Loring, Benavidez, Garth Claim Big Awards as WPU Hauls in Plethora of All-Heart Selections
Oskaloosa–The William Penn football was rewarded for an exceptional regular season as the 2025 all-Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division teams were announced Tuesday.
A total of 17 players garnered first, second, or honorable-mention team recognition. It is the largest group since WPU had 20 recipients in 2012.
Seven players collected first-team laurels, including Destynd Loring (Sr., Charleston, S.C., Sports Management), Amir Everett (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn., Sports Management), Chris King (Sr., Culver City, Calif., Kinesiology), Quincey Classeus (So., Pompano Beach, Fla., Business Management), Brian Weatherspoon (Jr., West Memphis, Ark., Business Management), Kameron Cummings (So., Houston, Texas, Business Management), and Marquis Harry (So., Pompano Beach, Fla., Business Management).
Seven individuals garnered second-team accolades, including Sterling Ramsey II (Sr., Broken Arrow, Okla., Business Management), Alexander Price (Sr., McKinney, Texas, Sports Management), Lloydarius Garner (Sr., Houston, Texas, Sports Management), Jeremiah Dennard (Jr., St. Petersburg, Fla., Business Management), Omari Campbell (Jr., Pompano Beach, Fla., Sports Management), Hayden Vandenberg (So., West Burlington, Iowa, Physical Education), and Jerome Schaubert (Jr., Spring, Texas, Biology).
Three more Statesmen collected honorable mentions, including Daniel Peoples (Fr., Humble, Texas, Fine Arts), Matt Mehrhoff (Sr., Fenton, Mo., Business Management), and Tierre Butler (Jr., Springfield, Ill., Business Management).
Top Awards
Loring was also chosen as the North Division Offensive Player of the Year, while Grant Garth was named Offensive Assistant Coach of the Year. Head Coach Marc Benavidez was tabbed as the Coach of the Year by his peers. The laurels are the first for all three individuals.
Benavidez has led Wiliam Penn to a 10-1 record (5-1 Heart North) and a trip to the NAIA Football Championship Series. The team has tied the school record for wins, while averaging 40.1 points per game and giving up just 19.8 per outing.
Garth has guided the offense to average 437.5 yards, including 254.1 passing and 183.4 rushing.
First Team
Loring has rushed 258 times for school records in yards (1,574) and touchdowns (25). The senior has posted eight 100-yard games with a high of 203.
He also caught 21 passes for 208 yards and a score.
The award is his third (second time on first team).
Everett enters the FCS with 43 receptions for 991 yards and nine touchdowns. He has tallied four 100-yard games, including a high of 260 yards, which is also a school record.
The senior’s award is his second (first time on the first team).
King, who is now a two-time honoree (first on first team), led the offensive line to only permit seven sacks during the fall.
Classeus is the owner of 39 tackles (21 solos, 18 assists, 7 for loss) with 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one blocked kick. His award is the first of his WPU career.
Weatherspoon’s award is the second of his career (both on first team). Through the regular season, he has amassed a team-best 59 tackles (31 solos, 28 assists, 4 for loss), while also tallying one sack, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
A first-time award winner, Cummings has thus far managed 54 tackles (27 solos, 27 assists, 5 for loss) in addition to two interceptions and three pass breakups.
Harry, a first-time honoree, has 42 tackles (30 solos, 12 assists, 6.5 for loss), while also posting five interceptions and seven pass breakups. He returned three interceptions for touchdowns, doing so in back-to-back-to-back games.
Second Team
Ramsey enters Saturday’s game against Texas Wesleyan having completed 123 of his 234 passes (58.1%) for 2,274 yards and 19 touchdowns.
He has six 200-yard games with two over 300 (high of 334), while posting four outings with at least three touchdowns (high of four). The senior, who is a first-time honoree, broke the single-season record for touchdowns.
Price, who is a three-time recipient, currently has 12 catches for 184 yards (high game of 84) and four touchdowns.
Garner has 28 tackles (16 solos, 12 assists) to his credit, including team bests in tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (2.5). It is his first all-Heart laurel.
Dennard, a first-time recipient, enters Saturday with 37 stops (29 solos, 8 assists) in addition to five interceptions and six pass breakups.
Campbell has produced 55 tackles (35 solos, 20 assists) with five pass breakups. The recognition is his first in college.
A first-time honoree, Vandenberg has helped the navy and gold to make 52 of their 53 extra points and six of their eight field goals. William Penn has also not had a kick blocked this year.
Schaubert, who is a first-time honoree, was lauded as an Athlete. He has 26 tackles (15 solos, 11 assists) with 1.5 for loss.
Honorable Mentions
Peoples has helped the offensive line to average only 3.6 plays for loss. His award is the first of his Statesmen career.
Mehrhoff’s second honor (both honorable mentions) comes after he managed 57 tackles (24 solos, 33 assists, 5 for loss) during the regular season. He has also produced two sacks and one forced fumble.
A first-time award winner, Butler currently has 55 tackles (32 solos, 23 assists, 1.5 for loss), while also posting two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and three pass breakups.
Jackson Waring of Grand View was named Heart North Player of the Year, while teammate John Argo was selected as Defensive POY. North Division Freshman of the Year honors were given to Nate Ortega (Peru State), while Tyler Martin of Grand View collected the Defensive Assistant Coach of the Year accolade.
