/awards/all-region/2023/2023-d3football-all-region-6

2023 D3football.com All-Region 6 Team

Photo by Caleb Williams, d3photography.com; UW-Platteville athletics

UW-Platteville defensive end Justin Blazek and UW-La Crosse quarterback Keyser Helterbrand lead the D3football.com 2023 All-Region 6 team. Blazek was named Region 6 Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row, while Helterbrand was named the Region 6 Offensive Player of the Year.

UW-La Crosse coach Matt Janus, who led the Eagles to an 11-2 record and the national quarterfinals, is the Region 6 Coach of the Year. It was the first trip to the quarterfinals since 1996 for the program.

NCAA Division III realigned Division III football into six regions in 2021. Region 6 includes the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Northwest Conference, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Blazek registered 17 tackles for loss and 8½ sacks from his defensive end position. A senior from Naperville, Illinois, he posted 60 tackles, 35 solo, while breaking up six passes and posting two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. In addition, Blazek was given the ball a number of times in short yardage situations, as he ran for four touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass.

A senior from Hudson, Wisconsin, Helterbrand was a dual threat, leading the Eagles in passing and rushing. He threw for 2,981 yards and 35 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. He averaged 229.3 yards per game and completed 71.9% of his passes. Helterbrand also ran for 901 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

The teams, selected in balloting by Region 6 sports information directors and D3football.com staff, were chosen from 189 nominations by full Division III member schools. A total of 80 players were chosen. Players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced the evening of Dec. 15, in D3football.com’s pregame coverage for Stagg Bowl 50.

2022 D3football.com All-Region 6 Team

Offensive Player of the Year: Keyser Helterbrand, QB, UW-La Crosse
Defensive Player of the Year: Justin Blazek, DE, UW-Platteville
Coach of the Year: Matt Janus, UW-La Crosse

First Team Offense      
Pos. Player School Yr. Hometown
QB Keyser Helterbrand UW-La Crosse Sr. Hudson, Wis.
RB Tamir Thomas UW-Whitewater Jr. Menomonee Falls, Wis.
RB Jordan Embry St. Olaf Sr. Birmingham, Ala.
WR Jake Breitbach Gustavus Adolphus Sr. Golden Valley, Minn.
WR Jake Studer UW-La Crosse Jr. Eyota, Minn.
TE Alex Larson St. John’s Sr. Woodbury, Minn.
T Mike Bertoia UW-La Crosse Sr. Lake Zurich, Ill.
G Alex Pethan UW-Whitewater So. Oak Creek, Wis.
C John Pekar UW-Whitewater Jr. Franklin, Wis.
G Joe Jaeger St. John’s Sr. Lakeville, Minn.
T Christian Diederich Minnesota-Morris Sr. Murdock, Minn.
         
K Michael Stack UW-La Crosse So. Oshkosh, Wis.
RET Quintral Clay Greenville Fr. Hayti, Mo.
         
First Team Defense      
DE Justin Blazek UW-Platteville Sr. Naperville, Ill.
DT Collin Thompson Concordia-Moorhead Sr. Thatcher, Ariz.
DT Jax Lee Redlands Jr. Richland, Wash.
DE Nico Golla Pacific Lutheran Sr. Puyallup, Wash.
LB Carson DeKam Gustavus Adolphus Sr. Owatonna, Minn.
LB Sam Smith UW-Platteville Sr. Pewaukee, Wis.
LB Joey Antonietti UW-Whitewater So. La Grange, Ill.
CB Egon Hein UW-Whitewater Sr. St. Charles, Ill.
S Matt Jung Bethel Fr. Neenah, Wis.
S Jacob O’Connell Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Sr. Bakersfield, Calif.
CB Devin Williams Bethel So. Fridley, Minn.
         
P Thomas Tabor Linfield Sr. Seattle, Wash.
LS Will Hammen UW-Stout Jr. Combined Locks, Wis.
         
