Six Vikings named NSAA Football All-Conference
Six Valley City State University football players were named to the North Star Athletic Association AllConference teams announced Monday by the conference office.
Sammy Trejo, Justice Bice and Riley Gerhardt earned 1st Team All-Conference honors, while Troy Dietz, Jahidi West and Dustin Kasowski received 2nd Team All-Conference.
The NSAA Football All-Conference teams are voted on by the conference's head coaches.
Named Honorable Mention AllConference for VCSU were linebacker Ashton Raquino, defensive back Paco Baltazar, offensive lineman Joseph Salas and running back Taylor Simmons.
1st Team All-Conference
Trejo, a junior offensive lineman from El Paso, Texas, was named 1st Team All-Conference for the third straight season on the offensive line. Valley City State's offense led the NSAA in rushing yards this season, averaging 177 yards per contest on the round.
Bice, a junior running back from
Bonifay, Fla, earned his second straight All-Conference selection. Bice averaged 75 yards per game this season on the ground and scored seven total touchdowns.
Gerhardt, a sophomore defensive lineman from Valley City, also earned his second straight All-Conference honor. Gerhardt led the entire NAIA with 12.5 sacks this season, which is the third best season in Viking history. He totaled 109 tackles, averaging 10.9 stops per game.
2nd Team All-Conference
Troy Dietz, a sophomore offensive lineman from Gwinner, N.D., earned his third straight All-Conference honor as a key member of VCSU's offensive line, which led the NSAA in rushing this season.
Linebacker Jahidi West, a junior from Stockton, Calif., was named All-Conference for the second straight year. He had four interceptions this season, six pass break-ups and 55 total tackles.
Linebacker Dustin Kasowski, a senior from Ayr, N.D., finished the season with 63 tackles and recovered two fumbles to earn 2nd Team AllConference. He has been named AllConference or Honorable Mention in each of his four season.
Valley City State finished the season with a 5-5 overall record and a 4-2 record in the North Star Athletic Association. After starting the year 0-3, VCSU went 5-2 over its last seven games. The Vikings finished tied for second in the NSAA standings.
Honorable Mention All-Conference
Baltazar, a junior from El Paso, Texas, was credited with 29 tackles and five pass break-ups this season.
Raquino, a sophomore from Wahiawa, Hawaii, finished with 56 tackles and 4 tackles for loss this season.
Salas, a senior offensive lineman from El Paso, Texas, was a key starter on VCSU's offensive line that helped the Vikings lead the NSAA in rushing this season.
Simmons, a sophomore from McCleary, Wash., rushed for 436 yards and five touchdowns. He led the team with 103 all-purpose yards per game, serving as the team's primary kick and punt returner.