The 2018 All-Midwest Conference Football Teams were announced on Tuesday and Lake Forest College was well-represented with eight First Team All-MWC South selections, four Second Teamers, and the MWC South Newcomer of the Year.
Six the Foresters' first team selections were seniors, including left tackle Andrew Johnson and center Ethan Sheirer on the offensive line. They helped the team average 355.2 total yards per game and post the fifth-highest scoring average in program history at 29.0 points per contest. Johnson is now a four-time All-MWC selection and a first team honoree each of the last three seasons. Sheirer was also a second team choice in 2017.
Joining Johnson and Sheirer as first teamers on the offensive side of the ball were fellow seniors Chris Edonwande and Nick Edlund. Edomwande, a wide receiver, caught 61 passes for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns and ranked third in the league in receptions and receiving yards per game. He finished his career with 137 catches, 1,832 yards, 17 scores, and a pair of First Team All-MWC selections. Edlund ran for 525 yards, the sixth-highest total in the league, and five touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He also caught 17 passes for 128 yards and three more scores.
Senior linebacker Charlie Timmerman was a First Team All-South selection on defense after tying for the team lead with 74 tackles, despite missing a game, and ranked 10th in the conference in tackles per contest. His season totals also included a sack, 8.0 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and two recoveries. Timmerman racked up 157 tackles over the last two years and 207, including 20.5 tackles for loss, in his career.
Cornerback Cade Brittain capped off his first season since 2015 with First Team All-MWC South honors as cornerback. He made 36 tackles on the year, including 19 solos and 2.0 tackles for loss, and also intercepted a pair of passes.
Junior defensive end Jordan McInerney gave Lake Forest a First Team All-MWC South honoree at all three levels on defense. He tied Timmerman for the team lead with 74 tackles on the season while leading the MWC with 23.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 more than the second-highest mark. McInerney also ranked second in the conference with 9.0 sacks and added three forced fumbles. His season total in tackles for loss ranks second in program history while the sacks mark is tied-for-sixth.
Fellow junior Michael Bounds was also named First Team All-MWC South for his performance as the Foresters' punter. His 39.0 yards per punt was the second-highest average in the league and ninth-best single-season mark in program history. Eight of his 43 attempts resulted in fair catches and eight also ended up inside the 20-yardline.
Lake Forest's list of four Second Team All-MWC South selections includes senior quarterback Jagan Cleary, whose 211 completions, 2,288 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, .622 completion percentage, and 139.3 pass efficiency rating rank among the top five marks in team history and he finished his career as the Foresters' career leader in all five categories. It was the second career all-conference honor for Cleary, a first team selection in 2017.
Joining Cleary on the offensive side of the ball are junior tight end Noah Recker and sophomore left guard John Colassaco. In addition to his role as a blocker, Recker caught a pair of passes for 14 yards on the year and is a Second Team All-MWC South honoree for the second year in a row. After playing in just three contests as a freshman, Colassaco started every game this year, including a few at left tackle early in the season.
Junior linebacker Johnny Laponte was the lone Forester on the MWC South's Second Team. He finished third on the squad with 68 tackles and added a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, and an interception to his stat line for the year. Laponte, a first team honoree in 2017, will enter his senior season as the team's active leader with 201 career tackles.
In addition to a dozen all-conference selections, Lake Forest also boasts the MWC South Newcomer of the Year in freshman safety Anthony Rieck. He finished his rookie season with 51 tackles and added a fumble recovery and five pass breakups.
Lake Forest was 6-4 overall in 2018 and placed second in the in MWC South standings at 4-1 in league play.
