INDIANOLA — Simpson College senior linebacker Michael Connor, a 2015 Woodward-Granger graduate, has been named the Defensive MVP for the American Rivers Conference (previously the IIAC). Connor topped the league in total tackles and in total sacks.
Wartburg College senior quarterback Matt Sacia (North Scott HS) was chosen as the conference’s Offensive MVP for the second consecutive season, with Simpson head coach Matt Jeter and staff earning Coach of the Year honors.
Connor was a First Team All-Conference pick after earning honorable mention status last year as a junior. He had 91 tackles and 8.5 sacks in eight conference games, an average of 11.4 tackles and more than once sack per contest. He finished with 113 tackles for the season.
The former W-G multi-sport standout becomes the sixth Storm gridder to earn conference MVP recognition, and is the second in the last six years as quarterback Taylor Nelson was the Offensive MVP in 2013. Other Simposn winners were Ricky Games (1989), Brad Jorgenson (1996 and 1997), Guy Leman (1998) and Mike Donnenwerth (1993).
Connor was the conference Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 17 after recording 13 tackles (1.5 for loss of yards) and a critical last-drive sack in a 27-21 Simpson win over Nebraska Wesleyan.
