Weber State University Athletics
15 Wildcats earn 2022 Big Sky All-Conference honors
11/23/2022 10:59:00 AM | Football
Noah Atagi, Eddie Heckard, Maxwell Anderson, Winston Reid and Abraham Williams all earned first-team honors.
Following a 9-2 regular season record, Weber State football had 15 players earn Big Sky All-Conference honors. The league announced the all-conference teams Wednesday, which are selected by the head coaches around the conference.
The Wildcats have five players earn first-team honors, five on the second team, two on the third team and three that received honorable mention honors.Â
Eddie Heckard and Noah Atagi both earned first-team honors for the third time in their careers. Only nine players in Weber State history have earned first-team honors three times in a career. Atagi started all 11 games on the offensive line for the Wildcats and Heckard had 56 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups during the regular season. This is the fourth-straight season for Heckard earning all-conference honors, with three first-team selections.Â
The other first-team selections were also first-time all-conference honors. Maxwell Anderson earned first-team honors as a defensive back. He had five interceptions during the regular season. Winston Reid earned the honor as a linebacker after leading the Wildcats with 95 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in the regular season.Â
Sophomore Abraham Williams earned first-team honors as a kick returner. He leads the nation and set a new Big Sky Conference record with four kickoff return touchdowns this season. He is the first player in FCS history with four kickoff return touchdowns that were each 100 yards.Â
On the second team, senior wide receiver Ty MacPherson earned all-conference honors for the first time in his career. He had 917 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns during the season and is now fifth in career receiving yards.Â
Senior safety Desmond Williams earned all-conference honors for the second time in his career. He finished the regular season second on the team in tackles with 68 and had two interceptions, five pass breakups and a forced fumble.Â
Junior offensive lineman Jordan Lutui, junior defensive tackle Kalisi Moli and junior punt returner Haze Hadley all earned also earned All-Big Sky honors for the first time in their careers. Moli had 25 tackles with four tackles for loss and two sacks. Hadley had 289 punt return yards in just six games played.Â
Two Wildcats earned third-team honors. Sophomore running back Dontae McMillan earned all-conference honors for the second time in his career. He had 681 rushing yards and five touchdowns during the season.Â
Junior center Ethan Atagi also earned the honor for the first time in his career after starting all 11 games on the offensive line.Â
And three players earned honorable mention honors, all the first of their careers. Sophomore running back Damon Bankston ran for 571 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. Senior tight end Justin Malone had 32 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns, and junior Kamden Garrett finished the regular season with 22 tackles, two tackles for loss and five pass breakups. Â
The Wildcats finished the regular season at 9-2 overall, including the first FBS win in 29 years. WSU was third in the Big Sky at 6-2 and finished the regular season ranked ninth in the nation.Â
Weber State advanced to the FCS Playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven years.Â
2022Â Weber State All-Big Sky Conference honorsÂ
FIRST TEAM
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SECOND TEAM
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THIRD TEAM
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HONORABLE MENTION
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The Wildcats have five players earn first-team honors, five on the second team, two on the third team and three that received honorable mention honors.Â
Eddie Heckard and Noah Atagi both earned first-team honors for the third time in their careers. Only nine players in Weber State history have earned first-team honors three times in a career. Atagi started all 11 games on the offensive line for the Wildcats and Heckard had 56 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups during the regular season. This is the fourth-straight season for Heckard earning all-conference honors, with three first-team selections.Â
The other first-team selections were also first-time all-conference honors. Maxwell Anderson earned first-team honors as a defensive back. He had five interceptions during the regular season. Winston Reid earned the honor as a linebacker after leading the Wildcats with 95 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in the regular season.Â
Sophomore Abraham Williams earned first-team honors as a kick returner. He leads the nation and set a new Big Sky Conference record with four kickoff return touchdowns this season. He is the first player in FCS history with four kickoff return touchdowns that were each 100 yards.Â
On the second team, senior wide receiver Ty MacPherson earned all-conference honors for the first time in his career. He had 917 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns during the season and is now fifth in career receiving yards.Â
Senior safety Desmond Williams earned all-conference honors for the second time in his career. He finished the regular season second on the team in tackles with 68 and had two interceptions, five pass breakups and a forced fumble.Â
Junior offensive lineman Jordan Lutui, junior defensive tackle Kalisi Moli and junior punt returner Haze Hadley all earned also earned All-Big Sky honors for the first time in their careers. Moli had 25 tackles with four tackles for loss and two sacks. Hadley had 289 punt return yards in just six games played.Â
Two Wildcats earned third-team honors. Sophomore running back Dontae McMillan earned all-conference honors for the second time in his career. He had 681 rushing yards and five touchdowns during the season.Â
Junior center Ethan Atagi also earned the honor for the first time in his career after starting all 11 games on the offensive line.Â
And three players earned honorable mention honors, all the first of their careers. Sophomore running back Damon Bankston ran for 571 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. Senior tight end Justin Malone had 32 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns, and junior Kamden Garrett finished the regular season with 22 tackles, two tackles for loss and five pass breakups. Â
The Wildcats finished the regular season at 9-2 overall, including the first FBS win in 29 years. WSU was third in the Big Sky at 6-2 and finished the regular season ranked ninth in the nation.Â
Weber State advanced to the FCS Playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven years.Â
2022Â Weber State All-Big Sky Conference honorsÂ
FIRST TEAM
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| Maxwell Anderson | Defensive Back | Junior |
| Noah Atagi | Offensive Line | Junior |
| Eddie Heckard | Defensive Back   | Junior |
| Winston Reid   | Linebacker | Junior |
| Abraham Williams | Kick returner  | Sophomore |
SECOND TEAM
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| Haze Hadley | Punt Returner | Junior |
| Jordan Lutui   | Offensive Line | Junior |
| Ty MacPherson | Wide Receiver | Senior |
| Kalisi Moli    | Defensive Tackle | Junior |
| Desmond Williams | Defensive Back | Senior |
THIRD TEAM
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| Ethan Atagi | Offensive Line | Junior |
| Dontae McMillan | Running back | Sophomore |
HONORABLE MENTION
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| Damon Bankston | Running back | Sophomore |
| Kamden Garrett | Defensive Back | Junior |
| Justin Malone   | Tight End | Senior |
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