Eleven SAC Football Players Named To ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Teams

November 5, 2008

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Eleven football student-athletes from the South Atlantic Conference have been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III and IV College Division Football Teams.

The members of the College Sports Information Directors of America selected the players for these honors. Nineteen student-athletes were named to either the first, second or third ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III volleyball team (college division). The eight first team members will advance to the national ballot.

The District III College Division consists of all non-NCAA Division I colleges and universities in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina and Virginia. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and must be a starter or a significant reserve on her team. District IV includes colleges and universities in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio and Michigan.

Jarrell NeSmith

Drew Noe

John Gregory

Gareth Rowlands

Jonathan Dailey

Brandon Gantt

Todd Moon

Cam LeGrand

Ryan Webber

Kyle Davis

Cory Darnell

Tusculum College

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Four Tusculum College student-athletes have been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV College Division Football Team announced officials Thursday.

Tight end Jarrell NeSmith and offensive lineman Drew Noe were named to the Academic All-District First Team, while punter John Gregory and placekicker Gareth Rowlands garnered Second Team recognition.

NeSmith and Noe now advance to the Academic All-America® ballot, which will be announced later this month.

NeSmith, a 6-2, 215-pound junior from Russellville, Ala., returns to the Academic All-District First Team for a second straight season. The Russellville High School graduate has a 3.83 cumulative grade point average majoring in Pre-Medicine. He was the 2007 recipient of the South Atlantic Conference Scholar Athlete Award for football and is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

On the field, NeSmith is second on the squad with 53 receptions, averaging 5.3 catches per game which are also second in the league. The Preseason All-SAC pick is also seventh in the conference in receiving yards per game (51.1 ypg), while leading the team with seven touchdown receptions. His TD catch tally this year is tied for the second most in school history, just one shy of a TC-best.

Noe, a 6-5, 300-pound senior from Bushnell, Fla., earned Academic All-District Second Team honors in 2007 and is a Preseason All-Conference selection this year. He has a cumulative GPA of 3.55 as a Pre-Medicine major.

The South Sumter HS graduate has played in seven games this year, while earning a start in his first six. He has been a mainstay at the tackle and anchored the left side in 2007. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

Gregory, a 6-2, 210-pound junior from Ooltewah, Tenn., also is back on the Academic All-District Second Team for a second straight year. The two-time All-Region punter has a cumulative GPA of 3.77 majoring in Sports Management.

A graduate of Ooltewah High School, Gregory leads the South Atlantic Conference in punting average with 44.1 yards per kick, which is on pace to be the best in Tusculum history. He has pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line on 15 occasions. The two-time All-SAC honoree is tops in the TC record book with his 41.61 career average, while also hold school records for career punts (158) and career punting yards (6,574).

In his career, he has been named the SAC Special Teams Player of the Week a remarkable eight times, including once this year. He has also been recognized as the national special teams player of the week by D2football.com and Football Gazette.

Rowlands, a 6-1, 195-pound sophomore from Wales, Great Britain, has a 3.48 GPA while majoring in Middle School Education.

The Preseason All-SAC First Team honoree leads the Pioneers in scoring this season with 64 points, which is also tops amongst the league kickers and second overall. Rowlands has established a new single-season record with his 40 extra points this year, while his eight made field goals are tied for the second most in a TC season.

Earlier this year, he tied a TC single-game record with four field goals against NCAA Division I FCS Gardner-Webb University. He accounted for 12 points in the game and was named the SAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts.

The Pioneers (7-3, 4-2 SAC) will host 15th-ranked Carson-Newman College this Saturday at the Niswonger Sports Complex and Pioneer Field. A win by the Pioneers would earn Tusculum a share of the league title and a potential berth to the NCAA Playoffs.

Newberry College

BRISTOL, Conn. - Three Newberry College football players have been named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 College Division team, it was announced today. Offensive lineman Jonathan Dailey, quarterback Brandon Gantt and punter Todd Moon are all now eligible for Academic All-American honors, which will be announced in late November.

