FB | ETBU Excited after One Week of Practice; Voted Fourth in 2022 ASC Poll

MARSHALL, Texas – Playing in one of the top conferences in NCAA Division III, East Texas Baptist University has been picked to finish fourth in the American Southwest Conference. ETBU earned 104 votes and was just 14 votes out of third place.

Four players are on the ASC watch list in Alek Child (P; Castroville, Texas), Joey Johnson (LB; Dallas, Texas), K.J. Kelley (DB; Abilene, Texas), and Kaleb O’Bryant (WR; Houston, Texas). All four players were key to the team last season. 

Child (Sr.), an All-ASC third-team selection, was one of the top punters in the ASC averaging 33.1 yards per punt with eight inside the 20-yard line. He also doubled as a quarterback starting the final game vs. Belhaven. He also rushed for three touchdowns off the bench in helping ETBU with a come-from-behind win over Sul Ross State.

Johnson (So.) played in all 10 games recording 73 tackles to finish second in the ASC. He was an All-ASC third-team selection. He posted a career high 15 tackles vs. Austin College and had 13 vs. Texas Lutheran while forcing four fumbles on the year.

Kelley returns for his senior year coming off an injury in the 2021 season. He came into last season as a preseason All-American before the injury and was an All-ASC first-team member. In spring 2021, he was named a D3football.com All-American and on the February “Team of the Month.” For his career, he has seven interceptions.

O’Bryant heads into his senior season as one of the top receivers in the ASC. He has two 100+ yard receiving games and recorded three touchdowns vs. Texas Lutheran in March 2021. In the final game of fall 2021, he collected 124 yards receiving on eight catches with one touchdown.  

ETBU returns 50+ players from last season’s 5-5 team and has over 130 players that reported for fall camp last week. In the offseason, Maypear added new offensive coaches in Josh Moore (offensive coordinator), Craig Fant (offensive line), and Jordan Armstrong (wide receivers). 

Both All-ASC second-team selections in Cory Stang (OL) and James Wright IV (DL) return to anchor the offensive and defensive lines. Also back are All-ASC honorable mention players Jack Smith (OL), Jahkamian Carr (DL), and Semaj Boyd (WR). 

Mayper says on the bonding of the team so far after a week that it “has been awesome.” He says, “The guys have really bonded with each other in their position groups. The older guys have taken the younger guys in and showed them how we do things.”

ETBU opened up camp on Thursday, August 11, with their first practice. With school starting on August 15, there was only four days of true fall camp for the team.