(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) – The Great Midwest Athletic Conference announced their 2023 football All-Conference honors this afternoon and the Saints had six players represented. Graduate student
Del Thomas (Fairfield, OH / Fairfield) earned First Team All-Conference. Sophomore
Kyle Hillerich (Louisville, KY / DuPont Manual), junior
Freddie Johnson (Cincinnati, OH / Colerain), sophomore
Mike Kirch (Cincinnati, OH / Elder), and junior
Elgin Phillips (Fairfield, OH / Fairfield) all earned Second Team All-Conference honors. First year
Evan Brown earned G-MAC Co-Freshman of the Year.
This is the third time Phillips and Johnson have earned All-Conference honors (2022 and 2021 Mid South Conference) and the second time
Del Thomas earned All-Conference honors (2021 Mid South Conference). This marks the first time that Hillerich, Kirch and Brown have earned conference recognition.
Thomas led the Saints in total tackles with 85 and finished second in the G-MAC. His 48 solo tackles were the 6th most in the conference. He recorded an interception and three fumble recoviers, one which was ran back for a touchdown.
Phillips led the G-MAC in average yards per punt at 41.7. He recorded seven 50+ yard punts, and had 13 punts downed inside the 20 yard line. His long on the season was a 62 yard punt and he recorded over 2295 yards on 55 punts. He also earned G-MAC Special Teams Athlete of the Week twice during the season.
Johnson led the Saints in kick return yards with 495 yards. His long was a 40 yard return with an average of 19.8 per return. He also adds another 228 yards in punt return yards. Johnson scored two touchdowns on the season and recorded 317 receiving yards on 41 catches.
Hillerich started all eleven games for the Saints and played a key role in the Thomas More offensive line unit.
Kirch finished the season with 6 touchdown grabs which was the 5th most in the conference. His 356 yards on 39 catches was the second most for the Saints. Kirch started in all eleven games and saw a season high eight receptions for 75 yards in the September, 30th game against Tiffin.
Brown earns G-MAC Co-Freshman of the Year after he led the Saints in receiving with 414 yards on 25 catches and scoring two touchdowns. Brown recorded a season long, 79 yard catch in the victory at Kentucky Wesleyan on October, 7th.
The Saints will be back in action next fall for their second season as member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
