GREENWOOD, IN – Franklin College placed 10 players on the 2011 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team, including the conference's Offensive and Defensive Most Valuable Players. Franklin's Jonny West (Avon, Ind./Speedway) has been named the HCAC Offensive Most Valuable Player for the first time, while David O'Rourke (Evansville, Ind./Memorial) picked up the HCAC Defensive Most Valuable Player award. Grizzlies' head coach Mike Leonard garnered Coach of the Year honors for the fifth time in his career.
Manchester's Kyle Evans (Winamac, Ind./West Central) was honored as Special Teams Most Valuable Player for 2011, while his teammate Corey Nelson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) was selected as Freshman of the Year this fall. The Spartans placed five players on the All-HCAC First Team.
West, a sophomore quarterback for the Grizzlies, threw for 3,144 yards this season to help his team win an outright HCAC title for the fourth time in five years and earn a bid to the NCAA playoffs. The sophomore completed 62.9% (237-377) of his passes for a 152.3 passing efficiency. West averaged a league-best 314.4 passing yards per game (6th NCAA) and tossed 30 touchdowns to pilot the conference's top offensive attack. The Avon, Indiana native crossed the 300 yard mark passing six times during the season, including a 448 yard effort against NCAA Championship Subdivision affiliate Valparaiso.
O'Rourke, a senior defensive lineman for Franklin, led the Grizzlies defense in a quest for a HCAC title this season. The senior led the conference with nine sacks and finished fourth in the league with 11.0 tackles for loss. The Evansville, Indiana native contributed two fumble recoveries and added two interceptions this season, while posting 56 total tackles. As a team, Franklin ranked fifth in the conference in total defense (359.3 ypg) and second in scoring defense (22.3 ppg).
Evans, a senior kicker and punter for Manchester, scored 59 points for the Spartans this season. The senior converted 12-of-18 field goals (15th NCAA) and 23-of-25 extra points this fall, averaging 5.9 points per game. Evans booted 53 punts for 38.5 yards per punt (33rd NCAA) and placed 15 punts inside the opponent's 20 yard line.
Nelson, a freshman running back and kick returner for Manchester, played in all 10 games for the Spartans this season. The freshman led the squad with 662 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns on 123 carries. He also added 341 kickoff return yards, including an 83 yard return for a touchdown against Hanover.
Franklin head coach Mike Leonard has been selected as the HCAC Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career. He guided the Grizzlies to their fourth conference title and a 9-1 overall record. The Grizzlies finished alone in first place in the HCAC with a perfect 8-0 mark. The only loss this season for FC was a 45-0 defeat to No. 1 ranked Wis.-Whitewater. No. 17 ranked Franklin opens the NCAA Playoffs Saturday at home against No. 20 Thomas More at 12:00 PM.
First Team All-HCAC
|
Jonny West |
Franklin |
So. |
QB |
Avon, Ind./Speedway |
|
Kyle Kovach |
Rose-Hulman |
Jr. |
RB |
Munster, Ind./Andrean |
|
James Clay |
Mount St. Joseph |
Jr. |
RB |
Louisville, Ky./Manual Dupont |
|
Andy Cessna |
Defiance |
Sr. |
TE |
Warren, Mich./Cousino |
|
Matt Robinette |
Hanover |
Sr. |
TE |
Otwell, Ind./Pike Central |
|
Kyle Linville |
Franklin |
Jr. |
WR |
Speedway, Ind./H.S. |
|
Dwayne Eubanks |
Hanover |
Jr. |
WR |
Mitchell, Ind./H.S. |
|
Logan Worley |
Franklin |
Sr. |
WR |
Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central |
|
Kurt Monix |
Manchester |
Jr. |
WR |
Crown Point, Ind./Lowell |
|
Nick Schultz |
Franklin |
Jr. |
OL |
Lowell, Ind./H.S. |
|
Colin Gallagher |
Franklin |
So. |
OL |
Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler |
