Nine Eagles Earn All-South Atlantic Conference Honors
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Nine Carson-Newman Eagles have been named to the 2010 All-South Atlantic Conference football teams, which the league announced earlier today. Defensive back Mario Russell (Columbus, Ohio) was named to the first team for the third year in a row. He is joined by offensive lineman Michael Tribue (Antioch, Tenn.), last year’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner, punter Chris Jones (Rome, Ga.) and defensive lineman Zeke Andrews (Eastman, Ga.).
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Nine Carson-Newman Eagles have been named to the 2010 All-South Atlantic Conference football teams, which the league announced earlier today.
Defensive back Mario Russell (Columbus, Ohio) was named to the first team for the third year in a row. He is joined by offensive lineman Michael Tribue (Antioch, Tenn.), last year's Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner, punter Chris Jones (Rome, Ga.) and defensive lineman Zeke Andrews (Eastman, Ga.).
Russell was second on the team with 83 tackles this season, including 40 solo. He also had an interception and six pass break ups. Andrews was fifth on the team in total stops, but led the Eagles with 14 tackles for loss and had 4.5 sacks.
Jones finished the season as the South Atlantic Conference leader in punting average, finishing at 42.1 per punt. He had a career long 73-yard punt in the season opener against Winona State (Minn.).
Tribue paved the way for an Eagle offense that finished the season averaging 311.2 yards per game rushing, good for second nationally. The Eagles ran behind Tribue on the two-point conversion that ended up being the deciding points in the season finale, a 49-48 win at Tusculum.
Center Kevin Day (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.), running backs Nate Inman ( Fitzgerald, Ga.) and Brandon Baker (Miami, Fla.), along with linebacker Anthony McAlister (Knoxville, Tenn.) and cornerback Tarvin Jones (St. Petersburg, Fla.) were all named to the second team.
Day has started every game for the Eagles since the second game of his collegiate career. The Eagles have finished first and second nationally in rushing the last two seasons with him at center.
Inman and Baker combined to rush for 1,764 yards and 19 touchdowns. Inman finished the year with 1,057 yards, the second highest total by an Eagle running back in the last seven years. Baker added 6.8 yards per carry, which led the team, and finished the year with 707 yards.
McAlister and Jones helped hold the Eagle defense together.
McAlister led the Eagles with 88 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss. He also had a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown against Wingate.
Jones tied for the league lead in interceptions with four. He had two each in October wins against Catawba and Mars Hill.
Tusculum College record-setting quarterback Bo Cordell was named the South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, while Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Marcus Shuford, who spearheaded the league's best defense, was named the Defensive Player of the Year.
Wingate University head coach Joe Reich, who guided the Bulldogs to their first-ever conference football title, was named Coach of the Year.
Wingate and Catawba College led the way with 10 All-Conference selections each.
Brevard College running back Kelvin Jeter, who gained 1,145 yards in his rookie season, was named the Offensive Freshman of the Year.
Catawba defensive lineman Damien Lee, who had seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss, was named the Defensive Freshman of the Year.
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy went to Lenoir-Rhyne offensive lineman Chandler Rearden. The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is presented to the top lineman in the league. Rearden anchored an offensive line that averaged 319.6 yards rushing per game, the best in NCAA Division II.
Catawba College quarterback Patrick Dennis received the Football Scholar-Athlete Award.
The head coaches in the conference select the All-Conference teams.
Cordell, a sophomore, led the nation with 4,657 passing yards, the third-most in NCAA history and setting a conference record. He was one of five Pioneers named to the first-team offense. He was joined by wide receiver Deonte' Gist, who set single-season school records with 96 catches for 1,183 yards, offensive lineman Hannibal Ruiz, long snapper Skylar West and place kicker Gareth Rowlands, who had a SAC-record 21 field goals.
Shuford led a Lenoir-Rhyne defense that led the conference in total defense, pass defense, rushing defense, and scoring defense. Shuford, a senior safety, recorded 78 tackles and had three interceptions. He was one of six Bears named to the All-Conference team. Shuford was joined on the first-team defense by defensive lineman Brandon Martin and linebacker Demetrius Green, while Rearden was a first-team pick on offense.
Wingate had four first-team selections in running back Nelson Woods, who rushed for 1,055 yards, offensive lineman Mike Arndt, linebacker Greg Harmon and return specialist Perry Floyd. Floyd was a two-time All-Conference selection, earning second-team honors at wide receiver.
Catawba had three first-team selections on the defense. Defensive back Jumal Rolle, who led the league in interceptions and forced fumbles, was joined by lineman Julian Hartsell and return specialist LJ McCray.
Five of Mars Hill College's six All-Conference selections were named to the first team. Running back Jonas Randolph, who led the conference in rushing for the second year in a row, is joined on the first team offense by wide-receiver P.J. Gore and tight end Allen Woerner. Linebacker Rudy Cabral, who led the conference with 104 total tackles, and defensive lineman Maurice Harris, who had a league-best 11 sacks, were named to the first team defense.
