DeGayner and Rauch highlight football's six All-NCCAA selections

Posted: Dec 22, 2022

(Ann Arbor, MI) - The National Christian College Athletic Association announced their Fall 2022 All-American teams on Tuesday afternoon. Six players from Head Coach Joshua Schumacher's team were placed between the first and second All-NCCAA team as the Cardinals would add another 9 Scholar Athletes.

All-NCCAA First Team Offense

Seeger DeGayner - Kick Returner

A junior from Grand Blanc, Michigan, DeGayner would be one of the top return men in the country as he was third in total return yards with 661. In addition, DeGayner would lead the NCCAA with 3 return touchdowns while also leading the country in return yard average at 44.1 yards per return. DeGayner earned offensive player of the week honors in September following the St. Ambrose game. This is the first All-NCCAA honor he has earned.

All-NCCAA First Team Defense

Casey Rauch - Linebacker

A junior from Alexandria, Kentucky, Rauch ended the season tied for 13th most tackles in the NCCAA with 66 total tackles, which was also tied for the team lead. Last season Rauch was also named to the All-NCCAA First Team as a linebacker and as a punter.

All-NCCAA Second Team Offense

Will Dowling - Offensive Line

A junior from Oak Harbor, Ohio, Will was a staple once again on the Cardinal offensive line, as he was able to start all 10 games for the Cardinals. The Cardinals offense was the 8th best offense in total yards, with 3,566 yards on the season. This is the second straight year that Will was named to the All-NCCAA team.

Gabe Dowling - Offensive Line

A junior from Oak Harbor, Ohio, Gabe was once again one of the Cardinals offensive lineman that would start all 10 games. Gabe helped the offense to the third most rushing yards in the NCCAA with 1,592 total yards. This is the first time Gabe has been honored by the NCCAA.

All-NCCAA Second Team Defense

Marvitis Dupree - Defensive Line

A sophomore from Chesterfield, Michigan, Dupree provided another strong year as he anchored the defensive line while totaling 33 total tackles. He was also able to create havoc once again in opponents' backfield with 4 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss (24th in the NCCAA). This is the first time Dupree has earned an All-NCCAA honor.

Alonzo Johnson - Defensive Back

A senior from Stafford, Virginia, Johnson was able to shut down opposing passing attacks as he picked off 3 passes (3rd most in NCCAA), while also creating 10 pass deflections (4th most in the NCCAA). Johnson would also force one fumble with 2 tackles for loss on the season. This is the first time he has been honored by the NCCAA for a postseason award.

NCCAA Scholar Athletes

9 Cardinals earned NCCAA Scholar Athlete as James Carpenter, Will Dowling, Heath Flower, Colby Kohmescher, Jake Mlynarek, Nick Painter, Casey Rauch, Jadan Vizina and Andrew Wiemer were among those players that qualified for the honor.

In order to be named as a scholar athlete, athletes must be junior or above in academic standing, completed on term at the university, and maintain a 3.40 GPA or over to qualify.