Eastern New Mexico University's football team received 15 all-conference honors from the Lone Star Conference, marking the highest number of such accolades for the program since 2019. The announcement was made in Richardson, Texas.
Interim head coach Andrew McCraw expressed his satisfaction with the team's achievement. "I am so proud of these guys," McCraw said. "They truly earned this recognition."
Two players were named to the first team all-LSC list. Freshman fullback Demarion Finch secured a spot after stepping up as a regular starter following injuries in the backfield. Finch scored in seven out of nine games he played and ran for over 120 yards in three games during his first season. In his debut as a starter, he contributed significantly to a win against Midwestern State with 93 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and added a touchdown reception for 28 yards in that game. He also recorded 127 rushing yards on 15 carries against Western New Mexico. Over the season, Finch accumulated 663 rushing yards and ten touchdowns, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
Long snapper Dillon Hein was also named to the first team, achieving this honor for the first time in his career. Hein is now a three-time all-conference selection and has participated in 39 games for Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU). He has been responsible for snapping on all point after attempts and field goals this season while helping ENMU rank second in punting average at 38.9 net yards per punt.
"I am crazy excited for all of the guys who made it. It's cool for everybody," Hein said about receiving the honor. "Special thanks go out to my teammates, especially Ryan (Travis). I appreciate him."
Second team honorees include Jarius Stewart as an all-purpose player and J.J. Silver as an outside linebacker. Stewart overcame injuries during the season and broke an NCAA record by rushing for 382 yards as a quarterback in one game against Western New Mexico. He finished with 848 rushing yards on 133 carries, scoring ten times on the ground, while also passing for two touchdowns.
J.J. Silver earned his first all-conference recognition after recording 53 tackles, including two tackles for loss, along with one interception and five quarterback pressures during his third year with ENMU.
Eleven other Greyhounds received honorable mention: Matthew Pinion (offensive guard), Christian Griego (offensive tackle), Nathan Jim (center), Dathan Yeary (tight end), Jarius Stewart (running back), Chad Ragle (running back), DJ Moore (defensive end), Matthew Quartieri (inside linebacker), Jarrion Patton (cornerback), Cyrus Moore (safety), and Ryan Travis (punter).
Members of the offensive line—Pinion, Griego, Jim, and Yeary—played key roles as Eastern New Mexico led their conference in rushing yards.
Defensively, DJ Moore had a healthy season with 39 tackles and nine tackles for loss plus three sacks; Quartieri posted 89 tackles with ten-and-a-half tackles for loss and two interceptions; Patton registered four pass deflections, an interception, and nineteen tackles.
Punter Ryan Travis finished second in conference punting average at 42.4 yards per punt—a more than six-yard improvement over last season—with his longest punts reaching sixty-five yards twice.
Overall, Eastern New Mexico had the seventh most players recognized among teams in the Lone Star Conference.
