Wayne, Neb. — The Don Hansen Football Committee released the 2022 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America Football Team Tuesday afternoon and Wayne State College had two players – senior defensive back J’Von France and senior placekicker/punter Alex Powders – listed as Honorable Mention selections. The two are the first Wildcats since Tyler Thomsen in 2018, Third Team All-American, to be named to the Don Hansen All-America Team.
France, a 6-0, 180-pound senior defensive back from Tarpon Springs, Florida, earned All-NSIC South Division First Team honors this season after receiving Second Team honors one year ago. He was fifth on the Wildcat defense in total tackles (41) and had 4.5 tackles for loss. France tied for fourth in the NSIC this season with 12 passes defended and tied for seventh in the league with three interceptions to go with one forced fumble.
France recorded a season-high eight tackles with one breakup at the University of Mary (9/3/22) and was credited with a season-high three breakups with one interception and four tackles vs. Minnesota State (108/22). He also had interceptions vs. Southwest Minnesota State (10/22/22) and MSU Moorhead (11/12/22).
Powders, a 5-10 180-pound senior placekicker from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was a repeat All-NSIC South Division First Team selection at kicker this season for the Wildcats while also named D2CCA All-Super Region 4 Second Team. He ranked second in the NSIC this season in kicker points with 79 and was third in field goals made (13 of 15) and PAT kicks made (40-41). Powders made a school record 52-yard field goal at #24 Augustana October 15th and was 4 of 4 on field goals that game to become just the third player in school history to make four field goals in a game.
Powders was named NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week October 10th after making a pair of field goals and all five PAT kicks in Wayne State’s 41-33 victory over Minnesota State. As a punter, Powders averaged 39.1 yards per punt this season with just two touchbacks, 18 fair catches and 16 punts inside the 20-yard line.
The 13 field goals made this season by Powders tied for third most in a single season at WSC and the 79 points scored as a kicker ranked third most in school history. In just two seasons as Wayne State placekicker Powders ranks third in career points scored by a kicker (153) and is fourth in PAT kicks made (84-86).
Wayne State finished the 2022 season with a record of 9-3 and earned a share of the Northern Sun Conference regular season title. The Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for just the second time in school history (2008) before falling to #19 Minnesota State 26-9 in the opening round. The nine-win season marked just the fourth time in school history (1949, 1993, 2008) that Wayne State football recorded nine wins.
