All-Heartland Conference Release
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University football team saw nine members earn All-Heartland Conference honors when the post-season hardware was delivered on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Junior Antonio Crossty (Wooster) was a First Team selection while five Beavers were selected to the Second Team. Bluffton also had three members named Honorable Mention All-HCAC.
Crossty had a coming out party in 2019, leading Bluffton with 94 tackles which was good for 2nd in the Heartland Conference. His 70 solo stops led the conference and tied him with his defensive coordinator (Josh Runda) for the top spot on Bluffton's single-season list! He finished his junior campaign with two TFL's, four breakups, an interception, a forced fumble and a blocked punt. Crossty had racked up 156 career tackles and eight breakups heading into his final season.
An injury slowed linebacker Dylan Shaffer (Shelby) midway through his final campaign, but he still put up 62 tackles despite missing two games. He was fourth on the team after leading Bluffton in tackles the past two seasons. Shaffer finished his career tied for 7th on the career list with 222 tackles, including 14 TFL's. He also broke up six passes, recovered five fumbles and had an interception while donning the purple and white. It marks the third straight season that Shaffer has been a Second Team All-HCAC performer.
Making the jump from Honorable Mention to Second Team All-HCAC, junior Kais Chiles who was one of Bluffton's top receiving threats with 27 catches for 210 yards. The tight end also paved the way for junior running back Darian Greeley (Belleville, Mich./Chippewa Valley) who earned All-HCAC honors as well. Chiles has amassed 53 receptions for 412 yards and a score following three seasons as a Beaver.
Sophomore transfer Ryan Markoff (Centerville/Archbishop Alter) opened the season as Bluffton's starting quarterback, but he ended the year notching All-Heartland Conference honors as a wide receiver. Markoff found his niche as a big-play wideout, pulling down 15 receptions for 292 yards (19.5 AVG) with a team-best four touchdowns after playing quarterback for the first three and a half games.
Following in Bluffton's tradition of all-conference defensive linemen, sophomore Keith Holmes Jr. (Toledo/St. Francis DeSales) wrapped up 51 tackles for the Beavers. He led the team with eight TFL's and four sacks, while also forcing a fumble and recovering one. Holmes has 66 career tackles, nine TFL's and two forced fumbles after two years at Bluffton.
Sophomore Hunter Lacer (Oak Harbor) rounded out Bluffton's Second Team All-HCAC honorees thanks to his work opening holes for Greeley. He helped Bluffton put up 133.4 yards per game on the ground and another 159.2 through the air as the Beavers finished the season averaging 292.6 yards of total offense.
Junior Stephan Kosakowski (Cleveland/Benedictine) finished third on the team with 66 tackles en route to his second straight Honorable Mention All-HCAC award. His eight breakups were tied for third in the Heartland Conference. Kosakowski is moving up the career charts with 23 passes defended (6th all-time) and 17 breakups (7th all-time). His eight breakups this season are tied for 5th on Bluffton's single-season list.
Freshman linebacker/defensive back McKinley Hunter (Canton Ga./Cherokee) burst on the scene and made his presence known right away. He finished second on the team with 67 stops, including 40 solos. He wrapped up four TFL's, picked off a pass, blocked two kicks and recovered a fumble on his way to Heartland Conference recognition.
Darian Greeley returned to his freshman form when he was a First Team All-HCAC honoree. The junior back was sixth in the conference with 805 yards rushing on 163 carries. He rushed for seven scores and added a receiving touchdown to his resume. Greeley caught 13 passes for 132 yards as a junior. Following three seasons, Greeley has 1,760 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns while averaging over five yards per run.
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