SALEM, Va. -- Emory & Henry running back Caleb Jennings and Hampden-Sydney defensive lineman Will Riggenbach headlined the 2009 All-ODAC Football Awards as they were tabbed the league’s offensive and defensive players of the year.
Meanwhile, 11 E&H players were named to the All-ODAC team, including five on the First Team, four on the Second Team, and two Honorable Mentions..
Hamdpden-Sydney mentor Marty Favret was named the ODAC Coach of the Year while Guilford offensive lineman Daniel Biggerstaff was selected as the conference’s top rookie. The ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award went to a pair of student-athletes. H-SC linebacker Josh Miller and Washington and Lee offensive lineman Greg Kurkis share the honor.
Jennings, a junior, crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season as he led the ODAC with 1,371 yards. He also posted a league-best 14 rushing touchdowns and 1,919 all-purpose yards. He ran for an ODAC season-high and personal career-high 239 yards in the season finale against Guilford, marking one of two games in which an ODAC runner surpassed 200 yards rushing this season.
Jennings owns three of the top five best rushing yardage days this year, having crossed the 100-yard plateau seven times (tied for tops in the league). For his career, Jennings has run for 2,606 yards on 454 carries with 23 touchdowns via the ground.
Riggenbach, a junior, made his living in the opposing offensive backfield this season. He racked up an ODAC-best 14.5 sacks as part of 18.5 tackles for a loss, a mark that stands second in the conference. He had two or more TFLs in five of 11 games played, recording at least one sack in all but three games. Riggenbach had a season-high four sacks at Gettysburg in the Tigers’ second game of the season, setting the Bullets offense back 26 yards.
Favret led Hampden-Sydney to their first trip to the NCAA postseason since the 2006 campaign. The Tigers’ 10-0 regular season record marked the first undefeated schedule under Favret and the program’s second unblemished record overall (10-0 in 1971).
Biggerstaff helped transform the Quakers’ offense from a pass-heavy attack into more of a balanced unit. Guilford ran for 1,452 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2009, a difference of a little more than 20 yards per game than in 2008. Miller and Kurkis were both named to the 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 3 First Team, making them eligible for Academic All-America consideration.
Miller, a senior linebacker, boasts a 3.85 grade point average while majoring in history and religion. Miller finished second on the team with 83 total tackles and 17 tackles for a loss this season. He also had seven sacks. He adds this award to an All-ODAC First Team honor this season.
Kurkis, a junior offensive lineman, is a former ODAC Rookie of the Year. He maintains a 4.083 grade point average while majoring in biochemistry. His work on the offensive line helped the Generals average 201.4 rushing yards per game this season. Kurkis was named to the All-ODAC Second Team. Listed below are the 2009 All-ODAC Football Teams. For more information, visit any of the participating schools’ websites or go to the ODAC’s home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.
2009 All-ODAC Football Teams
ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM:
Offense: Corey Sedlar, QB, Hampden-Sydney; Caleb Jennings, RB, Emory & Henry; Thomas Tate, RB, Bridgewater; Sean Cavanagh, WR, Hampden-Sydney; Earl Peoples, WR, Randolph-Macon; Corey Shepherd, TE, Emory & Henry; Steve Mathews, APB, Randolph-Macon; Rich Brennan, OL, Catholic; Charlie Craigle, OL, Washington and Lee; James Hairston, OL, Emory & Henry; Ben Rogers, OL, Hampden-Sydney; Louis Sanchez, OL, Bridgewater; Josh Storm, PK, Randolph-Macon.
Defense Gamal Alwan, DL, Randolph-Macon; Markus Brunson, DL, Guilford; Matt Cassilly, DL, Washington and Lee; Will Riggenbach, DL, Hampden-Sydney; Jeremy Bowry, LB, Randolph-Macon; Josh Miller, LB, Hampden-Sydney; Andrew Sellers, LB, Hampden-Sydney; Ed Smith, LB, Emory & Henry; Darius Burrus, DB, Bridgewater; Aubry Dicks, DB, Bridgewater; Bill Doody, DB, Hampden-Sydney; Donavon Sawyer, DB, Washington and Lee; T.J. Frazier, P, Emory & Henry;
ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM
Offense: Austin Faulkner, QB, Randolph-Macon; Jonathan Clemo, RB, Washington and Lee; Thaddeus Scruggs, RB, Randolph-Macon; Tyler Beiler, WR, Bridgewater; Justin Parker, WR, Guilford; Andrew Bruckner, TE, Hampden-Sydney; Cain Ringstaff, APB, Emory & Henry; Morgan Cross, OL, Randolph-Macon; Ryan Elliot, OL, Emory & Henry; Greg Kurkis, OL, Washington and Lee; Chris McNicholas, OL, Catholic; Layne Sheppard, OL, Bridgewater; Brad Scott, PK, Guilford.
Defense: Andrew Giordani, DL, Emory & Henry; Jaryd Grimsley, DL, Randolph-Macon; Austin Icaza, DL, Bridgewater; Jason Jones, DL, Bridgewater; Trevor Ikwild, LB, Hampden-Sydney; Rob Look, LB, Washington and Lee; Richie Paul, LB, Guilford; Christian Stahl, LB, Randolph-Macon; Tyler Brown, DB, Emory & Henry; Kenneth Hyman III, DB, Guilford; Jemehl Williams, DB, Randolph-Macon; Boaz Young-el, DB, Hampden-Sydney; Tim Newman, P, Bridgewater.
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-ODAC
Patrick Smoot, WR, Bridgewater; Tony Konate, DB, Bridgewater; Jim Geringer, OL, Catholic; Joe Mayer, LB, Catholic; Eric Tilson, OL, Emory & Henry; Josh Yates, DL, Emory & Henry; Billy Watkins, QB, Guilford; Jordan Nelson, DB, Guilford; E.K. Smock, APB, Hampden-Sydney; Thomas Hovis, DB, Hampden-Sydney; Dan Crouch, HB, Randolph-Macon; Joe Pricone, DL, Randolph-Macon; Daniel Kohl, TE ,Washington and Lee; Jeff Boateng, DL, Washington and Lee.