The Mid-South Conference announced their All-Conference football teams this morning and the Saints had two athletes represented in sophomores Elgin Phillips and Freddie Johnson. For the second straight season, Phillips was named a First Team punter and Johnson was named a Second Team return specialist.
After also being named an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American last season, Phillips was back at it again this season for the Saints. He booted 70 punts, which is a program record for a single season for 2,742 yards, which is an average of 39.17 yards. His total yardage is fourth in the NAIA, his yards per punt mark is tied for 14th in the NAIA, while his 70 punts tied for eighth in the NAIA. He also had 29 punts inside the 20, which is third in the NAIA.
Phillips also set the school record for punts in a game with 12 against Lindsey Wilson on Oct. 1 and booted 12 punts 50 plus yards this season. He becomes the first two-time All-Conference punter for the Saints since Aaron Walter in 2010 and 2011 in the President’s Athletic Conference.
Johnson had 18 kick returns for the Saints and 15 punt returns. He 434 kickoff return yards and 127 punt return yards. His longest kick return was 39 yards at Faulkner (Oct. 8) and his longest punt return was 26 yards against both Bluefield (Aug. 27) and Kentucky Christian (Sep. 3). He was second in the MSC in kick return yardage and third in punt return yardage.
Johnson also caught 33 passes for Thomas More for 325 yards and had 29 rushing yards, which landed him fourth in the conference with 915 all-purpose yards. Johnson is the first player since Kendall Owens (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) to be named an All-Conference return specialist two or more times in their career.
Michael Pagano
Co-Sports Information Director
Thomas More University
