FOOTBALL CLEANS-UP ON UAA AWARDS...
CLEVELAND, OH (November 20, 2007) - The University Athletic Association (UAA) announced its postseason awards for football, and the Case Western Reserve University football team garnered 27 awards, including Co-Rookie of the Year, Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Coaching Staff of the Year.
“Although they are individual awards, I think it shows the respect that our program has earned over this year,” Head Coach Greg Debeljak said. “These types of awards could not be won unless the team is successful.”
For the second time in four years (2004 was the other), Greg Debeljak and his coaching staff (assistants Marcus Macalla, Dereck Slesh, Tom Kaufman, Mickey Iliano, Jim Michals, Ben Taylor, James Rosenbury, Mike Jones, Ryan Jones and Dave DiCarlo) won the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year award after guiding the Spartans to their first ever UAA Championship, their first national ranking, the most wins in school history (10-0) and their first-ever trip to the NCAA postseason.
“I'm glad that it is not “Coach of Year” because that would be misleading,” Debeljak explained. “It is a group effort and off course we would not of received this award without having great players.”
The Spartans also won the UAA Rookie of the Year Award and the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second straight year, as freshman wide receiver Shaun Nicely (Willoughby, OH) and senior linebacker Tom Brew (Mentor, OH -pictured on page one ) took home honors after their successful seasons for the Spartans. Brew was Co-Defensive Player of the Year and sophomore defensive back Bobby Bott (Grafton, OH) Rookie of the Year in 2006. See stats here: Case Western Reserve -- UAA
Sophomore quarterback Dan Whalen (Willoughby, OH) won the UAA Co-Offensive Player of the Year Award along with Carnegie Mellon senior running back Travis Sivek. Whalen finished the regular season with 23 total touchdowns (19 passing, four rushing) and threw for a league-best 2,087 yards in the team's most successful season in school history. Whalen also led the UAA in total offense, averaging 243.3 yards-per-game.
IT'S FREE … Undergraduate Student Government will once again spring for free tickets for any Case student wanting to attend this Saturday's NCAA second round playoff game between Case Western Reserve (11-0) and Wabash College (10-1). Gates open at 10:30 a.m. Kickoff is at noon.
On offense, the Spartans garnered 12 awards:
1st Team All-UAA: Brandon Jeffries (Northfield, OH), Tommy Zagorski (Cleveland, OH), Marcus Kluczynski (Erie, PA), Tim Cowdrick (Mentor, OH), Shaun Nicely, and Dan Whalen.
2nd Team All-UAA: Ryan Breon (Barberton, OH), Chris Center (Cincinnati, OH), Corey Checkan (Georgetown, PA), and Billy Deitman (Mentor, OH).
Honorable Mention All-UAA: Ryan Kolesar (Mentor, OH) and Greg Meyer (Clearwater, FL).
On defense, the Spartans won 11 awards:
1st Team All-UAA: Brian Calderone (Brecksville, OH), Gian Genovesi (Englewood, OH), Tom Brew, and John Tiemeir (Cincinnati, OH).
2nd Team All-UAA: Jake Mey, Jeff Brown, Mike Tuertscher, Luiz Goncalves, and Bobby Bott.
Honorable Mention All-UAA: Ben Chlebina (Uniontown, OH) and Mike Pelyak (Newton Falls, OH).
On special teams, the Spartans garnered four awards:
1st Team All-UAA: Sam Coffey (Middletown, OH)
2nd Team All-UAA: Luiz Goncalves (Franklin, PA) – kickoff and punt return
Honorable Mention All-UAA: Dan Whalen
-end- |
