Postseason awards are beginning to roll in with Belhaven taking home the bulk of the USA South honors on Thursday.
Head coach Blaine McCorkle was voted USA South Coach of the Year after leading the Blazers to their first conference championship since 2006 and first-ever Division III playoff appearance. Two of McCorkle’s star players, running back Kolbe Blunt and defensive lineman Carlton Brown, were named the league’s offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively.
Blunt, a finalist for the 2023 Conerly Trophy given out annually to Mississippi’s top college football player, finished the regular season with 1,230 yards on 138 carries with 17 touchdowns. The graduate student averaged 123 yards per game en route to becoming the school’s all-time rushing leader.
Brown, the anchor of the Blazers’ defensive line, led the USA South with 13 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He becomes the second Belhaven player in a row to secure the award, joining former linebacker Connor Fordham who won it in 2022.
Blunt and Brown were joined by 12 of their teammates in earning All-USA South honors:
- RB Kolbe Blunt (first team)
- F Brooks Brymer (first team)
- OL Kendrioun Boatman (first team)
- OL Jeremiah Buenrostro (first team)
- OL Cole McAlpin (first team)
- DL Carlton Brown (first team)
- LB Wyatt Beck (first team)
- DB Dee Gray (first team)
- S Josiah Raymond (first team)
- P Andrew Norton (first team)
- WR Jacobey James-Grace (second team)
- OL David Turner (second team)
- DB TJ Hersey (honorable mention)
- DL Kody McCraney (all-sportsmanship)
Belhaven will begin postseason play on Saturday, Nov. 18, when the Blazers take on North Central in round one of the Division III playoffs.
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