Carson-Newman, Catawba Lead All-SAC Football Team

ROCK HILL, S.C. - South Atlantic Conference football co-champions Carson-Newman College and Catawba College led the way with 13 selections each on the 2007 SAC All-Conference Football Team, which was announced today.

Catawba senior quarterback Brad Roach, who threw for 2,704 yards and 24 touchdowns, was named the Offensive Player of the Year.

Carson-Newman senior linebacker Eric Rice, who was the leading tackler on an Eagle team that led the league in rush defense, was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

Catawba coach Chip Hester, who guided the Indians to the league championship and a berth into the NCAA Division II playoffs, was named Coach of the Year.

Brad Roach

Eric Rice

Nelson Woods

Revel Coffey

Heath Benedict

Jarrell NeSmith

Chip Hester

Wingate University freshman running back Nelson Woods, who rushed for 1,174 yards and 11 touchdowns in his rookie season, was named Offensive Freshman of the Year.

Carson-Newman freshman defensive back Revel Coffey, who had three interceptions and five pass break-ups and 38 tackles, was named Defensive Freshman of the Year.

Newberry College senior offensive lineman Heath Benedict received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the second year in a row.

Tusculum College sophomore tight end Jarrell NeSmith, who has a 4.0 GPA as a pre-medicine major, was named Football Scholar Athlete.

Carson-Newman had a league-high nine players named to the first team.

Catawba had five on the first team, as did Tusculum.

Tusculum and Newberry each played eight on the All-Conference team. Newberry had four on the first team.

Wingate and Mars Hill College each placed six on the All-Conference team. Mars Hill had four on the first team, while Wingate had two.

Lenoir-Rhyne College had four All-Conference selections, including one first-team pick.

NeSmith, a sophomore from Russellville, Ala., ranks third on the Pioneers team with 31 receptions for 325 yards and two touchdowns.

He received the 2006-07 Duffield Award, presented to the Tusculum male student-athlete with the highest GPA and was the 2005-06 Tusculum Academic Freshman of the Year. He is a member of the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll. He is also on the Dean's List, President's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. He was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV team last week.

In the community, NeSmith has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Adopt-a-Highway and Drug Awareness program at Holston Homes for Children in Greeneville, Tenn. He also volunteers with the Lunch Buddies program at Doak Elementary School, which provides mentoring relationships between the Tusculum football players and the school children.

The head coaches in the conference select the All-Conference teams.

A complete list of the 2007 South Atlantic All-Conference Team follows:

2007 All-SAC Football Teams

First Team
Offense
QB - Brad Roach, Catawba AND
Alex Good, Carson-Newman (TIE)
RB - Kory Fisher, Catawba
RB - Alex Haynes, Newberry
RB - George Washington, Mars Hill
WR - Ryan Tallent, Tusculum
WR - Brent Johnson, Catawba
WR - Reggie Hubbard, Carson-Newman
TE - Chris Conklin, Wingate
OL - Heath Benedict, Newberry
OL - Matt Tyrell, Carson-Newman
OL - Ross Shaffer, Carson-Newman
OL - Terence Crosby, Catawba
OL - Bentley Rogers, Mars Hill
RS - Antonio Patton, Newberry
PK - Andrew Coln, Lenoir-Rhyne

First Team
Defense
DL - Kenwin Cummings, Wingate
DL - Adrian Samples, Tusculum
DL - Ron Ellington, Catawba
DL - Darius Wrentz, Carson-Newman
LB - Eric Rice, Carson-Newman
LB - Justin Scott, Tusculum
LB - Brian Brown, Carson-Newman
LB - Nathaniel Smith, Mars Hill
DB - Jeremy Thompson, Tusculum
DB - Rashawn Champion, Mars Hill
DB - Temarcus Thompson, Newberry
DB - Denares Waites, Carson-Newman
P - Chris Jones, Carson-Newman
LS - Robbie Kelly, Tusculum

Second Team
Offense
RB - Buck Wakefield, Carson-Newman
RB - Nelson Woods, Wingate
RB - George Bell, Catawba
WR - David Smith, Newberry
WR - Demario Zachery, Mars Hill
WR - Shawn Barrett, Wingate
TE - Shane Timmons, Catawba
OL - Matt Lawrie, Tusculum
OL - Cam LeGrand, Wingate
OL - Hunter Carnes, Catawba
OL - Greg Jones, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL - Jonathan Dailey, Newberry
RS - Travis Landrum, Catawba
PK - Aubrey Ingham, Carson-Newman

Second Team
Defense
DL -Anthony Toribio, Carson-Newman
DL - Tony Ransom, Newberry
DL - Charles Chavous, Mars Hill
DL - Melquan Fair, Catawba
LB - Jarvis Littlejohn, Tusculum
LB - Charles McAfee, Catawba
LB - Tyler Johnson, Wingate
LB - Joe Brown, Catawba
DB - Derrell Mills, Newberry
DB - Jasmon Carpenter, Catawba
DB - Otis Ballard, Carson-Newman
DB - Barry Tate, Lenoir-Rhyne
P - John Gregory, Tusculum
LS - Jordon Simmons, Lenoir-Rhyne

Offensive Freshman Of The Year: Nelson Woods, Wingate

Defensive Freshman Of The Year: Revel Coffey, Carson-Newman

Offensive Player Of The Year: Brad Roach, Catawba

Defensive Player Of The Year: Eric Rice, Carson-Newman

Coach Of The Year: Chip Hester, Catawba

Jacobs Blocking Trophy Award: Heath Benedict, Newberry

SAC Scholar Athlete: Jarrell NeSmith, Tusculum

Statistical Champions

Individual
Rushing per game - Alex Haynes, Newberry, 113.2
Passing Avg. per game - Corey Russell, Tusculum, 256.1
Total Offense per game - Corey Russell, Tusculum, 285.5
Receptions per game - Ryan Tallent, Tusculum, 5.90
Receiving yards per game - Brent Johnson, Catawba, 74.2
All-Purpose yards per game - Alex Haynes, Newberry, 129.4
Interceptions per game - Rashawn Champion, Mars Hill, 0.40; Marcus Shuford, Lenoir-Rhyne, 0.40; Temarcus Thompson, Newberry, 0.40
Pass Efficiency - Alex Rouse, Carson-Newman, 205.7
Punt Return Avg. - Antonio Patton, Newberry, 12.5
Kick Return Avg. - Travis Landrum, Catawba, 29.7
Punting Avg. - Chris Jones, Carson-Newman, 41.4
Scoring Avg. (TDs) - George Bell, Catawba, 10.0
Scoring Avg. (Kick) - Aubrey Ingham, Carson-Newman, 7.8
Field Goal Pct. - Andrew Coln, Lenoir-Rhyne, 72.2
Tackles per game - Tyler Johnson, Wingate, 8.8
Sacks per game - Kenwin Cummings, Wingate, 0.82; Darius Wrentz, Carson-Newman, 0.82
Tackles for loss per game - Kenwin Cummings, Wingate, 1.64

Team
Scoring offense - Carson-Newman, 48.8
Scoring defense - Newberry, 16.4
Passing offense - Tusculum, 278.4
Passing defense - Newberry, 139.2
Rushing offense - Carson-Newman, 308.3
Rushing defense - Carson-Newman, 93.6
Total offense - Carson-Newman, 491.8
Total defense - Newberry, 281.2