Kramer Named Defensive Player of the Year, Wildcats Land 12 on All-Conference Team
BALDWIN CITY – Junior linebacker Zac Kramer became the second straight Wildcat to be named Heart South Defensive Player of the Year and joined 11 of his teammates in receiving all-conference honors as the league announced its 2024 All-Heart South Conference Teams and postseason awards on Thursday.
Additionally, Baker's defensive coordinator Tucker Pauley was named Heart Assistant Coach for the second straight year and the third time in his career. Under Pauley's direction, the BU defense led the NAIA in defensive touchdowns this year with eight and ranked second in interceptions with 19.
Overall, the Wildcats had 12 players earn all-conference honors with seven of them being named to the All-Heart First Team in Kramer, Canon Karn, Brian Lane, PJ McCallop Jr., Thad Metcalfe, Aidan Palmer and Seth Simpson. It marked the second straight year that Karn, Kramer and Metcalfe received first-team recognition after the trio landed on the 2023 first-team list.
Austin Hollins and Deshon Lewis were all-conference second-team selections, while Truman Juelsgaard, Jeff Moore and Cameron Porter each came away with honorable mention honors.
A year after fellow linebacker Karn took home the award, Kramer earned the Heart's Defensive Player of the Year honor after ranking second in the conference in interceptions with four and third in tackles with 86 on the season. He recorded double-digit tackles in five games and had picks in back-to-back games on two separate occasions this fall with two of his interceptions being returned for touchdowns.
Karn became Baker's all-time career tackles leader earlier this season with now 320 total tackles in his four-year career at BU. He is second on the team in tackles this year with 53 and had both of his turnovers come in the same game with a forced fumble and a pick-six against Culver-Stockton.
Lane is tied for the team lead with five sacks and recorded 37 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery during the regular season, while earning his first career interception and touchdown with a pick-six against Central Methodist back in late October. Hollins had 30 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
McCallop and Metcalfe highlighted a BU secondary that was rewarded with four all-conference players with McCallop tying Kramer for the team lead with four interceptions, while Metcalfe was third on the team in tackles with 47 and had two picks in his senior season.
Lewis forced three turnovers this year with an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Porter, a freshman from Gardner, Kan., had 20 tackles, nine pass breakups and an interception in his first season at BU.
Juelsgaard, Moore and Palmer all played a key role for a Wildcats offense that scored over 40 points per game (40.8 ppg) and featured a balanced attack that averaged almost 200 yards both on the ground (191.9) and through the air (207.0). Juelsgaard threw for 1445 yards and 15 touchdowns, while running for over 450 yards (454) and nine touchdowns.
As a two-time Heart player of the week honoree, Simpson gets the first-team nod after leading the conference with 21 made field goals and went 46-for-48 on extra-point attempts. He matched his career long in Baker's 20-14 victory at MidAmerica Nazarene where he hit a 47-yard bomb.
After clinching its second straight Heart South Conference Championship last weekend, No. 13 Baker earned a spot in the 2024 NAIA Football Championship Series after receiving an at-large bid and will host a first-round matchup against No. 20 Pikeville on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. at Don Parker Field and Liston Stadium in Baldwin City, Kan.
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