WACO, TEX. — Randolph-Macon senior center
Matt Hale (Vinton, Va./William Byrd) was named to the 2023 AFCA Division III Coaches' All-America First Team as announced by the American Football Coaches Association.
Hale helped the Yellow Jackets win their first 13 games this season, a program record for victories in a season, and reach the semifinals of the NCAA Championship. RMC hosted three of its four NCAA Playoff contests. The Yellow Jackets won the ODAC title with a 7-0 conference mark. RMC has captured 14 ODAC championships, the most in conference history.
During the regular season, Hale anchored an offensive line for an offense that first in the nation in third down conversion percentage at 61%, third in Red Zone offense at 94%, fifth in first downs at 260, fifth in fourth down conversion percentage at 72%, sixth in scoring offense at 50.9, sixth in fewest penalty yards per game at 32.2, seventh in time of possession at 34:19, ninth in rushing offense at 259.3 and ninth in completion percentage at 70%,
Hale was All-ODAC First Team and All-Region First Team by D3football.com.
Click here to read feature story on twins Matt & Nick Hale along with their Dad Mark written by Andy Lohman
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
2023 AFCA Division III Coaches' All-America Team - First Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Luke Lehnen 6-0 197 Jr. North Central (Ill.) Brad Spencer Chatham, Ill. (Glenwood)
RB Brandon Cade 5-11 190 Jr. Berry (Ga.) Tony Kunczewski Duluth, Ga. (Peachtree Ridge)
RB Giovanni Weeks 6-0 205 Sr. Wheaton (Ill.) Jesse Scott Kent City, Mich. (Kent City)
WR Collin Brunstein 6-2 185 Sr. Illinois College Ray DeFrisco Jacksonville, Ill. (Jacksonville)
WR *Wayne Ruby 6-1 190 Sr. Mount Union (Ohio) Geoff Dartt Pembroke Pines, Fla. (Flanagan)
TE *Alex Larson 6-7 240 Sr. St. John's (Minn.) Gary Fasching Woodbury, Minn. (East Ridge)
OL Miguel Valdez 6-4 300 Sr. Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) Jesse Burleson Clyde, Tex. (Clyde)
OL *Vinny Lepre 5-11 285 Sr. Grove City (Pa.) Andrew DiDonato Pine Grove, Pa. (Pine Grove)
OL Kendrioun Boatman 6-3 310 Gr. Belhaven (Miss.) Blaine McCorkle McAdams, Miss. (McAdams)
OL Mike Bertoia 6-3 305 Sr. Wisconsin-La Crosse Matt Janus Lake Zurich, Ill. (Lake Zurich)
OL Matt Hale 6-2 280 Sr. Randolph-Macon (Va.) Pedro Arruza Vinton, Va. (William Byrd)
Defense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Luke Schuermann 6-4 255 Sr. John Hopkins (Md.) Greg Chimera St. Louis, Mo. (St. Louis University)
DL *Justin Blazek 6-5 245 Sr. Wisconsin-Platteville Ryan Munz Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
DL Ryan Bodolus 6-1 215 Sr. Ursinus (Pa.) Peter Gallagher Pottstown, Pa. (Pottsgrove)
DL Anthony Cikauskas 6-3 240 So. Monmouth (Ill.) Chad Braun Oswego, Ill. (Oswego)
LB *Robert Coury 5-11 205 Sr. Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) Ryan Larsen Phillipsburg, N.J. (Phillipsburg)
LB Owen Grover 6-3 235 Sr. Wartburg (Iowa) Chris Winter Dyersville, Iowa (Beckman Catholic)
LB Blake Rybar 6-2 225 Sr. Linfield (Ore.) Joseph Smith Monroe, Wash. (Monroe)
DB Korey Kelley 5-11 185 Gr. Howard Payne (Tex.) Kevin Bachtel Abilene, Tex. (Cooper)
DB Keith Green III 6-1 180 Sr. Susquehanna (Pa.) Tom Perkovich Edgewood, Md. (Harford Technical)
DB Raylens Boutin 5-9 184 Sr. Brockport (N.Y.) Jason Mangone Nyack, N.Y. (Nyack)
DB Egon Hein 6-0 191 Sr. Wisconsin-Whitewater Jace Rindahl St. Charles, Ill. (North)
Specialists
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
PK Matthew Jumes 5-8 178 Jr. Trinity (Conn.) Jeff Devanney Franklin, Mass. (Moses Brown (R.I.))
