Football | 11/20/23 | 11:20 AM

HELENA, Mont. – The Frontier Conference has announced its yearly postseason football awards. Carroll College had seven players recognized for their achievements on the field in 2023.
 
The Fighting Saints finished their season at 7-3 overall, with a 5-3 conference record, and were well represented on the All-Conference lists.
 
Carroll had four First Team All-Conference selections (two offensive, two defensive), and three Second Team All-Conference selections (one offensive, two defensive).
 
FIRST TEAM:
TE -Carson Ochoa (Yorba Linda, Calif. / R-SO)
OL - Hunter Mecham (Las Vegas, Nev. / R-SR)
DL - Garrett Worden (Laramie, Wyo. / R-JR)
DB - Tug Smith (Newport, Wash. / R-SR)
 
SECOND TEAM:
OL – Conor Quick (Helena, Mont. / R-SR)
DL – Hunter Peck (Windsor, Colo. / JR)
LB – Tucker Jones (Hamilton, Mont. / R-JR)
 
The Saints tied for the second-most First Team All-Conference selections with Montana Tech (4), trailing only Montana Western's six First Teamers.
 
Carson Ochoa led all Frontier Conference Tight Ends in nearly every receiving statistic, and had the league's ninth-most receiving yards. The redshirt-sophomore finished with 41 receptions for 452 yards and four touchdowns
 
Hunter Mecham, one of the conference's most veteran players, has started every game for the Saints in each of the last three seasons. Mecham was as good as ever in 2023, anchoring the left side of a Carroll line that allowed only 13 sacks on the season.
 
Garrett Worden is one of the league's most dominant defensive linemen, and consistently drew the highest of attention from opposing offenses. The redshirt-junior added 22 tackles, 3.5 TFL, and1.5 sacks to his career totals in 2023.
 
Tug Smith is pound-for-pound one of the hardest hitting players in the Frontier, and was the leader of the Carroll secondary in 2023. Smith was named Defensive Player of the Week in September, and finished his final season with 50 tackles, 1 TFL, an interception and four pass break-ups.
 
Conor Quick is another seasoned veteran on a Carroll offensive line that is one of the most respected in the league. Quick started each game in his final two seasons, and was a huge factor in a Carroll rushing attack that totaled over 1,000 yards on the ground.
 
Hunter Peck is one of the most explosive players on a Carroll defensive front that finished No. 9 in the NAIA in rush yards allowed per game. Peck finished second in the Frontier in total sacks at 6.5, and had 40 total tackles and 9.0 TFL on the year.
 
Tucker Jones is the voice of the Carroll defense, and the signal-calling linebacker had an outstanding season in 2023. Jones led the team in tackles, finishing with 66 total tackles (41 assisted, 25 solo), 2.0 TFL, one sack, two pass break-ups, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
 
Ben Held (Great Falls, Mont. / R-JR) was named Carroll's Champion of Character for the 2023 season. Held was terrific on the field, but continues to be one of Carroll's best and brightest off the field as well. Held is heavily involved with several service organizations, and is the Vice President and Treasurer of Carroll's Special Olympics Club.
 
The full list of All-Conference selections, as well as the other postseason awards can be viewed HERE.
 
Visit www.carrollathletics.com to stay up to date on everything going on in Carroll Athletics.