West Liberty, W.Va. – West Liberty University wide receiver Ben Turner headlined a strong postseason showing for the Hilltoppers, earning a spot on the 2024 Mountain East Conference (MEC) All-Conference First Team. Eight other Hilltoppers were recognized by the MEC, securing second-team honors or honorable mentions.
Turner, a junior from Huntington, delivered a stellar season, ranking among the MEC's top six in all major receiving categories. He finished second in total yards (854) and yards per game (77.74), fourth in average yards per catch (18.57), fifth in receptions (46), and tied for sixth in touchdown catches (5). Turner's standout performance came on September 21 against West Virginia State, where he recorded 230 receiving yards—the fifth-highest single-game total in school history.
Second Team Offensive Honors
Three Hilltoppers earned Second Team All-Conference recognition on offense:
-
Hunter Patterson, a junior running back, amassed 858 rushing yards (5th in the MEC), with an impressive 6.2 yards per carry (2nd in the MEC) and nine touchdowns (3rd). His 85.8 rushing yards per game ranked fifth in the conference.
-
Will Balgo, a junior tight end, recorded 34 receptions for 270 yards and a touchdown.
-
Elijah Mike, a redshirt junior offensive lineman, provided key protection and support for the Hilltoppers' offense.
Second Team Defensive Honors
On defense, four Hilltoppers made the second team:
-
Trent Crawford, a defensive back, led the team with 73 tackles (5th in the MEC), 15 tackles for loss (3rd in the MEC), and tied for second in sacks (3.5). He also led the conference with six forced fumbles.
-
Zach Vincenti a redshirt senior defensive lineman and Delano Marcelus a redshirt junior defensive linemen, tied for fifth in the MEC with five sacks. Vincenti added 10 tackles for loss, ranking fifth in the league.
-
Taison Fa'Asuamanu, a redshirt junior linebacker, contributed 3.5 sacks, tying for seventh in the conference.
Honorable Mention
Kicker Tyler Waddell earned an honorable mention after a perfect 6-for-6 season on field goals, including a long of 40 yards, and converting 23 of 25 extra-point attempts.
The Hilltoppers' strong representation in postseason honors highlights their individual and collective success during the 2024 season.
| 2024 MEC Individual Awards |
Offensive Player of the Year: Chavon Wright (RB, Charleston)
Offensive Freshman of the Year: Nino Marzullo (QB, Fairmont State)
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamair Diaz (DL, Glenville State)
Defensive Freshman of the Year: Jaiden McClendon Parker (DB, Glenville State)
Coach of the Year: Quinn Sanders (Charleston) |
| 2024 All-MEC First Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
|
| QB |
Colin Johnson |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| RB |
Chavon Wright |
Charleston |
|
| RB |
Joel Felder |
West Virginia State |
|
| RB |
Dereik Crosby II |
Fairmont State |
|
| WR |
Tre Holloway |
Wheeling |
|
| WR |
Josiah Hayes |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| WR |
Ben Turner |
West Liberty |
|
| WR |
Yves Bosmans |
Charleston |
|
| TE |
Carter Giacomo |
Fairmont State |
|
| FB/HB |
Niko Kausky |
Charleston |
|
| OL |
Donovan McCollister |
Charleston |
|
| OL |
Payton Hawkins |
Glenville State |
|
| OL |
Chris Russell |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| OL |
Dalton Hall |
West Virginia State |
|
| OL |
Nick Tinerajo |
Charleston |
|
| OL |
Brandon Hastings |
Fairmont State |
|
|
|
|
|
| DL |
Jamair Diaz |
Glenville State |
|
| DL |
Yasir Holmes |
Frostburg State |