P Cameron Shirangi 6-2 190 Sr. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) John Walsh San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (St. Margaret's)
AP Jailen Hobbs 5-8 160 Sr. Rose-Hulman (Ind.) Jeff Sokol Spring Lake, N.C. (Overhills)
LS Blake Ashley 6-0 220 Sr. Bridgewater (Va.) Scott Lemn Seaford, Va. (York)
*-2022 AFCA All-American
2023 AFCA Division III Coaches' All-America Team - Second Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Destin Chance 6-3 205 Jr. Illinois College Ray DeFrisco Auburn, Ill. (Auburn)
RB Garrett Cora 5-11 175 Jr. Franklin (Ind.) Alan Hensell Lizton, Ind. (Tri-West)
RB Paul Garrett 5-9 193 Sr. Greenville (Ill.) Robbie Schomaker Goodwater, Ala. (Clay Central)
WR Jake Breitbach 6-2 197 Sr. Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) Peter Haugen Golden Valley, Minn. (Armstrong)
WR DeAngelo Hardy 6-2 197 Sr. North Central (Ill.) Brad Spencer Lake Villa, Ill. (Lakes)
TE James Nye 6-2 213 Sr. Muhlenberg (Pa.) Nate Milne Clinton, Conn. (The Morgan School)
OL Travis Cepalia 6-2 265 Gr. Tufts (Mass.) Jay Civetti Park Ridge, N.J. (Don Bosco Prep)
OL Jeske Maples 6-2 261 Jr. North Central (Ill.) Brad Spencer Moweaqua, Ill. (Central A&M)
OL Matt McCorkle 6-4 330 Jr. Union (N.Y.) Jon Poppe Odenton, Md. (Phillips Exeter)
OL Alex Klecker 6-7 270 Sr. Wisconsin-River Falls Matt Walker River Falls, Wis. (River Falls)
OL Josh Hartley 6-2 290 Gr. Christopher Newport (Va.) Paul Crowley Newport News, Va. (Woodside)
Defense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Rossy Moore 6-2 205 Jr. Mount Union (Ohio) Geoff Dartt Lima, Ohio (Central Catholic)
DL Martin Egbo 5-11 224 Sr. North Central (Ill.) Brad Spencer Coraopolis, Pa. (Lafayette)
DL John Stroughn 6-0 260 Gr. Utica (N.Y.) Blaise Faggiano Baldwin, N.Y. (Holy Trinity)
DL Nick Fannon 6-2 240 Sr. Albion (Mich.) Travis Rundle Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. (South)
LB Marcellus Romious 6-3 220 Sr. Aurora (Ill.) Don Beebe Belleville, Ill. (West)
LB Charlie Patterson 6-3 215 Sr. Illinois College Ray DeFrisco Auburn, Ill. (Auburn)
LB Mason McMillen 5-11 200 Sr. Mount Union (Ohio) Geoff Dartt Wadsworth, Ohio (Wadsworth)
DB Nick Flegler 5-11 190 So. Hope (Mich.) Peter Stuursma DeWitt, Mich. (DeWitt)
DB Derek Slywka 6-3 215 Gr. Ithaca (N.Y.) Michael Toerper Waterloo, N.Y. (Waterloo)
DB Jack Shaw 6-0 205 Sr. Coe (Iowa) Tyler Staker Atkins, Iowa (Benton Community)
DB Titus Dunk 6-1 190 Sr. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) Larry Harmon Round Rock, Tex. (Round Rock)
Specialists
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
PK Cameron Shirangi 6-2 190 Sr. Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) John Walsh San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (St. Margaret's)
P Ethan Klapatch 6-2 195 Jr. Millsaps (Miss.) Cory York Metairie, La. (Archbishop Rummel)
AP Dameon Gomes 5-5 151 So. Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) Jesse Burleson Mansfield, Tex. (Mansfield)
LS Grady Clay 6-2 180 Sr. East Texas Baptist Calvin Ruzicka San Augustine, Tex. (Shelbyville)
*-2022 AFCA All-American
Team Background: The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. The five teams now chosen for each AFCA?division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen.
From 1967 through 1971, two teams – University Division and College Division – were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II.
In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — Division I-A and Division I-AA.
In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III,?respectively. The AFCA?began selecting an NAIA-only team in 2006. Also in 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)?and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS),?respectively.
From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
Selection Process: The AFCA's Division III?All-America Selection Committee is made up of head coaches representing each conference from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches' All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.
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