Three Sky Players Honored by AFCA
Two Montana State Bobcats and one Eastern Washington Eagle were named to the prestigious American Football Coaches Association FCS All-America Team.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
Montana State junior quarterback DeNarius McGhee, Montana State senior linebacker Jody Owens, and Eastern Washington senior offensive tackle Will Post were named to the 25-player team, which was released on Tuesday.
McGhee, the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year, has completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 2,726 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions entering Friday’s quarterfinal game against Sam Houston State.
Owens, the Big Sky Conference Defensive player of the Year, leads the Bobcats with 82 total tackles – 53 solo. He has 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, and four forced fumbles. Owens leads a Montana State defense, which leads the Big Sky in points allowed, yards allowed, and is second against the rush.
Eastern Washington senior offensive tackle Will Post was also chosen to the team. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Post is from Portland, Ore., is the 17th AFCA honor won by 16 different players in Eastern history, but he is the first offensive lineman to be recognized since Michael Roos (now with the Tennessee Titans) in 2004.
The Eagles have now had 19 offensive linemen earn All-America accolades in the last 20 years (1993-2012) while winning 21 first team All-Big Sky Conference honors (1993-2012). Prior to Post, Chris Powers was the latest to earn both awards after helping lead EWU to the NCAA Division I title in 2010 and then earning the same honors as a senior in 2011.
Post has started every game at right offensive tackle in 2012, with a total of 34 career starts in 43 games played. The first team All-Big Sky selection and team co-captain allowed just one sack in the regular season (opponents had a total of 24). He consistently grades out in the high 80’s and low 90's according to offensive line coach
Aaron Best.
Entering its quarterfinal game this Saturday in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs, Eastern ranks second in the league and ninth in the FCS in passing offense (301.2 per game). The Eagles had a season-best 542 total yards versus Cal Poly and are now fourth in the Big Sky and 21st in FCS in total offense (432.3). Eastern is also 22nd in passing efficiency (143.3) and 28th in scoring offense (31.6).
2012 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-America Team
Offense
|
Pos. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
|
WR |
Aaron Mellette |
6-4 |
220 |
Sr. |
Elon |
Jason Swepson |
Sanford, N.C. (Southern Lee) |
|
WR |
Erik Lora |
5-10 |
181 |
Jr. |
Eastern Illinois |
Dino Babers |
Miami, Fla. (Columbus) |
|
TE |
Kyle Juszczyk |
6-3 |
245 |
Sr. |
Harvard |
Tim Murphy |
Medina, Ohio (Cloverleaf) |
|
OL |
Earl Watford |
6-4 |
295 |
Sr. |
James Madison |
Mickey Matthews |
Philadelphia, Pa. (Simon Gratz) |
|
OL |
Terren Jones |
6-7 |
320 |
Sr. |
Alabama St. |
Reggie Barlow |
Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. (Choctaw) |
|
C |
Mike Sellers |
6-0 |
290 |
Jr. |
Citadel |
Kevin Higgins |
Summerville, S.C. (Fort Dorchester) |
|
OL |
Randy Richards |
6-4 |
310 |
Sr. |
Missouri St. |
Terry Allen |
Royal Palm Beach, Fla. (Royal Palm Beach) |
|
OL |
Will Post |
6-6 |
295 |
Sr. |
Eastern Washington |
Beau Baldwin |
Portland, Ore. (Southridge) |
|
QB |
DeNarius McGhee |
6-0 |
210 |
Jr. |
Montana St. |
Rob Ash |
Euless, Texas (Trinity) |
|
RB |
Miguel Maysonet |
5-10 |
210 |
Sr. |
Stony Brook |
Chuck Priore |
Riverhead, N.Y. (Riverhead) |
|
RB |
Zach Zenner |
6-0 |
215 |
So. |
South Dakota St. |
John Stiegelmeier |
Eagan, Minn. (Eagan) |
Defense
|
Pos. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
|
DL |
Caraun Reid |
6-2 |
305 |
Sr. |
Princeton |
Bob Surace |
Bronx, N.Y. (Mount St. Michael) |
|
DL |
Davis Tull |
6-3 |
230 |
So. |
Tennessee-Chattanooga |
Russ Huesman |
Knoxville, Tenn. (Bearden) |
|
DL |
Brandon Thurmond |
6-2 |
260 |
Sr. |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
Monte Coleman |
Augusta, Ga. (Laney) |
|
DL |
Kenneth Boatright |
6-4 |
253 |
Sr. |
Southern Illinois |
Dale Lennon |
Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook) |
|
LB |
Matt Evans |
6-0 |
228 |
Sr. |
New Hampshire |
Sean McDonnell |
Hanover, Mass. (Thayer Academy) |
|
LB |
Robert McCabe |
6-2 |
234 |
Sr. |
Georgetown (D.C.) |
Kevin Kelly |
Newtown Square, Pa. (Malvern Prep) |
|
LB |
Jody Owens |
6-0 |
223 |
