Eight Mustangs earn post-season honors

The Malta Mustangs football team accounted for thirteen of the sixty-four spots on the 2018 Northern Division All-Conference football list.

The Mustangs who had a 5-4 record last season landed eight athletes on the list and were led by seniors Andres Lopez and Kevin Henry who were each selected to the All-State list this season.

Lopez returns to the list receiving first-team honors as both a running back and linebacker after being named as a first-team linebacker and second-team running back in 2017.

"It started once the (2017) season was over, he really took on the mantle of organizing the guys and making sure they were all in the group chat," Malta Head Coach Jim Benn told the PCN. "He had a really nice senior season. The kind of season that kids would kill for."

Henry received second-team honors as a defensive back and second-team honors as a tight end, though his position is more complicated than the traditional tight end.

"We used Kevin very similarly to how teams would use a tight end, with the addition of him being a runner as well," Coach Benn said. "We try to move our skill guys around so that they can touch the ball in a variety of different ways. That was the position that closely matched what he could do."

Coach Benn went on to say that his offense would call Henry's position a wing.

"Unfortunately, he was banged-up a good chunk of the year, especially late in the season and it kind of limited his explosiveness, which took away from some of the things he could have done for us, but he was very solid in the defensive backfield," Coach Benn said. "He had some huge runs for us and big plays in key moments of games when we needed him. It was just a great overall season for Kevin."

Junior Franky Werk earned first-team honors as an offensive lineman.

"A very big junior," Coach Benn said. "As the season went on, he improved dramatically from where he started to where he finished the year."

A mid-season change for Werk proved to be beneficial for his game offensively.

"I think the move down inside from tackle to center was really important to Franky," Coach Benn said. "I think he did a really great job of seeing that need. He became a real leader of our offensive line and a guy that I would really expect some big things from next year."

Leading Malta with five interceptions, sophomore Kooper Oxarart earned a spot as a first-team defensive back.

"He had a great nose for the ball and sees the field real well from the defensive back position," Coach Benn said. "He is a very physical player even though he is a younger player. He is going to be a lot of fun over the next couple of years on both sides of the ball."

During his freshman season, Oxarart had a three-pick game against Wolf Point, and he proved that his skills displayed in that 2017 game were not a fluke.

"I am really glad to see him get that recognition defensively and getting five picks definitely helps that," Coach Benn said. "He just has a knack for finding the ball. He showed that a lot as a freshman and we knew he was going to be a solid player as a sophomore."

Senior Payton Clausen earned second-team all-conference honors as an offensive lineman.

"We started him at the center at the beginning of the year," Coach Benn said. "We were just trying to find that mix with the young guys that we had on the offensive line and that move to the left guard spot became a huge move for Payton as well. I think he really grew over the course of the season into that spot and he did a fantastic job."

Junior Callan Mears earned a spot on the second-team as a linebacker.

"Callan is probably pound-for-pound the toughest kid in our league," Coach Benn said. "He is not a big kid and he is playing inside backer and he more than holds his own."

Mears tied with Lopez for the most tackles with 105 apiece.

"That's a pretty impressive stat for anybody and he does a great job and has a great understanding of the game, a great football IQ," Coach Benn said. "It's fun to see him get the recognition that he deserves."

Sophomore Cormac Benn earned a spot on both sides of the ball, being named to the second team list at wide receiver and at defensive end.

"He is another one that we lined up in a variety of different positions," Benn said. "Sometimes he was in the backfield, sometimes he was in the wing-spot. He was a kid that we moved around quite a bit. He was very explosive in the passing game. He led our team in receptions and yardage. He had some nice runs to go along with that."

Benn, who was used as the team's primary edge rusher, led the team in sacks with five.

"His strength was really using that speed off of the edge," Coach Benn said. "It was part of the reason why he led the team in sacks."

Sophomore Pierce Mortenson also earned a spot on the second-team for his efforts at defensive end.

"He did a great job of setting the edge," Coach Benn said. "He was very physical for being a sophomore. He created havoc against some teams defensively. He is another one that we should see some great things from."