Eleven Panthers land on MVFC preseason teams

ST. LOUIS --- Eleven members of the UNI football team earned spots on this year's Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) preseason team with the Panthers projected to finish third in the league in the upcoming 2023 season.

The poll and team selections, as announced by the league office on Tuesday morning, were voted on by the conference's head coaches, sports information directors and media members.

Defensive lineman Khristian Boyd, defensive back Woo Governor and place kicker Matthew Cook were all selected with First Team All-MVFC preseason honors. Quarterback Theo Day, wide receiver Sam Schne, tight end Alex Allen and offensive lineman Jared Penning were named to the second team, while receiver Sergio Morancy, defensive lineman Cordarrius Bailey, punter Noah Pettinger and long snapper Isaiah Garman earned honorable mention nods.

KHRISTIAN BOYD (Defensive Line) - First Team
Boyd earned Second Team All-MVFC honors last season with 32 total tackles in ten games, including a season-high seven tackles against Sacramento State. The Kansas City, Missouri native recorded five tackles for loss for 15 yards in 2022 with four pass deflections as well as one assisted sack. Boyd was selected to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 and Phil Steele's First Team All-MVFC and Second Team All-America list earlier this summer.

WOO GOVERNOR (DEFENSIVE BACK) - First Team
Governor appeared in all 11 games for the Panthers last fall, recording four interceptions, including a pair of takeaways returned for touchdowns against Western Illinois. A Second Team All-MVFC honoree last season and conference defensive player of the week, the Plant City, Florida product notched 61 tackles and seven pass breakups. Governor also earned FCS Preseason Second Team All-America recognition from The Bluebloods this summer, as well as Steele's Preseason Second Team All-MVFC honors.

MATTHEW COOK (PLACEKICKER) - First Team
Entering his final season at UNI, Cook carries three All-America team selections into the fall from 2022 (AP Second Team, STATS Perform Third Team, HERO Sports First Team) after a record-setting season. Converting on 82% of his field goal attempts (14-of-17), Cook, a four-time First Team All-MVFC athlete set both the UNI and Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) records for career field goals made (67), and also broke the Panther record with 124 consecutive made PAT kicks in his career. He has also earned FCS Preseason All-America honors this season from HERO Sports, The Bluebloods and Phil Steele.

THEO DAY (Quarterback) - Second Team
Day accounted for 3,121 passing yards and 26 touchdowns through the air, leading the MVFC in multiple categories en route to First Team All-MVFC recognition, including passing efficiency, passing yard, total offense and yards per attempt. He threw a career-high six touchdowns last November in UNI's season finale at South Dakota, as well as five touchdown passes in the Panthers' one-point win at No. 20 Southern Illinois. Day has also earned HERO Sports FCS and Phil Steele Preseason All-America honors, as well as a spot on this year's East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 list.

SAM SCHNEE (Wide Receiver) - Second Team
Schnee led UNI with a team high 764 receiving yards on 48 receptions in 2022 to earn his first all-conference honor with an All-MVFC Honorable Mention nod. The Dubuque, Iowa native hauled in a career-high 143 receiving yards on five catches last fall against Utah Tech and earned a spot on the MVFC Honor Roll and the Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award. This is his second preseason honor of 2023 after earning Steele's Preseason Second Team All-MVFC recognition.

ALEX ALLEN (Tight End) - Second Team
Allen appeared in eight games for the Panthers last fall before a season-ending injury. The Nixa, Missouri native set new career-highs with 264 receiving yards on 17 catches with two touchdowns. He caught a single-game career-best 61 yards against Indiana State, while also picking up MVFC Honor Roll recognition. This is his second preseason honor of the season.

JARED PENNING (Offensive Line) - Second Team
Appearing in all 11 games a season ago, Penning was a key contributor to UNI's offensive success in 2022, which led the league in passing offense, total offense, passing yards per completion, team passing efficiency and third down conversion percentage. Penning, who was named to Phil Steele's FCS All-MVFC Third Team last year, as well as Steele's 2023 MVFC Preseason Second Team this year, was named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 list for this coming season.

SERGIO MORANCY (Wide Receiver) - Honorable Mention
Morancy competed all in all 11 games for the purple and gold in 2022, catching 29 passes for a career-high 510 yards and six touchdowns in the process. The Naples, Florida native put on a show in UNI's season finale last November at South Dakota with a career-best 135 yards on four catches, which included a 62-yard reception. Earning Phil Steele FCS All-MVFC Third Team honors last season and preseason recognition on the All-MVFC Third Team this summer, this is Morancy's second preseason honor of 2023.

CORDARRIUS BAILEY (Defensive Line) - Honorable Mention
In his debut season with the Panthers last fall, Bailey notched 31 tackles, a pair of forced fumbles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks en route to MVFC All-Newcomer honors in 2022. The Clarksdale, Mississippi product also recorded a season-high six tackles at Southern Illinois. This is his second preseason honor of the year.

NOAH PETTINGER (Punter) - Honorable Mention
Pettinger stepped up to the plate as a true freshman in 2022 appearing in eight games with 16 punts for 686 yards and a 42 yards per punt average. The Dubuque, Iowa native recorded 52-yard kicks twice coming against Utah Tech and South Dakota State to earn MVFC All-Newcomer Team recognition. This is his second preseason honor of the offseason.

