12 named to ALL-GNAC Football Team

Jeff Cluff, Coordinator of Internal Operations/Media Relations

11/9/2009 2:05:20 PM

SPOKANE, Wash. – Central Washington wide receiver Johnny Spevak and linebacker Buddy Wood have been selected the 2009 Offensive and Defensive Players-of-the-Year,respectively, in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Spevak and Wood led a CWU sweep of all the major categories as linebacker Prince Hall was voted the GNAC Newcomer-of-the-Year, quarterback Ryan Robertson was voted the GNAC Freshman-of-the-Year and Blaine Bennett, who guided the Wildcats to a perfect 11-0 record, was voted the GNAC Coach-of-the-Year.

It is the third Coach-of-the-Year award for Bennett, who earned Columbia Football Association honors in 1997 at Western Oregon as well as GNAC honors last season. In two seasons at CWU, Bennett has guided the Wildcats to a 21-2 record, losing only a regular-season game at the University of Montana and a post-season game at West Texas A&M.

Spevak holds all the major pass receiving records in CWU school history and ranks second all-time in NCAA Division II history in receptions with 310 for 4,299 yards. He is also CWU’s all-time career scoring leader with 320 points. This season Spevak has 66 catches for 893 yards and 11 touchdowns

Wood has 361 career tackles, more than anyone else in GNAC history and is also the conference’s all-time leader in career fumble recoveries with 11. This season he is the conference leader in tackles for loss with 15 ½ and ranks fourth overall in tackles with 87.

Hall, a transfer from the University of Alabama, has 86 tackles and ranks second to Wood in tackles for losses with 14 ½ and has helped anchor a defense that ranks third nationally in scoring defense, fourth in rushing defense and fifth in total defense.

Robertson started the first eight games at quarterback for the Wildcats, throwing for 1,275 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Central Washington, which is the No. 1 seeded team for the Regional IV playoffs earning a first-round bye, dominated the conference all-star selections with 13 first team picks including six on offense and seven on defense. Defensive back Jerome Williams accounted for two of them being named as both a defensive back and punt returner.

Western Oregon placed seven players on the first team (five on offense and two on defense), while Humboldt State had six (four on offense and two on defense) and Dixie State had five (two on offense and three on defense).

A total of 19 of the 31 first-team selections were unanimous, including nine on offense and 10 on defense.

In addition to Spevak, unanimous offensive picks included CWU running back Randall Eldridge; Western Oregon wide receiver Sean Fullerton; offensive linemen Taylor Boggs of Humboldt State, Jose Escobedo of Western Oregon and Tony Quirk and Ryan Stokes, both from Central Washington; CWU kicker Garrett Rolsma, and Western Oregon kick returner Jon Dowd.

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add 2-2-2 GNAC Football all-stars

On defense, Wood, Hall, Williams, Dixie State lineman Nick Rocco; CWU linemen Eugene Germany and Marcus Ford; Dixie linebacker Keauntea Bankhead; defensive backs Caleb Singleton of Western Oregon and Courtney Smith of Central Washington and Dixie punter Mike Langston were unanimous.

Ten players were repeat selections including two – Eldridge and Rocco – who played last season for Western Washington. Other repeaters included Spevak, Boggs, Rolsma, Wood, Singleton, Smith, Williams and HSU defensive back Guy Ricciardulli.

2009 GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

Offensive Player-of-the-Year – Johnny Spevak, Central Washington Defensive Player-of-the-Year – Buddy Wood, Central Washington

Newcomer-of-the-Year – Prince Hall, Central Washington Freshman-of-the-Year – Ryan Robertson, Central Washington

Coach-of-the-Year – Blaine Bennett, Central Washington

Offense

First Team

QB – Judd Thompson (Crystal Lake. IL/Prarie Ridge HS), DSC (6-3, 220, Sr., Crystal Lake, IL)

QB – Josh Riddell, WOU (6-0, 200, Sr., Salem, OR)

RB – *+Randall Eldridge, CWU (5-9, 192, Sr., Lynnwood, WA)

RB – D.J. Jackson, WOU (6-1, 215, Jr., Portland, OR)

WR – *+Johnny Spevak, CWU (6-3, 200, Sr., Edgewood, WA)

WR – *Sean Fullerton, WOU (6-2, 210, Sr., West Linn, OR)

WR – Matt Smith, HSU (6-5, 215, Sr., San Francisco, CA)

TE – Zach Hekker, CWU (6-5, 245, Sr., Bothell, WA)

TE – Matt Devlin, HSU (6-2, 243, Jr., Chugiak, AK)

OL – *+Taylor Boggs, HSU (C, 6-3, 275, Jr., Pasadena, CA)

OL – *Jose Escobedo, WOU (6-5, 305, Sr., Nyssa, OR)

OL – *Tony Quirk, CWU (6-6, 300, Sr., Ellensburg, WA)

OL – *Ryan Stokes, CWU (6-2, 300, Sr., Renton, WA)

