CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College football head coach John Bland has been named the 2019 Gulf South Conference Co-Coach of the Year along with seven Choctaws earning All-GSC recognition, it was announced on Wednesday (Nov. 20) following a vote by the league's head coaches.
 
Seniors Derric Hawthorn, Detric Hawthorn and Cole Rotenberry were selected as First Team All-GSC honorees, while seniors Cordell Birge and Jordan Wright, junior Jonathan Jones and sophomore Blane Cannon were named to the Second Team.
 
The seven All-GSC selections is the most for MC since having the same amount chosen in 1992, and the three First Team honorees is the most since having five selected in 1991. Since returning to Division II and the Gulf South Conference in 2014, the Choctaws have had five total players earn All-GSC recognition.
 
Bland, who just wrapped up his 6th season as MC's head coach, led the Choctaws to a 5-5 record with a 4-4 Gulf South Conference mark after going 3-7 with a 1-6 league mark in 2018. The highlight of the campaign was a 37-13 win over Delta State in the season finale that brought the Heritage Bell Trophy home to Clinton for the first time since 1993.
 
Derric Hawthorn (Collins, Miss.) was a First Team All-GSC selection as a defensive back after leading the Choctaws with 59 tackles and three defensive touchdowns in 2019. He was named GSC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 14 tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss and a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the season finale win over Delta State.
 
Detric Hawthorn (Collins, Miss.) earned a First Team All-Purpose Back selection for the second straight season after leading the Choctaws in rushing and passing in 2018 and 2019. This season, he rushed for 586 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns, racking up over 1,500 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns over his two seasons.
 
Rotenberry (Batesville, Miss.) was a First Team selection as a Special Teams Utility Player, leading the league in kickoff return average (28.5 ypr) to go along with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Shorter. He also finished 2019 as MC's leading receiver with 16 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns, all three scores coming in the win over Florida Tech.
 
Birge (Southaven, Miss.) and Cannon (Fayetteville, Tenn.) helped lead an offensive line that rushed for 2,234 yards and 25 touchdowns, ranking second in the conference in both categories. BIrge is a Second Team All-GSC selection for the second straight season, while Cannon led the team in blocking grade.
 
Wright (Pearl, Miss.) transferred to MC for his senior season after spending four years at Louisiana-Lafayete following a standout career at Pearl High School. He finished second on the team with 464 rushing yards to go along with five touchdowns. He was named GSC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns against Shorter.
 
Jones (Charleston, Miss.) finished second on the team with 55 tackles, including 40 solo stops in 2019. He also racked up a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries to go along with two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He racked up a season-high 10 tackles with 1.5 TFL in the win over North Greenville.
 
The Choctaws finished their 2019 season with an impressive 37-13 win over Delta State on November 16th, claiming the Heritage Bell Trophy. It closed out a 5-0 season for MC at Robinson-Hale Stadium, racking up a perfect home record for the first time since 1988.