Black and Madar headline 15 All-MIAA selections for football team

FREELAND, Mich. -- Seniors Braden Black and Justin Madar headline 15 All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) selections for the Olivet College football team. Black was selected as the MIAA's Offensive Most Valuable Player, while Madar was named the MIAA's Defensive Most Valuable Player, and both were automatically added to All-MIAA first-team. Joining them on the first-team were senior punter Ryan Anderson, senior wideout Mitchell Bailey, senior defensive lineman Robert Cuba, senior linebacker Thomas Gary-Homes, junior defensive back Walter Love III and junior running back Jerome Washington.

All-MIAA second-team picks were junior sophomore linebacker Chase Cavric, defensive lineman Tyler Douglas, senior running back Damorria Lilly, junior wideout Kornelius Saxton, sophomore defensive back Jaquan Short, sophomore offensive lineman Jakeup Stuller and junior defensive back Javon Walker. Bailey was also added to the list as a second-team return specialist. All-MIAA honors are based on the players' performance during the six-game league schedule.

Under the leadership of head coach Dan Pifer, the Comets captured the outright 2016 MIAA Championship with a perfect 6-0 record. Olivet currently has a 9-1 overall record, with the nine wins tying for the most in school history for a season. The Comets received the league's automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division III National Championships and will travel to University Heights, Ohio, to face John Carroll (Ohio) University Saturday afternoon at noon.

For the season, Black has completed 168-of-270 passes for 2,196 yards and 19 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. The 2,196 yards are the third-most for a single-season, while the 168 completions and 270 attempts are fourth- and fifth-most, respectively. Madar has recorded 44 total tackles, including a single-season school record 10.5 quarterback sacks.

Anderson leads the conference in punting with a 47.4 average, including a long of 65 yards. Bailey has set single-season records with 59 pass receptions and 849 yards. He also has 20 total kickoff and punt returns for 186 yards. Lilly leads the ground game with 156 rushes for 551 yards and seven touchdowns. Saxton has hauled in 46 passes for 687 yards. Stuller helped block for an offense which averaged 381 yards per game. Washington has 86 carries for 417 yards and scored a team-best eight touchdowns.

Gary-Homes and Love III are tied for the team lead with 58 total tackles. Gary-Homes has 8.5 tackles for loss, including five quarterback sacks. Walker is next with 51 tackles. He has three interceptions and broken up 11 passes. Cavric and Cuba both have 38 tackles. Off Cuba's 38 stops, 11.5 came from behind the line of scrimmage. Short has 37 tackles to go along with a team-leading five interceptions. Douglas has registered 31 tackles.

NOTES: The 15 All-MIAA selections are the most by one school in 2016 and also the most All-conference selections in school history for one year. The previous high for Olivet was 14 honorees in 1991. It also only the second time in MIAA history that one school had both the offensive and defensive MVPs.