SLU Places Four on Preseason All-Southland Teams

HAMMOND, La. – Four student-athletes represented Southeastern Louisiana on the 2017 Southland Conference Football Preseason All-Conference Teams, which were announced by the league office.

 

The Lions named to the team were junior running back Julius Maracalin, senior linebacker Sione Teuhema, senior defensive back Max Lyons and senior offensive lineman Travis Romero. Maracalin represented SLU on the first team, while the other three were second team choices.

 

Maracalin was a second team All-Southland Conference choice after leading Southeastern with 747 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. The Plaquemine, Louisiana native put together three straight 100-yard performances in the final month of the season, rushing for 444 yards and five touchdowns in wins over UIW, Abilene Christian and Nicholls.

 

Lyons, an honorable mention All-Southland performer in 2016, was an immediate impact performer in his debut season in Hammond. The Los Angeles, California native was second on the team with 73 tackles and led the conference with three fumble recoveries in his first season out of Santa Monica College.

 

While Lyons solidified the secondary in his first season, Teuhema added teeth to the Lion pass rush in his first season after transferring from LSU. The Keller, Texas native was a second team All-Southland pick last season, shaking off an early-season injury to record a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in just eight games.

 

Romero has been a stalwart on the offensive line during his tenure in Hammond. The Manvel, Texas native has been named All-Southland each of the past two seasons. He will team with sophomore Shaq McClain and senior Michael Vick to give SLU a formidable interior offensive line.

 

Lyons and Romero will join head coach Ron Roberts in representing the program at the 2017 Southland Football Media Days, set for July 20 at the Hilton Americas in Houston. The press conferences and student-athlete interviews will air live on ESPN3. The Southeastern contingent will be featured from 1:15 – 1:40 p.m.

 

The Lions will officially report to campus on July 31 with the first practice set for August 1. Southeastern returns 47 letterwinners from a season ago, when SLU finished 7-4 overall and 7-2 in Southland Conference play. The Lions won six of their final seven games, including the last three contests of 2016.

 

Southeastern opens the 2017 season with a 6 p.m. contest at FBS in-state opponent UL Lafayette on Sept. 2. SLU will welcome Bethune-Cookman for a 7 p.m.contest on Sept. 9 to open up its five-game home schedule at Strawberry Stadium.

 

Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466.

 

2017 Southland Conference Football Preseason All-Conference Teams

 

First Team Offense

Pos. – Name – School – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown

QB – Jeremiah Briscoe – Sam Houston State – 6-3 – 225 – Sr. – Houston, Texas

RB – Julius Maracalin – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-0 – 215 – Jr. – Plaquemine, La.

RB – Corey Avery – Sam Houston State – 5-10 – 195 – Sr. – Dallas, Texas

TE/HB – Lawayne Ross – McNeese – 6-0 – 255 – So. – Richwood, Texas

WR – Yedediah Louis – Sam Houston State – 5-8 – 180 – Sr. – New Orleans, La.

WR – Nathan Stewart – Sam Houston State – 5-11 – 175 – So. – Dallas, Texas

WR – Davion Davis – Sam Houston State – 5-11 – 180 – Jr. – Hutto, Texas

OL – Stockton Mallet – Central Arkansas – 6-3 – 307 – Sr. – Harrison, Ark.

OL – Chandler Arceneaux – Nicholls – 6-4 – 260 – Jr. – Bourg, La.

OL – Tyler Tezeno – Sam Houston State – 6-4 – 340 – Sr. – Spring, Texas

OL – John Cook – Central Arkansas – 6-4 – 319 – Jr. – Grenada, Miss.

OL – Josh Keith – Stephen F. Austin – 6-7 – 318 – Sr. – Katy, Texas

AP – Kody Edwards – UIW – 6-0 – 165 – Sr. – Mesquite, Texas

PK – Nik Grau – Abilene Christian – 6-1 – 230 – Sr. – Grapevine, Texas

 

First Team Defense

Pos. – Name – School – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown

DL – P.J. Hall – Sam Houston State – 6-1 – 310 – Sr. – Seguin, Texas

DL – Sully Laiche – Nicholls – 6-2 – 255 – So. – Gramercy, La.

DL – John Franklin – Stephen F. Austin – 6-4 – 284 – Sr. – Greenville, Texas

DL – Cardell Best – Central Arkansas – 6-3 – 248 – Sr. – Little Elm, Texas

LB – Garrett Dolan – Houston Baptist – 6-2 – 240 – Jr. – Mont Belvieu, Texas

LB – Sam Denmark – Abilene Christian – 6-1 – 230 – Sr. – Las Cruces, N.M.

