COLORADO SPRINGS - For the first time in program history, Colorado School of Mines swept the three major player awards in the All-RMAC football teams as 28 total Orediggers were recognized in the season-end honors. 

John Matocha repeated as the Offensive Player of the Year, Nolan Reeve earned Defensive Player of the Year, and Blake Doud was the Special Teams Player of the Year to lead the teams. In total, 28 Orediggers were honored including 14 first-teamers.

Mines (11-0, 9-0), which won its fifth straight RMAC title, dominated the all-conference first team owning 14 of the 28 slots. Joining Matocha as First-Team All-RMAC on offense are running back Noah Roper, receiver Max McLeod, tackle Levi Johnson, and center Steele Petty; with Reeve on the defense are cornerback Jackson Zimmermann, safety Jaden Williams, linebackers Adrian Moreno and Jaden Healy, nose Kyle Bahnsen, and end Zach Hester; and placekicker Hunter Pearson joins Doud on the special teams first team.

There were plenty more Orediggers named Second-Team All-RMAC including guard Zach Heckman and tackle Nic Van de Graaf on offense, and linebacker Hayden Gregg, tackle Peyton Rose, and end Jack Peterson on defense. The Honorable Mention list had nine Mines players: linebacker Evan Alexander, defensive tackle James Hess, offensive guard Caleb Marlatt, punt returner Konnor Mickelsen, safeties Logan Rayburn and Collin Romero, tight end Preston Rose, receiver Flynn Schiele, and running back Landon Walker.

The reigning national player of the year, Matocha's redshirt senior season has been just as impressive as his historic 2022 as the quarterback has thrown for 3,183 yards and 36 touchdowns against only five interceptions in 11 games, completing 69 percent of his throws. Matocha has also compiled 325 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. A four-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week this season, Matocha has thrown three or more touchdowns in eight games and had four or more total touchdowns five times, while going over 300 passing yards five more times. Perhaps most impressive is that Matocha has put up those numbers while only having to finish three of 11 games as Mines has earned a number of lopsided wins this season. Several career records have become Matocha's this season, including most recently setting the college football total touchdowns record at 181; he also broke the Mines and RMAC career records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, and total offensive yards this season.

Reeve, a sixth-year senior outside linebacker, has continued to be one of the most disruptive defenders in the nation as he earns the Orediggers' first DPOTY award since Marc Schiechl in 2010. Reeve compiled 39 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks from the edge this season, causing two fumbles via strip sacks and recovering one. A four-time all-RMAC honoree in his career, Reeve is college football's active leader in career sacks with 39.5 as he has 214 tackles, 51 tackles for loss, and 10 forced fumbles in his career. This season, he has at least a half-tackle for loss in nine games, a sack in nine games, and has three or more tackles seven times as he has led the RMAC's #1 total and scoring defense. 

Doud becomes Mines' first RMAC Special Teams Player of the Year since Avery Llewellyn in 2013 as the redshirt-sophomore punter proved to be a weapon this season. A three-time RMAC Specialist of the Week and two-time D2football.com National Specialist of the Week in 2023, Doud leads the RMAC by two full yards in punting averaging at 46.6 yards per punt on 34 boots; that total includes 13 beyond 50 yards and 15 inside the 20-yard line, and he has the RMAC's longest punt of the year at 77 yards. Opponents have managed only eight punt returns against the Orediggers this season, averaging 4.75 yards. Doud's average would lead the nation but Mines has not punted enough for him to be ranked in the national stats; the Orediggers are second in NCAA Division II in net punting at 42.47 yards per punt. 

The Orediggers will take on the winner of Augustana and Minnesota State in the NCAA Second Round on Nov. 25 at Marv Kay Stadium.
 

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RMAC Offensive Player of the Year: John Matocha
RMAC Defensive Player of the Year: Nolan Reeve
RMAC Special Teams Player of the Year: Blake Doud

First-Team All-RMAC
John Matocha, QB
Noah Roper, RB
Max McLeod, WR
Levi Johnson, OL
Steele Petty, OL
Jackson Zimmermann, CB
Jaden Williams, S
Adrian Moreno, ILB
Jaden Healy, OLB
Nolan Reeve, OLB
Kyle Bahnsen, NT
Zach Hester, DE
Hunter Pearson, K
Blake Doud, P

Second-Team All-RMAC
Zach Heckman, OL
Nic Van de Graaf, OL
Hayden Gregg, ILB
Peyton Rose, DT
Jack Peterson, DE

Honorable Mention All-RMAC
Evan Alexander, OLB
James Hess, DT
Caleb Marlatt, OL
Konnor Mickelsen, PR
Logan Rayburn, S
Collin Romero, S
Preston Rose, TE
Flynn Schiele, WR
Landon Walker, RB