Three Pioneers Earn All-Region Honors

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Seniors Justin Blazek, Sam Smith, and Andrew Schweigert of the UW-Platteville football team were named to the 2022 D3football.com All-Region 6 Team on Wednesday afternoon. Blazek was named Region 6 Defensive Player of the Year along with First Team Defense while Smith and Schweigert both earned spots on the Third Team.

Blazek put together a fantastic season on the Pioneer defensive front, finishing second in the WIAC with nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. The senior finished third on the team with 58 total tackles, including a season-high ten stops in an upset win over UW-River Falls on Oct. 15. Blazek recorded a pair of multi-sack games, including three for 29 yards lost at UW-Stout. He forced turnovers in back-to-back games, collecting an interception against Hardin-Simmons on Sept. 17 before recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown Oct. 1 at UW-Oshkosh.

Smith was named Third Team Defense and paced the Pioneers in tackles with 83. The senior reached double-digits tackles in two games, including a season-high 18 in the win over UW-River Falls. Smith added a pair of sacks and was third on the team with nine tackles for loss. The linebacker recovered a fumble and tied for the team lead with two interceptions, both coming in the Pioneers win over UW-Whitewater on Oct. 22.

Schweigert connected on 8-of-12 field goal attempts and was nearly perfect on extra points, finishing 19-of-20. The senior made five field goals of at least 40 yards, including a season-long 49 yards in a win over Bethel on Sept. 10.

All-American honors will be announced on December 16 by D3football.com.