DANBURY, Conn. – The rewards of a record-breaking season continued to pay out for the 12^th-ranked UNC Pembroke football team on Tuesday evening when six Braves were among 26 student-athletes named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Football All-Star Team.
 
All-American B.J. Bunn was the lone representative for the Black & Gold on the offensive side of the squad, but UNCP representatives were plentiful on defense and special teams. Linebackers Garrett Barnett and Elijah Williams joined defensive lineman Tyler Hinton on defense, while placekicker/punter Matt Davis and return specialist Tra Chandler were the only special teams selections to make the list.
 
Offensive linemen Lawrence Keys and Demarcus Whitehurst picked up honorable mention honors in the announcement, as did defensive lineman Alpha Lamin.
 
Barnett led UNCP in tackles, tallying 86 stops, including a team-best 39 solo tackles. The Mooresville product added nine tackles for loss to his performance, while also tallying five quarterback hurries, four pass break-ups and a forced fumble that he eventually also recovered. Barnett turned in eight or more tackles in six contests this season, including a career-best 12 stops in the win over Concord.
 
A three-year starter for the Braves, Bunn registered 70 catches for a career-best 1,142 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, while also returning 14 punts for 64 yards as well. His senior season included six 100-yard receiving games, including a 7-catch, 205-yard showing in the win over Kentucky Wesleyan on October 15 in Laurinburg. The Burlington native tallied five or more catches against nine opponents in 2016, including a season-best eight receptions against North Greenville.
 
Chandler averaged 29.1 yards (15^th NCAA) on 17 kickoff returns for the Black & Gold this season, and was one of just nine players nationwide to log two kickoff returns for touchdowns. The Clayton native tacked up the second- and third-longest kickoff returns in school history, including a 98-yard gallop in the regular season finale against Concord. A receiving threat as well, Chandler also registered 25 catches for 362 yards and a trio of touchdowns.
 
Davis, a Richlands product, shattered a school record and led the Braves in scoring with 119 points this season, including 20 in a home victory over Fayetteville State in early September. He finished his senior campaign with a 26-for-31 success rate on field goal attempts, including an astounding 6-for-7 clip on tries from 50 yards or better, while also successfully canning 38 of his 39 PAT attempts. A three-tiered kicking threat, he also averaged 41.02 yards on 43 punts (10 punts of at least 50 yards), and also averaged 62.7 yards on 70 kickoffs (32 touchbacks).
 
Hinton, a native of Fuquay-Varina, turned in 27 tackles in 2016, including 9-1/2 tackles for loss (-64 yards), and led Code Black with 7-1/2 sacks as well. The redshirt sophomore bagged a season-best five tackles in the win over Kentucky Wesleyan in Laurinburg – a performance that included 2-1/2 quarterback drops (-20 yards). He also registered a sack in UNCP's playoff victory at No. 19 Valdosta State last month.
 
Williams totaled 66 tackles for the Braves this season, including four tackles for loss (-16 yards) and a pair of sacks. For good measure, he also recorded four pass break-ups, three quarterback hurries and a 46-yard interception return that set up a touchdown drive for the Black & Gold in the playoff victory at Valdosta State. The Charlotte product turned in five or more tackles in eight different contests this season, including a season-best 10 stops in the home win over North Greenville in September.

2016 ECAC Division II Football All-Star Team
Offensive Player of the Year
Raleigh Yeldell, Sr., Newberry College
Defensive Player of the Year
Jared Chester, R-Jr., LIU Post
Coach of the Year
Bryan Collins, LIU Post
 
First Team Offense
Raleigh Yeldell, Sr., Newberry College
David White, Sr., LIU Post
Jarel Elder, Jr., West Chester University
Shane Hubbard, R-Sr., LIU Post
B.J. Bunn, Sr., UNC Pembroke
Markell Castle, So., Newberry College
Baptiste Staggers, Jr., Newberry College
James Louison, R-So., LIU Post
Joseph Lacey, Jr., LIU Post
Tyler Stasky, Sr., Newberry College
Bobby McNeil, Sr., Newberry College
Doug Gilbert, Sr., West Chester University
 
First Team Defense
Joe Bryant, Sr., Cheyney University
Anthony DeNunzio, R-Jr., LIU Post
Kenny Scotland, R-Sr., LIU Post
Tyler Hinton, So., UNC Pembroke
Jamarcus Henderson, So., Newberry College
Elijah Williams, Sr., UNC Pembroke
Garrett Barnett, So., UNC Pembroke
Joe Blue, So., Newberry College
Jared Chester, R-Jr., LIU Post
Kevin Malone, Sr., West Chester University
Nydair Rouse, So., West Chester University
Christian Carpenter, R-Sr., Gannon University
 
First Team Special Teams
Matt Davis, Sr., UNC Pembroke
Tra Chandler, Sr., UNC Pembroke
 
 
Honorable Mention
Jeff Kidd, Sr., LIU Post; Rontonio Stanley, Sr., UNC Pembroke; Cole Watson, Sr., Newberry College; Tyler Karpinski, Jr., West Chester University; Demarcus Whitehurst, Jr., UNC Pembroke; Lawrence Keys, Sr., UNC Pembroke; Tyler Drob, Jr., West Chester University; Kevin Petit-Frere, Jr., LIU Post; Alpha Lamin, Jr., UNC Pembroke; Jimmy Holmes, Sr., Newberry College