See the NUIC all-conference football players and award winners

The always talent-lader NUIC was also senior-laden this year. Over two-thirds of the first-team all-conference picks (32 of 47) were seniors. At least one team might be glad to hear that (traditional Three Rivers power Morrison joins the conference next year), but on the other hand, the best NUIC teams always seem to find a way to reload.

Here are the complete NUIC football honors for the 2023 football season:

Offensive MVP: Gage Dunker (Le-Win) sr.

Defensive MVP: Tanner Kempel (Le-Win), sr.

Sportsmanship: Lena-Winslow

More: Rockford-area football league gets even stronger with new addition

First team offense

QB — Cooper Hoffman (Du-Pec), jr.

RB — Gage Dunker (Le-Win), sr.

RB — Owen Mulder (Forreston), sr.

RB — Nick Tippett (Le-Win), sr.

RB — Jaylen Noud (Du-Pec), sr.

RB — Karl Hubb (Stockton), sr.

OL — Erik Kormoczy (Du-Pec), sr.

OL — Tanner Kempel (Le-Win), sr.

OL — Michael Haas (Stockton), sr.

OL — Josiah Heald (Fulton), jr.

OL — Ethan Bocker (Forreston), sr.

OL — Will Anderson (Galena), jr.

OL — Odin Stabenow (Le-Win), sr.

C — Luke Kempel (Le-Win), jr.

C — Shawn Squires (Du-Pec), sr.

TE — Jaxon Diedrich (Du-Pec), jr.

TE — Brady Haas (Stockton), sr.

TE — Quinn Rodebaugh (Le-Win), sr.

End — Braylen Damhoff (Fulton), sr.

End — Drew Williams (Du-Pec), sr.

End — Brody Black (Du-Pec), jr.

First team defense

DL — Tanner Kempel (Le-Win), sr.

DL — Grant Johnson (Du-Pec), sr.

DL — Zac Shuman (Forreston), sr.

DL — Michael Haas (Stockton), sr.

DL — Josiah Heald (Fulton), jr.

DL — Odin Stabenow (Le-Win), sr.

DL — Will Anderson (Galena), jr.

LB — Gage Dunker (Le-Win), sr.

LB — Jimmy Crimmins (Fulton), sr.

LB — Owen Mulder (Forreston), sr.

LB — Will Birchen (E/PC), soph.

LB — Landon Grindey (Le-Win), jr.

LB — Mark Detwiler (Stockton), soph.

Edge — Kaleb Sanders (Forreston), sr.

Edge — A.J. Boardman (Fulton), sr.

Edge — Jack Ries (Galena), sr.

DB — Micah Nelson (Forreston), sr.

DB — Jaylen Rakowska (Le-Win), jr.

DB — Baylen Damhoff (Fulton), sr.

DB — Jaylen Noud (Du-Pec), sr.

DB — Roman Romer (Galena), soph.

Punter — Drew Williams (Du-Pec), sr.

Kicker — Erik Kormoczy (Du-Pec), sr.

Utility — Alex Ryia (Forreston), sr.

Utility — Draven Zier (E/PC), soph.

Second team offense

QB — Roman Romer (Galena), soph.

QB — Colby Tucker (Stockton), sr.

RB — Skylier Crooks (Fulton), jr.

RB — Jaxsyn Kempel (E/PC), jr.

RB — Kaleb Sanders (Forreston), sr.

RB — Jason Bowers (Dakota), sr.

RB — Tanner Gile (Stockton), sr.

OL — Zac Shuman (Forreston), sr.

C — Avery Bowers (Dakota), jr.

TE — Jacob Huisenga (Fulton), jr.

TE — Josh McNett (Galena), jr.

End — Aaron Becker (West Carroll), sr.

End — Owen Hefel (Galena), soph.

Second team defense

LB — Justin Anderson (Du-Pec), soph.

LB — Jason Bowers (Dakota), sr.

LB — Gus Nack (Galena), soph.

Edge — Brayden Hughes (Du/Pec), sr.

DB — Tanner Gile (Stockton), sr.

DB — Nolan Mayberry (Dakota), sr.

DB — Drew Williams (Du-Pec), sr.

DB — Nick Tippett (Le-Win), sr.

Punter — Josh McNett (Galena), jr.

Kicker — Jose Hernandez (Galena), jr.

Honorable mention offense

RB — Myles Schumacher (Galena), jr.

RB — Cobryn Lynch (Le-Win), jr.

RB — Connor Matthews (Dakota), sr.

RB — Connor Hughes (Du-Pec), sr.

OL — Brady Aurand (Le-Win), sr.

OL — Wesley Logemann (Stockton), sr.

OL — Grant Johnson (Forreston), sr.

OL — Robert Rodriguez (E/PC), jr.

OL — Randy McPeek (Dakota), soph.

TE — Andrew Wells (Forreston), sr.

TE — Braxton Neidemeier (Dakota), jr.

TE — Mason Spidahl (Le-Win), jr.

End — Broodie Goode (Dakota), soph.

Honorable mention defense

DL — O’Marian Pasley (Le-Win), sr.

DL — Ethan Bocker (Forreston), sr.

DL — Jayden Guffey (Du-Pec), sr.

DL — Braxton Neidemeier (Dakota), jr.

LB — Ethan Boettner (Forreston), jr.

LB — Connor Matthews (Dakota), sr.

LB — Brady Haas (Stockton), sr.

LB — Austin Lahre (West Carroll), sr.

Edge — Hunter Miller (E/PC), jr.

DB — Tanner Stern (E/PC), jr.

DB — Trevor Tiesman (Fulton), sr.

Contact: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com, @matttrowbridge or 815-987-1383. Matt Trowbridge has covered sports for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after previous stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and Iowa City.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: NUIC all-conference football teams dominated by Lena-Winslow, seniors