HAMMOND, La. – A quartet of Southeastern Louisiana student-athletes was selected to the 2018 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams, which were announced by the league office on Thursday.
Representing the Lions on the All-Southland teams are junior kick returner Juwan Petit-Frere, sophomore running back Marcus Cooper, junior offensive lineman Alfred Beverly and senior linebacker Tamarcus Russell. Petit-Frere was a first team selection, while the other three were named to the second team.
“We’re glad to see these four young men representing us on the All-Southland Conference teams,” SLU head football coach Frank Scelfo said. “We expect all of them to continue to grow during camp and help us win football games this fall. Hopefully all four, plus some of their teammates, will be on the all-conference teams at the end of the season. It’s not where you start, but where you finish that’s important.”
The preseason honor for Petit-Frere is just the latest for the Orlando, Florida native, who has already been named preseason All-America by Athlon Sports and HERO Sports. He’s coming off a sophomore campaign that saw him lead FCS with a kickoff return average of 34.6 – the second-highest in conference and school history.
Petit-Frere was not the only Lion speedster to make an immediate impact in 2017. Cooper led SLU with 646 rushing yards in his freshman campaign out of Rice Consolidated High School. The Altair, Texas native set a new single-season school record with 10.1 yards per carry on the way to being named All-Southland Conference.
Helping to clear the way for Cooper was Beverly, who played all 11 games in his sophomore season. The Beaumont, Texas native was part of an offensive line corps that helped Southeastern rank third nationally with 283.1 rushing yards per game.
Rounding out the preseason All-Southland Southeastern honorees is Russell. The Dadeville, Alabama native posted 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and a forced fumble in his first season with the Lions. The Fresno City College product is expected to take on a bigger role in 2018.
Scelfo, Beverly and junior defensive back Dejion Lynch will represent SLU at the Southland Conference Football Media Days on July 19 at the Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria. The Lion representatives will be on stage at 1:15 p.m. and the entire event will be streamed on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
The Lions will officially report to campus on July 31 with the first practice of fall camp set for August 1. Southeastern opens the 2018 season on Aug. 30 with a 7 p.m. contest at ULM.
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2018 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams
First Team Offense
Pos. – Name – University – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown
QB – Chase Fourcade – Nicholls – 6-0 – 190 – Jr. – Metairie, La.
RB – David Hamm – McNeese – 6-0 – 222 – Sr. – Klein, Texas
RB – Carlos Blackman – Central Arkansas – 6-1 – 228 – Jr. – Gosnell, Ark.
TE/HB – Lawayne Ross – McNeese – 6-0 – 264 – Jr. – Richwood, Texas
WR – Davion Davis – Sam Houston State – 5-11 – 180 – Sr. – Hutto, Texas
WR – Nathan Stewart – Sam Houston State – 5-11 – 175 – Jr. – Dallas, Texas
WR – Damion Jeanpiere Jr. – Nicholls – 6-1 – 185 – Sr. – Kenner, La.
OL – Mitchell Watanabe – Sam Houston State – 6-4 – 330 – Sr. – San Antonio, Texas
OL – Chandler Arceneaux – Nicholls – 6-5 – 295 – Sr. – Bourg, La.
OL – Ryan Hanley – Nicholls – 6-2 – 290 – Sr. – Metairie, La.
OL – Eric David – Sam Houston State – 6-4 – 282 – Jr. – Richmond, Texas
OL – Tristan Wendt – Sam Houston State – 6-0 – 285 – Sr. – Schulenberg, Texas
AP – Davion Davis – Sam Houston State – 5-11 – 180 – Sr. – Hutto, Texas
PK – Gunnar Raborn – McNeese – 5-9 – 174 – Sr. – Lafayette, La.
P – Alex Kjellsten – McNeese – 5-8 – 164 – Sr. – Lake Charles, La.
First Team Defense
DL – Chris Terrell – Central Arkansas – 6-3 – 270 – Jr. – Pensacola, Fla.
DL – Eric Jackson – Central Arkansas – 6-1 – 275 – Sr. – Apopka, Fla.
DL – Sully Laiche – Nicholls – 6-2 – 270 – Jr. – Gramercy, La.
DL – Kenny Dotson – Nicholls – 6-3 – 250 – Sr. – Plaquemine, La.
