FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State received 18 selections on the 2024 All-MIAA Football Team, released on Tuesday, as selected by MIAA coaches. The Tigers saw their most selections on the all-conference team since the 2018 season, when they had 22 selections. FHSU had six first-team, six second-team, three third-team, and three honorable mention selections. Myles Menges was named the Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the fourth Tiger to earn the honor while FHSU has been a member of the MIAA.
First-team selections went to Myles Menges (DL), Makel Williams (LB), Mason Perez (DB), Parker Janky (P), Shane Watts (APB), and Josh Shaw (OL). Menges, Watts, and Shaw were unanimous selections to the first team. Second-team selections went to Jayden Horace (WR), Cale Cormaney (TE), Porter Dannevik (OL), Carson Arndt (K), and John Johnson (LB), while Watts (RB) was listed a second time on the team at running back to go with his first-team all-purpose back honor. Third-team selections went to Gaven Haselhorst (DL), Kobe Rome (DB), and Benyon Williams (DB). Honorable mention picks went to Caleb Heavner (QB), Dawson Reynolds (OL), and Demetri Scott (DL).
Menges is now a four-time All-MIAA selection, capping the run of selections as a unanimous first team selection on the defensive line. With that, he received MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. He now has all four levels of all-conference honors, going from honorable mention in 2021, to third team in 2022, to second team in 2023, and now first team in 2024. The Bushton, Kansas native recorded 27 tackles, a team-high 5.5 sacks, and 6.5 tackles for loss in 2024. Menges had a big year batting down passes at the line, recording 11 pass breakups for the season, tied for third-most in the MIAA and most among defensive linemen. He also recorded one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery for the season as well. He helped the Tigers to the second-best total defense in the MIAA (330.1 yards per game) and the best scoring defense (16.9) points per game in the regular season. Menges is the first MIAA Defensive Player of the Year for the Tigers since linebacker Jose Delgado won the award in 2018.
Makel Williams is now a three-time All-MIAA selection at linebacker. He earned first-team honors this year, leading FHSU in total tackles with 88. He had the third most tackles in the MIAA at the end of the regular season. Williams reached double figures in tackles for games four times in 2024, including a career-high 14 in a win over nationally ranked Central Missouri for Homecoming back on October 5 which netted him a conference player of the week honor. Prior to this year, the Bryan, Texas native was an All-MIAA Third Team selection in both 2022 and 2023. He has 249 tackles over three seasons at FHSU.
Mason Perez is also now a three-time All-MIAA selection on defense, earning first-team honors at defensive back. Perez ranks second in tackles for FHSU with 69 for the season, while leading the team in tackles for loss (7.0). Perez added five pass breakups and a forced fumble in the regular season, while also doing damage on special teams with two blocked kicks. Perez has 212 tackles over four seasons at FHSU.
Parker Janky is the first-team selection at punter. Taking over as the team's primary punter late in the 2023, Janky has thrived in the role ever since. He closed the regular season averaging an MIAA-best 44.9 yards per punt on 40 attempts. But Janky was also valuable as a kickoff specialist, averaging a career-best 60.3 yards per kickoff in 2024 with 25 touchbacks. He has been the kickoff specialist all four years of his career at FHSU, totaling 65 touchbacks with a career average of 58.3 yards per kickoff.
On the offensive side of the ball, Shane Watts was a unanimous first-team selection as an all-purpose back. Watts led the MIAA in all-purpose yards during the regular season with 1,769, averaging 160.8 per game. His year was so impressive that coaches made him a second-team selection as a running back too, since he rushed for 1,303 yards in the regular season to go with his 449 receiving yards and 17 kick return yards. Watts rushed for at least 100 yards in six contests in the regular season and had at least 50 yards rushing in 10 of 11 contests. He really turned his performance up a notch by rushing for over 100 yards in the last four games, which included going over 200 yards twice. He had a career-high 250 rushing yards in a win over nationally ranked Emporia State. Watts ranked second in the MIAA in scoring in the regular season with 102 points on 17 touchdowns (13 rushing, 4 receiving). He led the MIAA in rushing by 234 yards over first-team running back Jaylen Cottrell (also a unanimous selection) of Central Oklahoma and the two were the only running backs in the MIAA to go over 1,000 rushing yards during the regular season.
