Nov. 11, 2008

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University placed 13 players, including running back Randall Eldridge (Jr., Lynnwood) who was named Newcomer of the Year, on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference football all-star team announced today.

The Vikings, who are 5-5 overall, tied for second in the GNAC with a 5-3 record. They are making the school's first post-season appearance since 1999, meeting Colorado Mines in the Dixie Rotary Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 6 (12 noon MT) at St. George, Utah.

Eldridge and defensive end Nick Rocco (So., Sammamish/Skyline) were both unanimous picks for Western.

Eldridge leads the GNAC in average rushing yards per game at 83.9, running for 671 yards and four touchdowns. Rocco has 12.0 tackles for losses of 87 yards, including 6.5 quarterback sacks for minus-52 yards.

In all, Western had six first-team picks. The others were middle linebacker Caleb Jessup (Jr., Kenmore/Inglemoor), wide receiver Pat McCann (Sr., Olympia), wide receiver Travis McKee (Sr., Bothell) and offensive center Dan Trask (Sr., Aberdeen).

Jessup leads the GNAC in tackles with 114 and ranks seventh nationally among NCAA Division II leaders with an 11.4 average.

McCann has caught 52 passes for 971 yards and 11 touchdowns with a long of 96 yards, and McKee has 50 receptions for 742 yards and three touchdowns.

Trask has anchored an offensive line that has helped Western average 29.8 points and 405.7 total yards per game.

Seven Vikings were second-team picks, Rick Copsey (Jr., Camas) being named as both a kickoff and punt returner. Copsey is averaging 22.6 yards on 34 kickoff returns with a long of 61 yards, and 15.4 yards on eight punt returns with a long of 41 yards.

Completing Western's second-team choices were defensive end Casey Hamlett (So., Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway), offensive guard Phil Hayes (Sr., Renton/O'Dea), placekicker Josh Lider (Jr., Bellevue/Sammamish), quarterback Adam Perry (Sr., Longview/R.A. Long), free safety Zach Schrader (So., Issaquah/Skyline) and cornerback Anthony Zackery (So., Spokane/Ferris).

Perry has passed for 2,969 yards and 26 touchdowns, both being the second-highest totals in school history, and Lider has scored 56 points, connecting on 8-of-12 field goals with a long of 48 yards and 32-of-35 PATs. Hamlett and Zackery each have been credited with 28 tackles, and Zackery has five passes defensed.

Central Washington quarterback Mike Reilly was the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year and Western Oregon defensive tackle Matt Cox the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. Central's Blaine Bennett was named GNAC Coach of the Year, and Wildcat defensive lineman Andrew Olney was the GNAC Freshman of the Year.

GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Football: Reilly, Cox Outstanding Players in GNAC; Bennett Coach-of-the-Year

SPOKANE, Wash. - Central Washington quarterback Mike Reilly and Western Oregon defensive tackle Matt Cox have been selected the 2008 Offensive and Defensive Players-of-the-Year, respectively, in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. First-year CWU head coach Blaine Bennett, who guided the Wildcats to a 10-1 record, including a perfect 9-0 mark against Division II schools, was voted the GNAC Coach-of-the-Year. It is the second Coach-of-the-Year award for Bennett, who earned Columbia Football Association honors in 1997 at Western Oregon.

Reilly set numerous GNAC and Central Washington school records this season in throwing for 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns and finishing with 3,660 yards in total offense. He currently ranks fourth all-time in NCAA Division II history in total offense with 13,250 yards and third in passing with 12,028. He needs just 325 more yards to equal Jon Kitna's school career passing record of 12,353.

Cox led the GNAC in tackles for losses with 20 and quarterback sacks with 11. He finished his career with 58 ½ TFLs, more than any other player in conference history.

Two other players also earned special awards. Western Washington running back Randall Eldridge, who leads the GNAC in rushing averaging 83.9 yards per contest, was voted the GNAC Newcomer-of-the-Year. Central Washington defensive end Andrew Oney was selected the GNAC Freshman-of-the-Year. Oney finished the regular season with eight tackles for losses, including 5 ½ sacks.

Central Washington, which is ranked eighth in this week's American Football Coaches Association national poll, led the conference all-star selections, earning 10 spots on the first team, including six on offense and four on defense.

Defensive back Courtney Smith accounted for two of the 10 being selected to the first team as both a kick returner and defensive back.

Western Oregon and Western Washington, which tied for second in the GNAC, had seven and six first team selections, respectively, while Dixie State and Humboldt State had three each.

A total of 16 of the 29 first-team selections were unanimous, including 10 on offense.

In addition to Reilly, who was a unanimous pick as Offensive Player-of-the-Year, and Eldridge, running back Ben Kuenzi of Western Oregon, wide receivers Johnny Spevak of Central Washington and Isaiah Smith of Western Oregon, CWU tight end Jared Bronson, kicker Garrett Rolsma of CWU and offensive lineman Taylor Boggs of Humboldt State, Cody Perkins of Western Oregon and Ryan Delrosal of Dixie State, also were unanimous offensive picks.

On defense, Cox, linemen Nick Rocco of Western Washington, Chad Frank of Dixie State and Mitch Reffett of Central Washington along with defensive backs Guy Ricciardulli of Humboldt State and Caleb Singleton of Western Oregon were unanimously named to the first team.