LB – Allen Pittman – Nicholls – 5-11 – 215 – Jr. – St. Rose, La.
LB – Hezekiah White – Nicholls – 6-0 – 220 – Sr. – Boutte, La.
LB – BJ Blunt – McNeese – 6-1 – 210 – Sr. – New Orleans, La.
DB – Raphael Lewis – Houston Baptist – 6-0 – 182 – Sr. – Elk Grove, Calif.
DB – Alize Ward – Stephen F. Austin – 5-10 – 190 – Jr. – San Diego, Calif.
DB – Corey Abraham – Nicholls – 6-0 – 220 – Sr. – Breaux Bridge, La.
DB – Juan Jackson – Central Arkansas – 5-11 – 190 – Jr. – Gardendale, Ala.
DB – Ahmani Martin – Nicholls – 5-10 – 185 – Sr. – Reserve, La.
KR – Juwan Petit-Frere – Southeastern Louisiana – 5-7 – 170 – Jr. – Orlando, Fla.
PR – Davion Davis – Sam Houston State – 5-11 – 180 – Sr. – Hutto, Texas
Second Team Offense
QB – James Tabary – McNeese – 6-2 – 215 – Sr. – New Orleans, La.
RB – Marcus Cooper – Southeastern Louisiana – 5-8 – 160 – So. – Altair, Texas
RB – Kyran Irvin – Nicholls – 6-1 – 220 – Jr. – Darrow, La.
TE/HB – Josh Nix – Central Arkansas – 6-5 – 255 – So. – Tuscumbia, Ala.
WR – Tamrick Pace – Stephen F. Austin – 6-3 – 195 – Jr. – Brownsboro, Texas
WR – Kody Edwards – UIW – 6-0 – 165 – Sr. – Mesquite, Texas
WR – Dai’jean Dixon – Nicholls – 6-4 – 200 – So. – New Orleans, La.
OL – Alfred Beverly – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-4 – 345 – Jr. – Beaumont, Texas
OL – Adrian Harris – Central Arkansas – 6-4 – 315 – So. – Tyler, Texas
OL – Hunter Watts – Central Arkansas – 6-8 – 320 – Jr. – San Antonio, Texas
OL – Grant Burguillos – McNeese – 6-4 – 281 – Jr. – Mandeville, La.
OL – Eddie Houston – Nicholls – 6-2 – 280 – Sr. – Newton, Miss.
AP – Alize Ward – Stephen F. Austin – 5-10 – 190 – Jr. – San Diego, Calif.
PK – Lorran Fonseca – Nicholls – 5-11 – 185 – Sr. – Hercules, Calif.
P – Caleb Lewallen – Stephen F. Austin – 5-10 – 200 – Sr. – Kingwood, Texas
Second Team Defense
DL – Chris Stewart – Sam Houston State – 6-2 – 270 – Sr. – Petal, Miss.
DL – Chris Livings – McNeese – 6-2 – 210 – Jr. – Lake Charles, La.
DL – Cardell Best – Central Arkansas – 6-3 – 255 – Sr. – Little Elm, Texas
DL – Nathan Grant – Central Arkansas – 6-4 – 245 – So. – Carrollton, Texas
LB – Tamarcus Russell – Southeastern Louisiana – 5-10 – 210 – Sr. – Dadeville, Ala.
LB – Raphael Garner – Central Arkansas – 6-2 – 235 – Sr. – Thomasville, Ala.
LB – Ryan Woods – Stephen F. Austin – 6-0 – 232 – Sr. – Pearland, Texas
DB – Trenton Gordon – Stephen F. Austin – 5-11 – 195 – So. – Rowlett, Texas
DB – Bolu Onifade – Abilene Christian – 6-0 – 185 – So. – Oklahoma City, Okla.
DB – Darion Dunn – McNeese – 6-1 – 180 – So. – Oakdale, La.
DB – Zyon McCollum – Sam Houston State – 6-3 – 180 – So. – Galveston, Texas
DB – Colby Burton – McNeese – 5-10 – 180 – Jr. – League City, Texas
KR – Cedric Battle – Central Arkansas – 5-10 – 180 – Sr. – Wichita Falls, Texas
PR – Zae Giles – Lamar – 5-9 – 177 – Jr. – Austin, Texas
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