AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – Eight Baldwin Wallace University football student-athletes have been selected to the 2019 All-Ohio Athletic Conference team.
Junior defensive lineman Sekou Imani (Dover) was a first-team pick. Junior defensive lineman Taino Arocho (Holiday, Fla./Anclote), junior linebacker Brenton Miller (Carrollton), junior wide receiver Iyan Mitchell (Tampa, Fla./Robinson), junior running back Jon Murray, Jr. (Cincinnati/Withrow) and junior offensive lineman Patrick Simon (Olmsted Falls) landed on the second-team while senior defensive lineman Noah Jackson (Lorain/Amherst) and senior linebacker Josh Liberati (Lisbon/David Anderson) were tabbed as honorable mention selections.
Imani, who earns his first all-conference accolade, led the team with career-highs in quarterback hurries with 17, fumble recoveries with three, blocked kicks with two and one safety. He was tied for second on the team with a career-best tying five quarterback sacks Imani also recorded 32 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and forced two fumbles. For his career, Imani has appeared in 22 games and has tallied 77 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 24 quarterback hurries, 10 quarterback sacks, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, two blocked kicks, one pass break up and one safety.
Arocho, who garners his first all-league honor, led the team with a career-high 11 tackles for loss and led the team and was tied for sixth in the OAC with a career-best 6.5 quarterback sacks. He also recorded a career-high 47 tackles and four quarterback hurries. In his career, Arocho has appeared in 26 games and has tallied 84 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine quarterback sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
Miller, who earns his first all-conference accolade, was fourth on the team with a career-high 56 tackles and was tied for the team lead with a career-best two interceptions. He also recorded seven quarterback hurries, 5.5 tackles for loss, one quarterback sack, one pass breakup and one blocked kick. For his career, Miller has appeared in 29 games and has tallied 138 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries, six quarterback sacks, two interceptions, two pass breakups and one blocked kick.
Mitchell, who garners his first all-league honor, led the team and was fourth in the OAC with a career-best 809 yards, led the team and was tied for 10th in the conference with a career-high seven touchdowns and led the team and was sixth in the league with a career-best 46 receptions. He also carried the ball nine times for 37 yards with one touchdown and led the team with career-highs in kick returns with 19 and kick return yards with 350 yards. In his career, Mitchell has caught 48 passes for 848 yards with seven touchdowns, rushed for 37 yards on 11 carries, returned 19 kickoffs for 350 yards and one punt for 17 yards in 12 games.
Murray Jr., who earns his second straight second-team accolade, led the team and was sixth in the OAC with career-bests in rushing yards with 757 and carries with 170. He led the team and was sixth in the league with eight touchdowns. Murray Jr. also had career-highs with 119 yards receiving, 15 receptions and his first career receiving touchdown. For his career, Murray Jr. has appeared in 20 games and has rushed for 1,480 yards on 298 carries with 17 touchdowns and has caught 24 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown.
Simon, who garners his first all-conference honor, appeared and started in all 10 games on an offensive line that that averaged 39.14 yards of total offense and 32.3 points per game. In his career, Simon has appeared and started in 30 games and has seen action at every offensive line position.
Jackson, who earns his first all-league accolade, was fifth on the team with a career-best 53 tackles. The team captain also recorded a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss with three quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one quarterback sack. For his career, Jackson has appeared in 27 games and recorded 74 tackles, four quarterback hurries, three quarterback sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Liberati, who garners his first all-conference honor, led the team and was tied for third in the OAC with a career-best 94 tackles. The two-year team captain was tied for the team lead with a career-high two interceptions, was second on squad with a career-best two fumble recoveries and was tied for second on the team with a career-best two forced fumbles. He also recorded a career-high 6.5 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and 1.5 quarterback sacks. In his career, Liberati has appeared in 29 games and has tallied 157 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, 4.5 quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one pass breakup.
BW finished the 2019 campaign with an overall record of 7-3 and third place finish in the OAC with a mark of 6-3.