Five named All-Ohio Athletic Conference in Football for 2022

By Wes Mayberry

| 2022 All-OAC Football Team (.pdf) |

ADA — Five Ohio Northern student-athletes were named All-Ohio Athletic Conference in football for 2022 in voting conducted by the league's 10 head coaches.

Senior defensive lineman Josh Bever (Ashland) highlighted that list as a First Team selection.

Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Kedarius Woodfork (Brownsville, Tenn./Haywood) and sophomore defensive back Dalton Tjong (Cumming, Ga./West Forsyth) were named to the All-OAC Second Team, and junior defensive back Ed Manning (Sanford, Fla./Seminole) and senior defensive lineman Nichal Johnson (College Park, Ga./Northgate) were Honorable Mention selections.

Bever is now a four-time All-OAC honoree after posting a team-high eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2022. He ranked second on the team with 61 total tackles and added two forced fumbles. He is tied for fourth in the OAC in sacks and tied for ninth in tackles for loss.

Bever was named OAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12 after posting nine tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in a 28-13 win at Capital in which the defense held the Comets to just 34 rushing yards and 182 yards of total offense.

In 34 games at ONU, Bever has amassed 208 total tackles, including 85 solo, as well as 30 sacks and 43 tackles for loss. He ranks second in program history in career sacks and fourth all-time in tackles for loss.

Woodfork is a first-time All-OAC selection. He finished 2022 with 43 total tackles, three sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss.

In 33 games as a Polar Bear, Woodfork has 118 total tackles, including 33 solo, to go with 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

Tjong is another first-time All-OAC honoree after leading Northern in total tackles (110), solo tackles (52), assisted tackles (58), interceptions (4) and pass breakups (7) in 2022. Those totals rank first, second, first, tied for first and tied for sixth, respectively, in the OAC. He is the 15th member of ONU's 100-Tackle Club, and his 110 tackles rank ninth in program history for a single season.

Tjong has 169 tackles, including 84 solo, in his two-year career.

Manning closed the 2022 season with 28 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery en route to earning his first All-OAC selection. In his three-year career, he has 69 total tackles, including 40 solo, along with three interceptions and 11 pass breakups.

Johnson is now a three-time All-OAC selection. He finished 2022 with 41 total tackles and ranked second on the team in sacks (6) and tackles for loss (10.5) while adding two forced fumbles. He is tied for eighth in the OAC in sacks and ranks 11th in the conference in tackles for loss.

In four years at ONU, Johnson has career totals of 120 tackles, including 42 solo, along with 14.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss.

The Polar Bears posted a 3-7 record and finished seventh in the OAC in 2022 under 19th-year head coach Dean Paul.