CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Wartburg College football team collected 23 All-American Rivers Conference honors, highlighted by three major award winners—Keenan Tyler, Sam Heither, and head coach Chris Winter—as announced by the league today. For the fourth straight season, the Knights brought home both the A-R-C Defensive MVP and Coach of the Year awards.

Senior linebacker Keenan Tyler, a Decorah, Iowa native, was named the 2025 A-R-C Defensive MVP, becoming the fourth consecutive Wartburg player to receive the conference's top defensive honor—setting both a program and A-R-C record. Tyler enters postseason play as Wartburg's leading tackler with 109 total stops, including 63 solo tackles, alongside seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble through 10 games. His performance has fueled a Wartburg defense that ranks inside the top five nationally in rushing defense (43.2 YPG) and scoring defense (10 PPG). He adds his first Defensive MVP trophy to an already impressive résumé as a two-time First-Team All-Conference selection. Tyler is the fourth Wartburg Knight to earn Defensive MVP honors, joining Spencer Capitani (2014), Owen Grover (2022), and Parker Rochford (2024). 

Freshman tight end Sam Heither, from Polk City, Iowa, was named the A-R-C Rookie of the Year following a breakout debut season. Heither totaled six receiving touchdowns on eight catches for 160 yards, while making an immediate impact on special teams. He blocked two punts, including one returned for a touchdown vs. Dubuque on Oct. 11, and added another score on a successful fake field goal. Heither collects Wartburg's inaugural Rookie of the Year award. 

Head coach Chris Winter made Wartburg and conference history by earning his fourth straight A-R-C Coach of the Year honor—the first coach to achieve the feat since the award was introduced in 1968. Winter has guided the Knights to four consecutive seasons of 10 or more wins and holds a remarkable 53-7 overall record in his five years leading the program. Wartburg is currently riding a conference-record 34-game A-R-C winning streak and owns a dominant 38-2 record in league play under Winter. Winter joins Rick Willis (1999, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017), Bob Nielson (1993), Don Canfield (1982, 1983), and Lee Bonhus (1968) as conference Coach of the Year honorees in Wartburg history.

Wartburg paced the league with five First-Team defensive selections: Tyler (LB), Jake Walker (DL), Conner McDonald (DL), Conner Grover (DB), and Mac Watts (LB). On offense, Heither (TE), Cole Hotz (OL), and Dawson Rud (RB) each earned First-Team recognition. Special teams standouts Jaxson Hoppes (K/P) and Dylan Swanstrom (WR) were also tabbed to the First Team.

The Knights added Second-Team Defensive honors for Jason O'Boye (DB) and Jack Drahos (DL), while Swanstrom, Leo Dodd (QB), Braden Plotz (OL), and Cole Mahnke (OL) claimed Second-Team Offensive recognition.

Wartburg's postseason honors were rounded out by Austin Souhrada (LS), Tyler Gayer (LB), Drew Streb (OL), and Matt Dufoe (TE), who were each named A-R-C Honorable Mention.

The Knights (10-0 overall) now turn their attention to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Playoffs, hosting at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29, inside Walston-Hoover Stadium, where they await the winner of the Wheaton (Ill.) vs. Crown first-round matchup.

2025 AMERICAN RIVERS CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
OFFENSIVE MVP: Brady Kelly, Coe College
DEFENSIVE MVP: Keenan Tyler, Wartburg College
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Sam Heither, Wartburg College
COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris Winter, Wartburg College

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Trent Cakerice - Central College
DL - Jake Walker - Wartburg College
DL - Conner McDonald - Wartburg College
LB - Keenan Tyler - Wartburg College
LB - CJ Hangartner - Simpson College
LB - Noah Tolbert - Coe College 
DB - Gavin Smith - Central College
DB - Kyle Cole - Coe College
LB - Mac Watts - Wartburg College
DL - Hunter Hanke - Nebraska Wesleyan University
DB - Ben DeMeulenaere - Central College

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Brady Kelly - Coe College
RB - Trystin Myers - Nebraska Wesleyan University
WR - Joey McLaughlin - Nebraska Wesleyan University
TE - Sam Heither - Wartburg College
OL - Luke Schumacher - Coe College
OL - Cole Hotz - Wartburg College
OL - Maximus Reitano - Central College
OL - Mason Brouillet - Simpson College
OL - Owen Anthony - Nebraska Wesleyan University
WR - Cam Schulte - Central College
WR - Noah Cracraft - Simpson College
RB - Dawson Rud - Wartburg College

FIRST-TEAM SPECIALIST
P - Tanner Philpott - Simpson College
PK - Jaxson Hoppes - Wartburg College
LS - Sam Contreras - Nebraska Wesleyan University
RS - Dylan Swanstrom - Wartburg College 

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Brant Tedrow - Coe College
DL - Nolan Pagel - Simpson College
DL - Parker Navitsky - University of Dubuque
LB - Noah Noland - Simpson College
LB - Cole Clark - Central College 
LB - Jack Clarahan - Coe College
DB - Jason O'Boye - Wartburg College
DB - Henry Ryan - Coe College
DB - Cormiac Flynn - Loras College
DL - Stone Cummins - Coe College
DB - Mekhi Holmes - Simpson College
DL - Jack Drahos - Wartburg College

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Hunter Hoffman - Central College
RB - Jase Grunder - Central College
WR - Dylan Swanstrom - Wartburg College
TE - Hunter Guyon - Loras College
OL - Jase Barksdale - Coe College
OL - Braden Plotz - Wartburg College
OL - Tyler Harms - Central College 
OL - Braiden Damhoff - Coe College
OL - Cole Mahnke - Wartburg College
RB - Quincy Drummer - Coe College
WR - Cole Staska - Simpson College
QB - Leo Dodd - Wartburg College

SECOND-TEAM SPECIALIST
P - Daniel Giusto - Loras College
PK - Aiden Konig - Loras College
LS - Connor Foulke - Central College
RS - Etwood Williams - University of Dubuque

HONORABLE MENTION
Jacob Garlick - University of Dubuque
Demarico Young - Simpson College
Austin Souhrada - Wartburg College
Ben Lorence - Luther College
Alex Rashid - University of Dubuque
Sebastian Duarte - Central College
Tyler Gayer - Wartburg College
Henry Ivers - Loras College
CJ Johnson - Coe College
Tyler Ragan - Luther College
Justin Hayes - Loras College
Anthony Courtney - Buena Vista University
Cameron Lavette - Coe College
Drew Streb - Wartburg College
Aiden Lanier - Simpson College
Brady Buchmann - University of Dubuque
Jayden Thoreson - Simpson College
Jackson Hutcheson - Loras College
Matt Dufoe - Wartburg College
Jerson Senters - Coe College
Alex Sogavo - University of Dubuque
Adriel Fussell - Buena Vista University
Joey Rhomberg - University of Dubuque
Keegan Glover - Central College