ST. LOUIS - Seven members of the Indiana State football team earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors on Monday (Nov. 28), with a total of 13 Sycamores being named to the all-conference team. Head coaches, media members and sports information directors from around the MVFC vote on the awards.

Indiana State led the MVFC with their seven first team honorees, topping UNI by one selection. ISU and Illinois State tied for the most overall picks, both receiving 13.

Receiving first team selections this season were: Aaron Archie (Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech), Shakir Bell (Indianapolis, Ind. / Warren Central), Alex Jones (Centerville, Ind. / Centerville), Brock Lough (Terre Haute, Ind. / South Vigo), FN Lutz (West Lafayette, Ind. / Lafayette Harrison), Ben Obaseki (Washington, Ind. / Washington) and Alex Sewall (Western Springs, Ill. / Lyons Township).

A trio of Sycamores made both the second team and honorable mention lists as well. Ben Geffert (Griffith, Ind. / Griffith), Lucas Hileman (Anna, Ill. / Anna-Jonesboro) and Jacolby Washington (Deltona, Fla. / Deltona Trinity Christian) were named to the second team with Ronnie Fouch (Redlands, Calif. / Univ. of Washington / Redlands Valley East), Rod Hardy (Indianapolis, Ind. / Pike) and Ryan Roberts (West York, Ill. / Hutsonville) earning honorable mention status.

Archie, a redshirt junior linebacker, led ISU in tackles, finishing tied for 12^th nationally and second in the conference with 122 stops for the season. His 122 tackles this season rank 12^th in Indiana State history for a single-season total and moves his career total to 299, just one shy of becoming the 15^th member of ISU's 300 Tackle Club. Archie put together his best game of the season against Youngstown State, recording a season-high 18 tackles with 2.5 for loss and two sacks.

Bell, a sophomore running back, earned MVFC Offensive Player of the Year status last week, after leading the nation in rushing with 1,670 total yards and a 151.8 per game average. His 1,670 yards this season broke the school record for single-season rushing yards and rank eighth in league history. Bell also broke the single-game rushing record when he rushed for 256 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries in ISU's victory over Youngstown State on Sept. 24. Those 256 yards against the Penguins are the 12^th highest single-game total in MVFC history. For the year, Bell hit the end zone 14 times.

Jones, a senior tight end, finished second on the team with 501 receiving yards, coming on 23 receptions. Jones also finished second with four touchdowns receptions, leading the team with a 21.8 yards per catch average and a 55.7 yards per game total. The senior caught ISU's longest scoring pass of the season, an 80-yard TD reception against Western Illinois on Oct. 15. Jones caught a pair of touchdowns for 119 yards that week against the Leathernecks, earning the Sycamore Co-National Tight End of the Week honors.

Lough, a senior fullback, rushed for 309 yards with four touchdowns on 58 carries this season while also catching 10 passes for 49 yards and one score out of the backfield. Lough served as the primary blocking back for Shakir Bell this season, leading the way for Bell's record-setting season. The Terre Haute native scored three touchdowns against Butler in ISU's home-opener on Sept. 10, carrying the ball 17 times for a career-high 131 yards.

Lutz, a junior offensive lineman, started all 11 games at center this season, spearheading ISU's rushing attack that averaged 181.9 yards per game on the ground. A three-year starter on the offensive line, Lutz backed Indiana State to a league-leading 5.3 yards per carry for the season.

Obaseki, a junior defensive end, finished third in the MVFC's Defensive Player of the Year voting after leading the Sycamores with 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss this season, tying for second and third in the MVFC, respectively, in those categories. Obaseki turned in one of the best defensive performances in MVFC history against Western Illinois on Oct. 15, recording 22 tackles (seven solo, 15 assisted) with four tackles for loss and three sacks. His 22 tackles against the Leathernecks are the most in conference history by a defensive lineman. The ISU junior was also in impact player in goal line situations, rushing the ball five times for five touchdowns.

Sewall, a senior safety, led the team with 51 solo tackles, placing third on the team with 114 stops. Sewall ranked third in the MVFC in solo tackles and fourth in total stops, while placing 24^th nationally with an average on 10.4 tackles per game. He tied for the conference lead with three recovered fumbles, while making double-digit tackles in eight games this season, including a season-high of 17 against Western Illinois. Sewall finished his career with 358 career tackles, good for sixth in Indiana State history.

Geffert, a redshirt senior offensive lineman, started 10 games at left guard this season. Geffert picked up the MVFC's Offensive Lineman of the Week award following ISU's road victory at Western Kentucky on Sept. 17, where running back Shakir Bell ran for 221 yards. The ISU senior led a rushing attack that averaged 181.9 yards per game on the ground and led the conference with a 5.3 yards per carry for the season.

Hileman, a junior punter, led the conference in punting in his first season with the football team, averaging 42.2 yards per punt. Hileman made 38 punts this season, with nine kicks going over 50 yards with seven being downed inside the 20. He led ISU to a net punting average of 38.2 yards as a team, checking in first in the conference and sixth nationally. The ISU junior put together his best game of the season against Southern Illinois on Nov. 19, averaging 53.2 yards on five punts (266 total yards) with three kicks over 50 yards.

Washington, a junior linebacker, finished the year third in the conference and second on the team with 120 total tackles, including a team-leading 81 assisted stops. Washington's 120 tackles this season rank 16^th all-time at Indiana State, while his 10.9 tackles per game were good for this season 15^th on a national scale. He ranked fourth on the team with five tackles for loss while also making a pair of sacks.

Fouch, a senior quarterback, threw for 2,064 passing yards and 18 touchdowns this season, averaging 187.6 yards per game through the air. Fouch spread the ball around in his senior season, throwing touchdown passes to six different receivers and averaging over 45 yards per game with three different targets. The senior signal caller threw a touchdown pass in every game this season, while passing for a season-high of 295 yards against Southern Illinois on Senior Day.

Hardy, a senior defensive lineman, ranked fourth on the team with 76 tackles, while placing second on the team and seventh in the MVFC with 12.5 tackles for loss. Hardy posted one tackle for loss in eight games, including seven straight to close out the season. He forced and recovered a fumble in ISU's win on the road at Western Kentucky, returning the ball 27 yards to set up an Indiana State score.

Roberts, a senior linebacker, recorded 66 tackles this season, including seven stops for a loss, ranking third on the team in tackles for loss. Roberts posted a season-high of 12 tackles against Youngstown State on Sept. 24, with six solo and assisted tackles. He intercepted one pass, coming in the season finale against Southern Illinois and tied for fourth on the team with three pass breakups.

Indiana State finished the 2011 season with a 6-5 overall record and an even 4-4 in conference play, posting their first back-to-back winning seasons since 1995 and 1996.