Football | 11/18/2014 4:44:00 PM

Seven Prairie Fire football players have received postseason accolades from the Midwest Conference.

The league announced its All-Midwest Conference first and second teams on Tuesday.  Junior wide receiver Ilir Emini (Yorkville, IL, Yorkville), first-year running back Terry White (Hillsdale, IL, Riverdale), senior tight end Ryan Schulz (Abingdon, IL, Abingdon), senior offensive lineman Rob Compton (Dunlap, IL, Dunlap), senior cornerback Chaz Benton (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg), senior defensive lineman Austin Finley (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg), and sophomore linebacker/special teamer Brock Gabel (Bourbonnais, IL, Bishop McNamara) were all named All-Midwest Conference second team picks.

Emini caught a Knox football single-season record 88 passes for 781 yards and five touchdowns.  He also set a new single-game record for pass receptions with 16 against Grinnell College on October 25.  Emini led the Midwest Conference in total receptions and receptions per game (8.8) – which ranks fifth in NCAA Division III – and he finished third in the league in receiving yards.  He is fifth all-time at Knox with 151 career receptions, eighth with 1,719 career receiving yards, tied for fifth for games over 100 yards receiving in a season (3), and ranks seventh for games over 100 yards receiving in a career (5).

White rushed for 749 yards, which was seventh in the MWC, and scored seven touchdowns.  He had two games over 100 yards rushing, including a season-high 176 with three touchdowns in a 45-14 win over Lawrence University at home on September 27.  White averaged 11.7 yards per carry in the game, which is fifth in school history while he's tied for seventh all-time with the three touchdowns on the ground.  White was named the Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week for his efforts.  In addition, his total rushing yards are the most for a first-year running back since at least 1980 – the year the Knox football record book began recording rushing leaders by season.

Schulz, a four-year football player, was valuable to the Prairie Fire's passing and running attacks.  He caught seven passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including a 56-yard score at Cornell College on October 18.  Schulz also helped the offensive line block to create opportunities for Knox through the air and on the ground.

Compton, also a four-year player, was a key member and leader on the offensive line that helped pave the way for nearly 6,100 combined rushing and passing yards by the Prairie Fire over the past two seasons.  He helped Knox lead the conference and rank 12th nationally in time of possession (34:00) while allowing only 15 quarterback sacks this year.

Benton played all four years in the Knox secondary and was one of the best cover cornerbacks in the Midwest Conference.  Benton concluded his senior year with 47 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and he ranked 11th in the MWC with 10 pass breakups.  He was a big reason the Prairie Fire defense limited opponents to 167 passing yards per game, the fourth-lowest total in the league and down from 174 the previous season.

Finley, the anchor of the defensive line and a four-year starter – his first two as an offensive lineman – recorded 30 tackles and was the team leader in tackles for a loss and sacks.  He helped lead a defensive unit that allowed an average of 62 fewer yards per game, including 55 on the ground, compared to 2013 and recovered 15 fumbles to tie for second in NCAA Division III.

Gabel made a big impact on defense and on special teams during his first year in a Knox uniform.  He tied for first in the nation with four blocked kicks, contributed 42 tackles, and had a fumble recovery.

The complete list of All-Midwest Conference picks and award winners is available here