Jonathan Dailey is a senior offensive lineman from Clinton, S.C., with a 3.35 grade point average in chemistry, who has started in 32 career games. He has been named to the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for four seasons. In 2007, he was named second team all-South Atlantic Conference, and was elevated to preseason first team all-SAC in 2008.

Brandon Gantt is a junior quarterback from L! ! exington, S.C., with a 3.96 grade point average in education. He is a 2007 honoree to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. He has seen extended time at quarterback this season behind starter Eric McCollom. Gantt has completed 39-of-67 passes for 423 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions this season, while rushing for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Todd Moon is a junior punter from Anderson, S.C., with a 3.53 grade point average in nursing and biology. He is a 2006 and 2007 honoree to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and has taken care of punting and kickoff duties this season. He has averaged 38.9 yards per punt, with four punts over 50 yards and 15 punts inside his opponents' 20 yardline. He has also averaged 56.9 yards per kickoff, with an opponents' average starting field position of their own 30 yardline.

Newberry's three student-athletes are the most from any South Atlantic Conference school on the football Academic All-District Three rolls this season. W! ! ingate has two honorees, while Catawba and Mars Hill each have one. In District Four, Tusculum has a total of four honorees with two on the first team and two on the second team.

District III (college division) includes all non-NCAA Division I schools (Division II, III and NAIA) in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina. Student-athletes selected for Academic All-District honors must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials. They must possess at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.00 scale). They must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution.

Wingate University

Wingate, N.C. -- Two Wingate University football student-athletes were named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III football first team (college division), selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Graduate student offensive lineman Cam LeGrand (Concord, N.C.) and junior tight end Ryan Webber (Concord, N.C.) represent the Bulldogs on the first team. LeGrand earns an academic triple crown, as the Northwest Cabarrus High School product is a three-time Academic All-District III selection (2006, 2007 and 2008).

A three-year starter for the number 22 Bulldogs, Cam LeGrand has helped Wingate compile a 23-9 overall record during his three seasons as starter (through games of Nov. 1). LeGrand and the Wingate O-Line have played a big role in the team's offensive successes over the years.

In 2008, Wingate is second in the SAC in passing offense (242.9 yards per game), second in scoring offense (31.1 points per game) and third in total offense (413.3 yards per game). LeGrand and his O-Line teammates blocked for SAC Freshman of the Year running back Nelson Woods in 2007. Woods is a two-time 1000 yard rusher for the Bulldogs. In 2006, Wingate led the SAC in passing offense (273.8 yards per game) and charted number two in total offense (342.7 yards per game).

LeGrand earned a B.S. degree in Management during Wingate's May commencement exercises. A member of the Delta Sigma Pi professional business fraternity, he posted a 3.59 undergraduate GPA. LeGrand is a first-semester graduate student in Wingate's prestigious MBA program this fall.

Ryan Webber had big shoes to fill this year, as he replaced NFL signee Chris Conklin (Panthers) at tight end for the Bulldogs. His 24 catches are fourth on the 2008 team charts. On the season, Webber has 24 receptions for 403 yards and five touchdowns.

Webber had five catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns in a victory over UNC Pembroke on Sept. 13, 2008. He has at least one catch in nine of Wingate's 10 games this year. Wingate is 8-2 overall and the number 22 team in the AFCA NCAA Division II top 25.

Both Webber and LeGrand show up every year on the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. Ryan Webber is also a graduate of Northwest Cabarrus High School. Webber possesses a 3.56 GPA as a Sport Management major.

"For Cam and Ryan to make this team is a very prestigious honor for our program," Wingate head football coach Joe Reich says. "Obviously, they are both outstanding student-athletes and extremely vital members of our program."

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000's with 30 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate's 39 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,129 students, offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, international study, faith development, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physical education, physician assistant studies, sport administration and the doctor of pharmacy degree.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Athletic Excellence Award for the past two years.

Mars Hill

BRISTOL, Conn. - Kyle Davis has been named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 College Division team. Davis is a senior center for the Lions.

Davis, a 6-0, 255-pound lineman from Cherry Log, Ga., came to Mars Hill from Gilmer High School. He has started in every game at center for the Lions this season. Davis has a 3.83 grade point average in Elementary Education. Mars Hill is currently 6-4 on the year and will end the regular season at Wingate on November 8.

