Kats dominate All-Southland team
11/22/2011 2:30:00 PM | Football
Sam Houston also placed eight players on the first team and seven on the second with three honorable mention selections.
Bearkat wide receiver Richard Sincere was named the league offensive player of the year; safety Darnell Taylor was named the defensive player of the year and head coach Willie Fritz was named the Southland coach of the year.
Flanders, a candidate for the Walter Payton Award, set conference records with 22 touchdowns and 132 points this season. His 20 rushing touchdowns tied former Bearkat Luther Turner, who ran for 20 scores in 1987. The sophomore from Midwest City, Okla., is averaging 103.0 rushing yards per game after running for 100 yards or more six times this season and 13 times in his career. His 1,094 rushing yards this season is a school record by a sophomore and is the fourth-best single-season total in school history.
Flanders became the ninth Bearkat to total more than 2,000 career rushing yards, entering the NCAA Division I playoffs with 2,043 yards in two seasons. He also leads the Bearkats in receiving, totaling 404 yards and two touchdowns on 27 receptions. Flanders, who is averaging 139.7 all-purpose yards per game, is the fourth Bearkat to be named the Southland player of the year, joining Chris Chaloupka (1999), Josh McCown (2001) and Dustin Long (2004).
Sincere, a wide receiver who also lines up behind center in the "Wild Bearkat" formation, finished second on the team, behind Flanders, in rushing with an average of 66.5 yards per game. That is the third best average in the conference this season. He has scored nine touchdowns and totaled 732 yards on 93 carries. He ran for 100 yards or more four times this season.
During conference play, the sophomore from Galveston, Texas, averaged 82.4 yards per game and 9.6 yards per carry. Sincere added two receiving touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 394 yards, averaging 102.4 all-purpose yards per game. He is the third Bearkat to be named the offensive player of the year, joining Chaloupka (1999) and D.D. Terry (2006).
The Flanders-Sincere tandem has helped Sam Houston average 250.09 rushing yards per game, which is the seventh best total in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Bearkats rank second in the FCS in scoring offense, putting up 39.45 points per game.
Taylor captains a Sam Houston defense that paces the nation against the run, limiting opponents to only 59.0 rushing yards per game. It also has the nation's top scoring defense, allowing only 12.64 points per game. Taylor, a junior from Mesquite, Texas, leads the Bearkats with 89 tackles and has six tackles for loss and three sacks.
He also has forced three fumbles and has one interception. The Bearkats have created 34 turnovers this year, including 19 interceptions and 15 fumbles and have turned them into 117 points. Taylor is just the second player in school history to earn defensive player of the year honors, joining Keith Davis (2000).
In just his second year in Huntsville, Fritz has led the Bearkats to a perfect 11-0 regular-season record, a No. 1 ranking in the polls and the top national seed in the NCAA Division I championship, which begins Saturday. Sam Houston, which was 7-0 in conference games, has a first-round bye and will host its first playoff game in the second round against either Stony Brook or Albany.
Among the wins was a victory over New Mexico, a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision's Mountain West Conference. The Bearkats are the only undefeated team in the FCS and join LSU and Houston as the only unbeaten teams in Division I. Sam Houston is riding a 13-game win streak into the playoffs, which is the longest streak in the nation. Fritz is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which honors the national coach of the year. Fritz, who is 17-5 in two seasons at Sam Houston, is the second Bearkat coach to earn coach of the year honors. He joins Ron Randleman, who earned the award in 1991 and 2001.
Sam Houston State led all conference teams with eight first-team all-conference selections and a total of 15 student-athletes on the two all-conference squads. Flanders was a first-team running back, while Sincere earned first-team honors at the halfback/fullback position. Taylor was a first-team selection on the defensive line.
They were joined on the first team Travis Watson and Chris Crockett, who received the most votes among offensive linemen; defensive lineman J.T. Cleveland; linebacker Will Henry; and defensive back Kenneth Jenkins. The Bearkats' seven second-team honorees are quarterback Brian Bell, offensive lineman Kaleb Hopson, defensive linemen Andrew Weaver and Gary Lorance, defensive backs Dax Swanson and Bookie Sneed and punter Matt Foster.
