Southern Indiana Today

Thompson Repeats As Conference Offensive Player Of The Year

Wabash College junior quarterback Liam Thompson received the Mike Gregory Award as the 2022 North Coast Athletic Conference Football Offensive Player of the Year. Thompson joined 11 fellow Little Giant players on the 2022 All-NCAC Football Team.
 
Thompson earned First Team All-NCAC honors, as did juniors Derek Allen, Jr. and Penn Stoller, along with freshman Quinn Sholar and senior Jose Franco. Cooper Sullivan, Joe Mullin, Mark Caster, and Steven Thomas garnered Second Team All-NCAC recognition. Donovan Snyder, Gavin Ruppert, and Will Olive were Third Team All-NCAC selections.
 
Thompson earned his second Mike Gregory Award after receiving the honor in 2021. He is the first player to repeat as NCAC Offensive Player of the Year since Wittenberg quarterback Ben Zoeller won the award in 2010 and 2011. Former Wabash quarterback Jake Knott earned back-to-back Gregory Awards in 2001 and 2002. Little Giant quarterback Matt Hudson won Gregory Awards in 2008 and 2009.
 
Thompson broke the Wabash and NCAC single-season records for passing yards, completion percentage, and passing efficiency. Thompson led all of Division III with 3,588 passing yards in 10 games. He completed 251-of-349 pass attempts for a completion mark of 71.92 percent to finish fifth among Division III quarterbacks this season. He threw 34 touchdown passes, tied for third in Wabash single-season history for scoring throws, and finished the season with an efficiency rating of 186.42 for the sixth-best rating in Division III.
 
 Thompson led the nation in passing yards per game with an average of 358.8 yards a contest. He also led the nation in total offense, setting a new Wabash single-season record with 3,937 yards. Thompson ran 349 yards and seven touchdowns, giving him the second-most points responsible for a total of 248 points to rank second in the nation while setting a new Wabash single-season mark. Thompson threw for a Wabash single-game record seven touchdown passes against Hiram and threw for a single-game best 450 yards one week later versus Kenyon. Thompson also broke the Wabash record for consecutive pass completions by connecting on 19 straight throws in the Little Giants' win at Oberlin.
 
 
Allen, Jr. earned all-conference honors for the first time in his three-year career. The junior wideout caught a team-high 56 passes for 913 yards and eight touchdown receptions. He ranked second in the conference and 26th among Division III receivers in total yards. His eight TD catches were third in the conference. Allen, Jr. posted more than 100 receiving yards three times in 2022 with a single-game high of 172 yards in the season opener against Hamden-Sydney, in addition to catching a single-game best three touchdowns.
 
Stoller was named to the all-conference first team at tight end after catching 41 passes for 691 yards and a team-best nine touchdowns. The junior finished second in the conference and 35th among Division III players for touchdown receptions. Stoller averaged 69.1 yards per game, ninth-best in the conference. He recorded more than 100 receiving yards in three consecutive games. Stoller caught a career-high three touchdown passes in the Little Giants' win over Hiram.
 
Franco earned all-conference honors for the third time in his career. He was selected to the first team for the second time after earning top honors in 2019. Franco was a second team all-conference selection in 2018. The senior cornerback recorded 44 tackles in ten games to tie for third overall on the team. Franco tied for the team lead with two interceptions and four pass breakups. He made a season-.high eight tackles in the Little Giants' victory over Ohio Wesleyan, and blocked a kick in the game against North Central.
 
Sholar started all ten games at left tackle to earn first team all-conference honors as a freshman. Starting center Joe Mullin and starting left guard Mark Caster joined Sholar on the all-conference team as second team selections. Mullin earned his second all-conference honors after a first team selection in 2021. All three offensive linemen helped Wabash produce the top passing offense in Division III, with an average of 363. 5 yards per game. The Little Giants ranked third in the nation in total offense by producing 535.5 yards a contest. Wabash finished the regular season as the number-one scoring offense in the conference and 14th-best in the nation by scoring 42.5 points per game. The Little Giants limited opponents to an average of 1.5 sacks per game, the second-best average in the conference.
 
Sullivan earned second team all-conference honors for the second time in his career and his third all-conference selection overall. A 2021 first team pick and 2019 second team selection, the junior wide receiver hauled in 54 passes for 788 yards and five touchdowns. He ranked fifth in the conference in receiving yards and touchdown catches. Sullivan posted four games with more than 100 receiving yards, featuring a season-best 142 yards versus Kenyon.
 
Thomas earned all-conference honors for the first time with his second-team selection. The junior defensive lineman recorded 38 tackles and led the Little Giants with 8.5 tackles for losses of 35 yards. Thomas turned in three sacks and recovered one fumble in ten games. He made a season-high eight tackles, including three tackles for losses, in the Little Giants' victory over Hamden-Sydney.

Snyder received all-conference accolades for the second time in his career after earning a place on the 2021 first team. The Little Giants' leading rusher, the junior earned third team all-conference honors by running for 669 yards on 167 attempts. Snyder scored a team-best 11 rushing touchdowns, including a single-game high three touchdowns at Oberlin. He also caught 21 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns to account for 14 touchdowns for the season.

Ruppert earned his first start in the second game of the season and became the Little Giants' leading tackler with 95 total stops to earn third team all-conference honors. The freshman linebacker averaged 10.6 tackles per game to lead the conference and rank 17th in the nation. Ruppert added 6.5 tackles for losses of 24 yards and recorded one sack. He forced one fumble and recovered a fumble in his rookie season. Ruppert posted double-digit tackles in four of his nine games, including a season-best 18 tackles versus Denison.

Olive received all-conference honors for the first time in his career with his third team selection. The junior defensive lineman made 24 tackles in eight games played. He finished third on the team in tackles for losses with six for 21 yards. He picked up two sacks for 14 yards and forced one fumble. Olive made a season-best six tackles against Wooster and matched that total with six versus Ohio Wesleyan.

The Little Giants finished the season 7-3 overall and tied for second place in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings with a 6-2 league record.

Original source can be found here.