Three Leathernecks land on MVFC All-Academic Team
ST. LOUIS - Amid this final week of the 2021-22 fall semester, Western Illinois football has stayed focused in the classroom and is now seeing awards of academic recognition surface. A trio of Leathernecks was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference's (MVFC) 2021 All-Academic Team, announced by the conference office on Tuesday (Dec. 14).
Tony Tate (first team), Dennis Houston (second team), and Hunter Mason (honorable mention) all repeated their respective all-academic nods from the 2020-21 spring season. It is a second career honor for each of the three players.
Tate, Houston, and Mason were also named all-conference selections by the MVFC on Nov. 30. Houston was picked as a first-team member, while Mason and Tate were placed on the honorable mention list.
MVFC All-Academic First Team
#1 Tony Tate | Sr. | WR | DeKalb, Ill. | DeKalb (Walsh)
Carrying a 3.675 GPA... pursuing a Master's in Sport Management... third in the Valley in receptions per game (6.29) and receptions (44)... fourth in all-purpose yards per game (108.71)... collected 1,040 all-purpose yards... went 4-5 in pass completions for 128 yards and one touchdown... ended the year with three receiving touchdowns, 598 receiving yards, and two rushing touchdowns.
MVFC All-Academic Second Team
#10 Dennis Houston | Sr. | WR | San Antonio, Tex. | Earl Warren (Fullerton)
Carrying a 3.527 GPA... majoring in General Studies... FCS leader in receptions per game (8.5)... also led the MVFC in that same category, along with total receptions... tallied a new career-high in receiving yards (237) in the season opener at Ball State (Sept. 2, 2021)... posted two showings of double-digit receptions in conference play.
MVFC All-Academic Honorable Mention
#36 Hunter Mason | Jr. | DE | Nevada, Mo. | Nevada
Carrying a 3.886 GPA... pursuing a Master's in Sport Management... eighth on the team in tackles (34.0)... had two sacks in a win versus Illinois State (Oct. 30, 2021)... posted at least one sack or more in four conference games... collected a season-high six total tackles in the season closer at Northern Iowa... had three straight games late in the season with four or more tackles.
This article originally appeared on The McDonough County Voice: MVFC FOOTBALL
