|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
For Immediate Release
Nov. 25, 2009
Eureka Football Lands 10 on All-UMAC South Team
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference announced its postseason awards and all-conference squads for its South Division on Wednesday, as a total of 10 Eureka College football players received recognition from the league. Senior quarterback Nick Lindsey (Homer, Ill./Heritage H.S.) headlined the group and was named the UMAC South Division Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
Lindsey and sophomore wideout Wes Schmidgall (Eureka, Ill./Eureka H.S.) represented the Red Devils on the First Team offense. Lindsey, who shared the division’s offensive player of the year award with Greenville running back Anthony Ambers, capped his four-year career with an outstanding senior season, leading the nine-team UMAC with 317.4 yards of total offense per game. His 2,471 passing yards and 23 touchdown throws were each second in the league, while his 703 rushing yards were sixth among all UMAC players and first among league quarterbacks. He saved his finest effort of the season for last, throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns in the season finale against Crown. He added 150 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground against the Purple Storm.
Playing his first season for the Red Devils after transferring from Culver-Stockton College, Schmidgall tormented opposing secondaries and led the league with 1,247 receiving yards and 16 touchdown catches. His average of 124.7 receiving yards per game was the fifth-highest total in all of Division III. Like Lindsey, Schmidgall turned in his best performance of the season in a Nov. 7 game against Crown, pulling down 11 receptions for 230 yards and four touchdowns.
Freshman kicker Travis Huber (Morton, Ill./Morton H.S.) joined Westminster’s Jake Hilton as First Team kickers. Huber finished his first season on campus a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts, and his successful 43-yard attempt against Crown on Nov. 7 is the longest on record at Eureka. He added 34 successful extra points to finish the season with 52 points, trailing only Schmidgall for the team scoring lead.
The Red Devils placed a pair of seniors on the First Team defense in linebacker Matt Knake (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg H.S.) and cornerback Cody Troutman (Normal, Ill./Normal Community H.S.). Knake made a UMAC-high 105 tackles during the season, including 45 solo stops. He also led the Red Devils with 12 tackles for loss. Troutman capped his four-year career with another stellar season in the secondary, making 77 tackles and recording a team-best four interceptions. Eureka posted a 3-0 record in games in which Troutman recorded an interception.
A total of five Red Devils earned Second Team honors. On the offensive side, senior lineman Todd Stewart (Downs, Ill./Tri-Valley H.S.) earned Second Team accolades after earning Honorable Mention honors from the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last season. Stewart helped the Eureka offense compile 4,296 yards of total offense this season, the third-highest total in the UMAC. Junior tight end Dillon Reed (Illiopolis, Ill./Sangamon Valley H.S.) was named to the Second Team after having a breakout season, setting new career-highs with 36 catches, 497 receiving yards four touchdown catches.
Rosney Beverly (Los Angeles, Calif./Normal West H.S.), Mike Minehan (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S.) and DeMarco Neal (Peoria, Ill./Manual H.S.) each earned Second Team honors on the defensive side of the ball. Beverly made 51 tackles and intercepted three passes during his junior season. He returned an interception for his first career touchdown on Oct. 24 at MacMurray on his way to a UMAC South Division Defensive Player of the Week award. Minehan, who transferred from McKendree last summer, made 81 tackles as Eureka’s strong safety and had a critical interception in Eureka’s 21-20 win over St. Scholastica at the UMAC’s annual Dome Day on Oct. 30. A steady force on Eureka’s defensive front, Neal led all EC linemen with 50 total tackles during his first season as a Red Devil. He also recorded three sacks to lead Eureka and made 11 tackles for loss.
###
For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
|
|---|
|
|---|
