FARMINGTON, Utah (November 23, 2022) – Seven Lumberjacks earned places on the Big Sky's 2022 All-Conference Teams Wednesday morning, with two named to the Second Team, three to the Third Team and two more as Honorable Mentions.
Once again, safety
Morgan Vest landed on the Big Sky's Second Team where he was joined by defensive end
Cosmas Kwete. Receiver
Coleman Owen, offensive lineman
PJ Poutasi and defensive end
Eloi Kwete were all placed on the Big Sky's Third Team while
Hendrix Johnson and
Draycen Hall finished the season with honorable mentions.
Vest, who concluded his Lumberjack career with 260 tackles to rank first in the program since 2000, ranked second in the Big Sky this season with 102 tackles. The total ranks sixth in a single season since 1995, just behind Vest's 106 from 2021. Vest also finished fifth in the Big Sky with 11 passes defended this fall as he earned Second Team honors from the conference for the second consecutive year and finished with All-Big Sky recognition for the third consecutive season.
Joining Vest on the Second Team,
Cosmas Kwete finished with 60 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and eight quarterback hurries. The sack total tied for seventh in the Big Sky while his 1.2 tackles for loss per game finished second in the conference and 45th in the nation. Now at 17.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and 23 quarterback hurries during his Lumberjack career,
Cosmas Kwete is just outside the Top 10 in the first two categories while ranking among the top of the third.
Cosmas Kwete's twin brother
Eloi Kwete earned third team honors at defensive end as well, finishing third in the Big Sky with 7.0 sacks and sixth with 11.0 tackles for loss. Eloi's 16.0 career sacks now ranks him sixth in the program since 2000 while the 26.5 career tackles for loss is now seventh at Northern Arizona since 2000.
Owen earned his second career postseason honor from the Big Sky, finishing second in the Big Sky with 6.9 receptions per game and seventh in receiving yardage at 690 yards. Owen, who played in nine games this season, moved up to 21st all-time in receiving yards while ranking just outside the Top 10 all-time with 123 receptions.
Poutasi finished his Northern Arizona career with a spot on the Third Team after starting all 11 games along the offensive line for the Lumberjacks. Spending nine games at left guard, one at right guard and one at left tackle, Poutasi helped lead the way as Northern Arizona finished 21st in the FCS in Passing Offense and 61st in the FCS in Total Offense.
Rounding out the Big Sky honorees, Johnson and Hall earned Honorable Mentions for their roles within the Lumberjacks' offense. Hall finished seventh in the Big Sky in all-purpose yards with 546 rushing yards and 344 receiving yards, both single-season career highs for the running back, as well as 128 kick return yards. Finishing with 50 receptions in 2022, Hall's catch total is the highest for a non-receiver at Northern Arizona in more than a decade.
Johnson moved up to eighth all-time in receiving yards and sixth in receptions after finishing the 2022 season with 60 receptions for 671 yards. Johnson's second consecutive season as an honorable mention included three 100-yard games with all five of his touchdowns coming within the final six games of the season.
While Vest and Poutasi graduate this year,
Cosmas Kwete,
Eloi Kwete, Owen, Johnson and Hall all return for the Lumberjacks in 2023 as all five continue to move up Northern Arizona's all-time rankings at their respective positions.
For a full list of the Big Sky Conference's honorees, click here.
