Pride Land Four on Heart of America All-Conference Lists

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Clarke University football program landed four student-athletes on the Heart of America All-Conference teams – including four honorable mentions – the conference office announced Friday. The Pride finished the 2022 campaign with its most wins in a single season in program history, going 3-8 overall. 

All four of Clarke's All-Conference selectees were named to the second team, as linebacker Bryan Valdes, wideout Gabe Deadwiler, defensive back Gabe Guyton, and DB Johel Gonzalez earned the distinction. 

Valdes earned his second-straight second-team honor after he led all Clarke defenders with 73 total tackles, including 9.5 for loss. The sophomore out of Florida City, Florida had a team-high two forced fumbles and tied for the program lead in pass breakups with six. Valdes earned national recognition on Sept. 26 following the Pride's upset win over No. 23 Baker University, a performance that saw the linebacker rack up 12 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, one interception and a forced fumble. 

Deadwiler led Clarke with 46 catches for 675 yards and four touchdowns, marks that stand as single-season program records. The sophomore wideout broke out early in the season, quickly becoming one of the Pride's top offensive weapons after having back-to-back 100 yard outings to kick off the year. 

Guyton earned second-team honors as a returner after accumulating 415 kickoff return yards, a mark that stands as the third-most by any player in the conference. The freshman had a career-long 68 yard return against MidAmerica Nazarene on Oct. 1. 

Gonzalez consistently played like one of the better cornerbacks in all of the country this season, picking off five passes for a second-straight year. His five interceptions this season were tied for the third-most in the country, falling just two shy of the nation's lead. 

Clarke also had four named to the honorable mention list, including quarterback Brandon Mueller, defensive lineman Israel Hernandez, linebacker Adrian Tamayo, and wideout Jaquan Graham. 

Mueller finished the season with 13 touchdown passes and 1,662 yards on 152 of 282 passing. The El Paso, Texas native opened up the season by throwing for 300 yards in back-to-back games, becoming the first Clarke passer to reach the 300-yard mark in a single contest.

Hernandez closed out the 2022 campaign with 33 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. A member of Clarke football since its inaugural season in 2019, Hernandez' best game of the season came on Oct. 15, where the junior logged seven tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and a sack against Peru State. 

Tamayo finished his junior season fifth on the team in total tackles with 56, while also posting 3.5 tackles for loss to go along with a forced fumble and interception. The Oak Hills, Calif., native had his best game of the season on Homecoming weekend against MidAmerica Nazarene, where he finished with 11 total tackles, one TFL, and the interception. 

Graham rounds out the group after recording 32 catches for 328 yards and five scores. After a slow start to the season due to injuries, Graham came onto the scene with a two touchdown performance against MidAmerica on Oct. 1.