Fourteen Eagles Named Preseason All-South Atlantic Conference
July 18, 2008
ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Carson-Newman Eagles led the way with 14 players on the 2008 preseason All-Conference football team, league officials announced Friday at the annual SAC Media Day.
The Eagles had 11 players selected to the first team - including one at every position on both sides of the ball.
Named to the first team offensive unit were quarterback Alex Good (Greensboro, N.C.), running back Buck Wakefield (Drummonds, Tenn.), wide receiver Reggie Hubbard (Chattanooga, Tenn.), tight end Mo Whitten (Bristol, Tenn.) and offensive lineman Ross Shaffer (Hendersonville, N.C.).
Defensive first team selections included linemen Darius Wrentz (Miami, Fla.) and Brandon Harmon (Houston, Tex.), linebacker Brian Brown (Hartwell, Ga.) and defensive backs Otis Ballard (Miami, Fla.) and Denares Waites (Alma, Ga.). Punter Chris Jones (Rome, Ga.) also garnered first team honors.
Carson-Newman players named to the second team were wide receiver Otis Miller (Miami, Fla.), offensive lineman Thomas Battle (Chattanooga, Tenn.), and defensive back Revel Coffey (Oak Ridge, Tenn.).
Good and Wakefield were Carson-Newman's two leading rushers a year ago, gaining 697 and 637 yards, respectively. They rushed for ten touchdowns apiece. Good completed 63-of-113 passes for 1333 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Hubbard recorded a team-high 609 receiving yards on 23 catches in 2007. He also hauled in five touchdowns. Whitten finished with three touchdown passes.
Brown finished third on the team in tackles last year with 34, including four for a loss. Wrentz, a preseason All-American candidate, posted team-highs in sacks (9) and tackles for loss (14.4) Harmon had 4.5 sacks and 12 TFLs.
Ballard and Waites were the top contributors to the Eagles' defensive secondary a year ago, Ballard recorded three interceptions and added four more pass deflections. He finished with 25 total tackles. Waites picked off one pass and 10 breakups.
Jones had 34 punts for a 41.4 yard average, including six punts inside the 20-yard-line.
Miller caught 23 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns.
Coffey, an Oak Ridge High School product, who was named the 2007 SAC Defensive Freshman of the Year, tied Ballard for the team lead in interceptions with three.
2008 SAC Preseason All-Conference Football Team
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Alex Good, Carson-Newman
RB - George Washington, Mars Hill
RB - Buck Wakefield, Carson-Newman
RB - Nelson Woods, Wingate
WR - Ryan Tallent, Tusculum
WR - Reggie Hubbard, Carson-Newman
WR - Shawn Barrett, Wingate
TE - Mo Whitten, Carson-Newman
OL - Ross Shaffer, Carson-Newman
OL - Terence Crosby, Catawba
OL - Cam LeGrand, Wingate
OL - Hunter Carnes, Catawba
OL - Jonathan Dailey, Newberry
RS - Antonio Patton, Newberry
PK - Gareth Rowlands, Tusculum
DEFENSE
DL - Darius Wrentz, Carson-Newman
DL - Melquan Fair, Catawba
DL - Brandon Harmon, Carson-Newman
DL - Chris Dowdell, Mars Hill
LB - Justin Scott, Tusculum
LB - Brian Brown, Carson-Newman
LB - Jarvis Littlejohn, Tusculum
LB - Charles McAfee, Catawba
DB - Jeremy Thompson, Tusculum
DB - Temarcus Thompson, Newberry
DB - Denares Waites, Carson-Newman
DB - Otis Ballard, Carson-Newman
P - Chris Jones, Carson-Newman
LS - Jordon Simmons, Lenoir-Rhyne
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Corey Russell, Tusculum
RB - George Bell, Catawba
RB - John Taylor, Brevard
RB - Chappell Rose, Mars Hill
WR - David Smith, Newberry
WR - Otis Miller, Carson-Newman
WR - Antwan Strong, Catawba
TE - Jarrell NeSmith, Tusculum
OL - Thomas Battle, Carson-Newman
OL - Eric Nelson, Mars Hill
OL - Marchent Faustin, Newberry
OL - Drew Noe, Tusculum
OL - Shelton Nelson, Wingate
RS - Travis Landrum, Catawba
PK - DJ Gill, Catawba
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Marqus Davis, Catawba
DL - Rynel Butler, Tusculum
DL - Brandon Kelley, Tusculum
DL - Julian Todd, Mars Hill
LB - Dewayne Jones, Lenoir-Rhyne
LB - Stan Galbraith, Mars Hill
LB - Will Newell, Newberry
LB - Aaron Plyler, Wingate
DB - Jasmon Carpenter, Catawba
DB - Barry Tate, Lenoir-Rhyne
DB - Derrell Mills, Newberry
DB - Revel Coffey, Carson-Newman
P - John Gregory, Tusculum
LS - Kyle Davis, Wingate
