Hounds place trio on LSC 1st team

Staff report

RICHARDSON, Texas — Eastern New Mexico University senior fullback E’lon Spight of St. Louis and junior linebacker Seth Bailey of Texico were named the Lone Star Conference’s back of the year and linebacker of the year in football awards announced on Thursday by the league office.

Both players were named to the All-LSC first team, along with senior defensive back Kevin Reaves of Albuquerque. A total of 13 Greyhounds were honored by the conference after ENMU finished off a 7-4 season (3-4 LSC) and placed fifth in the league’s first postseason playoff.

Spight rushed for an ENMU record and conference-leading 1,611 yards this season while scoring a school-record 19 touchdowns. He had nine 100-yard rushing games, topped by a 217-yard performance in a playoff semifinal win against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Bailey led the team in tackles, reaching double figures in four games, and also scored two touchdowns — a 32-yard interception return at McMurry and a 30-yard fumble return in the fifth-place playoff game against West Texas A&M.

Reaves made the first team for the second year in a row. He also led the LSC in punt return average at 16.6 yards, including an 84-yard return against McMurry, and as a return specialist was one of six Hounds named to the honorable mention list.

Second-team honorees for the Hounds were senior wide receiver Jacob Johnson of Idalou, Texas; senior tight end Evan Tooley of Truth or Consequences; senior outside linebacker Benjamin Pedro-Langford of Pago Pago, American Samoa, and senior special-teamer Charlie Savedra of Socorro.

Earning honorable mention status with Reaves were junior quarterback Jeremy Buurma of Las Cruces; junior center Ma’naima Lang of Pago Pago; sophomore outside linebacker Elliot Peters of Mesepa, American Samoa; junior guard William Jurek of Gonzales, Texas, and senior inside linebacker Julian Yearwood of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Two LSC teams qualified for postseason play. Playoff champion Angelo State has a first-round NCAA Division II game on tap today at Michigan Tech, while regular-season champion Texas A&M-Commerce will meet former LSC member East Central in the Heart of Texas Bowl on Dec. 6 at Copperas Cove, Texas.