2014 All-Sunflower Slate football

The second annual All-Sunflower Slate team is comprised of the best football players from Kansas small colleges in The Eagle’s coverage area — four MIAA teams, 10 KCAC teams and eight Jayhawk Conference teams:

Offensive player of the year — Anthony Abenoja, QB, Pittsburg State

Defensive player of the year — Marquavius Lewis, DE, Hutchinson Community College

Special teams player of the year — Carlos Cox, KR-PR, Friends

Coach of the year — Rion Rhoades, Hutchinson Community College

Offense

Anthony Abenoja, QB, Pittsburg State, sr. — Erased demons of seasons past with a share of the MIAA title and NCAA Division II playoff berth. Threw for 3,344 yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Alvin Kamara, RB, Hutchinson, so. — Alabama transfer and Tennessee commit rushed for 1,253 yards and scored 21 touchdowns while missing last two games with a bum knee.

Luke Lundy, RB, Ottawa, sr. — Auburn, Neb., native led Ottawa to the KCAC title and NAIA playoffs with a KCAC-best 1,493 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.

Tyler Howell, OL, Butler Community College, so. — Behemoth from Bonner Springs has offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Missouri, Arkansas and Arizona State, among others.

Tyler Smith, OL, Pittsburg State, sr. — Gorillas do it all up front, led by Smith. Pittsburg State led MIAA in total offense with 5,156 yards. Electric passing game overshadows effective running game at 157.1 yards.

Jaypee Philbert, OL, Coffeyville Community College, so. — Led the offensive line for the most balanced offensive attack in the Jayhawk with 3,427 passing yards and 2,671 rushing yards. Red Ravens went 9-2 and will face No. 3 Trinity Valley (11-0) in the Heart of Texas Bowl on Dec. 6.

Matt Buckman, OL, Tabor, sr. — The Bluejays’ offensive line plays downhill almost every snap, and Buckman did it better than anyone. Tabor’s 3,257 rushing yards were third in the NAIA.

Byron Rich, OL, Fort Scott Community College, sr. — Opened holes all season for Devin Taylor to lead the Jayhawk with 1,667 rushing yards.

Derek Lee, TE-FB, Butler, so. — Reinvented himself at Butler after spending his first two years at North Dakota State and Central Missouri. Can move between tight end and fullback seamlessly.

Marquise Cushon, WR, Pittsburg State, jr. — Led the MIAA in receiving with 1,141 yards and eight touchdowns.

Gavin Lutman, WR, Pittsburg State, sr. — Second in the MIAA in receiving with 1,001 yards and 10 touchdowns. Set the MIAA record with 268 receiving yards and four touchdowns in a 45-17 win over Emporia State on Oct. 11.

Dominique Reed, WR, Coffeyville, so. — Rangy wideout from Camden, Ark., had 56 catches for 979 yards and 16 touchdowns. Popular recruiting target among SEC schools.

Connor Frazell, K, Pittsburg State, sr. — The Iola native and Butler transfer hit 46 of 46 PAT attempts and was 18 of 26 on field goals.

Defense

Carlos Cox, DB, Friends, sr. — NFL scouts tracked Cox’s progress all season, and he delivered. Finished second on the Falcons with 72 tackles and four interceptions, including 142 return yards on those picks.

Sequente Marks, DB, Friends, jr. — Southeast product led Friends with six interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. Early favorite for 2015 KCAC defensive player of the year.

Micheal Jordan, DB, Fort Hays State, sr. — A two-time All-Sunflower Slate pick alongside Lewis, Jordan had 80 tackles, four forced fumbles. Helped lead the Tigers to a 7-4 mark, their best season since 1996.

Riley Hunsicker, DB, Hutchinson, so. — Turned himself into a Division I prospect out of tiny Ellis High with a dogged work ethic ... and blazing, 4.3-second speed in the 40-yard dash. Third on the Blue Dragons with 74 tackles and two interceptions.

Steven Williams, LB, Bethany, sr. — A steady force in the KCAC for four seasons. Capped career with 92 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.

Travis Steenson, LB, Butler, so. — Led the Jayhawk with 130 tackles (11.8 per game). Steenson’s best games were against the best teams, with the McPherson native notching 15 tackles against No. 2 Iowa Western and 19 tackles against No. 4 Hutchinson.

Justin McPhail, LB, Fort Hays State, jr. — Liberal product led the Tigers with 108 tackles and was the team’s leading tackler for the second straight season.

Marquavius Lewis, DL, Hutchinson, so. — South Carolina commit had 20 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Expect to see him playing on Sundays soon enough.

Jeremiah Ledbetter, DL, Hutchinson, so. — Led the Jayhawk with 13 sacks. Arkansas commit created havoc for two years as the yin to Lewis’ yang.

Deron Bruce, DL, Ottawa, sr. — A nominee for the Cliff Harris Award, given to the best defensive player in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and the NAIA. Bruce led Ottawa to the KCAC title with 60 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and three sacks.

Heath Wilson, DL, Pittsburg State, so. — Promise from freshman season turned into a star turn as a sophomore, leading the Gorillas with 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Drew O’Brien, P, Fort Hays State, jr. — Hays native averaged 40.0 yards on 60 punts.

Carlos Cox, PR-KR, Friends, sr. — Racked up 414 return yards (308 kick, 116 punt) while scoring one touchdown. Seemed to always get big returns when the Falcons needed it most.

Distinguished Alumnus

John Brown, WR, Pittsburg State — Last year’s All-Sunflower Slate special teams player of the year has taken the NFL by storm as a rookie for the Arizona Cardinals, including a pair of game-winning catches and a Sports Illustrated cover.

This story was originally published November 20, 2014 at 9:48 PM with the headline "2014 All-Sunflower Slate football."