All-North Region Team by d3football.com
BEREA, OHIO — Three Baldwin-Wallace College football student-athletes have been named to the d3football.com Division III All-North Region team, including senior defensive end Ryan Lewis (Holland/ Springfield) who is a repeat selection.
A year ago, Lewis was tabbed as a third-team All-North Region pick by the Football Gazette. This year, d3football.com is selecting the team and Lewis was a second-team choice. Joining Lewis on the All-North Region second-team is senior middle linebacker Joe George (Massillon/ Perry) and sophomore All-American punter Kevin Soflkiancs (Middleburg Heights/ Midpark) is a third-team selection.
Lewis ended his career as one of the best defensive ends to ever wear the Brown & Gold of Baldwin-Wallace College and will represent the College in next Saturday's (Dec. 17) Aztec Bowl in Toluca, Mexico. The Aztec Bowl annually pits the Division III All-Stars versus the Mexican Collegiate All-Stars.
Lewis is a three-time All-OAC player who earned first-team All-OAC honors and was tabbed as the OAC Paul Hoernemann Award winner, symbolic of the OAC's Most Valuable Defensive Lineman. He had 57 tackles this season and 167 in his career. Lewis led the OAC with 12 quarterback sacks this year and finished second all-time in school history with 28 overall to go with 46 total tackles for lost yardage. In the classroom, Lewis, a business administration major, carries a 3.1 grade average.
George joinedended his career as a three-time Academic All-OAC and two-time All-OAC selection and as B-W's all-time leading tackler with 334 in his career. He also is just the second player in B-W history to have two 100-tackle seasons during a career, including having a team-leading 111 stops this fall. The four-year starter had seven sacks and 15 tackles for lost yardage. George was a first-team All-OAC pick this year and a second-team All-OAC choice a year ago. He also earned OAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for an 11-tackle performance in a 17-14 win against John Carroll University on Nov. 12. In the classroom, George carries a 3.612 grade average as a pre-med student, intends to attend medical school and become a doctor.
Soflkiancs again was one of the top punters in Division III football as he averaged 39.8 yards per punt in 53 attempts. He also is a repeat first-team All-OAC and Academic All-OAC selection. A year ago, he was a first-team All-OAC and first-team All-North Region pick who was then named as the North Region Special Teams Player of the Year and as a first-team Division III All-American. In addition this season, Soflkiancs had 11 punts land inside the 20-yard line and his long punt was 66 yards. Soflkiancs is a two-time OAC Special Teams Player of the Week this season and a four-time choice the past two years. In the classroom, Soflkiancs carries a 3.5 grade point average in business administration.
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