Mount Union, North Central stars lead D-III All-America team
Mount Union quarterback Braxton Plunk was one of the three Purple Raiders on The Associated Press Division III All-America team released Thursday.
Plunk is joined by receiver Wayne Ruby and linebacker Rossy Moore on the first team. Mount Union will play North Central of Illinois in the Division III championship game on Friday night.
Plunk is also one of four finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, which goes to the best player in Division III.
Plunk, a senior from Plant City, Fla., has led the Purple Raiders to their first Stagg Bowl appearance since 2018 by completing 355 of 477 passes for 4,317 yards and 48 touchdowns, with just six interceptions.
For his career, Plunk has completed 889-of-1,244 passes for 11,377 yards and 123 TDs with just 17 interceptions. He is the current active leader in Division III in passing yards, touchdowns (the next-closest has 96) and completions.
Ruby Jr., a senior from Pembroke Pines, Fla., has 96 receptions for 1,676 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. He leads all of Division III in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. His career totals of 278 receptions; 4,391 receiving yards and 58 receiving TDs are all No. 1 among current Division III players.
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He is two TDs short of the all-time Division III single-season record of 31, set by Andrew Kamienski of North Central (Ill.) in 2019.
Moore, a sophomore from Lima Central Catholic, has 82 total tackles, including 17.5 tackles for losses and 10.5 sacks. He is credited with one pass breakup and 12 quarterback hurries.
The Purple Raiders, ranked No. 2 by the AFCA and D3Football.com, play No. 1-ranked North Central in the 49th Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., Friday at 7 p.m.
North Central running back Ethan Greenfield, another Gagliardi finalist, also was selected to the first team. He was one of five Cardinals named to the All-America first team, leading all schools.
Offensive lineman Jeske Maples, receiver DeAngelo Hardy, defensive lineman Dan Lester and defensive back Antwain Walker were the other first-team selections for North Central.
The AP Division III All-America team is presented by Regions Bank. It was selected in conjunction with COSIDA.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Braxton Plunk, senior, Mount Union.
Running backs — Ethan Greenfield, senior, North Central (Ill.); Hunter Clasen, senior, Wartburg.
Linemen — Chris Toth, senior, Aurora; Boomer Warren, senior, Hardin-Simmons; Jeske Maples, sophomore, North Central (Ill.); Matt Metcalf, senior, Linfield; Travis Sinclair, senior, Bethel.
Tight end — Alex Larson, senior, Saint John's (Minn.).
Wide receivers — Wayne Ruby, senior, Mount Union; DeAngelo Hardy, junior, North Central (Ill.); Phil Lutz, senior, Tufts.
All-purpose player — K.J. Miller, senior, Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Kicker — Christian Hutra, senior, Springfield.
Defense
Linemen — Michael Nobile, senior, Delaware Valley; Sante Parker, Jr., senior, Mary Hardin-Baylor; Dan Lester, junior, North Central (Ill.); Alexander Perkins, senior, Millikin.
Linebackers — Rossy Moore, sophomore, Mount Union; Robert Coury, junior, Carnegie Mellon; Matt Mitchell, senior, Hardin-Simmons.
Defensive backs — C.J. Lyons, graduate, RPI; Antwain Walker, junior, North Central (Ill.); Michael Brown, sophomore, Wisconsin-River Falls; Titus Dunk, senior, Mary Hardin-Baylor; Will Pickren, junior, Hampden-Sydney.
Punter — Vicente Garcia, junior, Redlands.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Kyle King, senior, Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Running backs — Jhe’Quay Chretin, senior, Aurora; Jon Lewis, sophomore, Birmingham-Southern.
Linemen — Lou Cocozza, senior, Springfield; Trevor Gabriele, senior, Wheaton (Ill.); Ethan Ruckman , junior, Mary Hardin-Baylor; Jake Villanueva, senior, Ithaca; Will Jackson, senior, Randolph-Macon.
Tight end — Ben Juska, sophomore, Wheaton (Ill.).
Wide receivers — Nate Palmer, graduate, Utica; Leon Johnson III, senior, George Fox; Trey Madsen, senior, Aurora.
All-purpose player — Kobe Praylow, senior, Methodist.
Kicker — Anthony Avila, senior, Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Defense
Linemen — Justin Blazek, senior, Wisconsin-Platteville; Michael Wozniak, senior, Saint John's (Minn.); Brayden Thimons, graduate, Westminster (Pa.); Luke Schuermann, junior, Johns Hopkins.
Linebackers — Owen Grover, senior, Wartburg; Durand Hill, sophomore, Mary Hardin-Baylor; Ryan Liszka, senior, Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Defensive backs — Parker Rochford, sophomore, Wartburg; Keysean Amison, senior, Trine; Ben Cooney, senior, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps; Anthony Kendall, senior, Baldwin Wallace; Joshua Cordero, senior, Cortland.
Punter — Tyler James, senior, Austin.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Mount Union, North Central stars lead D-III All-America team
