SOU records 5 All-Conference selections and one All-American
ASHLAND, Ore. — The Southern Oregon University (SOU) football program has a lot to be proud of this season. Even though this season wasn’t the best for the Raiders, they still managed to make history by having an All-American on their team and five other players making the Frontier All-Conference team.
SOU’s first All-American since 2003, Tua Laolagi, was named a first team selection last Friday by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Laolagi is a senior defensive lineman from South Bay, California, who is the fourth individual in team history to gain this accomplishment which is very impressive. A psychology major who takes his education very seriously, Laolagi has a 3.7 cumulative GPA throughout the semester.
Being a student athlete can really take a toll on some players because there is a lot going on all at once. Trying to juggle school work and hit the practice field isn’t easy and it’s astonishing to see Laolagi make it look so effortless on and off the field. He was one out of 28 players recognized at the NAIA level for a combination of athletics and academics.
On the field this year, Laolagi had a great season totaling up 48 tackles, nine tackles for loss and six and a half sacks. He was sixth on the Frontier Conference leaderboard and 40th in the NAIA with his six and a half sacks. Not only does this show resilience, but it also shows how good Laolagi is when he comes off the ball. Being a defensive lineman isn’t easy because you’re in the trenches fighting for every second of the game.
In just three seasons, Laolagi racked up 65 tackles, 13 of those for losses and 10.5 sacks which states why he is a part of the All-American team. Laolagi also helped the Raiders’ defense by only allowing 23.7 points per game. SOU kept three straight opponents to 20 points or lower to end the season.
It’s not about how your season starts but it’s about how you finish your season because that will always determine the tone for next season and the seasons to come. Never giving up and being determined to keep trying your best is what sports is all about.
The Raiders definitely showed perseverance throughout the season, battling each opponent like it was their last. Laolagi is a player not to be reckoned with, but he isn’t the only player on the Raider’s roster who showed up and played every down like their last.
Bryce Goggin, a sophomore receiver, was selected to the All-Frontier Conference team alongside four other Raiders. Senior defensive tackle Tre Holmes, who is now a two-time honoree, joined the defensive second team. Alongside him is junior cornerback Stokes Botelho. Senior center Tyler Coates was selected to the offensive second team and alongside him is his kick returner Shane McLaughlin to the specialist second team.
Goggin finished up his season with 51 receptions, eight touchdowns and 802 receiving yards over only nine games. That’s an average of 89.1 yards per game, which ranked him second in the Frontier Conference and 20th in the NAIA. His swift route running and breakaway speed led him to four games over 100 yards and received four out of the six touchdowns near the end of the season which says a lot about Goggin as a complete packaged wideout.
The Raiders’ defense had some of their best stretches towards the end of the season as they only gave up an average of 17 points a game, holding three consecutive opponents to 20 or fewer points for the second time since joining the Frontier Conference.
Defensive tackle Holmes went for 27 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks while he received lots of double teams and attention throughout the year. He finished his college football career with 14 ½ sacks, which explains why he has been an honoree for two years straight.
Botelho hawked the ball for five interceptions on the year, which got him to be ranked second in the Frontier Conference and 14th in the NAIA. The junior defensive back also tallied up 52 tackles, ranking him second on the team in terms of tackles, with five of those going for losses.
McLaughlin was Frontier’s second leading kick returner with averaging 21.8 yards on 28 tries. His best return was a 95-yard return which ended with a touchdown, matching the seventh longest return in team history. Holmes and McLaughlin also ended up on the All-District team, which is another accomplishment the Raiders should be proud of.
Next season, we hope to hear some more great news coming from SOU and congratulations to these top nominees.
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