Herrera, Like are Second Team All-NWC; Four Bearcats on Honorable Mention
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University junior running back Gabriel Herrera (San Jose, CA/Adrian C. Wilcox HS/Foothill College) and senior linebacker La'Akea Like (Littleton, CO/Columbine HS) have received Second Team All-Northwest Conference honors for the 2023 season. Four other Bearcats were chosen for Honorable Mention All-NWC recogniton. They are Parker Hisey (So., OL, Renton, WA/Kentridge HS), Michael Valtierra (Sr., DL, Culver City, CA/Brentwood HS), Hogan Smith (Jr., DB, Prineville, OR/Crook County HS), and Landon Waters (Jr., CB, Martinez, CA/Alhambra HS).
Overall, 101 student-athletes were chosen for the 2023 All-Northwest Conference Football Team. Thirty players were named to the First Team, with 30 players on the Second Team, and 41 players receiving Honorable Mention.
Graduate quarterback Austin Ewing from Whitworth University was selected NWC Offensive Player of the Year. Senior linebacker Blake Rybar of Linfield University was chosen NWC Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. JohnJohn Nelson, a first-year wide receiver from the University of Puget Sound, was named NWC Rookie of the Year. Whitworth Head Coach Rod Sandberg was voted NWC Football Coach of the Year for the second time.
Willamette earned 110 first downs during the season. The Bearcats averaged 11.6 yards per pass completion with a long touchdown pass of 64 yards. The longest running play for Willamette covered 56 yards. On defense, WU recorded 50 tackles for losses of 226 yards, including 24 quarterback sacks for 170 yards in losses. The Bearcats earned four interceptions and 18 pass break-ups, while forcing 11 fumbles and recovering 10 fumbles.
Second Team All-Northwest Conference
Gabriel Herrera (Jr., RB) was chosen Second Team All-NWC in his first year with the Bearcats since transferring from Foothill College. This season, Herrera rushed for more than 100 yards three times and finished Willamette's schedule with 637 yards on 144 carries (4.4 avg.), while scoring five rushing touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 23 yards.
Herrera gained 132 yards on 22 carries in a 24-21 win over the University of La Verne in the season opener on Sept. 2. At George Fox University on Oct. 21, he rushed for 110 yards on 13 carries, including a 56-yard touchdown. On Nov. 11, in the season finale at home in McCulloch Stadium, he carried the ball 13 times for 107 yards and a touchdown against Lewis & Clark.
"Gabe was a huge spark for our offense and easily our most valuable player," Willamette Interim Head Football Coach Tim Rude said. "He was able to grind out hard yards and keep the ball moving forward."
La'Akea Like (Sr., LB) was Willamette's top tackler this season with 60 total tackles on his way to Second Team All-NWC honors. He recorded a team-high 34 unassisted tackles and contributed 26 assists. He tied for the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss and had 1.0 quarterback sack. He forced one fumble, intercepted one pass, and broke up two passes.
Like registered six or more tackles in seven of 10 games, including two games with nine tackles and one game with eight tackles. All nine of his tackles against LaVerne were unassisted. In three seasons with the Bearcats, he has earned 79 unassisted tackles, 47 assists, and 126 total tackles. He has accumulated 11 tackles for loss and 4.0 quarterback sacks.
"La'Akea was a true leader who made his teammates better, all while being our best defensive player," Rude stated. "La'Akea was a staple for us, playing multiple positions, and maintaining his productivity regardless of what he was asked to do."
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference
Parker Hisey (So., OL) received Honorable Mention All-NWC for the first time after playing in all 10 games in 2023. He also played in all 10 games in 2022, giving him 20 career games played for the Bearcats.
This season, he helped Willamette gain 1,323 passing yards and 811 rushing yards. He contributed to the Bearcats scoring nine touchdowns through the air and six touchdowns on the ground. Willamette achieved 110 first downs.
"Parker was a stable leader for our offensive line," Rude commented. "In a room that saw multiple changes throughout the season, Parker was able to continue to improve and became a very good player for us by the season's end, something he will carry into the off-season."
Michael Valtierra (Sr., DL) tied for the team lead with 4.0 quarterback sacks resulting in a team-high 37 yards lost. He was second on the Willamette defense with 5.0 tackles for loss. He tied for second with 26 assisted tackles while providing 14 unassisted stops for 40 total tackles on the season. Valtierra also forced two fumbles. He was chosen Honorable Mention All-NWC for the first time.
In three years on the field for the Bearcats, he earned 72 total tackles (35 unassisted, 37 assists), while accumulating 5.5 quarterback sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss. He recovered a fumble in 2021 and blocked a kick in 2022.
"Michael has grown so much for us since he arrived on campus," Rude said. "He was an ironman for our defense and ramped up his productivity to put himself amongst the conference leaders."
Hogan Smith (Jr., DB) was selected for Honorable Mention All-NWC recognition for the first time this fall. He earned the honor despite playing in just seven of 10 games after missing three games due to injury. He finished fourth on the team with 44 total tackles and led the Bearcats with 28 assists to go with 16 solo stops. He registered 1.0 tackle for loss and one pass break-up.
Smith has played in 26 games since the start of the 2021 season. He has made 118 tackles in his career, including 52 tackles in 2022, when he provided 34 unassisted stops. He has achieved 2.5 career tackles for loss, one interception, and three pass break-ups.
"Up until being injured, Hogan was playing some of the best football on our defense," Ride recalled. "He was tracking to be a top-10 tackler in the NWC and had developed into a very well-rounded safety. I'm excited to see him build on this season."
Landon Waters (Jr., DB) played in eight games, but missed two games due to an injury. He was named Honorable Mention All-NWC for the first time. He supplied WU with 22 total tackles, including 19 solo tackles and one tackle for a loss. Waters intercepted two passes against La Verne and returned one of the picks 30 yards for a touchdown. He returned the other interception 35 yards and was named NWC Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week. During the season, he broke up six passes and tied for third in the NWC with 1.0 passes defended per game.
In 2022, Waters contributed 36 total tackles with 19 unassisted tackles and 17 assists. He has amassed 58 career tackles on 38 solo stops and 20 assists.
"Another player whose season was severely limited by injury, Landon finished among the leaders in the NWC in pass breakups despite his limited field time," Rude said. "He will be a huge part of our defense's growth going into next season."