D2CCA All-Region Team Release - Super Region One (PDF)

FINDLAY, Ohio – The Slippery Rock University football team led all programs in Super Region One with seven selections to the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association All-Region team that was announced Thursday. Quarterback Brayden Long headlined the SRU honorees as the Super Region One Offensive Player of the Year.
 
Long was joined by four teammates in earning first team All-Region honors with wide receiver Kyle Sheets and offensive lineman Yuriy Hryckowian joining him on the first team offense and cornerback Josh Stokes and safety Eddie Faulkner IV being named to first team All-Region honors on defense. Tight end Kam Kruzelyak and offensive lineman Colton Rossi picked up second team honors to round out SRU's seven All-Region selections.
 
A junior from Hanover, Pennsylvania, Long becomes the second SRU quarterback in the last four seasons to be named the Super Region One Offensive Athlete of the Year after Roland Rivers III earned the award in 2019. Just yesterday, Long was announced as one of the nine national finalists for the 2023 Harlon Hill Trophy, which goes to the Division II Player of the Year.
 
Long also earned the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Year and was named to first team All-PSAC honors earlier this season. The accolades have poured in for Long after he led Super Region One in every passing category this year, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage and passer efficiency rating.
 
His stat line through 13 weeks this season reads 279-of-407 for 3,486 yards with 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He has also rushed for five touchdowns to account for 40 total touchdowns and 240 points, the fifth most points responsible for among all players in Division II. Long also ranks fifth in Division II in touchdown passes (35), sixth in passing yards (3,486), sixth in completion percentage (68.6%) and seventh in passer efficiency rating (166.4).
 
Much of the reason for Long's success this year comes from the experienced offensive line in front of him, which includes two-time All-Region selection Hryckowian and two-time All-PSAC honoree Rossi. Hryckowian was announced earlier this week as one of the eight national finalists for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award. He and Rossi have both started more than 30 career games together along the offensive line, helping SRU to rank as one of the top offensive units in the nation over each of the last four seasons. The Rock offensive line ranked third in the nation during the regular season in fewest tackles for loss allowed and ranked 10th in the nation in fewest sacks allowed.
 
It also helps when the QB has some of the best skill players in the country to throw to. Headlining that list for SRU is Sheets, who is likely to be a first team All-America candidate. The senior wideout played only three snaps the first game before leaving with an injury, but came back in week two and has dominated since with 73 catches for 1,158 yards and 17 touchdowns. He ranks third among all players in Division II in TD catches, just one off the national lead, and ranks sixth nationally in receiving yards. Sheets also shares the ball with Cohen Russell, who is also an All-Region caliber player. Russell ranks 10th in the nation in receiving yards with 1,031, making them the second duo in SRU history to top 1,000 yards in the same season.
 
The Rock offense would also not be nearly as successful without the contributions of Kruzelyak at the tight end position. One of the top overall tight ends in the country for his versatility, Kruzelyak plays nearly every snap of the game on offense and is an elite blocker and pass-catcher. He ranks third on the team in catches with 39 grabs for 375 yards and four touchdowns while also helping to block for a rushing attack that averages 185.4 yards per game and has scored 40 rushing TD on the season.
 
Perhaps the biggest surprise when the All-PSAC teams were announced earlier this year was the absence of Stokes at the cornerback position, considering he led all players in the PSAC in interceptions and passes defended this year. The athletic communicators that vote on the All-Region team recognized that with a first team selection for Stokes in his first year as a starter. Stokes has been exceptional this year, not allowing a one-on-one passing touchdown in any games and leading SRU with five interceptions and 10 pass breakups. He also ranks third on the team in tackles with 81 total stops on the year.
 
Faulkner rounds out the All-Region selections for SRU after a breakout junior season in which he ranks fifth on the team in total tackles with 59 while leading the team with 4.5 sacks. He also has four interceptions on the year and has forced a team-high three fumbles while playing all over the field as a nickelback or safety.
 
The Rock's five first team honorees will advance to the All-America ballot with the D2CCA All-America team set to be announced Dec. 15.  
 
Slippery Rock is one of just five teams in the country with 12 wins this year and will be one of eight teams competing in the NCAA Quarterfinals this weekend when it hosts Kutztown in the Super Region One title game Saturday at noon. Full game notes and ticket, parking and other game info for that game can be found HERE.
 

 
 
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