as the host site of the 2019-21 Division II football national championship games.
The 2019 title game is set for 2 p.m. CST on Saturday, Dec. 21 and will be televised live by ESPNU.
The Lone Star Conference in conjunction with McKinney ISD hosted the 2018 championship game.
McKinney ISD Stadium and Community Event Center, a 12,000-seat facility built primarily for football, will host the Division II Football Championship games on Dec. 21, 2019, Dec. 19, 2020 and Dec. 18, 2021.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce, SO, Sports & Recreation Management, QB, Plano, Texas, East Senior HS
In a defensive battle at Angelo State, Smalls was the key factor, accounting for both of the Lions' touchdowns in a 17-3 win. His 17-yard touchdown carry in the first quarter gave the Lions a 7-3 lead they would not relinquish, and his 2-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Guice in the fourth quarter sealed the win. He completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 142 yards.
DEFENSIVE
Chris Hoad, UT Permian Basin, SR, Criminology, LB, Leander, Texas, Rouse
Hoad closed out his illustrious career by leading the Falcons with 14 tackles in a 70-14 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville. He ends the season the Lone Star Conference tackle leader, averaging 14.3 tackles per game and is the Division II tackle leader with 157 total tackles, and is the current all-time active leader in tackles across all NCAA Divisions with 526 tackles. The senior led the Lone Star Conference in tackles by 40, with 129 in eight games and averaged 16.1 per game. On the final play of the first half, Hoad returned an interception for a touchdown. John O’Kelley intercepted the pass and handed the ball to Hoad so the senior could score in his final game as a Falcon.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jake Viquez, Texas A&M-Commerce, JR, Computer Information Systems, K, Rockwall, Texas, Rockwall HS
Viquez was vital in a close game, as the Lions won 17-3 with key field position battles. His 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave the Lions a touchdown lead, and he made both PAT attempts. In a game where field position was crucial, his kickoffs and punts gave the Rams an average starting position of their own 19-yardline in the first and second quarters, and their own 15-yardline in the fourth quarter. He had touchbacks on three of his four kickoffs and pinned the Rams inside their own 20 on two of his six punts.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Offensive
S-9 Daniel McCants, Tarleton State
S-16 Wyatt Strand, Eastern New Mexico
S-23 Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce
S-30 Zimari Manning, Tarleton State
O-7 Paul Terry, Eastern New Mexico
O-14 Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
O-21 Triston Williams, Midwestern State
O-28 Daniel McCants, Tarleton State (2)
N-4 Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce (3)
N-11 Paul Terry, Eastern New Mexico (2)
N-18 Miklo Smalls, Texas A&M-Commerce (4)
Defensive
S-9 Melik Owens, Midwestern State
S-16 Quincy Arceneaux, Eastern New Mexico
S-23 B.J. Jefferson, Tarleton State
S-30 Josh Quinton, Angelo State
O-7 B.J. Jefferson, Tarleton State (2)
O-14 B.J. Jefferson, Tarleton State (3)
O-21 Jai Edwards, Tarleton State
O-28 Mike Jones, West Texas A&M
N-4 Prince Robinson, Tarleton State
N-11 Mazin Richards, Eastern New Mexico
N-18 Chris Hoad, UT Permian Basin
Special Teams
S-9 Jaron Imbriani, Midwestern State
S-16 Tobias Harris, West Texas A&M
S-23 Dominique Ramsey, Texas A&M-Commerce
S-30 Donte Ross, Texas A&M-Kingsville
O-7 Justin Manyweather, Eastern New Mexico
O-14 Josh Wilson, Texas A&M-Kingsville
O-21 Tyler Vargas, Eastern New Mexico
O-28 Dominique Ramsey, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
N-4 Ben Galaviz, UT Permian Basin
N-11 Tyler Vargas, Eastern New Mexico (2)
N-18 Jake Viquez, Texas A&M-Commerce
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Ben Holmes, Tarleton State, carried the Tarleton offense to its second consecutive undefeated Lone Star Conference championship with a career performance at Western New Mexico. When the offense struggled running the ball, it was Holmes who stepped up and threw for a career-high 451 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 3 Tarleton to a 41-24 victory. On his first touchdown pass of the game, Holmes broke a 16-year-old Tarleton school record for TD passes in a season with 33, becoming the first Texan quarterback to throw for 30 touchdowns. Not only was it a career high in passing yards for the senior, but it was the third highest total in school history, and he accomplished it on just 19 completions. With his performance, Holmes finished the regular season as the LSC leader in touchdowns and passing yards with 3,064.
Kameron Mathis, UT Permian Basin, had a career day in the final game of his career, leading the Falcons with four total touchdowns in a 70-14 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville. He completed 77 percent of his passes on the day, throwing 10-of-13 for 183 yards and three touchdowns while running 11 times for 103 yards and another score on the ground as the Falcons set a school record for the most yards in a game with 617, rushing yards with 439, points in a game and margin of victory. Mathis connected with Ben Galaviz from 34 yards out for the first of his three passing touchdowns four minutes into the game for a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, he ran for a 39 yards touchdown to put the Falcons ahead 14-0. He threw another pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, finding Kyle McBride for a 50-yard score and throwing his third touchdown of the day on a 52-yard pass to Matt Zubiate with 6:38 remaining in the second quarter.
Logan Vallo, West Texas A&M, did it all for the Buffs in their 34-24 victory over Midwestern State on Saturday afternoon at Buffalo Stadium. The junior tailback rushed the ball 17 times for 54 yards and a touchdown while recording two receptions for 79 yards and another score. On the first play of their second possession of the game, Vallo recorded the longest pass play of the season of the Buffs (73 yards) before scoring on the next play.
Hunter Kyle, Angelo State, was a force over the weekend against No. 23 Texas A&M-Commerce. Despite a 17-3 loss, Kyle sacked Miklo Smalls twice for a loss of 7 yards. He registered 14 tackles with six solo and eight assisted. Kyle ended his season with 101 total tackles, 35 solo and 66 assisted. He had 4.5 sacks for 12 yards and one interception.
Tobias Harris, West Texas A&M, recorded a career-high 11 tackles (10 solo) as West Texas A&M defeated Midwestern State 34-24 on Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at Buffalo Stadium. The sophomore reached double digit tackles for the first time in his career to go along with two tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry, three pass breakups and an interception. He finished the regular season with a career-high 68 tackles, which are the third-most on. the team.
Ronnell Wilson, Tarleton State, led Tarleton with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a game-saving tackle and fumble recovery in the third quarter against Western New Mexico. The Mustangs led 17-14 in the third quarter and faced 4th-and-Goal at the 1 looking to extend their lead when Wilson tackled quarterback CJ Fowler for a loss and recovered the fumble to keep it a one-score game. After the turnover on downs, the Texans drove down field and scored to take the lead for good en route to their second straight undefeated Lone Star Conference Championship.
Chris Williams, Texas A&M-Commerce, led the Lions' dominant defensive performance in a 17-3 win at Angelo State, as A&M-Commerce allowed only 161 yards of Ram offense. Williams had six tackles in the contest to lead a balanced effort that conceded only 2.5 yards per play and no plays over 19 yards. He had 2.0 tackles for loss as well.
Hayden Decossas, UT Permian Basin, was perfect in the Falcons 70-14 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville, connecting on all seven of his extra point attempts on the night. He has made 27 straight extra point attempts over the final 10 games of the season.
Prince Robinson, Tarleton State, led the Texans with 31 return yards, including a 30-yard punt return that set the Texans up at midfield and later scored to take a 14-10 lead over Western New Mexico.