ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Widener University football team has placed nine players on MAC All-Conference teams and garnered one major award as announced by the league on Tuesday afternoon. Jordan Powell was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Powell, Vince Char, Montrell Hicks-Taylor, Casey Kerschner, and Andrew Thomas were all voted to the First Team. Rob Ennis, Jr. and Michael Raczak were selected as Second Team performers. Joe Fox and Tyree Nobles, Jr. received Honorable Mention accolades.
 
MAC All-Conference Release
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Third time in the last four years that Widener has had the MAC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Sixth year in a row Widener has had an offensive lineman recognized on the First Team.
• Fourth year in a row that the Pride has placed at least two defensive linemen on the First Team.
• Four of the honorees for the Blue and Gold are repeat All-Conference performers.

 
Powell leads NCAA Division III with five defensive touchdowns, more than all but eight teams in the nation. He is also tied for the MAC lead and is in the top-20 in the country with six interceptions. Overall for the year he has 49 tackles, 10.5 TFL, nine pass breakups, a sack, and a forced fumble.
 
Char garners First Team honors for the second straight season in a year where he leads the MAC with 13.5 sacks and 23.0 tackles for loss. He set an NCAA single-game high this season across all divisions when he recorded six QB takedowns against King's on Nov. 4. Overall he is tied for second on Widener with 77 tackles. It is the fourth straight season
 
Hicks-Taylor is making his third appearance on an All-Conference team after receiving Second Team accolades in 2014 and Honorable Mention last year. He leads the Pride and is fifth in the MAC in receiving yards (879) and touchdowns (7), while ranking second on the Blue and Gold with 42 catches. All seven of his scores this season have gone for 35 or more yards with a long of 82 at Wilkes on Oct. 7.
 
Kerschner earns First Team distinction for the second straight season for a year where he recorded 12.0 sacks and 20.0 tackles for loss, both of which are second to Char in the conference and rank in the top-10 in NCAA Division III. He leads Widener with 90 total tackles this season and has five pass breakups to go along with three QB hurries.
 
Thomas is making his first All-Conference team. He has started all 10 games this season and has helped to anchor an offensive line that has allowed just 20 sacks this season.
 
Ennis has enjoyed a breakout second half to the season, leading the Pride in rushing with 433 rushing yards and four TD. He scored his first career touchdown on Sept. 23 at Albright and had a four-game stretch from Oct. 7 to Nov. 4 where he averaged 87.8 yards per game on the ground including a season-high 117 yards at Stevenson on Oct. 28, helping the Blue and Gold to program win #700.
 
Raczak picks up Second Team honors in back-to-back seasons, ranking second in the MAC at 40.1 yards per punt, including dropping 13 inside the 20. He has also connected on 28-of-32 extra points this season.
 
Fox has started every game this season at middle linebacker and is tied for second on the Pride with 77 tackles. He also ranks fourth on the team with 5.5 TFL and picked off his first career pass against King's on Nov. 4.
 
Nobles started nine games this season for Widener, amassing 34 tackles, 2.0 TFL, and has four pass breakups. He also has contributed a forced fumble and has recovered a fumble.
 
The Pride will play in its first postseason game since 2014 when it travels to Franklin & Marshall on Saturday, Nov. 18 to compete in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series. Kickoff from Lancaster, Pa. is scheduled for noon.