Also getting a unanimous first-team selection on the offensive line was Josh Shaw, who is now a two-time All-MIAA selection. He was a third-team selection as season ago. Shaw joined Gabe Clark of Central Missouri as the only two unanimous first team selections on the offensive line. Shaw started all 11 games for the Tigers during the regular season, even making two spot starts at center for an injured Brandon Kerr, aside from his normal left guard position where he made the other nine starts. He helped the Tigers produce 402 yards of total offense per game during the regular season, which included 169.3 yards per game on the ground and 232.7 yards per game through the air. The Tigers scored 40 touchdowns and racked up 241 first downs in the regular season.
Horace is now a two-time All-MIAA selection at wide receiver, earning second-team honors this year after an honorable mention pick last year. Horace upped his production in terms of receptions (56) and receiving yards (704) this season, compared to a year ago. He had eight touchdown catches in the regular season this year compared to 11 a season ago. In 22 games over two years at FHSU, he has 92 receptions for 1,283 yards. His 64.0 receiving yards per game average ranked 10th for the regular season in the MIAA.
Cormaney is also a two-time All-MIAA selection at tight end, moving up to the second team this year after an honorable mention selection last year. He had 32 receptions for 310 yards and one touchdown in the regular season. He has 850 receiving yards on 76 receptions over three years as a Tiger.
Dannevik picked up the first all-conference selection of his career, a second-team selection on the offensive line. He made all nine of his starts in the regular season at right tackle and played in 10 games, only missing one game. He helped the Tigers generate 402 yards of total offense per game.
Arndt is now a two-time all-conference selection at kicker, a second-team selection this year after an honorable mention pick last year. He's a four-time all-conference pick for his collegiate career, which included a pair of all-conference selections while at Butler (Kan.) Community College. Arndt tied for the MIAA lead in field goals made with Cody Watson, each booting through 16. He remained perfect on PAT attempts in the regular season, going 40-of-40, extending his perfect streak as a Tiger to 87 after going 47-of-47 in 2023. Arndt has 23 field goals made at FHSU over two seasons.
Johnson picked up the second all-conference honor of his career at linebacker as a second-team selection this year. He was a first-team selection last year, but missed three games this year due to injury. He returned to form as one of the top defenders in the conference following the setback midway through the year and finished with 63 tackles, reaching double figures in games twice. He added a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick. Johnson has 230 tackles over four years at FHSU.
Haselhorst received the first all-conference selection of his career at FHSU, a third-team pick on the defensive line. He finished the regular season with 31 tackles, including 3.5 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss, while also recording a forced fumble.
Rome picked up the second all-conference honor of his career at FHSU as a defensive back, this time as a third-team selection after a second-team pick a year ago. He had 36 tackles in the regular season, while tying for the team lead in interceptions with two. He has five interceptions over the last two seasons.
Benyon Williams picked up his first all-conference nod at FHSU as a third-team selection at defensive back. He is now a three-time all-conference performer overall in his career after twice earning all-conference honors at North Carolina Wesleyan. He had 61 tackles in the regular season to go with two forced fumbles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. He has 101 tackles over two years at FHSU and 240 over his five-year collegiate career.
Heavner picked up an honorable mention selection at quarterback. Taking over as the starter six games into the season, Heavner finished the year with 1,649 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 353 yards and five touchdowns. He led the MIAA in the regular season with a 70.1 completion percentage, connecting on 141 of his 201 passes, while throwing only two interceptions.
Reynolds is now a two-time all-conference selection with the Tigers on the offensive line. He was an honorable mention selection for the second-straight year, starting all games for FHSU at right guard and helping the offense average 402 yards per game.
Scott picked up his first all-conference honor on the defensive line as a Tiger with an honorable mention pick. He finished the year with 21 tackles as a defensive tackle, recording 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.