Three members of the Salt City Bowl champion Hutchinson Community College football team were named the second team of the 2012 NJCAA Football All-America list on Wednesday.
Running back Terrell Lane, defensive tackle Toby Johnson and placekicker Michael Mesh all earned All-America honors, which brings the total of NJCAA All-Americans in the Rion Rhoades era to 12.
All three players played central roles in Hutchinson finishing 9-3 and winning a fourth-straight Salt City Bowl.
TERRELL LANE – Running back (6-2, 230, Norton, KS)
To say Terrell Lane had a season for the books would be an understatement.
Lane not only broke one, but two major rushing record during his sophomore season, he had nine-straight 100-yard rushing games, three 200-yard rushing game and then there was Sept. 8 in Garden City.
That’s when Lane broke HCC’s 46-year-old single-game rushing record of Mack Herron’s when he rushed for 308 yards on just 29 carries in a 63-49 victory over the Broncbusters.
The game vaulted him into the national rushing lead for the remainder of the regular season. Lane wound up second in the nation with a Blue Dragon single-season record 1,632 yards. Lane completed his Blue Dragon career as the fourth-leading rusher all-time with 2,093 yards.
Lane scored 28 total touchdowns this season (15 rushing, 3 receiving) and scored 108 points, which ranks third best in single-season HCC history. For his career, Lane had 27 total touchdowns for 162 points, which also ranks third.
Lane also caught 24 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns this season. He completed 4 of 6 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. As a punter, Lane averaged 41.2 yards per attempt on 33 punts with a career best of 62 yards.
Lane is the first Blue Dragon running back to earn All-America honors since LaDarrian Page in 2008.
TOBY JOHNSON – Defensive tackle (6-4, 305, College Park, GA)
Even before the season started, sophomore defensive tackle Toby Johnson was being talked about. He entered the 2012 season as the No. 1 overall junior college recruit in the nation.
That meant opposing offenses were paying attention, too. Johnson normally drew double teams and still put together a solid season, missing the final 2 1/2 games because of injuries.
Johnson finished with 37 total tackles, 12 were unassisted. He had 6.5 tackles for loss, including three quarterback sacks. He also had four passes defensed.
Johnson had a career-high seven total tackles against Dodge City on Sept. 15. He had six tackles each against Air Force Prep and Independence.
For his career, Johnson had 87 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss and five quarterback sacks. He also had nine passes broken up, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and two blocked kicks.
MICHAEL MESH – Placekicker (5-9, 180, Hutchinson, KS)
With the Blue Dragons putting together the two best offensive teams in program history over the last two seasons, sophomore kicker Michael Mesh had plenty of chances to score. And score he did.
Mesh became the only kicker in Blue Dragon history to score 100 points in a season, scoring 101 this season and setting numerous Blue Dragon kicking records.
Mesh converted 63 of 69 extra points and booted 12 of 15 field goals this season. The 101 points are 12th most overall and most by a Blue Dragon kicker. The 12 field goals are the second most ever made by a kicker in a single season. Mesh tied a team record when he kicked a 47-yard field goal in the 2012 Region VI Championship game.
Mesh had five games of 10 or more points in a game, including a Blue Dragon record 16 points ( 7 of 7 on extra points, 3 of 3 on field goals) in the season opener against Coffeyville on Aug. 25.
Mesh closes his career with the following records: Most points by a kicker (186), most extra points (136), most field goals (16) and most kickoffs (194). The 186 points tie Mack Herron for second place on the career scoring list.
(HCC Sports Information)