|
Matt Money |
Hanover |
Sr. |
OL |
Oakwood, Ohio/H.S. |
|
Rob Bowman |
Mount St. Joseph |
Sr. |
OL |
New Richmond, Ohio/H.S. |
|
Joe Noble |
Mount St. Joseph |
Sr. |
OL |
Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain |
|
Jeff Ketchum |
Rose-Hulman |
Sr. |
OL |
Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore |
|
Justin Crosier |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
DL |
Columbus, Ohio/Hamilton Township |
|
Wes Kaminski |
Franklin |
Sr. |
DL |
Huntingburg, Ind./Southridge |
|
David O'Rourke |
Franklin |
Sr. |
DL |
Evansville, Ind./Memorial |
|
Brett Hambrick |
Mount St. Joseph |
Sr. |
DL |
Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder |
|
Gregg Pickett |
Defiance |
Jr. |
DL |
Cincinnati, Ohio/Glen Este |
|
Andy Dalton |
Hanover |
Jr. |
LB |
Guilford, Ind./East Central |
|
Dylan Snyder |
Manchester |
Sr. |
LB |
Greenfield, Ind./Central |
|
Tyler Hopperton |
Mount St. Joseph |
Sr. |
LB |
Walton, Ky./Simon Kenton |
|
Ryan McKee |
Manchester |
Sr. |
LB |
Elkhart, Ind./Concord |
|
Shane Hubbard |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
LB |
Johnstown, Ohio/Big Walnut |
|
Rory Mannering |
Hanover |
Sr. |
DB |
Walton, Ind./Lewis Cass |
|
Brecken Kennedy |
Manchester |
Sr. |
DB |
N. Manchester, Ind./Manchester |
|
Tony Sierra |
Defiance |
Jr. |
DB/Ret. |
Warren, Mich./Cousino |
|
Zach Ruark |
Franklin |
Jr. |
DB |
Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian |
|
Zack Corpe |
Franklin |
So. |
DB |
Granger, Ind./Elkhart Memorial |
|
Will Palmer |
Mount St. Joseph |
So. |
DB |
Atlanta, Ga./Westlake |
|
Kyle Evans |
Manchester |
Sr. |
K |
Winamac, Ind./West Central |
|
Michael Parks |
Franklin |
So. |
P |
Shelbyville, Ind./H.S. |
|
J.T. Bouwman |
Anderson |
Fr. |
Ret. |
Speedway, Ind./H.S. |
|
Todd Trotter |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
Ret. |
Cincinnati, Ohio/Aiken University |
Second Team All-HCAC
|
Name |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown/High School |
|
Dexter Britt |
Hanover |
So. |
QB |
Louisville, Ky./Male |
|
Reece Craig |
Franklin |
Sr. |
RB |
Bedford, Ind./North Lawrence |
|
Marcus Spann |
Anderson |
So. |
RB |
Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern |
|
Corey Nelson |
Manchester |
Fr. |
RB |
Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll |
|
Rob Blundred |
Mount St. Joseph |
Jr. |
TE |
Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills |
|
Jason A. Johnson |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
WR |
Lansing, Mich./Eastern |
|
Todd Trotter |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
WR |
Cincinnati, Ohio/Aiken University |
|
Joe Davidson |
Anderson |
Sr. |
WR |
Brookville, Ind./Franklin Co. |
|
Nick Wiedenhoft |
Defiance |
Sr. |
WR |
Danbury, Ohio/H.S. |
|
Kaleb Lingg |
Earlham |
So. |
WR |
Dayton, Ohio/Northridge |
|
Adam Rue |
Anderson |
Sr. |
OL |
Vandalia, Ohio/Butler |
|
Russell Krouse |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
OL |
Huntsville, Ohio/Indian Lake |
|
Ryan Black |
Defiance |
Sr. |
OL |
Harrod, Ohio/Allen East |
|
Ryan Hayes |
Earlham |
So. |
OL |
New Lebanon, Ohio/Dixie |
|
Eric Taylor |
Rose-Hulman |
Fr. |
OL |
Chapel Hill, N.C./Carrboro |
|
Leonard Wells |
Anderson |
Sr. |
DL |
Warsaw, Ind./H.S. |
|
Rob Fox |
Mount St. Joseph |
Sr. |
DL |
Harrison, Ohio/Colerain |
|
Neal Ploeger |
Hanover |
Sr. |
DL |
Greensburg, Ind./North Decatur |
|
Russell Turner II |
Mount St. Joseph |
So. |
DL |
Fairfield, Ohio/H.S. |
|
Ajani Jones |
Hanover |
So. |
DL |
Lauderdale Lakes, Fla./Pompano Beach |
|
Sean Brooks |
Mount St. Joseph |
Jr. |
DL |
Englewood, Ohio/Northmont |
|
Ben Parker |
Rose-Hulman |
Sr. |
DL |
Fillmore, Ind./South Putnam |
|
Ryan Gallagher |
Rose-Hulman |
Jr. |
LB |
Greenwood, Ind./H.S. |
|
Hunter Robertson |
Defiance |
Jr. |
LB |
Howell, Mich./H.S. |
|