Catawba

SALISBURY, NC -- Catawba senior kicker, Cory Darnell (Rural Hall, NC/N. Forsyth HS) has been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III football team. Darnell was also selected to the team in 2006.

Darnell, who majors in environmental science, has posted a 3.77 GPA. He has been named to the Dean's List five times and twice to the Presidential Honor Roll. This season, he has kicked off for the Indians and also serves as the holder on place kicks. He has punted twice with a 31.5 average.

ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-District III football team
College Division

Name School Position
Todd Moon Newberry Punter
Brandon Gantt Newberry Quarterback
Billy Murray Washington & Lee Wide Receiver
Ryan Webber Wingate Tight End
Cam LeGrand Wingate Offensive Line
Kyle Davis Mars Hill Offensive Line
Ben Birmingham Southern Virginia Offensive Line
Greg Kurkis Washington & Lee Offensive Line
Jonathan Dailey Newberry Offensive Line
Cory Darnell Catawba Kicker
Shea Owens Southern Virginia Defensive Back
Matt Kingsbury Shenandoah Defensive Back
Will Oliver Shorter Defensive Back
Budd Keith Shorter Defensive Back
Gus Cavanaugh Washington & Lee Linebacker
Matt Mellor Southern Virginia Linebacker
Carlos Railey North Carolina Wesleyan Linebacker
Tommy Matteo Washington & Lee Defensive Line
Markus Brunson Guilford Defensive Line
Scott Russell Washington & Lee Defensive Line

ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-District IV football team
College Division

Name School Position
Greg Micheli Mount Union Quarterback
Matthew Harmon John Carroll Running Back
William Deitmen Case Western Reserve Running Back
Keith White Michigan Tech Wide Receiver
Ryan Kolesar Case Western Reserve Wide Receiver
Jarrell NeSmith Tusculum Tight End
Chris Center Case Western Reserve Offensive Line
Joseph Micca John Carroll Offensive Line
Caleb Crowl Mount Union Offensive Line
Drew Noe Tusculum Offensive Line
Jon Wilson Baldwin-Wallace Offensive Line
B.J. Wanninger Otterbein Kicker
Drew McClain Mount Union Defennsive Back
David Carmody Michigan Tech Defensive Back
Andy Boucher Rhodes Defensive Back
Alex Hill Olivet Defensive Back
John van der Laan Michigan Tech Linebacker
Lee Sasala Case Western Reserve Linebacker
Sean Spellman Michigan Tech Linebacker
Jake Visser Ferris State Defensive Line
Tim Dukovich Denison Defensive Line
Derrick Chatman North Alabama Defensive Line
Andrew Bates Wayne State Defensive Line
Jay Carpenter Mount Union Punter

SECOND TEAM
John Gregory Tusculum Punter
Michael Barnes Denison Quarterback
Sean Misko Olivet Running Back
Tyrone Jones Mount St. Joseph Running Back
Lucas Bauer Heidelberg Wide Reciever
Jimmy Semelsberger Kalamzoo Wide Receiver
Mat Brynick Michigan Tech Tight End
Mark VanLente Olivet Offensive Line
Rick Ingold Ohio Northern Offensive Line
Broc Dial Baldwin-Wallace Offensive Line
Brian Stevenson John Carroll Offensive Line
Philip Koops Olivet Offensive Line
Gareth Rowlands Tusculum Kicker
Bryan Albani Wooster Defensive Back
Zach Brumfield Wittenberg Defensive Back
George Davis Marietta Defensive Back
Eric Wenzler Ohio Northern Defensive Back
Michael Terranova Olivet Defensive Back
Nate Kopydlowski Kalamazoo Linebacker
Brandon Kohrs Thomas More Linebacker
Ben Chlebina Case Western Reserve Linebacker
Kyle Chewning Maryville Linebacker
Neil Murphy Centre Defensive Line
Mike Browning Ohio Wesleyan Defensive Line
Nicholas Stelzer Otterbein Defensive Line
Luke Drake Wooster Defensive Line