Portland State seniors Cam Keizur and Xavier Coleman led Portland State's list of All-Big Sky Conference selections for football as the league released the team this morning. Keizur, an offensive lineman, and Coleman, a cornerback, were named first team All-Big Sky.
Earning second team All-Big Sky Conference were tight end Maximo Espitia and special teams performer Mitch Thompson. On third team were kicker Jonathan Gonzales and offensive lineman Randin Crecelius.
The Vikings also had six players named honorable mention: running backs Nate Tago and Paris Penn, quarterback Alex Kuresa, offensive lineman Tyshon Mosley, defensive tackle Savali Talalemotu and punter Marcus Kinsella.
Keizur, who spent time at right guard and center for the Vikings, has been a mainstay on the offensive line for four seasons. He started 41 of the 44 career games in which he played. A 6-4, 320-pounder from West Linn High School, Keizur blocked for an offense that gained 243 rushing yards per game this season - second in the Big Sky - and 454 yards per game overall, scoring 33 points per game. In his four years, the Vikings have rushed for more than 200 yards per game each season. They set seven school offensive records in 2013 including rushing yards, total yards and rushing touchdowns. A third-team All-Big Sky selection in 2015, Keizur was one of the top players in the Big Sky this year and a team captain for the Vikings.
Coleman, also a team captain this season, was paid a compliment by opposing teams this season by not seeing a lot of passes thrown his way. After leading the Big Sky with 13 pass breakups and ranking second in interceptions with five in 2015, Coleman didn't see nearly as much traffic in 2016. Still, he was one of the top Viking defenders again, making 29 tackles with five pass breakups and two interceptions. Coleman, originally from Jesuit High School, had a team-leading 45 games played and 35 starts in his career, totaling 152 tackles, 32 pass breakups and nine interceptions. The 5-11, 190-pound defensive back was second team All-Big Sky as a junior. He was a team co-captain in 2016.
Espitia, who is also a local product, played one season for the Vikings as a graduate transfer from California. A 6-2, 235-pound tight end, Espitia prepped at South Salem High School. In 2016, he ranked second on the Vikings' team with 33 receptions and three touchdown grabs. Espitia had a team-leading 592 receiving yards. He added seven rushing plays for 37 yards and one touchdown.
Thompson, a backup running back for the Vikings was a key special teams player. Though just 5-7 and 170 pounds, Thompson was a play-maker on kick coverage. The junior had 12 tackles for the season. On offense, Thompson had seven running plays for 20 yards and a touchdown. Originally a walk-on from Oregon City High School, Thompson was given a scholarship prior to the start of the 2016 season. He also earned the BarnyBall Award from the team for the player that best represents the values of the program.
Crecelius took over the left tackle position this season and started all 12 games for the Vikings. He too blocked for an offense that gained 243 rushing yards per game this season - second in the Big Sky - and 454 yards per game overall, scoring 33 points per game. A 6-5, 295-pound junior from Lake Stevens, WA, Crecelius was honorable mention All-Big Sky as a guard in 2015.
For the third straight season Gonzales was named All-Big Sky Conference. He was second team in 2014, third team in 2015. The senior from Apple Valley, CA made 7-10 field goals and 48-48 extra points this season. He was the only starting kicker in the Big Sky to not miss an extra point. Gonzales broke his own PSU record for extra points in a season without a miss. He finished his career at PSU second all-time in field goals (37) and first in extra point percentage (131-132, .992).
Portland State's entire backfield earned honorable mention All-Big Sky. Kuresa, a senior from Millville, UT, had 2,995 yards of total offense to rank seventh-most in school history for a season. With 5,725 career yards, he ranks eighth at PSU in just two seasons. Kuresa led the Vikings in rushing this year with 147 carries for 858 yards and 10 touchdowns. He completed 145 of 257 passes for 2,137 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Kuresa, the 2015 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, established career-highs for rushing in a game (198) and passing in a game (384) this year.
Penn, a senior from Grant High School, had his biggest offensive season as a Viking, totaling 909 yards and a team-leading 14 touchdowns. Penn, a 6-1, 220-pound back rushed 126 times for 653 yards and 10 touchdowns. He caught 26 passes for 256 yards and a team-best four receiving touchdowns. In his career, Penn had 1,895 yards rushing, passing and receiving and was responsible for 25 touchdowns.
Tago, a 5-11, 215-pound senior from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, had 137 carries for 774 yards and 10 touchdowns. He split starting duty with Penn in the backfield. Tago also had seven receptions for 85 yards and four kick returns for 68 yards. His 199 yards against Idaho State were a season high. For his career, Tago rushed for 1,765 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Talalemotu, also a senior from Beaverton High School, started every game at defensive tackle. The 6-3, 275-pounder had 22 tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick to his credit this season. In four seasons, he played 44 games with 21 starts, making 81 tackles and 10 sacks.
Kinsella was a two-year starter as a punter and three-year starter as a kickoff man for the Vikings. This season, the native of Melbourne, Australia, averaged only 38.9 yards per punt, but that was due to directional punting and keeping the ball away from return men. The Vikings allowed only 28 punt return yards all season.
PORTLAND STATE'S ALL-BIG SKY CONFERENCE HONOREES
1st team: SR RG Cam Keizur, SR CB Xavier Coleman
2nd team: SR TE Maximo Espitia, JR ST Mitchell Thompson
3rd team: JR LT Randin Crecelius, SR K Jonathan Gonzales
Honorable Mention: JR LG Tyshon Mosley, SR QB Alex Kuresa, SR RB Nate Tago, SR RB Paris Penn, SR DT Savali Talalemotu, SR P Marcus Kinsella
The complete All-Big Sky Conference team
