Senior standout Blake Rybar became the third Linfield defensive player to win Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday. Rybar was one of 18 Linfield honorees who made an All-NWC selection.
 
The Monroe Wash., native is one of the three Linfield defensive players to earn back-to-back NWC Defensive Player of the Year awards with the other two being Alex Hoff and Dominique Forrest.
 
Linfield secured its 67th winning season adding to an already existing NCAA record. The Wildcats finished the season 8-1 overall and with a 6-1 mark in NWC play.
 
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Connor McNabb earned his third straight first-team All-NWC selection at running back. The senior from Scappoose Ore., tallied 712 rushing yards on 107 carries, 6.7 yards per carry. He scored five touchdowns on the ground, adding a touchdown reception.
 
Devon Murray and Colton Smith grabbed their second consecutive All-NWC first-team selections. Murray finished third in the NWC with nine receiving touchdowns while Smith grabbed six. Smith racked up 470 yards on 44 receptions and Murray also caught 44 passes and totaled 573 yards.
 
Franco Keplinger reeled in his second first-team all-conference nod with 12 catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns. In his first season as a starting center, Austin Leykam received first-team honors for helping Linfield lead the NWC in rushing yards per game (182.7)
 
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Rybar was the leader of a Linfield defense that ranked 32nd in the nation and topped the NWC in scoring defense, allowing 16 points per game. The senior racked up 46 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and added an interception.
 
Rybar is joined on the first-team defense by defensive standouts Nick Severson and Chance Sparks. Severson tallied 28 tackles and contributed three tackles for loss. Sparks tied for the conference lead with five interceptions and returned an interception for a touchdown against Pacific on Oct. 28.
 
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Quarterback Blake Eaton leads three Wildcats on the All-NWC second team. The junior from Central Point, Ore., finished with 20 touchdowns, a 68.7 completion percentage and 1620 yards. Senior offensive lineman Ethan Hoppe earned his first career conference selection.
 
Special teams standouts Maclain Stoneking and Thomas Tabor were recognized. Tabor owns the all-time Linfield career punting average record at 43.5 yards per punt. Stoneking returns to all-conference honors for the second straight year.
 
Isaac Hoidal earned his first All-NWC selection finishing his season with 15 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
 
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Three Wildcats made second-team defense. Defensive lineman Alex Frazier-Dow and Grady Kentch along with defensive back Ben Baxter and rover Caiden Biege-Wetherbee.
 
Frazer-Dow totaled 23 tackles and two sacks while fellow lineman Kentch was second on the team in sacks with four and tallied 24 tackles. Biege-Wetherbee tallied 27 tackles, 13 solo and two tackles for loss.
 
Baxter finished with 26 total tackles, 15 solo, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Baxter and Frazer-Dow make their second appearance in conference honors.
 
HONORABLE MENTION
Diego Rodriguez rounded out the selections for the 'Cats being the only one making an honorable mention. Rodriguez is the third Linfield offensive lineman to earn recognition.
 
NOTES
Whitworth's head coach Rod Sandberg was tabbed Coach of the Year and Pirates quarterback Austin Ewing won Offensive Player of the Year. The Pirates clinched the NWC crown for the first time since 2018 behind a perfect 9-0 regular season and advanced to the NCAA Divison III national playoffs. Since the turn of the century, coaches from Linfield and Whitworth have won every Coach of the Year award aside from one occasion.
 
Puget Sound's freshman earned NWC Rookie of the Year after catching 67 passes for 559 yards. Ewing finished with a first-team nod and led the conference in passing yards (2671), touchdowns (26) and completion percentage (72.4).