Cal Poly Football earned five Big Sky All-Conference awards on Wednesday, with redshirt senior edge rusher Elijah Ponder taking home a first-team defense award.
The other Mustangs who were given awards were redshirt sophomore safety Mason Rivera who received an All-Big Sky Second Team Defense award, redshirt senior receiver Giancarlo Woods with an honorable offensive mention, redshirt senior defensive lineman Ethan Rodriguez earning an honorable defensive mention and redshirt senior Jeremy Justice with an honorable special teams mention.
Elijah Ponder, Edge – First Team All-Big Sky Defense
Ponder earns this award after leading the Mustangs in sacks with seven, tackles for loss with 12.5 and quarterback hurries with 14.
Ponder is also the second player in program history to earn two First Team All-Big Sky selections.
He recorded a season-high in tackles with seven in the team’s win against Northern Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Despite never recording more than one sack in one game, Ponder’s season-high two-and-a-half tackles for loss game against Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 7.
The Pomona, Calif. native finishes his Cal Poly career with 27 sacks, 43 1/2 sacks and 44 quarterback hurries. Those stats are good enough for the top five in program history in each category, with Ponder ranking first in quarterback hurries.
Ponder has garnered attention from NFL scouts throughout his time as a Mustang and will look to be drafted in April’s upcoming draft.
Mason Rivera, Safety – All-Big Sky Second Team Defense
The former walk-on led Cal Poly in tackles and tied for the team lead in forced fumbles and pass breakups this season.
The Tracy, Calif. native also tacked on six tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery on the year.
Rivera recorded a season-high of three tackles for loss in the team’s loss to Montana on Saturday, Nov. 2, and recorded his season-high 12 tackles and two forced fumbles the game before against Idaho on Saturday, Oct. 19.
It was a breakout season for Rivera after being held out in all but two games last season with an injury.
Ethan Rodriguez, D-Line – All-Big Sky Honorable Mention Defense
Rodriguez earns the honorable mention after coming behind nine-year teammate Ponder in sacks with three, tackles for loss with nine-and-a-half, and quarterback hurries with five.
It was Whittier, Calif.’s first full season after redshirting in 2021 and missing part of the 2022 and entire 2023 seasons due to injury.
Rodriguez posted a season-high three tackles for loss twice, once against Stanford and another against Western Oregon while tacking on a sack against the Wolves.
Giancarlo Woods, Receiver – All-Big Sky Honorable Mention Offense
Woods earned the award after leading Cal Poly with 661 receiving yards, 51 receptions, and four receiving touchdowns in the season.
It’s the second straight year the Santa Rosa, Calif. native has led the Mustangs in receiving.
Woods was consistently the No. 1 receiver on the field despite Cal Poly featuring five different quarterbacks throughout the season.
Woods also recorded a season-high 112 receiving yards in Cal Poly’s loss to Northern Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Woods finishes his Cal Poly career with the fourth most receptions in program history with 138 and the ninth most receiving yards and career touchdowns with 1,643 and 11, respectively.
Jeremy Justice, DB – All-Big Sky Honorable Mention Special Teams
Justice earns the honorable mention after recording a majority of his 17 tackles on kickoff and punt return coverage.
Justice played in at least six games every season from 2021 through 2024 and had a season-high four tackles in the season opener against the University of San Diego.
Rivera is the only player who looks to be on the team next season, so the Mustangs will look to replicate their production within their depth on the roster.
