Smartt Named JC Athletic Bureau Offensive Player of the Year, Viramontes & Figueroa Deemed All-Americans
The accolades continue to pile up for the 2018 Riverside City College football team as we enter into the new year. After a season in which the Tigers earned the National Southern Division (NSL) championship crown and reached the Southern California Regional Championship for the fifth-consecutive season, a trio of players were named to the 2018 JC Athletic Bureau All-American Community College Football Team. Sophomore quarterback Stone Smartt was named the Offensive Player of the Year while freshman defensive tackle Nickolas Figueroa and sophomore linebacker Vic Viramontes earned All-American First-Team Defensive honors. Additionally, the trio earned All-California recognition with sophomore cornerback Eric Wilson and freshman outside linebacker Mitchell Agude earning All-California defensive honors as well.
Smartt lead the Tigers under center in every contest this season helming them to an 11-1 overall record and a conference crown. He threw for 2,754 yards which included 31 touchdowns and a state-leading 182.2 quarterback efficiency rating. He averaged 229.5 passing yards-per-game leading to 9.9 yards-per-attempt. He was dynamic on the ground by carting the ball 132 times for 583 yards and a team-high nine rushing touchdowns. Smartt recently signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) to attend Old Dominion University.
Figueroa earns All-American First-Team honors after dominating opponent's backfields. He finished his campaign with a team-high 11.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss. He recorded 38 stops and a game-high six tackles in a rout over Grossmont. The California local earn three major scholarships offers from UCLA, USC and Tennessee. He decided to take his talents to USC on signing day.
Viramontes, who was named the 2017 CCCAA Offensive Player of the Year, was named to the All-American Frist-Team as a linebacker in a successful transition to the other side of the pigskin. He led the Tigers in tackles with 66 leading to 9.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. He recorded an interception in the SoCal Championship game late in the fourth quarter to keep Riverside within striking distance of a victory. Viramontes, who also received a grip of offers from many top Division I schools, will be a member of the University of Nevada – Las Vegas next season.
Wilson, a two-time All-Conference cornerback, earns All-California status after pacing his team with three interceptions and 10 pass break ups. He finished with 32 tackles which ranked second in the Tigers' secondary. Agude reels in All-California recognition after recording 43 tackles and 3.5 sacks.