Jordan Segner |
Franklin |
So. |
LB |
Anderson, Ind./Highland |
|
Scott Moore |
Franklin |
So. |
LB |
Veedersburg, Ind./Fountain Central |
|
Geoff Yost |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
LB |
North Canton, Ohio/Jackson |
|
Kaleb Donahue |
Anderson |
Sr. |
DB |
Carmel, Ind./Heritage Christian |
|
Tyler Huls |
Franklin |
Sr. |
DB |
Salem, Ind./H.S. |
|
Jared Millikan |
Anderson |
Sr. |
DB |
New Castle, Ind./H.S. |
|
Matt Green |
Rose-Hulman |
Sr. |
DB |
Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle |
|
Cory Babbington |
Mount St. Joseph |
Sr. |
DB |
Lebanon, Ohio/Henry M. Gunn Sr. |
|
Cole Richards |
Franklin |
Jr. |
K |
Floyds Knobs, Ind./Floyd Central |
|
Eric Schaible |
Rose-Hulman |
So. |
P |
Findlay, Ohio/H.S. |
|
Zack Corpe |
Franklin |
So. |
Ret. |
Granger, Ind./Elkhart Memorial |
Honorable Mention All-HCAC
|
Name |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown/High School |
|
Nick Sharp |
Anderson |
Sr. |
QB |
Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central |
|
Jeremy Martin |
Anderson |
Jr. |
DL |
Fishers, Ind./H.S. |
|
Chris Byrd |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
QB |
Detroit, Mich./University Prep |
|
Jake Luthy |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
LB |
Ida, Mich./H.S. |
|
Oscar Vazquez-Dyer |
Bluffton |
Sr. |
DB |
Findlay, Ohio/Carey |
|
Justin Hahn |
Bluffton |
Jr. |
DB |
Rocky River, Ohio/H.S. |
|
Rick Powell |
Defiance |
Sr. |
QB |
Rochester, Mich./Cousino |
|
Drew Kuesel |
Defiance |
Sr. |
RB |
Deshler, Ohio/Patrick Henry |
|
Josh Slayton |
Defiance |
Fr. |
DB |
Fort Wayne, Ind./North Side |
|
Jaysn Murphy |
Earlham |
Sr. |
WR |
Winchester, Ind./H.S. |
|
Chad Wertman |
Earlham |
Sr. |
DL |
Holland, Ind./Southridge |
|
Josh Lewis |
Earlham |
Sr. |
DL |
Newburgh, Ind./Castle |
|
Seth Shipley |
Earlham |
Sr. |
LB |
Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee |
|
Collin Draine |
Earlham |
Sr. |
LB |
Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison |
|
Aaron Barth |
Earlham |
Sr. |
LB |
Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee |
|
Justin Darden |
Earlham |
So. |
DB |
Muncie, Ind./Central |
|
Jeremy Cook |
Hanover |
Sr. |
RB |
Batesville, Ind./H.S. |
|
Dylan Dunlop |
Hanover |
So. |
K |
Miami, Fla./Palmetto |
|
Matt Sieg |
Hanover |
Sr. |
DL |
Anderson, Ind./Highland |
|
Austin Davis |
Manchester |
Sr. |
DL |
Fairfield, Ohio/H.S. |
|
Matt Frieden |
Manchester |
Jr. |
DB |
Wabash, Ind./Northfield |
|
Jake Butler |
Manchester |
Jr. |
DB |
South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's |
|
Derek Termuhlen |
Mount St. Joseph |
Sr. |
DB |
Milford, Ohio/H.S. |
|
Jordan Nielson |
Rose-Hulman |
Sr. |
WR |
Syracuse, Utah/Clearfield |
|
Dean Griffing |
Rose-Hulman |
So. |
DL |
Plano, Ill./Aurora Christian |
|
Grant DePalma |
Rose-Hulman |
Fr. |
LB |
Mt. Prospect, Ill./Prospect |
|
Brad D'Agnillo |
Rose-Hulman |
Sr. |
DB |
Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain |
|
Jordan Martin |
Rose-Hulman |
Jr. |
DB |
Shelbyville, Ind./Triton Central |
|
Bobby Short |
Rose-Hulman |
Sr. |
DB |
Martinsville, Ind./H.S. |
HCAC All-Sportsmanship Team
|
Nick Sharp |
Anderson |
Senior |
QB |
Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central |
|
|
Ben Hatfield |
Bluffton |
Senior |
RB |
Spencerville, Ohio/H.S. |
|
|
James Buari |
Defiance |
Junior |
LB |
Columbus, Ohio/Walnut Ridge |
|
|
Josh Lewis |
Earlham |
Senior |
DL |
Newburgh, Ind./Castle |
|
|
Nathan Ellis |
Franklin |
Senior |
QB/WR |
Plainfield, Ind./H.S. |
|
|
C.J. Croft |
Hanover |
Junior |
QB/WR |
Fort Campbell, Ky./H.S. |
|
|
Justin Minnich |
Manchester |
Senior |
QB |
Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll |
|
|
Derek Termuhlen |
Mount St. Joseph |
Senior |
DB |
Milford, Ohio/H.S. |
|
|
Bobby Short |
Rose-Hulman |
Senior |
DB |
Martinsville, Ind./H.S. |
|