Wright Named to Second Team, 14 Eagles Earn All-KCAC Honors

Avila football once again made its mark on the KCAC in 2023, with a total of 14 Eagles earned postseason All-Conference honors, the league announced this week. Avila once again finishes the season with double-digit All-Conference honorees, headlined this year by Second Team honors for offensive lineman Cor'Darius Wright.

Wright has been a staple on Avila's o-line for years now, the longest-tenured member of a crew that saw some changeover heading into this season. Avila has always featured a successful offense, either in the passing game or on the ground, or in some years both, with Wright at the helm, and he concludes his collegiate career with postseason honors for the third straight year.

Wright was Avila's everyday left guard for the last couple of seasons and started the 2023 campaign there before ultimately flexing out to left tackle in the last half of the season. Normally known as a stalwart guard, he was able to display some positional versatility in seamlessly making the move out to tackle to give the Eagles a bit more experience in that crucial spot. A First Team selection last season, the senior from Louisiana earned Second Team All-KCAC honors in 2023.

And that move to tackle meant Wright was helping to protect the blindside of Eli Williams, who earns All-KCAC honors once again in his second season as Avila's starting quarterback. Williams threw for 230 yards per game and 23 total touchdowns and ran for a team high eight scores. Last season's KCAC Offensive Player of the Year, Williams concludes his Eagle career with Honorable Mention honors.

His running mate in the backfield this season was running back Jahkese Watkins, who made an impressive return to the Eagle roster under new guidance and jumped into the role of Avila's feature back. Watkins led the Eagles with 662 rushing yards (5.0 per carry) as well as seven scores in his first year as lead back, earning Honorable Mention honors.

A deep Avila receiving corps was well represented on the postseason awards list, with tight ends AJ Carreon and Kareem Chambers and wide receiver Jalen Thach all taking home Honorable Mention honors. Thach paced the Eagles with 505 receiving yards (56 per game) in his first year as a main target and scored four touchdowns, which was tied for the team lead. Carreon was another one of those players with four scores as he continued Avila's recent run of successful tight ends. And Chambers had the best season of his Avila career, leading the team with 37 catches in a variety of roles with three scores.

It's true that Avila's offensive line had some moving pieces as some players worked their ways into larger roles, but they also had plenty of players stand out. Along with Wright's Second Team status, Christopher Willis and Jayden Ramos earned Honorable Mention honors for their work on the o-line. Willis was Avila's regular starter at right guard this season, and Ramos was the Eagles' everyday starting center.

On the defensive side of the ball, junior defensive lineman Ishe Smith Jr. turned in another standout season, leading the team with 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles along with 6.5 tackles for loss, earning Honorable Mention status for the second year in a row. Versatile defender Dennis Johnson began his career in the secondary but was one of Avila's top linebackers as a senior, leading the team with 96 tackles, including 7.5 for loss, to earn Honorable Mention honors.

In the secondary, longtime running mates Trevon Miller and Terrell Valentine both finish their careers with Honorable Mention honors. Miller was a KCAC Defensive Player of the Week this season and led the team with five interceptions and three more pass breakups. A three-time All-KCAC selection, Valentine filled the stat sheet once again, finishing with three TFLs, three picks, five PBUs and two blocks.

Among the specialists, two Eagles earned Honorable Mention honors for their exploits in the return game. Freshman Lorenzo Baptiste burst onto the scene immediately the season and became Avila's top kick returner, averaging 20.8 yards per return and scoring the team's lone KRTD. Similarly, Robert Brooks III was Avila's primary punt returner, totaling nine of the team's 13 returns and scoring Avila's lone PRTD.

Individually, Friends quarterback K'Vonte Baker was named Player of the Year; Evangel receiver Dillon Hester was named Offensive Player of the Year; Evangel linebacker Bradley Myers was named Defensive Player of the Year; the league champion Valor were awarded Head Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year; and Sterling's Trey Dixon won Special Teams Player of the Year.

The complete list of 2023 KCAC Football All-Conference honorees can be found below, and on the KCAC website.

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FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

(U) designates a Unanimous First Team honoree.
 

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

(U) designates a Unanimous First Team honoree.
 

FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS

HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSE

HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSE

HONORABLE MENTION SPECIAL TEAMS