(GREENVILLE, Pa.) – Thomas More College senior running back Domonique Hayden (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Christian Academy) was named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Football Offensive Player of the Year and 12 Saints were named All-PAC by the conference’s 11 head coaches.
Hayden, who was also named first team All-PAC, earned conference player of the year award for the third time during his career at Thomas More. He finished the 2014 regular season ranked first in NCAA Division III in rushing touchdowns (25), second in points scored per game (16.7), third in rushing yards per game (158.4) and sixth in rushing yards (1,426). Hayden owns numerous Thomas More records including rushing yards in a game (336 versus Westminster in 2014, rushing yards in a season (2,017 in 2013) and career rushing yards (5,461).
Joining Hayden on the first team was junior offensive lineman Jake Henderson (Fort Wright, Ky./Covington Catholic), junior defensive lineman Erick Butler (Eminence, Ky./Henry County) and junior defensive back Kyle Fuller (Taylor Mill, Ky./Holy Cross). Henderson helped anchor an offensive line that blocked the way for Saints to rush for 2,906 yards and 41 rushing touchdowns, while also only giving up nine sacks. Butler led the team in tackles with 65 (36 solo, 29 assisted), including eight tackles for a loss, seven sacks and one forced fumble. Fuller was fourth on the team in tackles with 46 (31 solo, 15 assisted), including two tackles for a loss and one sack, while recording five interceptions, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick.
Named to the second team was junior offensive lineman Quentin Campbell (Versailles, Ky./Woodford County), junior wide receiver Goose Cohorn (Independence, Ky./Dixie Heights) and junior defensive lineman Tyler Ellis (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison). Campbell helped anchor an offensive line that blocked the way for Saints to rush for 2,906 yards and 41 rushing touchdowns, while also only giving up nine sacks. Cohorn had 47 catches for 910 yards and 10 touchdowns. During the season he set the Thomas More career records for receiving yards (1,855) and receiving touchdowns (21). Ellis had 23 tackles (nine solo, 14 assisted), including three tackles for a loss and three sacks, a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and a forced fumble.
Senior offensive lineman Jake McBee (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle), senior wide receiver Bobby Leonard (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights), freshman CT Tarrant (Pittsburgh, Pa./Hamilton (Ohio)), senior defensive lineman Chris Bowman (Camp Springs, Ky./Bishop Brossart) and junior defensive back Ian Gunn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) were all named honorable mention All-PAC. McBee helped anchor an offensive line that blocked the way for Saints to rush for 2,906 yards and 41 rushing touchdowns, while also only giving up nine sacks. Leonard was second on the team in receiving as he had 35 catches for 516 yards and two touchdowns. Tarrant rushed for 745 yards and 10 touchdowns on 94 carries and also had four catches for 83 yards. Bowman had 26 tackles (six solo, 20 assisted), including two tackles for a loss and a sack and a half. Gunn was fifth on the team in tackles for 43 tackles (33 solo, 10 assisted), including three and a half tackles for a loss.
Thomas More, who is ranked 22nd in the internet website, D3football.com’s Top-25, finished the 2014 season at 8-2 overall and 7-1 in the PAC as it won a share of its sixth PAC title in the last seven years. It was the program’s 19th winning season in the 25-year history of Thomas More football.
