Thursday, February 3, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Each of the GNAC’s football programs had a linebacker selected as an Honorable Mention to the Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America Team, among five total representatives from the conference to be selected.

Central Washington senior Donte Hamilton, Simon Fraser senior Griffin Barrett and Western Oregon junior Jaylin Parnell all earned selection after starring in their respective roles during the 2021 season.

Central Washington led the way with three Honorable Mention selections after running the table in conference play and reaching the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Along with Hamilton, tight end Samuel Sanchez and offensive lineman Scottland Vise earned a mention from the Don Hansen Football Committee.

Hamilton made 78 tackles, including 50 solo tackles, on his way to being named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. He led the conference with 11 passes defended and six interceptions, including three in one game against Midwestern State. He ranked second in the GNAC and 25th in Division II with 1.4 tackles for loss per game in the regular season. Hamilton has also earned three selections to the GNAC All-Academic Team.

Sanchez caught 12 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yard touchdown in CWU’s season opener against Eastern New Mexico. The 6-foot-4 senior from Poulsbo, Washington also contributed to Central’s GNAC-leading rushing attack of 181.1 yards per game. He broke through to earn GNAC First-Team All-Conference status in 2021 after three previous second-team selections.

The GNAC Offensive Lineman of the Year, Vise anchored a Wildcats offensive line that helped the team average 44.5 points per game, tied for the second-most in Division II. The junior from Tacoma, Washington helped ensure that Central Washington’s quarterbacks stayed upright, as the team allowed just 1.27 sacks per game, which ranked 30th in Division II.

Barrett was an absolute tackling machine for the Simon Fraser defense. After finishing the year with a GNAC-leading 98 total tackles, Barrett ranked second in Division II with 12.2 tackles per game and sixth in Division II with 6.5 solo tackles per game. Barrett never failed to reach double-digit tackles in any of Simon Fraser’s eight games, with a staggering season-high of 17 against Western Oregon on September 25.

Parnell led Western Oregon and tied for third in the GNAC with 78 total tackles, and was second in the conference with 8.5 sacks. He led the GNAC and ranked 11th in Division II with 1.7 tackles for loss per game. He ranked 24th in Division II with 0.85 sacks per game.

The Don Hansen All-America Team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Illinois, started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988.