BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. - The Mountain East Conference announced the all-conference teams for the 2022 football season today. Six Hilltoppers earned recognition for their outstanding seasons. Cameron Rice was named the Defensive Freshman of the Year, Shon Stephens earned the lone first-team selection, and four players, Quincy Wimbish Jr., Zach Dixon, David Gilcreast, and Francisco Pedrozo, joined Rice on the second team.

Cameron Rice, in his first season out of Morgantown, W.Va., finished with 13.5 tackles for loss, 11 of which solo, over 10 games to rank fourth in the MEC at an average of 1.35 per game. He led the Hilltoppers with 5.5 sacks and was one of two players to force and recover a fumble this season, ending the year with two forced and one recovered. Rice was named the MEC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 7 after a standout performance of seven tackles, four of which for loss, and two sacks, with one being a strip sack turned into a touchdown, in the overtime win over Fairmont State. He was also selected to second team All-MEC.



Shon Stephens burst onto the scene as one of the top defensive backs in not only the conference, but the country, in his first year on the hilltop. Stephens was named the D2 Football National and MEC Defensive Player of the Week after a record-setting four interceptions in the Week 2 win over Alderson Broaddus. The junior Bakersfield, Calif. native ended the year tied for the national lead with eight interceptions, seven of which came in the first three games before teams thought better of throwing to his side. Stephens broke up six passes on the season, tied for a team lead with Dixon. He recorded a season-high seven solo tackles in the Fairmont State overtime win, finishing the season with 34 of 37 tackles being solo. Stephens was also a lethal kick returner for the Black and Gold, averaging 21.70 yards per return over 30 attempts including a 61-yard runback and 155 total return yards in the homecoming game versus Wheeling.



After missing last season due to injury, Quincy Wimbish Jr. is back on the all-conference team for the second time in his career. Wimbish led the rushing attack for the Hilltoppers, totaling 929 yards for an average of 4.0 per game. He posted 100+ three times this season, including a 211-yard outing versus Concord, the fourth-most yards by an MEC back in a game this season. Wimbish crossed the goal line twice that game and put together his longest rush of the season going 72 yards to set West Liberty up in the red zone. The senior Carson, Calif. native ended the year averaging 92.90 yards per game on the ground. He also made 13 catches for 115 yards out of the backfield this season. 



Zach Dixon ended the season tied for fourth in the country with four forced fumbles. He also recovered one fumble, the Rice strip sack at Fairmont and took it to the house for the score. The senior linebacker from Baltimore, Md. did a lot of everything for the 'Topper defense. Dixon tied Stephens for the team lead with six pass break ups, ranked second on the defense with 63 tackles, and made an interception at Glenville State in addition to his fumble stats. He recorded his lone sack of the year in the season finale Saturday and it was arguably the hardest hit of the year, slamming the Frostburg State quarterback down at the one-yard line. Dixon charted 10+ tackles three times, with a season-high 11 coming at Notre Dame. This is his first all-conference recognition. 



David Gilcreast made 4.5 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss in the 2022 season for the West Liberty defensive unit. He totaled 31 tackles, with a season-high seven at West Virginia State in Week 10. The graduate student from Akron, Ohio charted a TFL in all but two games this year. Gilcreast led the team with nine quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. This is his third straight All-MEC selection.



Francisco Pedrozo started all 11 weeks on the Hilltopper offensive line. This is his second time being selected as a member of second team all-conference.



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