2008 GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

Offensive Player-of-the-Year - Mike Reilly, Central Washington Defensive Player-of-the-Year - Matt Cox, Western Oregon Newcomer-of-the-Year - Randall Eldridge, Western Washington Freshman-of-the-Year - Andrew Oney, Central Washington Coach-of-the-Year - Blaine Bennett, Central Washington

Offense

First Team QB - *+Mike Reilly, CWU (6-3, 212, Sr., Kalispell, MT) RB - *Randall Eldridge, WWU (6-1, 215, Jr., Lynnwood, WA) RB - *Ben Kuenzi, WOU (5-10, 210, Jr., Salem, OR) WR - *Johnny Spevak, CWU (6-3, 200, Jr., Edgewood, WA) WR - *Isaiah Smith, WOU (6-4, 230, Sr., Roseburg, OR) WR - Travis McKee, WWU (6-5, 210, Sr., Bothell, WA) WR - Pat McCann, WWU (6-3, 205, Sr., Olympia, WA) TE - *Jared Bronson, CWU (6-4, 255, Sr., Kent, WA) OL - *Taylor Boggs, HSU (C, 6-3, 275, So., Pasadena, CA) OL - *Cory Perkins, WOU (C, 6-0, 265, Sr., Salem, OR) OL - *Ryan Delrosal, DSC (OT, 6-5, 315, Sr., Miami, FL) OL - John Gariano, CWU (C, 6-2, 295, Sr., Auburn, WA) OL - Dan Trask, WWU (C, 6-3, 285, Sr., Aberdeen, WA) K - *Garrett Rolsma, CWU (6-0, 197, Jr., University Place, WA) KR - Courtney Smith, CWU (5-11, 200, Jr., Stockton, CA)

Second Team QB - Adam Perry, WWU (6-0, 190, Sr., Longview, WA) QB - Dexter Hill, DSC (6-1, 190, Sr., Pocatello, ID) RB - D.J. Jackson, WOU (6-1, 215, So., Portland, OR) RB - Adam Wells, DSC (5-9, 190, So., Seattle, WA) RB - Jerome Morris, CWU (5-11, 187, Jr., Los Angeles, CA) WR - Kevin Miles, HSU (5-8, 170, So., Citrus Heights, CA) WR - Kyser Christensen, DSC (6-3, 205, So., Boise, ID) WR - Shaun Kauleinamoku, WOU (5-9, 185, Jr., Ewa Beach, HI) WR - Demario Ballard, WOU (6-6, 215, Jr., Thomson, GA) TE - Judd Thompson, DSC (6-3, 205, Jr., Crystal Lake, IL) OL - Phil Hayes, WWU (OG, 6-4, 330, Sr., Renton, WA) OL - Aaron Gilbert, CWU (OT, 6-4, 315, Sr., Auburn, WA) OL - Matt Coffman, CWU (OG, 6-4, 300, Sr., Othello, WA) OL - Jose Escobedo, WOU (OT, 6-5, 285, Jr., Nyssa, OR) OL - Lorenzo Arenas, HSU (OT, 6-2, 265, Sr., Medford, OR) OL - Cody Feakin, WOU (OT, 6-6, 305, Sr., Scappoose, OR) K - Josh Lider, WWU (6-2, 185, Jr., Bellevue, WA) KR - Rick Copsey, WWU (5-8, 175, Jr., Camas, WA)

Defense

First Team DL - *Nick Rocco, WWU (DE, 6-1, 220, So., Sammamish, WA) DL - *Matt Cox, WOU (DT, 6-0, 260, Sr., Salem, OR) DL - *Chad Frank, DSC (DE, 6-1, 255, Jr., Albuquerque, NM) DL - *Mitch Reffett, CWU (DT, 6-1, 255, Sr., Moses Lake, WA) LB - Buddy Wood, CWU (6-3, 200, Jr., Chattaroy, WA) LB - Teddy Owens, DSC (6-0, 225, Jr., Pleasant Grove, UT) LB - Caleb Jessup, WWU (6-0, 215, Jr., Kenmore, WA) DB - *Guy Ricciardulli, HSU (5-11, 200, So., San Diego, CA) DB - *Caleb Singleton, WOU (6-4, 205, So., Salem, OR) DB - Courtney Smith, CWU (5-11, 200, Jr., Stockton, CA) DB - Jerome Williams, CWU (6-2, 211, Jr., Seattle, WA) DB - Andrew Jackson, WOU (6-0, 195, Jr., Portland, OR) P - Kyle Schierholt, HSU (5-10, 192, Jr., Chugiak, AK) PR - Shaun Kauleinamoku, WOU (5-9, 185, Jr., Ewa Beach, HI)

Second Team DL - Casey Hamlett, WWU (DE, 6-3, 240, So., Edmonds, WA) DL - Tyrell Nielsen, CWU (DE, 6-5, 248, So., Woodland, WA) DL - Andrew Oney, CWU (DE, 6-4, 250, Fr., Spanaway, WA) DL - Anthony Marin, WOU (DE, 6-0, 270, Sr., Salem, OR) LB - J.T. Gilmore, WOU (6-4, 260, Jr., Lincoln City, OR) LB - Adam Bighill, CWU (5-10, 212, So., Montesano, WA) LB - Mike Lynch, HSU (5-10, 225, So., Sacramento, CA) LB - Bubba Reynolds, HSU (5-11, 218, Jr., Huntington Beach, CA) DB - Aric Hutchinson, DSC (6-0, 200, Jr., Ogden, UT) DB - Bryan Huber, WOU (6-1, 180, Jr., Salem, OR) DB - Zach Schrader, WWU (6-1, 195, So., Issaquah, WA) DB - Anthony Zackery, WWU (6-1, 195, So., Spokane, WA) P - Ammon Schwab, DSC (5-9, 180, Fr., Bountiful, UT) P - Garrett Rolsma, CWU (6-0, 197, Jr., University Place, WA) PR - Johnny Spevak, CWU (6-3, 200, Jr., Edgewood, WA) PR - Rick Copsey, WWU (5-8, 175, Jr., Camas, WA)

*Unanimous +Repeater (Reilly from 2005)