BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The 2024 Mountain East Conference football all-conference teams and individual honors were announced Tuesday afternoon by the league. All awards were determined by a vote of MEC head football coaches.

University of Charleston running back Chavon Wright repeated as the MEC’s Offensive Player of the Year following a record-breaking 2024 season. Wright has 313 carries for 2,009 yards and 37 touchdowns this season — all tops in the MEC and among Division II rushers. He is the second player in MEC history and the 28th in D-II to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards in a season. Wright broke Jaleel McLaughlin’s league record for rushing touchdowns and tied the single-season mark among D-II ball carriers. The junior has scored multiple touchdowns in all 11 of UC’s games this season.

Glenville State’s Jamair Diaz was voted as the MEC Defensive Player of the Year. The defensive lineman is tied for the national lead in sacks with 12 in 11 games. The sophomore finished the 2024 regular season with 54 tackles, 21.0 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Fairmont State quarterback Nino Marzullo is the MEC Offensive Freshman of the Year, while Glenville State defensive back Jaiden McLendon Parker is the Defensive Freshman of the Year. Marzullo is second among MEC quarterbacks in passing yards (2,322), along with 21 passing touchdowns against 11 interceptions. McLendon Parker is tied for second in the MEC with four interceptions in nine games as a collegiate rookie.

UC’s Quinn Sanders was again selected as the MEC Coach of the Year. The Golden Eagles are one of three remaining unbeatens in Division II and host Ashland this Saturday in the first round of the Super Region 1 bracket. UC is ranked No. 6 in the AFCA Division II Top 25 poll and No. 9 in the D2 Football Top 25 poll. Charleston ranks third nationally with 44.5 points per game and won its last nine games by double figures.

In addition to the 2024 award winners, the league also announced the MEC all-conference teams on Tuesday afternoon (listed on page B4.)

WEST LIBERTY

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.

WHEELING

After finishing the year 6-5 overall and 5-4 in MEC play, the Wheeling University Football team had seven total honorees, with three of those landing on the First Team list. Wide receiver Tre Holloway, linebacker Jack Parry, and defensive back Justin McIlwain each earned First Team honors to lead the way.

For Tre Holloway, it is the second All-MEC honor of his career and his first First Team selection as a wide receiver. After breaking out on special teams as a Redshirt freshman, the Redshirt sophomore made his presence felt on offense this past season. He set new career highs in catches (53), receiving yards (753), and receiving touchdowns (12), while averaging a career-best 14.81 yards per catch and 71.63 yards per game. He finished with four 100-yard receiving efforts during the season, including pulling in a career-high 130 yards in the game against West Virginia State. He also ranks among the top receivers in the conference, sitting third in receptions (53), reception yards, and yards per game, while sitting second in the conference in touchdowns.

Jack Parry earns his first All-MEC honors after having a historic year at middle linebacker for the Cardinals. He broke the program’s all-time tackle record with 90.0, 43 solo and 47 assisted, to go along with 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on the season. He finished the season strong, picking up double digit tackles in three of his final five games of the season, including a career-best 16 tackles in the game against West Virginia State. Parry led the MEC in tackles, assisted tackles (46) and tackles per game (8.2) this season while sitting second in the conference with 44 solo tackles. He finished just 10 tackles shy of the 100 tackle mark, wrapping up what has been a strong final season in a Cardinal Uniform.

The final Cardinal first teamer was Justin McIlwain, who finished as a First Team All-MEC player for the first time in his career. He finished as the team’s third leading tackler, racking up 58 total tackles with 37 solo and 21 assisted. He broke up five passes on the season, with four of those going down as interceptions, including a pick six against West Virginia State. McIlwain sits second in the MEC in interceptions, tied with Charleston’s Ra’Shaa Morris and Fairmont State’s Howard William’s and is in the top 25 with five total pass breakups. He also finished fourth in the conference with 62 interception yards including the touchdown.