GRINNELL, Iowa – The Midwest Conference announced the list of 2022 All-Conference honorees on Tuesday morning, with 17 Ripon players among the honorees. The Red Hawks also picked up a trio of specialty awards following the program's best season in more than a decade.
Head coach
Ron Ernst was selected as the Midwest Coach of the Year after a 9-1 season that saw the Red Hawks average 37 points per game. Ripon began the season with an eight-game win streak and wrapped up the campaign with a perfect 6-0 record at home heading into this weekend's playoff tilt.
First-Team running back
Cormac Madigan was voted as the league's Offensive Skill MVP after racking up 1,150 yards on the ground to with 11 touchdowns in 10 games. The Rosendale, Wis. native finished the regular season as Ripon's leader in receptions as well, grabbing 28 catches out of the backfield for another 341 yards and three more scores.
Additionally, Madigan was named as the winner of the conference's Elite 20 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest combined achievement in academics and athletics. Madigan is a chemistry-biology major and is set to receive his degree this coming spring.
Offensive linemen Cameron Bolt and
Keshon Cleveland landed on the First and Second Teams respectively after helping Ripon's offense post more than 3,600 total yards from scrimmage this season. The Red Hawks also picked up 190 first downs and converted just under 74% of fourth down attempts, both ranking near the top of the league leaderboard.
Quarterback
Jarrett Zibert found his way onto the First Team behind a steady junior season that produce 1,622 and 17 touchdowns in the air to go with 376 yards and another five scores on the ground. Zibert ended as Ripon's second-leading rusher, giving the Red Hawks one of the most lethal 1-2 rushing punches in the conference.
First-Team wideout
Kaipo Magsayo hauled in 24 catches for 369 yards this fall, and his nine receiving touchdowns ranked second in the league. Parker Campena landed on the Second Team after bringing in 27 receptions that went for 318 yards and a pair of scores, and he has recorded a catch in every game so far this fall.
The Red Hawk defensive line was a force to be reckoned with all season, as
Dylon Ross (First Team),
Quincy DiLoreto (Second Team) and
Desmond Murphy (Second Team) gave Ripon a third of the All-Conference honorees at the position. Ross recorded 13.0 tackles for loss and was credited with three hurries, while DiLoreto and Murphy combined for 11.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Damean Netzler anchored a Red Hawk linebacking corps that wreaked havoc on quarterbacks in nearly every game, coming away with an incredible 70 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3 QB hurries and a pair of forced fumbles. New Holstein, Wis. native
Brad Guell earned Second-Team status after a senior season that featured 55.0 tackles, 8.0 TFL and a fumble recovery.
Three members of the Ripon secondary –
Zach Bunders, Fletcher Dallas and Jake Davies – all found their way onto the All-League Second Team after the Red Hawks recorded 11 interceptions as a team. All three players ranked in the top seven in the league in passes defended, and the Ripon defense finished 2022 in second on the team leaderboard in red zone defense.
Davies was named as the Second-Team return specialist for averaging 20.8 yards per return on kickoffs and 14.4 for punts. Bunders joined him as the defensive special teams player on the Second Team, as he led the league in tackles on punts and kickoffs.
Ripon kicker
Erik Flores was voted as the premier kicker in the league for obvious reasons, turning in the best field goal percentage in the league as a junior. He totaled 69 points for the season, including 10 on PATs in the final game of the year.
Midwest Conference Full Release