|
| DL |
Jamae Blank |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| DL |
Leonard Scott |
Frostburg State |
|
| DL |
Nesta Owens |
Charleston |
|
| LB |
Aden Miller |
Charleston |
|
| LB |
Evan VanMeter |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| LB |
Jaylen Boyd |
Frostburg State |
|
| LB |
Willie Floyd |
Charleston |
|
| LB |
Colby Street |
Frostburg State |
|
| LB |
Jack Parry |
Wheeling |
|
| DB |
Eltayeb Bushra |
Fairmont State |
|
| DB |
Nick Blake |
West Virginia State |
|
| DB |
Cashawn Beasley |
Charleston |
|
| DB |
Mark Shepherd |
Glenville State |
|
| DB |
Justin McIlwain |
Wheeling |
|
|
|
|
|
| K |
Emannuel Richardson |
Fairmont State |
|
| P |
Josh Hutley |
Concord |
|
| RS |
Jordan Marcucci |
Frostburg State |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2024 All-MEC Second Team |
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
|
| QB |
Ean Hamric |
Charleston |
|
| RB |
Hunter Patterson |
West Liberty |
|
| RB |
Sincere Baines |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| RB |
JQ Brown |
Concord |
|
| RB |
Steven Mitchell |
Wheeling |
|
| WR |
Gage Michael |
Fairmont State |
|
| WR |
Tariq Miller |
Glenville State |
|
| TE |
Will Balgo |
West Liberty |
|
| FB/HB |
Joe Jones |
West Virginia State |
|
| OL |
Justice Hutchinson |
West Virginia State |
|
| OL |
Will Belongia |
Charleston |
|
| OL |
Alex Goodrick |
Wheeling |
|
| OL |
Peter Schmitt |
Wheeling |
|
| OL |
Doug Pruim |
Frostburg State |
|
| OL |
Jacob Perry |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| OL |
Elijah Mike |
West Liberty |
|
|
|
|
|
| DL |
Izu Igwe |
Fairmont State |
|
| DL |
Zach Vincenti |
West Liberty |
|
| DL |
Isaiah Macklin |
Glenville State |
|
| DL |
Corlyn Witcher |
West Virginia State |
|
| DL |
Delano Marcelus |
West Liberty |
|
| LB |
Andrew Chamblee |
Charleston |
|
| LB |
Hayden Moore |
Glenville State |
|
| LB |
Nick Longo |
Fairmont State |
|
| LB |
Ryker Brown |
Concord |
|
| LB |
Taison Fa'Asuamanu |
West Liberty |
|
| LB |
LucRichard Rameau |
West Virginia State |
|
| DB |
Wylan Harich |
Frostburg State |
|
| DB |
Marquis Raspberry |
UNC Pembroke |
|
| DB |
Trent Crawford |
West Liberty |
|
| DB |
Rashaad Morris |
Charleston |
|
| DB |
Shaun Sterling Jr. |
Glenville State |
|
|
|
|
|
| K |
Brennan Schmitt |
West Virginia State |
|
| P |
Brennan Schmitt |
West Virginia State |
|
| RS |
Tre Holloway |
Wheeling |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2024 All-MEC Honorable Mention |
QB (2): Nino Marzullo (Fairmont State); Isaiah Bess (West Virginia State)
RB (1): Justin Pessoa (West Virginia State)
WR (5): Marquan Herron (Charleston); Marcus Striggles (Concord); Tra'Shaun Timmons (Frostburg State); Amari N'nmadi Hall (Frostburg State); Amare Ary (West Virginia State)
TE (1): Jayden Smith (UNC Pembroke)
FB/HB (1): Bryce Ferguson (Concord)
OL (6): Jahzeiah Wade (Glenville State); Steve Hall (Charleston); Ethan Wolford (Charleston); Eli Burgey (Fairmont State); Hunter Turner (UNC Pembroke); Justin Collier (Glenville State)
DL (6): Dyson Yuille (Charleston); Jacorey Jackson (Concord); Delonta Butler (Frostburg State); Nazir Jones (West Virginia State); Josh Carr (Glenville State); Dylon Stinson (Charleston)
LB (3): Brown Brown (Glenville State); Jaiden Nesbit (UNC Pembroke); Tim Sanford II (West Virginia State)
DB (5): Howard Williams (Fairmont State); Carlo Thompson (UNC Pembroke); DJ Denson (Frostburg State); Marquis Allsup (Frostburg State); Louikenzy Jules (Charleston)
K (1): Tyler Waddell (West Liberty
P (1): Seth Bowen (UNC Pembroke) |
