Eleven Bulldogs Score All-Conference Honors, Including Six First Team Picks
Eleven Allan Hancock College football players have received All-Conference honors from coaches in the National Northern Conference. Six defensive players and five from the offensive-side of the ball received the postseason recognition.
Sophomore linebackers Willie Iribarren (left) and Jonathon General (center), as well as defensive lineman Kevon Perry (right) were Hancock's First Team Defense selections.
Iribarren, who was a Second Team selection last year, also finished runner-up for the conference's Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Lompoc High School graduate led the Bulldogs and ranked fourth in the state with 98 tackles. He averaged 10.9 tackles per game which ranked second in California. He added nine tackles for lost yardage, broke up three passes and returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown. Iribarren finished his Hancock career with 157 total tackles.
General moved from the defensive line to linebacker this season. He finished with 63 tackles, three tackles for lost yardage, broke up two passes and returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown. Perry, a freshman, finished second on the Bulldogs with 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles for lost yardage. The Buffalo native compiled 47 total tackles.
Freshman defensive end Isaiah Hill (left), cornerback Logan Sprouse (center) and safety Deonte Barnes (right) were Second Team Defense picks. Hill, a Pioneer Valley High School graduate, led Hancock with 12.5 tackles for lost yardage, including seven sacks. The 6-foot-2, 201 pound Hill finished fourth on the team with 59 total tackles.
Sprouse and Barnes were both sophomores and Atascadero High School graduates. Sprouse also served as the team's punter. He racked up 51 tackles at defensive back and led the Bulldogs with five interceptions and 15 pass breakups. Sprouse ranked 17th in the state in interceptions and second in breakups. He broke a program record set in 2008 for most pass breakups in a single season.
Barnes finished with 73 total tackles for the Bulldogs, which ranked second on the team. He had one interception, recovered one fumble, forced one fumble and broke up three passes.
Representing the Bulldogs on the offensive-side of the ball are lineman Francisco Mendez (left), running back Lauina Futi (center) and kicker Jose Morales (right), who were all First Team Offense picks. Tight end Ryan Mediano and lineman Tamilo Iosefa were Second Team selections.
Mendez, a six-foot-six, 298 pound lineman, returned from a redshirt season to anchor the Hancock offense line. He helped the Bulldogs average 225 rushing yards and 393 total yards of offense per game.
Futi came on strong in the second half of the season to finish with 778 rushing yards on 127 carries. He ranked 20th in the state in rushing yards, as well as 17th with an average of 77.8 rushing yards per game, as well as 15th in California with an average of 6.1 yards per carry. The freshman from American Samoa scored five touchdowns. He reached the 100+yard mark in four out of the last five games of the season, including a season-high 124 yards in the season finale against Moorpark.
Morales, a Lompoc High School graduate, tied for third in the state with 15 field goals, including a long of 50 yards. He converted 75 percent of his field goal attempts and made 31 of his 32 extra point attempts. The freshman accounted for 76 points this season for the Bulldogs, which ranked sixth in the state.
Mediano (left) was a consistent target for quarterbacks Curry Parham and Andrew Madrigal. The St. Joseph High School graduate finished with 17 receptions for 136 yards, an average of eight yards per catch. The sophomore scored one touchdown, an eight-yard score against Santa Barbara.
Iosefa (right) helped to anchor the Hancock offensive line. The six-foot-three, 276 pounder arrived from Pago Pago, American Samoa. He emerged as a valuable lineman in training camp and quickly solidified a starting spot.
The Bulldogs finished the season 4-6 overall and 3-3 in conference. Hancock ended the season No. 17 in Southern California Regional Coaches Poll.