Shimek D2CCA Defensive Player Of The Year; He, Watanabe Are Two-Time D-II First-Team All-Americans

Ashland University's football record book lists its all-time first-team All-Americans as "The Best of the Best."
 
On Wednesday (Dec. 17), two more Eagles added their names to that prestigious list, as senior defensive end Michael Shimek and redshirt freshman kicker Manaki Watanabe each earned first-team status on both the 2025 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II and Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-America Teams.
 
Shimek also was voted as the D2CCA Ron Lenz national Defensive Player of the Year. This is the first time an Eagle football player garnered that honor.
 
He turned in one of the top defensive seasons in Ashland football history in 2025, finishing the fall with 17½ sacks, 18½ tackles for loss, 60 total tackles (32 solo), three forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. His sack total is fourth-best in program history, trailing only three seasons by College Football Hall of Famer Bill Royce (20½ in 1993, 20 in 1992 and 18½ in 1991), and his tackles for loss number is second in AU football annals to just James Prater Jr.'s 23½ in 2017.
 
Shimek also has been a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award (NCAA Division II senior lineman of the year), D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Defensive Player of the Year, first-team D2CCA all-super region, 2025 Harlon Hill Trophy (NCAA Division II's Player of the Year) candidate, Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and first-team all-conference.
 
Watanabe, also one of the finalists for the Fred Mitchell Award (nation's most outstanding non-FBS kicker), first-team D2CCA all-super region and first-team All-Great Midwest, was 21-for-22 on field goals and 39-for-40 on extra points in 2025. He leads D-II in field-goal percentage at 95.5, and in field goals made.

His field goals are a school record for a single season, and his 102 points scored are tied for fourth-most in program history.
 
Ashland football now boasts 21 players who have been named first-team All-Americans. The 2025 season is just the second (2017) in which two Eagles garnered the honor in the same year.
 
The Eagles finished the 2025 season at 10-3 overall and 8-1 in the Great Midwest – winning an NCAA Division II playoff game for the second season in a row for the first time, and earning a co-conference championship.
 

YEAR	PLAYER/ORGANIZATION	POS.
1970	Len Pettigrew (AP)	LB
1978	Keith Dare (Kodak)	DL
1985	Jeff Penko (AP)	OL
1986	Vince Mazza (Kodak)	PK
1989	Doug Powell (Kodak)	DB
1990	Morris Furman (Kodak)	LB
1991	Ron Greer (Kodak/AP)	LB
1993	Bill Royce (AP/FB Gazette)	DL
1994	Sam Hohler (AP)	DE
2003	Toure Carter (AFCA)	DB
2007	Vince Cashdollar (AFCA)	OL
2008	Billy Cundiff (AFCA)	QB
2011	Gregg Berkshire (AFCA)	PK
2012	Taylor Housewright (AFCA)	QB
2013	Jamie Meder (AFCA)	DL
2015	Adam Shaheen (AFCA)	TE
2016	Adam Shaheen (AFCA/D2CCA/D2Football.com)	TE
2017	Dominic Giunta (AP/D2CCA)	C
2017	Travis Tarnowski (AFCA)	QB
2022	Michael Ayers (AFCA)	LB
2025	Michael Shimek (AFCA/D2CCA)	DE
2025	Manaki Watanabe (AFCA/D2CCA)	PK