Tickets for the NCAA Division I Football Playoff games at Bowers Stadium may be purchased now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets . The Bearkat athletic ticket office in the Ron Mafrige Fieldhouse at Bowers Stadium is open this week through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The ticket office will be open Monday through Friday Nov. 28 through Dec. 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ticket prices are $25 for reserved chairback seats, $20 for bleacher reserved and $15 for general admission seats. The SHSU athletic ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
2011 All-Southland Conference Football Team
First-Team Offense
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
QB |
Nathan Dick |
Central Arkansas |
6-4 |
222 |
Sr. |
|
RB |
Tim Flanders |
Sam Houston |
5-9 |
210 |
So. |
|
RB |
Andre Anderson |
McNeese St |
5-9 |
195 |
Sr. |
|
HB |
Sam Houston |
5-10 |
180 |
So. |
|
|
WR |
Cordell Roberson |
Stephen F. Austin |
6-3 |
200 |
Jr. |
|
WR |
Simmie Yarborough |
Southeastern La. |
6-1 |
215 |
Sr. |
|
TE |
Justin Aldredge |
Northwestern St |
6-1 |
230 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Sam Houston |
6-3 |
290 |
Sr. |
|
|
OL |
Sam Houston |
6-3 |
285 |
Sr. |
|
|
OL |
Dominique Allen |
Central Arkansas |
6-3 |
288 |
So. |
|
OL |
George Bias |
Stephen F. Austin |
6-3 |
305 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Alec Savoie |
McNeese State |
6-7 |
322 |
Jr. |
|
PK |
John Shaughnessy |
Northwestern St |
5-11 |
181 |
Jr. |
First-Team Defense
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
DL |
J.T. Cleveland |
Sam Houston |
6-0 |
290 |
Jr. |
|
DL |
Desmund Lighten |
McNeese St |
6-0 |
255 |
Sr. |
|
DL |
Jermayne Lett |
Central Arkansas |
6-2 |
249 |
Sr. |
|
DL |
Willie Jefferson |
Stephen F. Austin |
6-6 |
230 |
So. |
|
LB |
Sam Houston |
5-10 |
215 |
Sr. |
|
|
LB |
Seth Allison |
Central Arkansas |
5-11 |
198 |
Jr. |
|
DB |
Sam Houston |
6-0 |
195 |
Jr. |
|
|
DB |
Malcolm Bronson |
McNeese St |
5-11 |
192 |
Jr. |
|
DB |
Bobby Felder |
Nicholls Sta |
6-1 |
200 |
Sr. |
|
DB |
Sam Houston |
5-10 |
195 |
Jr. |
|
|
DB |
Darrell Jenkins |
McNeese St |
5-10 |
205 |
Sr. |
|
P |
Cory Kemps |
Nicholls State |
6-2 |
245 |
Jr. |
|
RS |
Chika Madu |
Nicholls State |
5-8 |
170 |
Sr. |
Second-Team Offense
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
QB |
Sam Houston |
6-2 |
175 |
So. |
|
|
RB |
Jackie Hinton |
Central Arkansas |
5-10 |
203 |
Jr. |
|
RB |
Marcus Washington |
Nicholls State |
6-0 |
210 |
So. |
|
HB |
Gralyn Crawford |
Stephen F. Austin |
5-11 |
175 |
Jr. |
|
WR |
J.J. Hayes |
Lamar |
6-3 |
210 |
Sr. |
|
WR |
Jessie Grandy |
Central Arkansas |
5-11 |
167 |
Jr. |
|
TE |
Nick Scelfo |
Nicholls State |
6-3 |
245 |
Fr. |
|
OL |
Josh Penton |
Southeastern La. |
6-3 |
280 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Sam Houston |
6-6 |
300 |
Jr. |
|
|
OL |
Larry Calcote |
Northwestern St |
6-4 |
284 |
Jr. |
|
OL |
Logan Robique |
Central Arkansas |
6-2 |
281 |
Sr. |
|
OL |
Anthony Oden |
Lamar |
6-8 |
305 |
So. |
|
PK |
Eddie Camara |
Central Arkansas |
5-9 |
172 |
Fr. |
Second-Team Defense
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
|
DL |
Sam Houston |
6-1 |
240 |
Jr. |
|
|
DL |
Ricky Issac |
Northwestern St |
6-4 |
221 |
Sr. |
|
DL |
Sam Houston |
6-0 |
290 |
So. |
|
|
DL |
Malcolm Mattox |
Stephen F. Austin |
6-1 |
255 |
So. |
|
LB |
Derek Rose |
Northwestern State |
5-11 |
229 |
Jr. |
|
LB |
Ryan Epperson |
Stephen F. Austin |
6-0 |
225 |
Jr. |
|
DB |
Sam Houston |
5-11 |
185 |
Jr. |
|
|
DB |
Jamaal White |
Northwestern St |
6-0 |
192 |
Jr. |
|
DB |
Robert Alford |
Southeastern La. |
6-0 |
180 |
Jr. |
|
DB |
Sam Houston |
6-0 |
180 |
So. |
|
|
DB |
Jestin Love |
Central Arkansas |
6-0 |
204 |
So. |
|
P |
Sam Houston |
6-6 |
195 |
Jr. |
|
|
RS |
Gralyn Crawford |
Stephen F. Austin |
5-11 |
175 |
Jr. |
Player of the Year: Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State
Offensive Player of the Year: Richard Sincere, Sam Houston State
Defensive Player of the Year: Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State
Freshman of the Year: Jordan Wells, Southeastern Louisiana
Newcomer of the Year: Willie Jefferson, Stephen F. Austin
Coach of the Year: Willie Fritz, Sam Houston State
Honorable Mention:
Quarterback: Brady Attaway, SFA; Brad Henderson, NWLA. Running Back: D.J. Palmer, NWLA; Jeremy Barnes, SFA; Keith Lawson, SFA. Wide Receiver: Dominque Croom, UCA; Brandon Collins, SLU; Marcus Jackson, LU; Darius Carey, MCN; Torrance Williams, SHSU. Offensive Linemen: John Steel, SFA; Jonathan Landry, MCN; Gaston Gabriel, SLU; Austin Wright, SFA; Zach Case, NWLA, Cameron Epple, LU; Arinze Agada, MCN. Kicker: Jordan Wiggs, SFA; Andrew Dolan, NICH. Defensive Linemen: Edet Udoh, NICH; Pat Williams, MCN; Jacob Fincher, SFA; Lesley Deamer, NWLA; Matt Hornbuckle, UCA; Marcus Malbrough, LU. Linebacker: Frank Newsome, UCA; Darius Taylor, SHSU; Asim Hicks, LU; Devin Ducote, SFA; Darby Jackson, LU; Joe Narcisse, MCN; Jordan Piper, NICH; Lamont Simmons, NWLA; Kash David, SHSU. Defensive Back: Josh Aubrey, SFA; Brashard Booker, NWLA; Jordan Aubrey, SFA; Jeremy Lane, NWLA; Derek Choice, SFA; Ben Wells, SFA; Siegan Vergenal, NICH; Cashas Pollard, Jerrell McKnight, UCA; NWLA; Caleb Nelson, SFA. Punter: Drew Nelson, SFA; Kollin Kahler, LU; Matt McCormick, SLU. Return Specialist: Jordan Wells, SLU; Isaiah Jackson, UCA.