Sr. |
Montana St. |
Rob Ash |
Mesquite, Texas (Horn) |
|
DB |
AJ Cruz |
5-9 |
190 |
Sr. |
Brown |
Phil Estes |
Lake Forest, Calif. (Santa Margarita Catholic) |
|
DB |
Kejuan Riley |
6-1 |
208 |
Sr. |
Alabama St. |
Reggie Barlow |
Wetumpka, Ala. (Wetumpka) |
|
DB |
Marcus Williams |
5-11 |
194 |
Jr. |
North Dakota St. |
Craig Bohl |
Minneapolis, Minn. (Hopkins) |
|
DB |
Darnell Taylor* |
6-0 |
195 |
Sr. |
Sam Houston St. |
Willie Fritz |
Mesquite, Texas (Mesquite) |
Specialists
|
Pos. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
|
P |
Bobby Wenzig |
6-2 |
180 |
Jr. |
Alabama St. |
Reggie Barlow |
San Diego, Calif. (Westview) |
|
PK |
Patrick Murray |
5-7 |
182 |
Sr. |
Fordham |
Joe Moorhead |
Mahwah, N.J. (Don Bosco Prep) |
|
AP |
Carlos Anderson |
5-8 |
172 |
Sr. |
Northern Iowa |
Mark Farley |
Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs) |
*-2011 All-American
Team Background: The AFCA?has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. The five teams now chosen for each AFCA?division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II?and Division III,?respectively. In 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)?and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS),?respectively. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.
From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006.
Top Teams: Eastern Kentucky has been represented a total of 23 times by 21 players on the AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team since 1979. The Colonels are followed by Appalachian State (23/17), Montana (21/20), Delaware (20/17), Furman (18/17), Northern Iowa (18/15), Eastern Washington (17/16), Georgia Southern (17/13), Lehigh (15/15), Youngstown State (15/14), Portland State (14/14), Grambling State (14/13), Stephen F. Austin (14/13), New Hampshire (14/12), Jackson State (13/12), Weber State (13/12), Eastern Illinois (12/11), Montana State (11/11), North Dakota State (11/11) and James Madison (10/10) among current FCS schools.
Top Conference: The Colonial Athletic Association (formerly Atlantic 10) (119 appearances/109 players) is tops among all FCS?conferences on the AFCA FCS Coaches All-America Team since 1979. Following the CAA is the Southern (107 appearances/94 players), Missouri Valley Football (formerly Gateway) (84/78), Big Sky (81/79), Ohio Valley (62/58), Southland (61/56), Southwestern Athletic (54/52), Patriot (48/47), Ivy League (31/31), Mid-Eastern Athletic (30/28), Northeast (15/13), Pioneer (13/13) and Big South (9/9). These totals reflect FCS?selections only from current conference members. Several schools had additional players chosen when they played in divisions other than FCS.
2012 Conference-by-Conference Breakdown: Missouri Valley – 5; Southwestern Athletic – 4; Big Sky – 3; Ivy – 3; Southern – 3; Colonial – 2; Patriot – 2; Big South – 1; Ohio Valley – 1; Southland – 1.
Consecutive Years: Eastern Kentucky leads all schools, having had at least one player named to the AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team in each of the first 15 years a FCS team was chosen (1979-93).
Long Time Coming: Sophomore defensive lineman Davis Tull makes the AFCA FCS All-America Team for Tennessee-Chattanooga, marking the first time the Moc’s have had a representative since 1990, when defensive lineman Tony Hill and punter Pumpy Tudors both made the team.
Repeat After Me: Sam Houston State’s Darnell Taylor is the only player to be elected to the AFCA FCS All-American Team for the second consecutive year. Linebackers Gary Reasons of Northwestern State (La.) (1981-83) and Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State (1994-96) are the only three-time AFCA All-Americans in Football Championship Subdivision.
Yearly Leaders: Alabama State (2012-OL Terren Jones, DB Kejuan Riley and P Bobby Wenzig) joins Grambling State (1979-DL Joe Gordon, LB Aldrich Allen and DB Robert Salters) and Jackson State (1996-QB?Grailyn Pratt, LB Otha Evans and DB?Sean Woodson) as the only schools to have more than two players named to the AFCA?FCS?Coaches’ All-America Team in one year.
One Player, Two Schools: Punter Mark Bounds is the only player to earn Coaches’ All-America honors at two different schools. He was named to the AFCA?College Division I?team in 1990 while playing for West Texas A&M. He transferred to Texas Tech after West Texas dropped football and earned FBS All-America honors as a Red Raider in 1991.
Class Distinction: This year’s AFCA?FCS Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 18 seniors, five juniors and two sophomores.