Friday, July 20, 2007

TEN PIONEERS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-SAC FOOTBALL TEAM

Jamichael Caldwell All-SAC 1st Team	Manuel Dickson All-SAC 1st Team	John Gregory All-SAC 1st Team	Robby Kelly All-SAC 1st Team	Patrick King All-SAC 1st Team	Octavius Love All-SAC 1st Team	Adrian Samples All-SAC 1st Team	Matt Lawrie All-SAC 2nd Team	Tagon Richard All-SAC 2nd Team

SALISBURY, N.C. --- Tusculum College had 10 honorees named to the 2007 Preseason All-South Atlantic Conference Football Team announced officials at the league’s annual media day, held at the Holiday Inn in Salisbury, N.C. The Preseason All-SAC Football Team is selected by a vote of the conference’s sports information directors.

Jamichael Caldwell, Manuel Dickson, John Gregory, Robby Kelly, Patrick King, Octavius Love (defensive back and return specialist) and Adrian Samples were named to the All-SAC First Team, while Matt Lawrie and Tagon Richard garnered Second Team recognition. TC’s eight first team selections were tied for most in the league with defending SAC Champion Newberry College.

Caldwell, a two-time All-SAC selection, is back for his senior campaign after leading the Pioneers in receiving for a second year in a row. The 6-1, 210-pound Chattanooga, Tenn. native enters this season tied for the all-time lead in TC history with 13 career touchdown catches. He is also one of only seven players in school history with over 100 receptions (113) and 1,000 receiving yards (1,690) which are both third in the Tusculum record books. In 2006, he finished fourth in the SAC with 647 yards on 43 receptions, including seven touchdowns.

Dickson, a 6-3, 285-pound offensive lineman from Greeneville, Tenn., was solid in the trenches in nine outings, especially at the center position. He was one of the top 100 junior college players in the country while playing at Georgia Military College, while leading the Milledgeville school to a NJCAA national championship.

Gregory, a 6-2, 210-pound sophomore punter, made quite an impression in his collegiate debut season for Tusculum. He led the league in punting averaging 40.9 yards per kick, which was second in the Southeast Region and 10^th in NCAA Division II. The Ooltewah, Tenn. product garnered All-Conference and All-Region accolades. His 70 punts for 2,866 yards were both second all-time by a Pioneer and his average was the fourth-best in TC history.

Kelly, a 6-2, 230-pound senior, has starred as Tusculum’s long-snapper the last three years, including the previous two earning All-SAC recognition for the Thomaston, Ga. native.

King, a native of Warner Robins, Ga., is back for his final gridiron campaign. The 6-0, 220-pound running back, led the Pioneers in rushing in 2006 as he finished second in the league with 612 yards on 140 carries and earned a spot on the All-SAC First Team.

Love is listed twice on this year’s Preseason All-SAC First Team, both defensively and on special teams. The 5-10, 195-pound Wellford, S.C. product, recorded 23 tackles and a pair of interceptions in 2006 as he earned All-SAC Second Team honors. Love also enters his final collegiate campaign with the best career punt return average in school history (15.3 ypr). In 2005, he led the entire nation averaging 20.2 yards per punt return and was an All-America selection.

Samples (Rome, Ga.), a 6-2, 255-pound defensive end, will anchor the vaulted Tusculum defense in 2007. The two-time All-SAC First Team choice, made 35 tackles in 2006, including a team-best 12 for loss (-28 yards) and five sacks. The TC defense finished second in the country last year allowing just 54.6 rushing yards per game.

Lawrie (Norco, Calif.) saw action in 10 games on the offensive line in 2006, including seven starts. The 6-3, 300-pound senior came to Tusculum after garnering All-Mission Conference honors at Riverside Community College.

Tagon Richard (Laurens, S.C.) rounds out the All-SAC team for the Pioneers. The 6-0, 210-pound junior defensive back finished with 33 tackles in 2006, including nine for loss (-22 yards) and a pair of sacks.

Newberry led the league with a dozen honorees, while Catawba College placed 11 on the All-SAC Team. Tusculum and Carson-Newman College were tied for third with 10 honorees each. Mars Hill College had eight selections, followed by Wingate University (5) and Lenoir-Rhyne College (2).

Tusculum opens the 2007 campaign, Saturday, Aug. 25 when it travels to the University of Charleston (W.Va.) for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Pioneers will report back to campus on Aug. 1 and will host its annual Media Day on Aug. 2 beginning at 1 p.m. at Pioneer Field.

- SAC -

2007 Preseason All-South Atlantic Conference Football Team

First Team
Offense
QB – Brad Roach, Catawba
WR – Brent Johnson, Catawba
WR – Jamichael Caldwell, Tusculum
WR – Gary Tatum, Wingate

RB – Jamelle Cuthbertson, Catawba
RB – Alex Haynes, Newberry
RB – Patrick King, Tusculum
TE – Chris Conklin, Wingate
OL – Greg Jones, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL – Heath Benedict, Newberry
OL – Marchant Faustin, Newberry
OL – Manuel Dickson, Tusculum
OL – Greg Keziah, Wingate
PK – Ryan Lukshis, Newberry
RS – Octavius Love, Tusculum

First Team
Defense
DL – Ron Ellington, Catawba
DL – Jonathan Breaux, Newberry
DL – Adrian Samples, Tusculum
DL – Kenwin Cummings, Wingate
LB – Nathaniel Smith, Mars Hill
LB – Will Newell, Newberry
LB – Eric Rice, Carson-Newman
LB – Mike Grase, Newberry
DB – Octavius Love, Tusculum
DB – Derrell Mills, Newberry
DB – Denares Waites, Carson-Newman
DB – Rashawn Champion, Mars Hill
P – John Gregory, Tusculum
LS – Robby Kelly, Tusculum

Second Team
Offense
QB – Alex Rouse, Carson-Newman
WR – Reggie Hubbard, Carson-Newman
WR – Demario Zachery, Mars Hill
WR – Corey Seawell, Newberry
RB – Buck Wakefield, Carson-Newman
RB – Kory Fisher, Catawba
RB – George Washington, Mars Hill
TE – Shane Timmons, Catawba
OL – Ross Shaffer, Carson-Newman
OL – Jeff Weaver, Carson-Newman
OL – Josh Sims, Mars Hill
OL – Matt Lawrie, Tusculum
OL – Daniel Yow, Catawba
PK –DJ Gill, Catawba
RS – Buck Wakefield, Carson-Newman

Second Team
Defense
DL – Anthony Toribio, Carson-Newman
DL – James House, Catawba
DL – Charles Chavous, Mars Hill
DL –Devin Robinson, Newberry
LB – Brian Brown, Carson-Newman
LB – Joe Brown, Catawba
LB – Stan Galbraith, Mars Hill
LB – Bobby Floyd, Wingate
DB – Thomas Presley, Catawba
DB – Chima Okoro, Lenoir-Rhyne
DB – Temarcus Thompson, Newberry

DB - Tagon Richard, Tusculum
P – Ryan Lukshis, Newberry
LS – Andy McCall, Mars Hill