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Mazza leads eight Cougars

sarning All-Pac-12 honors

SAN FRANCISCO — Redshirt sophomore kicker Blake Mazza’s first-team selection led eight Washington State players who received All-Pac-12 Conference recognition as voted on by the head coaches, the conference office announced Tuesday.

In addition to Mazza, a trio of players earned second-team honors, including redshirt senior quarterback Anthony Gordon, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Abe Lucas and freshman linebacker Travion Brown, who was named as a special teams/all-purpose player. Four players received honorable mention honors: sophomore running back Max Borghi, redshirt junior offensive lineman Josh Watson, redshirt senior wide receiver Easop Winston and redshirt junior linebacker Jahad Woods.

Mazza finished the regular season tied for the sixth-most points (112) by a kicker in the country and most in the Pac-12. Mazza was No. 15 in the country with 52 PAT and tied for No. 10 in the country with a Pac-12 leading 20 made field goals. Mazza went 20-for-21 on field goal attempts.

Gordon set WSU and Pac-12 single-season records with 5,228 passing yards and 45 touchdowns and leads the country in passing yards, passing yards/game (435.7), total offense/game (435.0), 300-yard games (11) and 400-yard efforts (9).

Lucas started all 12 games at right tackle and finished the regular season ranked as the best pass-blocking offensive tackle in the country by ProFootballFocus College.

Brown finished the regular season tied for second on the team with four special teams’ tackles.

Borghi finished the regular season second in the Pac-12 with 15 total touchdowns, third with 11 rushing touchdowns, fifth in all-purpose yards (114.8) and led all Pac-12 backs averaging 6.5 yards-per-carry. Borghi led all running backs nationally with 81 receptions and was the only player to record 750+ rush yards, 550+ receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns.

Watson started all 12 games at right guard and earned the seventh-best offensive guard overall rating in the Pac-12.

Winston Jr. was fourth in the league with 80 receptions, third in the Pac-12 with a team-high 11 touchdown catches, seventh-most in WSU single-season history. He has 927 receiving yards.

Woods finished the regular season ninth in the country and second in the Pac-12 with 121 tackles, most by a Cougar since 1996. The San Diego native led the team with 10 tackles-for-loss, recorded three sacks and forced two fumbles.

The Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year was Utah running back Zack Moss while the Defensive Player of the Year was California linebacker Evan Weaver, a Gonzaga Prep graduate. The Freshman Offensive Player of the Year went to USC quarterback Kedon Slovis and the Freshman Defensive Player of the year was Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. Utah’s Kyle Whittingham was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

Registration open for

Tri-State wrestling tourney

Dec. 20-21 at NIC

COEUR d’ALENE — Registration is open for high school wrestlers (boys and girls) and teams interested in competing at the Tri-State Invitational, scheduled for Dec. 20-21 at NIC’s Christianson Gymnasium and the Student Wellness and Recreation Center.

This will be NIC’s 49th time hosting the largest high school wrestling tournament in the area. More than 50 teams are expected to participate. The tournament starts at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20. Finals will take place on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 5:30 p.m.

Entry fees are $500 for full teams (15 wrestlers), and $300 for partial teams (seven or less). $100 late fee will be assessed if fee not paid prior to Dec. 20.

Information: nicathletics.com; NIC head wrestling coach Mike Sebaaly at 208-769-3318 or mike.sebaaly@nic.edu