ISAIAH GARMAN (Long Snapper) - Honorable Mention
In his first full season as the Panthers' long snapper, Garman appeared in all 11 games last season, assisting in the special teams unit for punts, as well as field goal and PAT attempts. On field goal attempts, his teammate Matthew Cook converted on 14-of-17 kicks and was perfect on 45 PAT kicks. Noah Pettinger notched three punts over 50 yards with Garman as his long snapper with just one touchback on the year. This is the second preseason honor of Garman's career.

MVFC PRESEASON POLL [First Place Votes] (Points)

South Dakota State [44] (539)
North Dakota State [1] (492)
UNI (409)
North Dakota (399)
Southern Illinois (337)
Youngstown State (323)
Illinois State (269)
Missouri State (229)
South Dakota (226)
Indiana State (148)
Murray State (74)
Western Illinois (65)

ALL-MVFC PRESEASON FIRST TEAM

QB Mark Gronowski (South Dakota State)
RB Isaiah Davis (South Dakota State)
RB Justin Dinka (Indiana State)
FB Hunter Brozio (North Dakota State)
WR Jaxon Janke (South Dakota State)
WR Bo Belquist (North Dakota)
WR Bryce Oliver (Youngstown State)
TE Zach Heins (South Dakota State)
OL Mason McCormick (South Dakota State)
OL Garret Grenfield (South Dakota State)
OL Donny Ventrelli (North Dakota)
OL Jalen Sundell (North Dakota State)
OL Jaison Williams (Youngstown State)
DL Khristian Boyd (UNI)
DL Ben McNaboe (North Dakota)
DL Dylan Wudke (Youngstown State)
DL Eli Mostaert (North Dakota State)
LB Adam Bock (South Dakota State)
LB Brock Mogensen (South Dakota)
LB Stephen Hillis (South Dakota)
LB Branson Combs (Southern Illinois)
DB Woo Governor (UNI)
DB DyShawn Gales (South Dakota State)
DB PJ Jules (Southern Illinois)
DB Rylan Cole (Indiana State)
DB Myles Harden (South Dakota)
PK Matthew Cook (UNI)
P Grant Burkett (Missouri State)
LS Caden Bolz (Missouri State)
RS Jayden Price (North Dakota State)
AP Carter Bell (South Dakota)

ALL-MVFC PRESEASON SECOND TEAM

QB Theo Day (UNI)
RB TaMerik Williams (North Dakota State)
RB Travis Theis (South Dakota)
RB Jacardia Wright (Missouri State)
FB Mike Morgan (South Dakota State)
WR D'Ante' Cox (Southern Illinois)
WR Jadon Janke (South Dakota State)
WR Sam Schnee (UNI)
TE Alex Allen (UNI)
TE Joe Stoffel (North Dakota State)
OL Jared Penning (UNI)
OL Isaac Erbes (South Dakota)
OL Jake Kubas (North Dakota State)
OL Jose Vazquez IV (Indiana State)
OL Brandon Westberg (North Dakota State)
OL Hunter Zambrano (Illinois State)
DL Will Mostaert (North Dakota State)
DL Lucas Hunter (Indiana State)
DL Cade Terveer (South Dakota State)
DL Chris Fitzgerald (Youngstown State)
LB Jason Freeman (South Dakota State)
LB Juan DelaCruz (Western Illinois
LB Geoffrey Brown (Indiana State)
LB Isaiah Stalbird (South Dakota State)
LB Cole Wisniewski (North Dakota State)
DB C.J. Siegel (North Dakota)
DB Dalys Beanum (South Dakota State)
DB Jayden Price (North Dakota State)
DB PJ Hall (Missouri State)
DB Dillon Gearhart (Illinois State)
PK Griffin Crosa (North Dakota State)
P Hunter Dustman (South Dakota State)
LS Sam Merryman (Youngstown State)
RS C.J. Siegel (North Dakota)
RS Jadon Janke (South Dakota State)
AP Jalen Carr (Illinois State)

ALL-MVFC PRESEASON HONORABLE MENTION

QB Nic Baker (Southern Illinois)
QB Tommy Schuster (North Dakota)
HM Cole Mueller (Illinois State)
HM Amar Johnson (South Dakota State)
FB Jake Benio (Youngstown State)
WR Carter Bell (South Dakota)
WR Sergio Morancy (UNI)
WR Zach Mathis (North Dakota State)
WR Taylor Shields (Murray State)
TE Stetson Moore (Missouri State)
OL Gus Miller (South Dakota State)
OL Easton Kilty (North Dakota)
OL Chase Evans (Southern Illinois)
OL Jacob Frye (Murray State)
OL Brayden Bryant (North Dakota)
OL Keagan Trost (Indiana State)
DL Ryan Van Marel (South Dakota State)
DL Josh Dinga (Illinois State)
DL Cordarrius Bailey (UNI)
DL Gianini Belizaire (Indiana State)
DL Brendan Webb (South Dakota)
LB Wyatt Pedigo (North Dakota)
LB Von Young (Missouri State)
LB Greg Benton (Youngstown State)
LB Nick Kubitz (North Dakota State)
DB JJ Ross (Western Illinois)
DB Keondre Jackson (Illinois State)
DB Dennis Shorter (South Dakota)
DB Quincy Lenton (Youngstown State)
DB Johnathan Edwards (Indiana State)
DB Jeff Bowens (Illinois State)
PK Hunter Dustman (South Dakota State)
P Noah Pettinger (UNI)
LS Isaiah Garman (UNI)
RS Carter Bell (South Dakota)
RS Jalen Carr (Illinois State)
AP Red WIlson (North Dakota)

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