Two Bearkats named to preseason watch list
7/19/2011 8:39:00 AM | Football, Athletics
The list identifies 30 outstanding student-athletes at each position whose accomplishments during the 2010 campaign highlight them as candidates for regional and national post-season honors during the coming NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision schedule.
Flanders, a 5-9 208-pound running back from Midwest City, Okla., was the Southland Conference "Freshman of the Year" in 2010. He was the leading rusher in the Southland , rushing for 948 yards and 13 touchdowns on 172 attempts in 10 games and ranked No. 2 in the league in scoring (78 points) and No. 9 in total offense.
Flanders set Sam Houston school records for most rushing yards in a season by a freshman and most 100-yard rushing performances in one year. He posted six consecutive games with 100 yards rushing or more, also an SHSU first.
Closner, a 5-10 170-pound senior from Arlington, earned second team All-Southland Conference honors in 2010 as a punt and kick return specialist.
As a junior, he returned 33 punts for 380 yards and one touchdown and totaled 981 yards on 38 kick returns with a long of 64 yards. He ranked No. 2 in the Southland Conference in punt returns (11.5 average) and No. 3 in both kickoff returns (25.8) and all-purpose yards (126.5). His NCAA Division I FCS national rankings included No. 20 in punt returns, No. 25 in kickoff returns and No. 35 in all-purpose yards.
The Sam Houston football team will report for 2011 preseason camp on Wednesday, August 3. The Bearkats will play six home games at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium this fall. The Kats open the season on Thursday Sept. 1 at home with a 6 p.m. contest versus the Western Illinois Leathernecks.
Season tickets for Sam Houston State football are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Bearkat athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium.
Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
