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Brown Wins ODAC Rookie of the Year; Football Places Nine on All-Conference Teams

11/25/2025 2:00:00 PM

By: Matt McIntosh '23
FOREST, Va. - The Shenandoah University football team earned nine All-ODAC awards for the 2025 season, with quarterback Mekhi Brown highlighting the awards, winning Rookie of the Year, as announced by the conference on Tuesday.

Offensive lineman Andy Anderson and defenders Matt Conroy and Sean Perry each earned first-team distinction, with running back Jalen Redfearn, wide receiver Roge't Walker, defensive end Ryan Apietu, and kicker Carson Gallant being named to the second team. Rookie of the Year Brown and defensive lineman Phoenix Andes-Stowell round out the selections on the third team.

Anderson, a senior offensive guard, helped the Hornets rush for 1,661 yards as a team and 16 touchdowns, while also giving the quarterbacks enough time to pass for 2,432 yards. The guard also picked up eight rushing yards this season after converting a fake punt against Washington and Lee in the regular season finale.

Conroy, a linebacker, set the program's all-time career record for tackles this season with 442 total tackles across his four years. This season, Conroy accumulated 147 tackles, which currently ranks first among all Division III players. The linebacker also had two sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.

Perry, a fifth-year, finished the season with 68 tackles, five pass breakups, and an interception, along with three tackles for loss. The defensive back also served as the team's primary kick and punt returner. He returned two punts for touchdowns and averaged 24.45 yards on kickoff returns.

Redfearn, a senior, led the Hornets with 690 rushing yards and added 294 yards receiving. The running back had seven total touchdowns, including a mutli-touchdown performance versus Washington and Lee in Week 11. Redfearn had two 100-yard rushing games and had four games with at least 100 all-purpose yards.

Walker, a sophomore from King George, Virginia, had 539 yards receiving this season on 39 receptions, averaging 13.82 yards per reception. Walker caught two touchdowns in ODAC games, finishing the year with five total.

Apietu, the Hornets' defensive end, had 63 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss. The tackles for loss dropped the opponents back 62 yards, with four sacks backing the teams up 42 yards. Apietu also had three pass breakups, an interception, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, five QB hurries, and a safety this season.

Gallant, a sophomore kicker, made seven field goals this season with a long of 33 yards. The kicker helped send the Hornets into the postseason with a game-winning kick in a 17-14 win against W&L. On extra-points Gallant went 40-44, while having 19 kickoffs for 909 yards. On a kickoff against Randolph-Macon, Gallant successfully recovered his own onside kick in the second quarter.

Brown, the Hornets' starting quarterback, made his debut in week five versus Bridgewater. Since making his debut the rookie completed just over 71 percent of his passes for 1,612 yards and 18 touchdowns in eight games. The quarterback threw for four or more touchdowns in three games, with a season-high five coming in the first half against Gallaudet.

Rounding out the selections is Andes-Stowell who made 45 tackles this season with 12.0 tackles for loss for 46 yards. The sophomore had 5.5 sacks accumulating 28 yards. The defensive lineman also had four pass breakups, a QB hurry, and a forced fumble.

The Hornets won eight games for the third time in four years and made their second straight appearance in the Chesapeake Challenge, hosting Wilkes University in the Cape Henry Bowl. SU placed second in the ODAC with six wins in conference play.

#GoSUHornets
 
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