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Tuesday, November 17, 2009 11:04 PM

Ottawa dominates all-KCAC teams, coach, player awards

By Greg Mast/Herald Sports Editor

WICHITA — The Ottawa University football team dominated the all-conference teams in a vote by the coaches.

The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference champions had 19 players selected to the all-KCAC teams, plus earned coach, player and offensive player of the year awards.

Ottawa coach Kent Kessinger earned coach of the year, quarterback Ethan Haller was received offensive and player of the year honors and Andy Otto was a recipient of the “Dr. Ted Kessinger Champions of Character Award.”

• Haller, a senior quarterback from Anaheim, Calif., was a unanimous first-team All-KCAC selection. He leads the NAIA in passing yards per game, averaging 408.7 yards. He is 247-of-400 for 4,087 yards, 38 touchdown passes and is leading the Braves in total offense, averaging 396.8 yards per game.

Haller set eight school offensive records this season, including career passing yards (6,973) and single-season passing yards (4,087). He earned KCAC player of the week honors twice this season.

• Clarence Anderson, a sophomore receiver from Wichita earned first team All-KCAC at receiver and was named second team as a utility player and kick returner.

For the regular season, Anderson had 71 receptions for 1,314 yards and 17 touchdowns. As a kick returner, Anderson had 20 returns for 514 yards for an average of 25.7 yards per return. He leads OU in all-purpose yards per game, averaging 197.3 yards per game.

Anderson set three school records and is tied with Corey Schultz on a fourth. He holds the school record for single-game touchdown receptions (4), single-season touchdown receptions (17) and single-season receptions (71).

He is tied for the single season receiving yards record (1,314) with Schultz. Anderson earned KCAC player of the week honors for his play in OU’s victory over Friends University.

• Schultz, a senior receiver from Quenemo, caught 68 passes for 1,314 yards and eight touchdowns on his way to earning first-team All-KCAC honors. He is averaging a team-leading 146 yards per game as a receiver. He is second on the team in all-purpose yards averaging 155 yards per game and is averaging 6.2 yards per punt return.

He is tied with Anderson in total receiving yards (1,314), a school record. He earned KCAC player of the week twice this season.

• Taylor Burnett, a senior tight end from Lenexa, was a unanimous first team All-KCAC selection. It was his second straight selection to the first team. Burnett was a Sporting News NAIA Preseason All-American. He caught 33 passes for 638 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 19.3 yards per reception and had three straight games at the beginning of the season with 100 yards or more.

• Julian Mendez, a senior offensive lineman from San Diego, Calif., earned first-team All-KCAC honors. He was part of an offensive line that blocked for the top-ranked passing offense in the NAIA (417) and the fourth-ranked offense in passing efficiency (171.6).

• Matt Pennington, a senior offensive lineman from Highland Village, Texas, was a repeat performer on the All-KCAC first team. He helped anchor a line that was first in total passing offense (4,170) and fifth in scoring offense (46.2). He was a four-year starter.

• Ross Diehl, a senior linebacker from Sedalia, Colo., was a unanimous first-team All-KCAC selection. He is a repeat selection to first team. Diehl became just the third OU football player to earn NAIA defensive player of the week for his play in OU’s 23-21 victory over Sterling College.

He earned KCAC player of the week honors twice this season. Diehl was third in the team in tackles with 64 (41 solo and 23 assisted). He had seven sacks, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. He scored a touchdown on his second fumble recovery of the season last week in Ottawa’s 49-42 victory over Friends University.

• Josh Hojje, a junior linebacker from Newport News, Va., earned first-team All-KCAC. He was second on the team in tackles with 67 (38 solo and 29 assisted). He had 6.5 sacks, one pass break up and three forced fumbles. Hojje earned KCAC player of the week one time this season.

• Casey Wieder, a junior kicker from North Richland Hills, Texas, earned his second straight first-team All-KCAC selection. He is 43-of-48 in extra points and five of eight in field goals. Wieder was second on the team in scoring (58 points) and earned KCAC player of the week once this season.

•Otto, a senior running back from Drexel, Mo., was a second-team All-KCAC selection. He has 599 yards on 103 attempts for 5.8 yards per carry. He has six rushing touchdowns. Otto also has 23 receptions for 292 yards and three touchdowns.

• Zach Schultz, a senior receiver from Garden City, was an honorable mention All-KCAC selection. He had 29 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns.

• Daniel Caldera, a senior offensive lineman from San Diego, Calif., was an honorable mention selection.

• Jay Smith, a senior defensive back from Pomona, Calif., earned honorable mention for the first time in his career. He has 28 tackles (16 solo and 12 assisted). Smith had one interception and six pass breakups.

• Earl Moorning, a senior defensive back from Kansas City, Mo., was an honorable mention selection. He has 35 tackles (19 solo and 16 assisted). Moorning had three pass breakups.

• Fielding Brenner, a junior linebacker from Holton, earned honorable mention All-KCAC. He led the Braves in tackles with 77 (36 solo and 38 assisted). Brenner had 1.5 sacks, one interception returned for a touchdown, five pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

• Art Rubio, a senior linebacker from Fillmore, Calif., was an honorable mention All-KCAC selection. He was fourth on the team in tackles with 50 (26 solo, 24 assisted). Rubio had three interceptions and four pass breakups.

• Seth Homolka, a junior defensive lineman from Holyrood, earned honorable mention All-KCAC. The Washburn University transfer had 26 tackles, 7.5 sacks and one interception.

• Jarvis Morehead-Reed, a senior defensive lineman from Grandview, Mo., was an honorable mention All-KCAC selection. He had 44 tackles (19 solo and 25 assisted). He had four sacks, two blocked kicks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. He earned KCAC player of the week once this season for his blocked field goal versus Sterling College.

Ottawa finished the regular season with a 10-0 record for the first time in program history. OU is ranked fifth, its highest ranking since the 1965 season.

The Braves will play a home first-round NAIA playoff for the first time in program history 4 p.m. Saturday when the Braves take on Hastings College, Neb.

Advance tickets are $15 and $10. To purchase tickets, go to www.ottawa.edu/naiaplayoffs

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Ottawa dominates all-KCAC teams, coach, player awards

By Greg Mast/Herald Sports Editor

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article | Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.