Four Golden Bears earn All-Conference honors

Four Golden Bears earn All-Conference honors

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Miles had four players grab six spots on the 2016 All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team, which was announced today. Cedric Poole and Nick Christiansen earned First Team honors while Ashton McKenzie and Caleb Duncan, along with Christiansen, grabbed spots on the Second Team.

Poole, a 6-foot, 196-pound senior from Birmingham, Ala., was named to the First Team as a defensive back and punt returner. With one game remaining, Poole leads the Golden Bears with 52 tackles (43 solo), four interceptions and 11 total passes defended. He tied for lead in interceptions in conference games, including touchdown returns against Morehouse (59 yards) and Tuskegee (58 yards). Poole, who had an 83-yard touchdown return against Clark Atlanta, averaged more than 30 yards per punt return for Miles, which leads the nation in punt return average. He was one of just two players to earn multiple spots on the All-SIAC team this season.

The other player to accomplish the feat was Christiansen, was selected as the placekicker on the First Team and the Punter on the Second Team. This is the second straight First Team selection for Christiansen, a 6-foot-2, 237-pound junior from Clayton, N.C. The preseason All-SIAC selection led the league in field goals made and points scored by a kicker, making 10-of-19 field goals and 26-of-28 extra points. He booted a season-long 40-yard field goal against Tuskegee, had three games where he made multiple field goals, and is in the top-30 in Division II in successful field goal attempts. Christiansen also did a solid job handling the punting duties for the Golden Bears, averaging 37.4 yards on 43 punts with two that went 53 yards.

Joining Christiansen on the Second Team were two first-time picks. McKenzie, a 5-10, 245-pound senior from Bronx, N.Y., was selected as a defensive lineman, He had 23 tackles (17 solo), and led the team in tackles for loss (10 for 60 yards) and sacks (six for 46 yards) while also forcing a fumble. Duncan, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior from New Orleans, was chosen as a defensive back. He led the Golden Bears with five interceptions and tied with 11 passes defended. He had 37 tackles (30 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and fumble recovery, and two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

The Golden Bears will have one more opportunity to add to these statistics when they close their season against Alabama State in the Turkey Day Classic. Kickoff is set for Nov. 24 at 3 p.m.

2016 SIAC Football All-Conference First Team
Kevin Lacey QB Tuskegee SR Wetumpka, Ala.
Leo Gilbert TE Tuskegee SR Miami, Fla.
Otis Brown WR Fort Valley State SR Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Trenton Earl WR Clark Atlanta  SR Detroit, Mich. 
Marcus Holliday RB Lane  JR  Memphis, Tenn.
George Myers, Jr. RB Benedict JR Hephzibah, Ga.
Javoris Wilburn OL Albany State R-SR Warrenton, Ga.
Tedrick Cofield OL Albany State JR Atlanta, Ga. 
Leeward Brown OL Tuskegee JR Miami, Fla. 
Kelvin Shelton OL Tuskegee SR San Jacinto, Calif.
Tyshon Henderson OL Clark Atlanta R-JR Newark, N.J.
Whitney Richardson DL Lane JR Perkinston, Miss.
Julian Morgan DL Tuskegee SR Lithia Springs, Ga.
Grover Stewart  DL Albany State  SR Camilla, Ga. 
Monte Taylor DL Albany State SR Springdale, Md.
David Smith LB  Morehouse JR Newport News, Va.
Deonate Gary  LB Central State SR Lakeland, Fla.
Osband Thompson LB Tuskegee JR Miami, Fla.
Brian Walker DB Fort Valley State SR Cairo, Ga.
Jonah McCutcheon DB Tuskegee JR Mobile, Ala.
Cedric Poole DB Miles SR Birmingham, Ala.
Edward Kirkland DB Benedict  JR Columbia, S.C.
Nick Christiansen K Miles JR Clayton, N.C.
Juan Serna P Fort Valley State JR Douglasville, Ga.
Ricci Nuckles KR Morehouse FR Suwanee, Ga.
Cedric Poole PR Miles SR Birmingham, Ala.
 
2016 SIAC Football All-Conference Second Team
 
Johnathan McCrary* QB Clark Atlanta R-JR Decatur, Ga.
Lake McGuffie TE Morehouse SR Hampton, Ga.
Desmond Reece  WR Tuskegee SR Valley, Ala.
Okechi Ntiasagwe WR Benedict  JR Columbia, S.C.
De'Michael Jackson RB Central State SR Louisville, Ky.
Reginal Harris RB Kentucky State SR Miami, Fla.
Brian Cornish OL Fort Valley State SR Warner Robins, Ga.
Justin Brown OL Benedict SO Marietta, Ga.
Howard Bush OL Lane JR Mobile, Ala.
Marcus Campbell, Jr. OL Kentucky State SO Radcliff, Ky.
Darius Thomas OL Central State FR Cincinnati, Ohio 
Ashton McKenzie DL Miles SR Bronx, N.Y.
Charles Williams DL Benedict JR Barnwell, S.C.
Rodriguez Jones DL Kentucky State JR Newport News, Va.
Sam Goode DL Fort Valley State SR Duval County, Fla.
Travon Spencer LB Kentucky State SR Louisville, Ky.
Jacob Mitchell LB Clark Atlanta SR Decatur, Ga.
Javonte Kelly LB Lane SR Memphis, Tenn.
Clim Robbins DB Central State SR West Orlando, Fla.
Anthony Blackmon DB Lane JR Fairhope, Ala. 
Caleb Duncan DB Miles SR New Orleans, La.
Vincent Edwards, Jr. DB Kentucky State SR Cincinnati, Ohio
Bill Rose K Kentucky State R-SR Lawrenceburg, Ky.
Nick Christiansen P Miles JR Clayton, N.C.
Deandre Jackson KR Clark Atlanta SR Atlanta, Ga.
Jamion Dunning PR Lane SR Memphis, Tenn.
 


 
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