Don Hansen All-America Teams

BROOKFIELD, Ill. - The final all-America teams of the 2022 football season has seven honorees from Colorado School of Mines, with Brandon Moore earning another national coach of the year honor.

Center Matt Armendariz and quarterback John Matocha were named First-Team All-America by the Don Hansen Football Committee, with receiver Josh Johnston picking up a second-team nod. Honorable mention selections included tackle Levi Johnson, receiver Max McLeod, cornerback Mason Pierce, and running back Michael Zeman.

Moore was also tabbed the national coach of the year after guiding the Orediggers (13-3) to the NCAA Division II championship game for the first time. He was named the AFCA National Coach of the Year earlier this week also earned RMAC and NFFCC Coach of the Year honors in his first season at the helm. 

Armendariz becomes just the fourth player in program history - joining Zeman in 2021, Marc Scheichl in 2010, and Justin Gallas in 2005 - to earn all five of the major all-America honors in the same season. The Rimington Award winner as D-II's best center, Armendariz was also honored by the AFCA, D2CCA, D2football.com, and Associated Press this postseason. He started all 16 games and was also First-Team All-RMAC and D2CCA First-Team All-Region this season as Mines produced the nation's #1 scoring and red zone offense. 

Matocha earns the latest award in a postseason full of them, including the Harlon Hill Award as the D-II player of the year along with national offensive player of the year and all-America honors from D2CCA and D2football.com as well as AP all-America. Matocha ended the season with a program-record 4,778 passing yards, 52 passing touchdowns, and five rushing touchdowns on 443 yards, including a national-leading 23 total touchdowns produced in the postseason. His 5,221 total yards are the third-most ever in a season in NCAA Division II, and his touchdown passes are tied for sixth-most. Matocha ended up leading NCAA Division II in passing yards, touchdowns, and efficiency as well as points responsible for.

Johnston earns his first career all-America award after a career senior season that saw him catch 77 passes for 1,373 yards and 13 touchdowns. The big-play receiver was named First-Team All-RMAC averaging 17.83 yards per catch, and had three 100+ and 10 75+ yard games in 2022 led by a 146-yard day at Western Colorado. Johnston produced one of just a dozen 1,000-yard receiving seasons in Mines history, and ended his Mines career ranked fourth all-time in receiving yards (2,939) and second in touchdowns (40).

Johnson also earns his first career all-America nod after anchoring the right side of the Oredigger offensive line. Johnson earned First-Team All-RMAC and D2CCA First-Team All-Super Region 4 honors this postseason after starting all 16 games and protecting a pair of fellow all-Americans in Matocha and Zeman. Mines produced the nation's #1 scoring and red zone offense and ranked in the top 10 for fewest tackles for loss allowed this season.

McLeod picks up his second all-America honor of the postseason after one of the best receiving seasons in Mines history. The AP Second-Team selection generated 1,492 yards on 79 catches with 18 touchdowns, all team best, and turned in the #2 yards and #3 touchdowns season in Mines history. He ranked second nationally in receiving touchdowns and third in yards, and caught seven postseason touchdowns including three each against CSU Pueblo and Shepherd; the latter was his career best game with a whopping 214 yards on 12 catches.

Pierce has been well-rewarded adding to all-America selections from the D2CCA and Associated Press. The captain was also First-Team All-RMAC and D2CCA First-Team All-Super Region 4 with 56 total tackles, a team-leading five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), and seven pass break-ups. He led a defense that gained more turnovers (33) than any other team in D-II this season and ranked #3 in turnover margin. Pierce ended his Mines career as the program's career recordholder in passes defended at 53. 

Zeman caps one of the greatest Oredigger careers ever with his seventh career all-America honor and third in a row from Don Hansen, putting him in elite company with Matocha and Scheichl as the only three-year all-Americans in program history. Zeman captained the offense with 1,303 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 281 carries, ranking fourth nationally in touchdown carries and third in total scoring when his five receiving touchdowns were factored in. His incredible career finished with him holding the Mines all-time records in rushing yards (4,463), touchdowns (55), scoring (390 points, 66 total TDs), and carries (831), and he became the first and only three-time 1,000-yard rusher in Mines history.