11-19-08

Click Here to View the Complete All-Conference Teams

ANNVILLE, Pa. – In his first year at the helm of the Lycoming College football program, Mike Clark has been named the Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year. Eight Warrior players were recognized with All-Conference honors when the teams were announced on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Clark, who took over the Lycoming program from legendary coach Frank Girardi, led the Warriors to their first MAC title and first trip to the NCAA Playoffs since 2003. The team posted a 7-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the conference.

Three Warrior players were recognized as first team All-MAC performers.

The lone offensive player on the first team is sophomore wide receiver Ryan Wagaman (Aspers, Pa.). Wagaman leads the team in receptions with 44 catches for 534 yards and four touchdowns. He averages 12.1 yards per catch and 59.3 yards per game.

Senior captain Nick Reese (Shenandoah, Pa.) and junior Ted Geurds (Douglassville, Pa.) were named to the first team defense.

Reese earned the honor at defensive back after finishing the regular season third on the team in total tackles with 55 stops, including 4.5 tackles for a loss. He pulled down a team-high two interceptions while recording five pass breakups. He also forced one fumble and recovered two fumbles this season.

Geurds earned the honor as a defensive lineman. He leads the team in tackles for a loss and sacks, finishing the regular season with 11.5 tackles for a loss (minus 57 yards) and 7.0 sacks (minus 48 yards). He forced two fumbles and recovered one. Geurds is the fourth-leading tackler on the team with 54 total stops.

Four players earned second team honors on the offensive side of the ball, starting with quarterback Colin Dwyer (Dalton, Pa.). Dwyer led the league in passing yardage this season, completing a career-high 153-of-283 passes for 1,845 yards and 12 touchdowns. The junior signal caller set a school record against Wilkes when he hit Brad Shellenberger (Lock Haven, Pa.) on a 98-yard touchdown pass, the longest in school history.

Sophomore Josh Kleinfelter (Bellwood, Pa.) earned second team honors at running back. He led the Warriors offense all season and became the first running back since 2002 to gain more than 1,000 yards in a season. He has carried the ball 217 times for 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averages 4.9 yards per carry and 107.4 yards per game. Kleinfelter also has 27 receptions for 312 yards and leads the team in all-purpose yardage, averaging 138.6 yards per game.

Senior Linemen Pat Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Nathan Schrack (Loganton, Pa.) each earned second team honors. Taylor and Schrack anchored a line that allowed the most rushing yards in a season since 2002 and led an offense that produced the highest scoring output in the last six years.

Sophomore Chuck Bellitto (New Holland, Pa.) was the lone representative from Lycoming on the second team defense. He earned the honor at defensive back after finishing the regular season second in tackles with 79 total stops, including a team-high 50 solo. He also has 1.5 tackles for a loss and 0.5 sacks. Bellitto has one interception and five pass breakups on the season.

Kleinfelter and Taylor are both repeat selections this season after each earned second team honors in 2007. The other six Lycoming players are honored with their first All-Conference selections.

Delaware Valley quarterback Mike Isgro was named the Offensive Player of the Year. Brian Cottone of Lebanon Valley was the Defensive Player of the Year and Josan Holmes of Albright was the Rookie of the Year.

The Warriors will look to carry the momentum of a MAC title into the first round of the NCAA Playoffs this weekend. Lycoming earned the No. 5 seed in the East Region and will travel to the No. 4 seed, Hobart, on Saturday, Nov. 22.

The Statesmen won the Liberty League title for the third-straight year, finishing the season at 8-1 overall and 6-1 in league play.

Kickoff for the opening round game is set for 12 p.m. in Geneva, N.Y.