LB – Justin Johnson – Sam Houston State – 6-0 – 220 – Jr. – Converse, Texas

DB – Tremon Smith – Central Arkansas – 6-0 – 186 – Sr. – Anniston, Ala.

DB – George Odum – Central Arkansas – 6-2 – 190 – Sr. – Millington, Tenn.

DB – Andre Fuller – McNeese – 6-0 – 196 – Sr. – Monroe, La.

DB – Jaylon Lofton – Central Arkansas – 6-1 – 175 – Sr. – Forest, Miss.

DB – Christian Boutte – Nicholls – 6-0 – 190 – Sr. – Opelousas, La.

P – Patrick Ponder – Central Arkansas – 6-1 – 200 Sr. – Bay St. Louis, Miss.

KR – Jaylen Harris – Sam Houston State – 5-7 – 155 – So. – Cibolo, Texas

PR – Trae Hart – Stephen F. Austin – 5-11 – 175 – Sr. – Mesquite, Texas

 

Second Team Offense

Pos. – Name – School – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown

QB – Hayden Hildebrand – Central Arkansas – 6-3 – 196 – Sr. – Bossier City, La.

RB – Remus Bulmer – Sam Houston State – 5-7 – 185 – Jr. – Missouri City, Texas

RB – Carlos Blackman – Central Arkansas – 6-1 – 228 – So. – Gosnell, Ark.

TE/HB – Kiki Hill – Stephen F. Austin – 6-2 – 235 – So. – Goliad, Texas

WR – Darious Crawley – McNeese – 5-11 – 190 – Sr. – Houston, Texas

WR – Tamrick Pace – Stephen F. Austin – 6-3 – 200 – So. – Brownsboro, Texas

WR – Kent Shelby – McNeese – 6-3 – 194 – Sr. – New Orleans, La.

OL – Travis Romero – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-3 – 320 – Sr. – Manvel, Texas

OL – Andy Dodd – McNeese – 6-4 – 300 – Gr. – Lindale, Ga.

OL – Mitchell Watanabe – Sam Houston State – 6-4 – 330 – Jr. – San Antonio, Texas

OL – Gilberto Garcia – Central Arkansas – 6-2 – 305 – Sr. – Morrilton, Ark.

OL – Ryan Hanley – Nicholls – 6-2 – 290 – Jr. – Metairie, La.

AP – Trae Hart – Stephen F. Austin – 5-11 – 175 – Sr. – Mesquite, Texas

PK – Alec Chadwick – Houston Baptist – 6-2 – 162 – Jr. – Valencia, Calif.

 

Second Team Defense

Pos. – Name – School – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown

DL – Jammerio Gross-Whitaker – McNeese – 6-3 – 240 – Sr. – Shreveport, La.

DL – Lamont Alexander – Stephen F. Austin – 6-3 – 305 – Jr. – Nolanville, Texas

DL – Chris Terrell – Central Arkansas – 6-3 – 248 – So. – Pensacola, Fla.

DL – Chris Livings – McNeese – 6-2 – 210 – Jr. – Lake Charles, La.

LB – Sione Teuhema – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-4 – 260 – Sr. – Keller, Texas

LB – Allen Pittman – Nicholls – 5-11 – 205 – So. – St. Rose, La.

LB – Cody Moncure – Houston Baptist – 6-2 – 225 – Sr. – Richmond, Texas

DB – Max Lyons – Southeastern Louisiana – 5-10 – 175 – Sr. – Los Angeles, Calif.

DB – Dominique Hill – McNeese – 5-10 – 177 – Sr. – Mansfield, La.

DB – Rodney Randle Jr. – Lamar – 5-10 – 179 – Jr. – Beaumont, Texas

DB – Robert Hayes Jr. – UIW – 6-2 – 185 – So. – Slidell, La.

DB – Derek Broussard – Houston Baptist – 5-9 – 180 – Sr. – Beaumont, Texas

P – Christian Guzman – Houston Baptist – 5-11 – 185 – Sr. – Brookshire, Texas

KR – Alize Ward – Stephen F. Austin – 5-10 – 195 – So. – San Diego, Calif.

PR – Tremon Smith – Central Arkansas – 6-0 – 186 – Sr. – Anniston, Ala.