OL – Braeden Dillon, DSC (6-1, 275, Jr., Lodi, CA)

K – *+Garrett Rolsma, CWU (6-1, 200, Sr., University Place, WA)

KR – *Jon Dowd, WOU (5-11, 205, Sr., Corvallis, OR)

All-Purpose – Corey Stollmeyer, HSU (6-0, 190, Sr., Morro Bay, CA)

Second Team

QB – Mike Proulx, HSU (5-11, 200, So., Castro Valley, CA)

RB – Bryson Kelly, CWU (6-2, 230, Jr., Mukilteo, WA)

RB – Bobby Thomas, HSU (5-7, 207, Sr., Lancaster, CA)

RB – Tauni Vakapuna, DSC (5-10, 220, So., Salt Lake City, UT)

WR – Justin Ore, WOU (6-3, 200, Jr., Anchorage, AK)

WR – Reggie Westmoreland, CWU (5-8, 174, Sr., Stockton, CA)

WR – Adam Wells, DSC (5-9, 203, Jr., Kenmore, WA)

WR – Skyler Ence, DSC (6-0, 195, Sr., St. George, UT)

OL – Chester Anonson, WOU (6-1, 265, Jr., Monroe, WA)

OL – Jason Slowey, WOU (6-4, 300, So., Medford, OR)

OL – Andy Roof, CWU (6-5, 305, Sr., Spokane, WA)

OL – Kalepo Pene, DSC (6-3, 320, Jr., Stockton, CA)

OL – Riordan Gomez, HSU (6-2, 322, Jr., Petaluma, CA)

K – Kyle Schierholt, HSU (5-10, 200, Sr., Chugiak, AK)

KR – Adam Wells, DSC (5-9, 203, Jr., Kenmore, WA)

Defense

First Team

DL - *+Nick Rocco (Sammamish, WA/Skyline), DSC (6-0, 225, Jr., Sammamish, WA)

DL – *Eugene Germany, CWU (6-3, 276, Jr., Pomona, CA)

DL – *Marcus Ford, CWU (6-2, 245, Sr., Sacramento, CA)

DL – Kalani Zoller, WOU (6-4, 300, Jr., Marysville, WA)

LB – *+Buddy Wood, CWU (6-3, 214, Sr., Chattaroy, WA)

LB – *Prince Hall, CWU (6-0, 264, Sr., Moreno Valley, CA)

LB – *Keauntea Bankhead, DSC (6-1, 255, Jr., Seattle, WA)

LB – Bubba Reynolds, HSU (5-11, 218, Sr., Huntington Beach, CA)

DB – *+Caleb Singleton, WOU (6-4, 205, Jr., Salem, OR)

DB – *+Courtney Smith, CWU (5-11, 195, Sr., Stockton, CA)

DB – *+Jerome Williams, CWU (6-0, 205, Sr., Seattle, WA)

DB – +Guy Ricciardulli, HSU (5-11, 200, Jr., Poway, CA)

P - *Mike Langston (Riverside, CA/Ramona), DSC (6-2, 200, Jr., Riverside, CA)

PR – Jerome Williams, CWU (6-0, 205, Sr., Seattle, WA)

Second Team

DL – Levi Smith, WOU (6-4, 275, So., Hermiston, OR)

DL – Sitani Tupou, WOU (6-3, 295, Jr., Sacramento, CA)

DL – Antonio Hartwell, CWU (6-2, 290, Sr., Las Vegas, NV)

DL – Luke Swangler, HSU (6-1, 276, Sr., Pasa Robles, CA)

DL – Ryan Dyer, CWU (6-0, 230, Sr., University Place, WA)

LB – Gavin Romanick, WOU (6-2, 225, Sr., Madras, OR)

LB – John Breza, WOU (6-1, 235, Sr., Salem, OR)

LB – Nick Cragin (Issaquah, WA/Skyline), DSC (5-11, 205, Jr., Issaquah, WA)

LB – Micah Harward (St George. UT/Dixie), DSC (6-0, 220, Sr., St. George, UT)

LB – Adam Bighill, CWU (5-10, 218, Jr., Montesano, WA)

DB – Andrew Jackson, WOU (6-0, 210, Sr., Portland, OR)

DB – Miguel Gonzalez, WOU (5-9, 185, Sr., Salem, OR)

DB – Wes Beavers (Las Vegas. NV/Cheyenne), DSC (6-1, 210, Sr., Las Vegas, NV)

DB – Richard May, DSC (5-10, 190, Sr., Rockland, ID)

DB – Elzie Gatson, HSU (5-9, 165, Jr., San Diego, CA)

P – Garrett Rolsma, CWU (6-1, 200, Sr., University Place, WA)

PR – Jon Dowd, WOU (5-11, 205, Sr., Corvallis, OR)

PR – Edwin Henry, HSU (5-7, 165, Jr., Stockton, CA)

*Unanimous +Repeater

School Name Goes Here

2009 GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ALL-STARS