12 To Be Honored On Senior Day
11/8/2011 9:54:00 AM | Football
Just before the kickoff of Saturday's Southland Conference championship showdown game with Northwestern State, the 12 senior members of the 2011 Bearkat football team will be honored in the traditional "Senior Day" ceremony.
Head football coach Willie Fritz that these 12 players form a special group who deserve a lot of the credit for the Bearkats' success this season.
"We've had tremendous senior leadership this season," Fritz said. "The team has done a great job and staying focused on the mission each week. That focus starts with your leaders and our 12 seniors can be proud of what they've helped accomplish during their Sam Houston State careers."
The 12 seniors who will be recognized before Saturday's game are:
CRAIG ALANIZ
Kicker - Deer Park
A two-year letter winner for the Kats, Craig Alaniz has been successful on 17 of 17 extra point attempts and kicked three field goals including a long of 33 yards. Alaniz is a business. He was an all-district kicker for head coach Chris Massey and also earned all-district honors in soccer at Deer Park High School.
MICHAEL BUSE
Linebacker - Wimberly
A special teams standout for the Bearkats this fall, Michael Buse joined the squad as a transfer from Henderson State where he earned All-Gulf South Conference honors. Buse was an all-Central Texas and all-district performer at Wimberly High School.
BRANDON CLOSNER
Wide receiver / return specialist - Arlington
A three-year letterman, Brandon Closner ranks among the top three in both career punt and kickoff returns at Sam Houston. During his senior season he has returned 21 punts for 158 yards and 11 kickoffs for 226 yards. The Arlington product earned second team All-Southland honors as a junior and also is an academic all-league selection.
CHRIS CROCKETT
Offensive guard - Converse
A three-year starter, Chris Crockett has been part of the Bearkat offensive line that has blocked for the top rushing offense in the Southland Conference this season. He has started 23 games as a Bearkat guard. He was a two-time all-district offensive lineman at Converse Judson, playing on a state finalist squad.
KASH DAVID
Linebacker - Georgetown
A two-year starter as a linebacker, Kash David ranks second among the Bearkat linebackers in tackles this year with 39 including eight for losses. The Bearkat defense leads the nation in stopping the rush. David was all-district and team defensive "Most Valuable Player" at Georgetown High School.
EDDIE DECAMBRE
Defensive end - Austin
A four-year letterman, Eddie DeCambre has been a starter the past two years at defensive end for the Bearkats. This year he has totaled 27 tackles including five for losses and two quarterback sacks. He was a two-time all-district selection and All-Central Texas at Austin High School in Austin.
WILL HENRY
Linebacker - Waco
A four-year letter winner,Will Henry is a three-year starter at linebacker who earned All-Southland Conference honors as a sophomore and junior. He has totaled more than 200 career tackles with 39 this season including six for losses . He was an all-state and all-region defensive player at Waco LaVega High School.
GRANT MERRITT
Wide receiver - SugarLand
An excellent down field blocker as well as a talented receiver, Merritt has started 10 games the past two seasons. He scored the Bearkats' first touchdown in the season-opening victory against Western Illinois. Merritt came to Sam Houston as a transfer from Blinn College where he played on an 11-1 national junior college championship team. He was an all-district wide receiver at Sugar Land Dulles High School.
E. J. NDUKA
Defensive end - Jackson, NJ
A three-year letter winner as a defensive end for the Bearkats, Nduka has been a main stay for the program after transferring from Jacksonville University. He was an all-area defensive player for Memorial High School in Jackson, New Jersey.
GREG SPROWLS
Quarterback - Claremont, Calif.
Greg Sprowls has played quarterback the past three years for Sam Houston. He led the Kats to victory over UTSA as the starting quarterback. He transferred from Chaffey Community College where he threw for 955 yards and seven TDs in 2008.
RANDY STEWART
Safety / Special teams - Magnolia
Winner of the 2010 Dt. Tommy Davis Endowment Scholarship and an Academic All-Southland Conference selection, Stewart is a four-year letter winner as a safety and special teams player. He was an all-district defensive back at Magnolia High School.
TRAVIS WATSON
Center - Norman, Okla.
An all-conference offensive lineman and Southland all-academic honoree, Watson is a finalist for National Football Foundation academic honors this season. He has anchored an offensive line that has led the way for the nation's top rushing offense. Watson was an All-State performer as a tackle and guard at Norman North High School in Oklahoma.
Tickets for the Northwestern State game on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Sam Houston State athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium.
The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone number for the ticket office is (936) 294-1729.
POST-GAME AUTOGRAPHS
A special feature of Saturday's game will be a postgame autograph session with the players for Bearkat season ticket holders, members of the Junior Bearkat Club and other fans.
PIZZA HUT TICKET OFFER
Pizza Hut in Huntsville offers Bearkat fans a great way to earn tickets to Sam Houston State's Southland Conference showdown with the Northwestern State Demons on Saturday, Nov. 12. Starting this week, any customer can call into the two Pizza Hut locations in Huntsville and received two tickets to the Nov. 12 game by ordering a large pizza for takeout or delivery. Customers must mention the Bearkat ticket offer during their order to receive the tickets. Huntsville area Pizza Hut locations are 3010 Highway 30 and 4030 Sam Houston Avenue. Telephone numbers for the locations are (936) 294-9191 and (936) 295-5586. The ticket offer is good through Nov. 11 or whenever the ticket supply runs out.
TEXAS FARM BUREAU BENEFIT
Texas Farm Bureau members will receive a complimentary general admission ticket just by showing a membership card or a recent billing statement at Saturday's game. The offer is a special benefit arranged by Texas Farm Bureau for its membership. The offer is only good for one ticket per member. Proof of membership will be requested at the time of ticket pick up.
HILLCREST HEROES DISCOUNT
Military, community service (fire department, emergency service and police) and Texas Department of Criminal Justice personnel will be able to purchase $15 tickets to any of the six Bearkat home football games this season for just $10 under the new "Hillcrest Heroes" discount. To receive the discount, personnel can present their military, TDCJ or community service identification at the box office. The discount applies to both current and retired personnel. The discount also will be available for home volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball events at Sam Houston State University.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE & INCOMING TRANSFERS DISCOUNT
Students enrolled at Blinn Junior College and Lone Star College can received admission to Saturday's game by presenting their student ID at the main ticket office on the west side of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium Saturday. Also, incoming transfer students may receive admission to the game through the SHSU Admissions office.
CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY TAILGATE
With kickoff pushed back an hour to 3:05 p.m. Saturday, tailgate fun at Bearkat Alley will begin at 1 p.m. in the Bowers Stadium parking lot north of the scoreboard. The fun begins with the traditional "March to Bowers" by the Bearkat Marching Band.
