Heartland Conference All-HCAC Release
BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Bluffton University football team capped off year one of Head Coach Matt Nardo's tenure with nine All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honorees for 2022. The Beavers placed five on the second team and had four earn honorable mention All-HCAC.
Fifth-year senior Keith Holmes Jr. (Toledo/St. Francis DeSales) nailed down his third straight post-season honor. Following two years as an honorable mention selection, Holmes jumped up onto the second team. He finished with a team-high 11 TFL's and 38 total tackles which were sixth on the team. Holmes forced a fumble and added a pair of quarterback hurries in 2022.
The standout defensive lineman finished his career 6th all-time with 35 TFL's and his 67 yards of losses on sacks are 8th on the career list at Bluffton. His 170 career stops were just outside the top 15 all-time. He forced four fumbles, recovered three, broke up four passes and tallied four quarterback hurries. Holmes wrapped up 10.5 sacks and picked off a pass in 2021.
Junior stalwart Markus Finley (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) bullied opposing defenses en route to his third straight Second Team All-Heartland Conference award. The three-year starter at left tackle helped the Beaver passing game put up 203.7 yards per game while allowing a school-record six sacks which are 7th in the country! Finley is also a standout thrower for the Bluffton University track and field team.
Senior center Nicholas Myers (St. Mary's/Memorial) notched his first all-conference honor as he helped Finley open up holes for fellow All-HCAC honoree Maalik Tucker (Fostoria). Myers has been a mainstay on the Bluffton line during his four seasons as a Beaver. Bluffton put up 123.6 yards per game on the ground while churning out 12 rushing touchdowns.
Karl Foster (Detroit, Mich/Denby) put the work in during the off-season and proof is in the pudding. His efforts in the weight room and on the practice field paid huge dividends as Foster led not only the Beavers, but the entire Heartland Conference, with 90 tackles. His team-high nine breakups placed Foster 2nd in the HCAC. The Second-Team All-HCAC selection has 125 career tackles, including 73 solos, and 11 breakups heading into his senior campaign.
Senior Tyler Davis (Rittman) ratcheted up his production in 2022, wrapping up a career-high 62 tackles with four breakups and a fumble recovery this season. The two-year starting linebacker finished with 106 tackles, including 66 solos and 8.5 TFL's, while earning Second Team All-HCAC recognition.
Maalik Tucker saved his best for last, rushing for 716 yards which put him 6th in the conference. He added 224 yards on 23 catches, giving the senior 940 yards from scrimmage. Tucker churned out six touchdowns on the ground with to receiving scores for 48 points in 2022. He had a season-high 59-yard rush and 42-yard reception this season while being recognized as an Honorable Mention All-HCAC selection.
The talented all-purpose back finished with 1,230 career rushing yards and 326 receiving yards. He scored 12 touchdowns and averaged 5.0 yards per run during his time in the Bluffton backfield.
After coming to Bluffton as a quarterback, Ethan Beringer (Findlay/Carey) has found a home as Bluffton's big-play receiver. The junior hauled in 23 catches for 354 yards and a team-high six touchdowns on the way to Honorable Mention All-HCAC. He averaged 15.4 yards per catch and added 23 yards on the ground when Bluffton used him out of its wildcat formation. Beringer has 40 career receptions for 573 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Senior Brady Welker (Delphos/Jefferson) manhandled opposing offensive linemen with 37 tackles and eight TFL's while earning Honorable Mention All-HCAC acclaim following his final season. Welker recovered two fumbles and his 53 yards on fumble recoveries are 4th all-time at Bluffton. He more than doubled his career tackles, giving the defensive lineman 72 stops and 12.5 TFL's as a Beaver. Welker was named the HCAC Defensive Player of the Week following his 10-tackle performance in Bluffton's 46-44 five-overtime win over Manchester.
The awards continue to roll in for senior Jake Baumgartner (Toledo/Start) who again handled all of the Bluffton kicking and punting responsibilities. Bummy has wrapped a pair of All-HCAC football honors around his First Team All-Heartland Conference award that he earned on the baseball field this past spring. He was also a Third-Team D3baseball.com honoree following his junior campaign.
Baumgartner finished his football career first all-time with 6,193 career yards on 176 punts which are 4th all-time. His 102 kick scoring points are 6th on the career list and his 57 PAT's are 8th all-time. His .919 PAT percentage is 3rd all-time (57-of-62), while his .556 field goal percentage (15-of-27) is 5th all-time.
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