ATLANTA, Ga. (November 21, 2019) – Quarterback
Slade Jarman of Fort Valley State headlines the 2019 All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football All-Conference team earning this year’s Overall Player of the Year (MVP) and Offensive Player of the Year award. The team, which features 26 student-athletes covering eleven positions, was voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Fort Valley State’s Defensive Lineman
Demetrius Harris was named Defensive Player of the Year alongside Savannah State’s punt returner,
Einaj Carter, who earned Freshman of the Year.
Defensive End,
Demetrice Lofton of Morehouse was tabbed Newcomer of the Year.
Reginald Ruffin of Miles was named the 2019 SIAC Coach of the Year.
Fort Valley State’s Jarman was named this year’s Overall Player of the Year (MVP) and Offensive Player of the Year award and is the second Wildcat to win each award in almost a decade. The Florida native leads the conference in passing average (262.4 yards per game) and total offense collecting a total of 2,207 yards on the season allowing only five interceptions. Jarman was named BOXTOROW National Player of the Week and SIAC Offensive Player of the Week for three consecutive weeks this season. Prior to his season-ending leg injury, the senior quarterback set personal bests going 174-of-281 for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns for a 61.9% pass efficiency rating.
Demetrius Harris (Fort Valley State) has returned as a top contender in the conference and has been named this year’s Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in sacks (1.35 per game) and finishing second in the conference in tackles for loss collecting 1.95 tackles per game for a loss of 106 total yards. The Decatur, Ga. native led Division II in sacks and ranked at No. 8 in tackles for loss. Harris also led the conference in forced fumbles (0.60 per game) which is good for second in Division II.
In his freshman season, Einaj Carter served as a leader for the Savannah State Tigers as they recorded the programs' first winning season since. The New York native finished the season with 131 rushing yards on 32 carries. He had six catches for 96 passing yards and two touchdowns. Carter had 15 kick returns for 269 yards, averaging 17.9 a carry.
Morehouse’s sophomore defensive end, Demetrice Lofton, earned this year’s Newcomer of the Year award after leading the conference in tackles for loss collecting 17 solo tackles and eight assisted tackles for a loss of 109 total yards this season. The Georgia native averaged 2.10 tackles this season and ranked No. 4 in all Division II. Lofton is also ranked second in the conference for sacks averaging 1.15 sack per game, good for fourth in Division II.
Reginald Ruffin, Head Football Coach at Miles College, was tabbed SIAC Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Bears to back-to-back conference titles in a 21-6 win over Albany State. In his eighth season leading the Golden Bears, Ruffin steered the Golden Bears to the NCAA Division II Football Championship for the second time in school history. Under Ruffin’s helm, the Golden Bears set a school record for victories in a single season, going 8-2 in the regular season and will make their first NCAA Playoff appearance since 2012. Miles led the league in total offense and was second in total defense. The Golden Bears’ rushing defense leads the conference and ranks 11th in the country.
Savannah State and Fort Valley State paced the all-conference teams with nine selections each. Central State, Miles, and Morehouse followed up with six selections respectively ahead of Kentucky State and Albany State who had four all-conference selections. Clark Atlanta and Lane placed three on this year’s all-conference teams preceding Benedict and Tuskegee rounded out the 2019 SIAC Football All-Conference team with one selection each.
(complete team listed below)
2019 SIAC Football All-Conference Team
First Team
| Position |
Name |
School |
Classification |
Hometown |
| Offensive Lineman |
Roger Womack |
Miles |
Senior |
Birmingham, Ala. |
| Offensive Lineman |
Aaron Scroggins |
Miles |
Junior |
Bessemer, Ala. |
| Offensive Lineman |
Darius Thomas |
Central State |
Senior |
Cincinnati, OH |
| Offensive Lineman |