Second Team Offense      
QB Kaleb Blaha UW-River Falls Jr. Coon Rapids, Minn.
RB Paul Garrett Greenville Sr. Goodwater, Ala.
RB Justin Edwards Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Jr. East Hampton, Conn.
WR Nick VanErp St. John’s Sr. Battle Lake, Minn.
WR Dillon Kuk Whitworth Sr. Marysville, Wash.
TE Ntense Obono Carleton Jr. Lawrence, Kan.
T Alex Klecker UW-River Falls Sr. River Falls, Wis.
G Kenny Koerber Chapman Sr. La Mirada, Calif.
C Noah Coleman UW-La Crosse Sr. Wilmont, Wis.
G Jesus Ambriz UW-Stout Sr. Monee, Ill.
T Josh Helling Bethel Jr. Parkers Prairie, Minn.
         
K Thien Hoang Lewis & Clark Fr. Portland, Ore.
RET Isaiah Thompson Augsburg Jr. Detroit Lakes, Minn.
         
Second Team Defense      
DE Michael Carey Carleton Sr. Haddonfield, N.J.
DT Matt Burba UW-Whitewater Jr. Lake in the Hills, Ill.
DT Zach Frank St. John’s Jr. Lino Lakes, Minn.
DE Tyler Bacon UW-Platteville Sr. Johnstown, Iowa
LB Blake Rybar Linfield Sr. Monroe, Wash.
LB Kade Jordan Chapman Jr. Elk Grove, Calif.
LB Erik Bjork St. John’s Sr. Mahtomedi, Minn.
CB Scott Tinsley Redlands Sr. Capitola, Calif.
S Aidan Tyk UW-Platteville Sr. Manhattan, Ill.
S Henry Detmer Carleton Sr. River Forest, Ill.
CB Chance Sparks Linfield Jr. Hillsboro, Ore.
         
P Owen Tapia Chapman Sr. Eastvale, Calif.
ST Adam Fujiwara Chapman Sr. Irvine, Calif.
         
Third Team Offense      
QB Aaron Syverson St. John’s Sr. Minnetonka, Minn.
QB Kobe Berghammer UW-Oshkosh Sr. Clayton, Wis.
RB Aaron Ellingson Bethel Jr. St. Louis Park, Minn.
RB Izayah Boss Minnesota-Morris Jr. Bothell, Wash.
WR Charlie Wilson Hamline Sr. Woodbury, Minn.
WR Izaiah Jerenz Puget Sound Sr. Lacey, Wash.
TE Clayton Schwalbe  UW-Oshkosh So. Waukesha, Wis.
T Dillon Helle Whitworth Jr. Graham, Wash.
G Eric Soares Pacific Sr. Manteca, Calif.
C Patton Miller Whitworth Jr. Vacaville, Calif.
G Dustin Konvalinka Greenville Sr. Live Oak, Fla.
T Andrew Hahn Augsburg Jr. Avon, Minn.
         
K Luke Cool UW-Stout Jr. Franklin, Wis.
RET Patrick Corcoran UW-Stout  Jr. Mindoro, Wis.
         
Third Team Defense      
DE Chayce Meyer Minnesota-Morris So. Osakis, Minn.
DT Drew Hahn UW-River Falls Sr. Elburn, Ill.
DT Nick Severson Linfield Sr. Sherwood, Ore.
DE Jack Kelly UW-La Crosse Sr. Plover, Wis.
DE JT Muñoz Whitworth Jr. Pasco, Wash.
LB Isaac Simons Carleton Sr. Oconomowoc, Wis.
LB Nash Wylie George Fox Sr. Pine Grove, Calif.
LB Colton Ingram UW-Platteville Sr. Byron, Ill.
CB Cayden Saxon St. John’s Sr. Minnetonka, Minn.
S Cannon Grier UW-Stout Sr. Mesa, Ariz.
S Carson Raddatz UW-Oshkosh Jr. Fond du Lac, Wis.
CB Dylan Brown UW-River Falls Jr. Mequon, Wis.
         
P Cameron Shirangi Pomona-Pitzer Sr. San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
ST Mason Stepanski UW-Whitewater So. Appleton, Wis.

There was a tie for the final quarterback and defensive end spot.

 

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
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