The Mountain East Conference released its All-MEC teams on Tuesday evening. West Virginia Wesleyan Football was represented with five players across the First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention. It is the first time that any of the four Bobcats have been honored by the Mountain East Conference for their performances, and the individuals span across the freshman through senior class.

First Team All-Mountain East Conference

Sophomore Safety John Merica has received First Team honors from the MEC for the first time in his career. Anyone who attended a Wesleyan Football game this year should be familiar with Merica, he was the #20 that covered the entire field on defense. Coming down from the safety position, Merica finished the season with 70 solo tackles. That total is good for the third most in the entire NCAA, and the second most in the Mountain East Conference. The sophomore from Bridgeport, WV collected double-digit tackles in five separate games in 2019. He started off the season strong with sixteen total tackles, ten solo, in the opening game against Urbana. Merica then showed that he could hang with the best, putting up the same tackle totals against Division I Davidson the next week. He also recovered a fumble in that contest. His most impactful game of the season may have come against West Liberty on November 9th, when he recovered a fumble and made two interceptions, one of which he returned for a late touchdown to take the lead. Merica was often the best defensive player on either side when the Bobcats took the field this season, and the Mountain East Conference honored him accordingly. His 2019 season was an impressive showing from a sophomore, and Bobcats fans should be excited for two more seasons of #20.

Second Team All-Mountain East Conference

Senior Defensive End Aman Speed Jr. has received Second Team honors from the MEC for the first time in his career. Speed Jr. is what they look like, he is a quick and physical player that was very difficult to stop off the edge. He put in his best work down the final stretch, collecting five-and-a-half sacks over the final four games of the season. His eight total sacks placed him fifth in the MEC, and his fourteen-and-a-half tackles for loss were sixth. Some of Speed Jr.'s efforts did not even show up in the stat book, as his athleticism and determination to get into the backfield was felt by opponents all season. He will be a difficult player for Wesleyan to replace next season, his edge rush was a feature of the defense that the Bobcats could count on every Saturday.

Senior Defensive Tackle Harry Lewis has received Second Team honors from the MEC for the first time in his career. Similar to Speed Jr., Lewis' talent often does not show up in the stat book. However, his disruption of opposing offensives was felt around the league, as he was recognized as one of the top eleven defensive linemen in the MEC. Lewis made 30 total tackles in 2019, and four tackles for loss. A fifth-year senior, Lewis provided leadership, along with physical and mental toughness, that will be felt around the program beyond his time in the orange and black.

All-Mountain East Conference Honorable Mention

Redshirt Freshman Offensive Lineman Trey Milam has received Honorable Mention honors from the MEC for the first time in his career. In his first year taking the field for the Bobcats, Milam was a leader on the front line. Manning the right guard spot this season, he protected for an offensive that finished fifth in the MEC in passing. He was also featured in many of the memorable offensive performances of the 2019 season, including the four touchdown game through the air against West Virginia State, and long touchdown runs from Kord Jenkins, Shaq Freeman-Parks, and Lawrence Brown in the games against Concord and Fairmont State. He has three more years left on the offensive line for the Bobcats. 

Redshirt Sophomore Linebacker Grant Safford has received Honorable Mention honors from the MEC for the first time in his career. The Point Pleasant, WV native finished second on the team with 58 total tackles, and he tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles. He also collected four sacks and eight tackles for loss, both of which were good for second on the team. His most impactful game of the season came against West Liberty on November 9th, when he made eight solo tackles, and forced two Hilltopper fumbles. Safford will be back in 2020 for two more seasons leading the linebacker corps.