Wachal Jr. & Hamilton Named Defensive and Offensive MVPs for Football

Eash awards 76 letters

11/28/2022 12:27:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Senior defensive back Anthony Wachal Jr. (Elk Grove Village, Ill.-Conant) was chosen as the defensive "Most Valuable Player" and senior wide receiver Charlie Hamilton (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart-Griffin) repeated the offensive MVP for the 2022 Illinois Wesleyan University football team as Head Coach Norm Eash announced the team's annual awardwinners Monday night, Nov. 28.

The Titans posted a 6-4 record in 2022, a three-win improvement over the year prior, and finished fourth in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. IWU saw three student-athletes reel in All-CCIW honors, while a Titan reeled in CCIW Player of the Week honors four times. Additionally, Illinois Wesleyan had four D3football.com Team of the Week selections throughout the season.

Wachal Jr., a Second Team All-CCIW pick, put together a strong senior season in the secondary. A co-captain for the Titans, Wachal Jr. recorded a team-best 84 tackles to go along with three interceptions, four pass breakups, and 1.5 tackles for loss. He also played a vital role on special teams, where he returned a blocked kick for a touchdown. Wachal Jr., who was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District awardee, earned CCIW Player of the Week and D3football.com Team of the Week accolades for his efforts.

The Elk Grove Village, Ill. product was the winner of the squad's "Doug Schmied Award", voted on by the coaches for loyalty, leadership, citizenship, most sports- and team-minded, and attitude. The honor is named for Schmied, the Illinois Wesleyan senior offensive lineman who passed away in 2005.

Hamilton, who was named the recipient of the team's "Best Skill" award for the third straight season, was Illinois Wesleyan's top receiver in 2022. The senior co-captain was voted First Team All-CCIW, becoming the first IWU wide receiver to garner first team accolades since Jack Healy in 2018. Hamilton hauled in 71 catches for 940 yards, both of which led the conference. He recorded a career-best 10 touchdowns, and finished the year with four 100-yard receiving games.

Artist Benjamin (Wilmette, Ill.-Loyola Academy) was voted the team's "Most Improved" player after a breakout sophomore season. Benjamin was a lockdown in the secondary for the Titans, finishing the year with the 19th-most pass breakups in the nation with 1.4 per game (12 overall). He finished the season with 42 tackles and two interceptions.

Tight end Kevin Graham (St. Johns, Ind.-Shepard) was honored as the winner of the "Best Big Skill." In eight games, Graham caught 10 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns. He put together a career day in IWU's win over Millikin, Oct. 1, finishing with three catches for 97 yards and two TDs.

Senior kicker Andrew Stange (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Lake Zurich) earned the "Best Special Teams Player" award. Stange finished the year 7-for-10 in field goals, including a perfect 5-for-5 in boots within 30 yards. He hit a season-long 42-yarder in Illinois Wesleyan's opener against Ohio Wesleyan, Sept. 10, and later hit a 41-yard kick against Augustana, Oct. 22. Stange went 32-for-33 in point after attempts and recorded 19 touchbacks in 52 kickoffs. He was honored as the CCIW's Special Team Player of the Week, Oct. 31.

Sophomore Josh Hlavacek (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield North), a Second Team All-CCIW honoree, received the "Best Lineman" award. One of the top defensive ends in the conference, Hlavacek was a two-time CCIW Defensive Player of the Week selection. He tallied 38 tackles, 15.5 for loss, and 10.5 sacks. He also blocked a pair of kicks on the special teams front, leading to D3football.com Team of the Week honors. Behind the play of Hlavacek, the Titans finished with the eighth-most tackles for loss in all of Division III as well as the second-most in the CCIW.

Other team award winners were:

MOST VALUABLE FRESHMAN – Alex Valdez, offensive line (Schaumburg, Ill.-Conant)

OFFENSIVE JUNIOR VARSITY PLAYER – Jaxson Roberts, (Herscher, Ill.-Bishop McNamara)

DEFENSIVE JUNIOR VARSITY PLAYER – Anthony LaMantia, defensive back (Cary, Ill.-Cary Grove) and Campbell Brinkman, defensive line (St. Louis, Mo.-Clayton)

Head Coach Norm Eash, who has a 36-year record of 225-121-1 and a CCIW mark of 166-96-1, awarded letters to a total of 76 players, including 58 who will return for next season. A complete list of the 2022 football lettermen can be found here. Additionally, a list of the top-three vote-getters for each of the team awards can be found below.

MVP Offense
1) Charlie Hamilton
2) Myles Kee
3) Jay Lemenager

MVP Defense
1) Anthony Wachal Jr.
2) Artist Benjamin
3) Frank Roti

Most Improved
1) Artist Benjamin
2) Caleb Heims
3) Myles Kee

Best Big Skill
1) Kevin Graham
2) Joshua Klein
3) Fernando Chavez

Best Skill
1) Charlie Hamilton
2) Artist Benjamin
3) Frank Roti

Best Lineman
1) Josh Hlavacek
2) Dylan Meyer
3) Zach McNees

Special Teams
1) Andrew Stange
2) Jonathan Rukujzo
3) Danny Kent

MVP Freshman
1) Alex Valdez
2) Danny Kent
3) Zach Hinds

Offensive Scout
1) Jaxson Roberts
2) Zach Hinds
3) Christopher Mueller

Defensive Scout
1) Anthony LaMantia
2) Campbell Brinkman
3) Mo Khalil

Doug Schmeid Titan Award
1) Anthony Wachal Jr.
2) Zach Bozarth
3) Charlie Hamilton

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