Newberry had five total All-Conference selections, including three on the first team. Wide receiver David Pressley, who set school records for receptions and receiving yardage, was joined by offensive lineman Matt Holmes and defensive back Ron Parker, the 2009 SAC Defensive Player of the Year, who had 69 tackles and a league-best five interceptions.
Brevard College also had five on the All-Conference team, with Jeter a first-team pick on offense, while linebacker Prince Simunyu was a first-team pick on defense.
Dennis is a senior quarterback from Durham, N.C., majoring in Therapuetic Recreation and carries a 3.807 GPA.
He is a three-year starter for the Indians, and holds school records for career passing efficiency, career completion percentage and single-season passing efficiency. He threw for a career-high 384 yards against Newberry this season, the fourth-best performance in school history. He has thrown for 45 touchdowns in his career.
Dennis graduated last May, and is currently in graduate school. He was named to the Presidential Honor Roll twice and to the Dean's List four times. He was a Presidential Scholar and a member of Alpha Chi honor society. He was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team in 2008.
Dennis has volunteered as a mentor and tutor at local elementary and middle schools. He also worked as a classroom volunteer for children with autism and other special needs. He also has helped at a local soup kitchen.
A complete list of the 2010 South Atlantic All-Conference Team follows:
2010 All-South Atlantic Conference Football Teams & League Awards
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Quarterback – Bo Cordell, Tusculum
Wide Receiver – P.J. Gore, Mars Hill
Wide Receiver – David Pressley, Newberry
Wide Receiver – Deonte' Gist, Tusculum
Running Back – Kelvin Jeter, Brevard
Running Back – Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill
Running Back – Nelson Woods, Wingate
Offensive Lineman – Michael Tribue, Carson-Newman
Offensive Lineman – Chandler Rearden, Lenoir-Rhyne
Offensive Lineman – Matt Holmes, Newberry
Offensive Lineman – Hannibal Ruiz, Tusculum
Offensive Lineman – Mike Arndt, Wingate
Tight End – Allen Woerner, Mars Hill
Long Snapper – Skylar West, Tusculum
Punter – Chris Jones, Carson-Newman
Placekicker – Gareth Rowlands, Tusculum
FIRST TEAM
Defense
Defensive Lineman – Zeke Andrews, Carson-Newman
Defensive Lineman – Julian Hartsell, Catawba
Defensive Lineman – Brandon Martin, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defensive Lineman – Maurice Harris, Mars Hill
Linebacker – Prince Simunyu, Brevard
Linebacker – Demetrius Green, Lenoir-Rhyne
Linebacker – Rudy Cabral, Mars Hill
Linebacker – Greg Harmon, Wingate
Defensive Back – Mario Russell, Carson-Newman
Defensive Back – Jumal Rolle, Catawba
Defensive Back – Marcus Shuford, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defensive Back – Ron Parker, Newberry
Return Specialist – LJ McCray, Catawba
Return Specialist – Perry Floyd, Wingate
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Quarterback – Cody Haffly, Wingate
Wide Receiver – Brandon Bunn, Catawba
Wide Receiver – Delric Ellington, Wingate
Wide Receiver – Perry Floyd, Wingate
Running Back – Nate Inman, Carson-Newman
Running Back – Brandon Baker, Carson-Newman
Running Back – Josh Wright, Catawba
Offensive Lineman – Darrell Neely, Brevard
Offensive Lineman – Kevin Day, Carson-Newman
Offensive Lineman – Lavar Marsh, Catawba
Offensive Lineman – Zane Gibson, Catawba
Offensive Lineman – Kaleb Myrick, Lenoir-Rhyne
Tight End – Michael Rodriguez, Tusculum
Long Snapper – DJ Davis, Catawba
Punter – Eric Watts, Brevard
Placekicker – RP Lopez, Wingate
SECOND TEAM
Defense
Defensive Lineman – Damein Lee, Catawba
Defensive Lineman –Nelson Bullard, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defensive Lineman – Arterio Arnold, Newberry
Defensive Lineman – Terrence Smith, Tusculum
Linebacker – Anthony McAlister, Carson-Newman
Linebacker – Lakeem Perry, Catawba
Linebacker – Josh Baker, Mars Hill
Linebacker – Apollo Stretch, Newberry
Defensive Back – Salonik Amos, Brevard
Defensive Back – Tarvin Jones, Carson-Newman
Defensive Back – Robert Fletcher, Wingate
Defensive Back – Terrance Stephens, Wingate
Offensive Player Of The Year – Bo Cordell, Tusculum
Defensive Player Of The Year – Marcus Shuford, Lenoir-Rhyne
Offensive Freshman Of The Year – Kelvin Jeter, Brevard
Defensive Freshman Of The Year – Damein Lee, Catawba
Jacobs Blocking Trophy – Chandler Rearden, Lenoir-Rhyne
Coach Of The Year – Joe Reich, Wingate
Scholar-Athlete – Patrick Dennis, Catawba
