2016 G-MAC Football All-Conference Award Winners

The Malone University football team was well represented on Monday when the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) announced its first-ever All-Conference Football Team. The Pioneers landed eight of the 25 All-Conference spots and two of the five "of the year" awards. Senior defensive lineman Tyler Bowman led the Malone contingent by earning G-MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors while freshman left tackle Zak Hill was named the G-MAC Freshman of the Year.
 
Bowman was joined by fellow senior defensive lineman Austin Cary, junior linebacker Ryan Weber, and junior safety Daniel Tepe on the G-MAC All-Conference Defensive Team.
 
Malone placed three more athletes, running back Matt Blasiole, center Chris Henke, and left guard JD Stamper, on the All-Conference Offensive Team. Pioneer kicker Marcus Moeller was selected to the All-Conference Special Teams unit.
 
Tyler Bowman, a Canal Fulton, Ohio native (Northwest HS), led the Malone defensive line from his nose guard position with 50 total tackles in nine games. He registered four tackles for loss and three sacks to go along with a forced fumble, a blocked kick, and a pass breakup. Bowman finished 8th overall in the G-MAC with 5.6 tackles per game and led all defensive linemen in stops despite drawing consistent double teams.
 
Austin Cary, of Loudonville, Ohio (Loudonville HS), was the beneficiary of those double teams as he registered a team-high five sacks for 38 lost yards. Cary ranked third in the conference in sacks and second in sack yardage. He finished 11th in the G-MAC with 47 total tackles (5.2 tpg) and totaled 11 tackles for loss. 
 
Middle linebacker Ryan Weber, a Butler, Ohio native (Loudonville HS), led all G-MAC defenders with 79 total tackles (8.8 tpg). He added a sack, two tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a blocked kick. The three-year starter has led Malone in tackles in each of the last two seasons after compiling 87 tackles in 2015.
 
Daniel Tepe, of Hilliard, Ohio (Hilliard HS), was voted to the All-Conference Team after leading the Malone secondary with four interceptions and five pass breakups. Tepe tied for second in the G-MAC in interceptions and tied for first in passes defended. He finished the season with 43 total tackles including one tackle for loss at West Alabama.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, Matt Blasiole, a Uniontown, Ohio native and Lake HS grad, earned All-Conference Honors following an outstanding season in which he ran for 872 yards (96.9 ypg) and eight touchdowns. As a receiver, he added 19 catches for 215 yards and two more touchdowns. Blasiole finished second in the G-MAC in rushing and third in total touchdowns.
 
The Malone offensive line, which could take at least some of the credit for Blasiole's success, placed two players on the All-Conference Team. Senior center Chris Henke, a Cincinnati native (Archbishop Moeller HS), and JD Stamper, a Mason, Ohio native (Mason HS), earned the awards after outstanding individual seasons. True freshman left tackle Zak Hill, of Roseville, Michigan (Roseville HS) was selected as the G-MAC Freshman of the Year. Hill started every game for the Pioneers this season.
 
Kicker/punter Marcus Moeller, of Denmark, earned the All-Conference kicker distinction after leading the conference with 13 made field goals on 17 tries. Moeller not only led the conference, but also ranked 8th in the nation in field goals per game (1.44) and 18th in field goal percentage (.765).He added nine touchbacks on 37 kickoffs and 11 made PAT tries.

The entire list of All-Conference Awards can be seen by clicking on the link at the top of this page.