Six earn First Team honors
HOUGHTON, Mich. – After finishing the 2024 campaign 7-4 overall and 4-3 in GLIAC play, earning a three-way tie for third in the league standings, the Michigan Tech football team saw 15 of its members earn GLIAC postseason honors.
The Huskies All-GLIAC honors are highlighted by six First Team All-GLIAC members, four Second Team All-GLIAC honorees and five All-GLIAC honorable mentions.
Michigan Tech had a league-leading two first team wide receivers, Ethan Champney and Darius Willis.
Willis, a native of Warren, Michigan, led the GLIAC in receiving touchdowns (8), receiving yards (757) and receiving yards per game (68.8) en route to breaking the program record for receiving touchdowns and receiving yards. Champey, from Swan Valley, Michigan, finished second in the GLIAC in receiving yards (631) and seventh in receiving touchdowns (4) in eight games this season.
Additionally, the Huskies took a league-leading two defensive lineman first team honors with Josh Cribben and Austin Schlicht. Senior captain linebacker Hunter Buechel and punter Brendan Lach also made the First Team All-GLIAC Defensive team.
Cribben, hailing from De Pere, Wisconsin, recorded 51 total tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception and a safety. Schlicht, a native of Oxford, Michigan, tallied 53 total tackles with 14 tackles for loss and tied the team lead with six sacks. Buechel, from Lake Mills, Wisconsin, recorded 61 total tackles, including a team-leading 21.5 tackles for loss and six sacks to go with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Lach, a native of South Lyon, Michigan, was once again one of the nation’s top punters in Division II, recording 65 total punts for 2,960 yards (45.5 average) highlighted by 23 punts over 50 yards and a long of 67 yards.
Senior captain quarterback Alex Fries got the nod on the Offensive All-GLIAC second team, with senior offensive lineman Hunter Chambers and sophomore captain lineman Brandon DeVries joining Fries on the Offensive All-GLIAC second team.
Fries, a native of Swan Valley, Michigan, paced the GLIAC in passing yards per game (201.4), passing yards (2,215) and passing touchdowns (19). He also recorded a team-leading four rushing touchdowns, including three in the season finale. Protecting Fries is the duo of DeVries and Chambers, with just 1.82 sacks allowed per game. They also helped the rushing offense average over 100 yards per game this season. Chambers is a native of Lake Orion, Michigan, while DeVries hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Senior linebacker Owen Watson was tabbed to the Defensive All-GLIAC second team. The Otsego, Michigan, native finished second on the team with 78 total tackles, amassing 11.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble and recovery.
Wide receiver Brandon Michalak, defensive back Dante Basanese, tight end Drew Collins, running back Jake Rueff and linebacker Porter Zeeman were named to the All-GLIAC Honorable Mention team.
Michalak, a native of Macomb, Michigan, finished third in the GLIAC with five receiving touchdowns and fourth in receiving yards (631). Basanese, hailing from Iron Mountain, Michigan, led the Huskies with 84 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Collins, from Montague, Michigan, recorded two rushing touchdowns for the Black & Gold. Rueff, a local of Lawton, Michigan, led the Huskies on the ground with 571 yards on 146 carries with three touchdowns. Zeeman, hailing from Owosso, Michigan, amassed 41 total tackles including three tackles for loss and an interception.
The 7-4 finish to the 2024 campaign marks the first seven-win season in the Dan Mettlach era and the first since 2015, where the team finished 7-3.