Emmanuel Boone |
Fort Valley State |
Sophomore |
Macon, Ga. |
| Offensive Lineman |
Jean Cyriaque |
Morehouse |
Senior |
Durham, N.C. |
| Tight End |
Jontae Baker |
Savannah State |
Junior |
Valdosta, Ga. |
| Wide Receiver |
Dalane Brown II |
Central State |
Junior |
Youngstown, OH |
| Wide Receiver |
Anthony Evelyn |
Lane |
Sophomore |
Atlantic Beach, Fla. |
| Running Back |
Terraris Saffold |
Central State |
Senior |
Hayneville, Ala. |
| Running Back |
Brett Sylve |
Kentucky State |
Redshirt Junior |
Hammond, La. |
| Quarterback |
Slade Jarman |
Fort Valley State |
Senior |
Pensacola, Fla. |
| Defensive Lineman |
Demetrice Lofton |
Morehouse |
Sophomore |
Fairburn, Ga. |
| Defensive Lineman |
Demetrius Harris |
Fort Valley State |
Redshirt Junior |
Decatur, Ga. |
| Defensive Lineman |
Jahseari Patterson |
Fort Valley State |
Junior |
Cairo, Ga. |
| Defensive Lineman |
Jaylun Thomas |
Miles |
Redshirt Junior |
Sylacauga, Ala. |
| Linebacker |
Jonathan Mathis |
Morehouse |
Senior |
Stone Mountain, Ga. |
| Linebacker |
Kailen Abrams |
Central State |
Junior |
Detroit, MI |
| Linebacker |
Majeste Hansberry |
Fort Valley State |
Sophomore |
Atlanta, Ga. |
| Defensive Back |
Robert Cummings |
Benedict |
Senior |
Macon, Ga. |
| Defensive Back |
Zach Anderson |
Fort Valley State |
Junior |
Cairo, Ga. |
| Defensive Back |
Terrance Harris |
Clark Atlanta |
Junior |
Atlanta, Ga. |
| Defensive Back |
Tyler Scott |
Albany State |
Junior |
Wimauma, Fla. |
| Kicker |
Gabriel Ballinas |
Albany State |
Junior |
Guadalupe, Mexico |
| Punter |
Giovanni Lugo |
Savannah State |
Senior |
Belle Glade, Fla. |
| Punt Returner |
Einaj Carter |
Savannah State |
Freshman |
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. |
| Kick Returner |
Anthony Evelyn |
Lane |
Sophomore |
Atlantic Beach, Fla. |
Second Team
| Position |
Name |
School |
Classification |
Hometown |
| Offensive Lineman |
Anthony Geter |
Kentucky State |
Redshirt Sophomore |
Memphis, Tenn. |
| Offensive Lineman |
Lee Humphrey |
Morehouse |
Senior |
Plano, Ill. |
| Offensive Lineman |
Tajavious Jackson |
Savannah State |
Senior |
Cocoa, Fla. |
| Offensive Lineman |
Miquail Harvey |
Albany State |
Junior |
Columbus, Ga. |
| Offensive Lineman |
Darrius Hicks |
Fort Valley State |
Junior |
Camilla, Ga. |
| Tight End |
Montavious Tinch |
Miles |
Redshirt Junior |
Elberton, Ga. |
| Wide Receiver |
Qa Walker |
Fort Valley State |
Senior |
Macon, Ga. |
| Wide Receiver |
Shemar Bridges |
Fort Valley State |
Junior |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Running Back |
Kingston Davis |
Lane |
Junior |
Montgomery, Ala. |
| Running Back |
Santo Dunn |
Morehouse |
Junior |
Miami, Fla. |
| Quarterback |
Charles Stafford |
Clark Atlanta |
Senior |
Miami, Fla. |
| Defensive Lineman |
Cam Brown |
Savannah State |
Sophomore |
Monroe, Ga. |
| Defensive Lineman |
Derik Davis |
Albany State |
Redshirt Sophomore |
Leesburg, Ga. |
| Defensive Lineman |
Donta Marshall |
Central State |
Junior |
Toledo, OH |
| Defensive Lineman |
Chris Roberts |
Kentucky State |
Redshirt Senior |
Frankfort, Ky. |
| Linebacker |
Mitchell Smiley |
Miles |
Sophomore |
Huntsville, Ala. |
| Linebacker |
N’Ktavious Floyd |
Miles |
Junior |
Phenix City, Ala. |
| Linebacker |
Walter Yates |
Savannah State |
Sophomore |
Gulf Breeze, Fla. |
| Defensive Back |
Ny’em Bozeman |
Savannah State |
Sophomore |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Defensive Back |
Brandon Roberts |
Tuskegee |
Freshman |
|
| Defensive Back |
Dedrick Vanover |
Morehouse |
Junior |
Gainesville, Fla. |
| Defensive Back |
John Wilson |
Savannah State |
Senior |
Americus, Ga. |
| Kicker |
Giovanni Lugo |
Savannah State |
Senior |
Belle Glade, Fla. |
| Punter |
Ty Woods |
Clark Atlanta |
Senior |
Montgomery, Ala. |
| Punt Returner |
Brett Sylve |
Kentucky State |
Redshirt Junior |
Hammond, La. |
| Kick Returner |
Derell Williams |
Central State |
Freshman |
Cincinnati, OH |
Overall Player of the Year (MVP): Slade Jarman, Fort Valley State
Offensive Player of the Year: Slade Jarman, Fort Valley State
Defensive Player of the Year: Demetrius Harris, Fort Valley State
Freshman of the Year: Einaj Carter, Savannah State
Newcomer of the Year: Demetrice Lofton, Morehouse
Coach of the Year: Reginald Ruffin, Miles