Wyoming places three on first team All-MW squad

By WyoSports staff

LARAMIE – Three University of Wyoming football players – all on defense – were named first team All-Mountain West on Wednesday.

Junior safety Andrew Wingard earned first team honors for the second consecutive season. Joining him were sophomore defensive tackle Youhanna Ghaifan and junior defensive end Carl Granderson.

UW sophomore middle linebacker Logan Wilson of Casper and senior cornerback Rico Gafford earned second team honors. Junior quarterback Josh Allen and sophomore return specialist Tyler Hall were honorable mentions.

Wingard and Wilson both recorded 111 tackles this season, and Wingard tied with Gafford for the third-most interceptions in the MW with four.

Wingard earned All-MW honors for the third consecutive season. He was a second-team choice in 2015.

Granderson led the MW with 15 tackles for loss, and was first among all defensive linemen with six tackles per game. Granderson also was third with 7½ quarterback sacks.

Ghaifan was second among all MW defensive linemen with 5.8 tackles per game, and was sixth with five quarterback sacks.

Hall returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this season, the first time that has happened in 121 years of UW football. He averaged 34.5 yards per kickoff return.

2017 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL TEAM

First Team

Offense

QB: Nick Stevens, sr., Colorado State

RB: Rashaad Penny, sr., San Diego State; Lexington Thomas, jr., UNLV

WR: Cedrick Wilson, sr., Boise State; Michael Gallup, sr., Colorado State

TE: Jake Roh, sr., Boise State

OL: Mason Hampton, sr., Boise State; Jake Bennett, sr., Colorado State; Zack Golditch, sr., Colorado State; Dejon Allen, sr., Hawaii; Austin Corbett, sr., Nevada

K: Dominik Eberle, so., Utah State

RET: Rashaad Penny, sr., San Diego STate

Defense

DL: Curtis Weaver, fr., Boise State; Malik Reed, jr., Nevada; Youhanna Ghaifan, so., Wyoming; Carl Granderson, jr., Wyoming

LB: Leighton Vander Esch, jr., Boise State; Jeffrey Allison, so., Fresno State; Frank Ginda, jr., San Jose State

DB: Tyler Horton, jr., Boise State; Kameron Kelly, sr., San Diego State; Jalen Davis, sr., Utah State; Andrew Wingard, jr., Wyoming

P: Corey Bojorquez, sr., New Mexico

Offensive player of the year: Rashaad Penny, sr., San Diego State

Defensive player of the year: Leighton Vander Esch, jr., Boise State

Special teams player of the year: Rashaad Penny, sr., San Diego State

Freshman of the year: QB Armani Rogers, UNLV

Coach of the year: Jeff Tedford, Fresno State

SECOND TEAM

Offense

QB: Brett Rypien, jr., Boise State

RB: Dayln Dawksin, sr., Colorado State; Diocemy Saint Juste, sr., Hawaii

WR: KeeSean Johnson, jr., Fresno State; Wyatt Demps, sr., Nevada

TE: David Wells, sr., San Diego State

OL: Alex Norton, sr., Air Force; Archie Lewis, sr., Boise State; Aaron Mitchell, sr., Fresno State; Keith Ismeal, fr., San Diego State; Tyler Roemer, fr., San Diego State

K: Jimmy Camacho, sr., Fresno State

RET: Avery Williams, fr., Boise State

Defense

DL: Jabril Frazier, jr., Boise State; David Moa, jr., Boise State; Tobenna Okeke, sr., Fresno State; Mike Hughes Jr., sr., UNLV

LB: Jahlani Tavai, jr., Hawaii; Ronley Lakalaka, jr., San Diego State; Logan Wilson, so., Wyoming

DB: Kekoa Nawahine, so., Boise State; Dameon Baber, jr., Nevada; Tariq Thompson, fr., San Diego State; Rico Gafford, sr., Wyoming

P: Michael Carrizosa, sr., San Jose State

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Wyoming: QB Josh Allen, jr .; RET Tyler Hall, so.

Air Force: LB Grant Ross, sr.

Boise State: OL Ezra Cleveland, fr .; K Haden Hoggarth, jr .; RB Alexander Mattison, sr .; LB Tyon Maeva, so .; DL Durrant Miles, jr .; OL John Molchon, so .; DB DeAndre Pierce, so.

Colorado State: LB Evan Colorito, sr .; TE Dalton Fackrell, sr; OL Trae Moxley, sr .; P Ryan Stonehouse, fr .; LB Josh Watson, jr.

Fresno State: DB Mike Bell, so .; DB Jaron Bryant, so .; OL Christian Cronk, jr .; DL Malik Forrester, sr .; LB George Helmuth, jr .; DB Juju Hughes, so .; QB Marcus McMaryion, jr .; OL Netane Muti, fr .; OL David Patterson, sr .; OL Micah St. Andrew, jr .; DL Robert Stanley, so.

Hawaii: Meffy Koloamatangi, sr .; DL Viane Moala, so.

New Mexico: OL Blaise Fountain, sr .; DL Garrett Hughes, sr .; OL Aaron Jenkins, jr .; DB Jake Rothschiller, sr.

San Diego State: DB Parker Baldwin, jr; WR Mikah Holder, sr.

San Jose State: K Bryce Crawford, jr .; OL Chris Gonzalez, sr.

UNLV: OL Nathan Jacobson, jr .; OL Kyle Saxelid, sr.

Utah State: OL Roman Andrus, jr .; OL Quin Ficklin, jr .; DB Dallin Leavitt, sr .; TE Dax Raymond, so.