Four Teams Honored With Major GLVC Football Awards

11/19/2015 2:00:00 PM

Jeff Smith, Associate Commissioner

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INDIANAPOLIS – For the second straight season, representatives from four Great Lakes Valley Conference teams have earned major postseason awards, it was announced by the league office Thursday.  McKendree University senior quarterback Isaac Fisher was voted by the coaches as GLVC Offensive Player of the Year, Saint Joseph’s College senior linebacker Joel Wimbley was picked as GLVC Defensive Player of the Year, University of Indianapolis senior wide receiver/punt returner Reece Horn and head coach Bob Bartolomeo were selected as GLVC Special Teams Player and Coach of the Year, respectively, while Southwest Baptist University quarterback T.J. Edwards was tabbed GLVC Freshman of the Year.  In addition, 71 standouts earned All-Conference accolades while another 37 were named Honorable Mention.

After McKendree earned its first-ever major award last season with Lucky Baar being named GLVC Defensive Player of the Year, the Bearcats boast the league’s top offensive standout in Fisher, who was first in the GLVC in total offense (359.6 yards per game), second in passing (279.2), and third in rushing (80.4).  His 3,595 total yards are a new single-season record at McKendree, while his passing yards (2,792), passing touchdowns (21) and completion percentage (.668) marks are the best in program history.  The three-time GLVC Offensive Player of the Week honoree finished the season 243-of-364 passing for 2,792 yards with 21 TDs.  Fisher ends his career as the first player in McKendree history with more than 10,000 yards in total offense.  The Washington, Illinois native set every career passing record, including yards (8,508) and touchdowns (64), and finished with the most rushing yards for a quarterback in school history (1,749). The Fisher-led offense led the league in total yards (486.4), rushing (199.2) and scoring (38.8), and was second in passing (287.2).  The four-year starter at QB helped the Bearcats to a second-place finish in the GLVC at 6-2, including an 8-2 record overall.  In addition to his top conference accolade, Fisher was named first-team All-GLVC quarterback after earning honorable mention distinction the past two seasons.
 
Wimbley becomes the first major award winner for Saint Joseph’s since the GLVC began sponsoring the sport in 2012.  The Coral Springs, Florida native led the league with 20.0 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, was second with 112 tackles (11.2 per game), and tied for ninth with 5.5 sacks on the season.  He helped guide the Pumas to a 4-6 record overall and a 3-5 mark in conference play, good for a tie for sixth.  Wimbley reached double figures in tackles in seven of his 10 games, with his fewest total of the season being seven stops.  Among his highlights this season, he had 16 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles against Missouri S&T, 13 stops and 3.0 tackles for loss versus Southwest Baptist, and 12 tackles, including 3.0 for loss and 2.0 sacks, and three quarterback hurries against Truman State.  Wimbley was one of six unanimous first-team ALL-GLVC selections this season and is the first four-time first-team All-Conference honoree in league history.  In terms of school history, he will leave Saint Joseph’s as the program’s career leader in tackles for loss (62.5) and sacks (22.0) and is fourth all-time in tackles (387).

Horn continues the UIndy streak of GLVC Special Teams Player of the Year honorees as the Greyhounds are now a perfect 4-for-4.  Former placekicker Scott Miller was the coaches’ pick in 2012 and 2014, while like Horn, offensive standout Klay Fiechter was picked for his role as a return specialist in 2013.  The Indianapolis, Indiana native returned 12 punts this season for 316 yards and two touchdowns with his longest coming on a 92-yarder against Lincoln.  In that game, he set the GLVC single-game record with 149 punt return yards.  He was twice named GLVC Special Teams Player of the Week this season, and was impressive at his wide receiver role as well.  He recorded 97 receptions (8.8 rpg) for 1,324 yards (120.4 rypg) this season to lead the league in both categories.  His 241 receiving yards against Saginaw Valley State set a new GLVC single-game record.  Already UIndy's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, the 2014 GLVC Offensive Player of the Year and 2015 unanimous first-team All-GLVC wideout needs just three catches and 12 yards in the postseason to break former-teammate Mar'Quone Edmonds' single-season UIndy benchmarks. He is currently the active leader in all of Division II in career receiving yards at 3,490 yards..

Edwards stepped in as Southwest Baptist’s fresh face under center this season and delivered with 2,781 total yards (278.1 per game), which ranked third in the conference.  He was 146-for-267 passing for 2,304 yards to go along with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions.  He also covered 477 yards and posted eight touchdowns on the ground to help the Bearcats to a 3-5 record in conference play and a 4-6 mark overall.  The Garland, Texas native is the first SBU standout to earn a major postseason honor from the league.

Bartolomeo guided his Greyhounds to a 10-1 record and an 8-0 mark in conference play to earn their fourth straight GLVC Championship and third NCAA Division II playoff berth in four years.  The Hounds are now 30-1 (.968) in GLVC games since the league’s first season in 2012.  Under the direction of Bartolomeo, who also earned GLVC Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013, UIndy boasted 16 All-Conference honorees this season, including nine first-teamers highlighted by unanimous picks Horn and senior defensive lineman Lee Campbell.

A full slate of 35 student-athletes was selected to the first-team All-Conference squad.  A total of 36 honorees were named to the second team to include a tie at punter, while 37 selections garnered honorable mention accolades.  The standard GLVC All-Conference squad is comprised of a quarterback, three running backs, four wide receivers, one tight end, six offensive linemen, one offensive utility, one defensive utility, five defensive linemen, five linebackers, five defensive backs, a kicker, punter, and one return specialist.

In addition to Horn, Campbell and Wimbley, three other first-team selections were picked unanimously.  McKendree junior linebacker A.J. Wentland and Southwest Baptist running back Bubba Jenkins and defensive back Antion McBee earned across-the-board recognition from the league’s nine head coaches.
UIndy led all teams with nine first-team honorees, followed by McKendree with six, Quincy with five and Missouri S&T and Saint Joseph’s with four each.  Each of the nine GLVC programs had at least one representative on the All-GLVC First Team.

A complete list of the 2015 GLVC All-Conference honorees follows:

2015 GLVC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Isaac Fisher, Sr., QB, McKendree
2015 GLVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Joel Wimbley, Sr., LB, Saint Joseph’s
2015 GLVC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Reece Horn, Sr., PR/KR, Indianapolis
2015 GLVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: TJ Edwards, Fr., QB, Southwest Baptist
2015 GLVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Bob Bartolomeo, Indianapolis
 

FIRST TEAM Jordan Bedan, Jr., OL, Indianapolis Derrick Bryant, Jr., LB, Indianapolis LEE CAMPBELL, Sr., DL, Indianapolis Rob Dury, Jr., LB, Indianapolis REECE HORN, Sr., WR, Indianapolis Hayden Janney, Jr., OL, Indianapolis Tommy Taylor, Jr., DL, Indianapolis Andrew Walker, So., RB, Indianapolis Aeneas White, So., S, Indianapolis Robert Daniels, Sr., DB, Lincoln Lucky Baar, Jr., DL, McKendree Isaac Fisher, Sr., QB, McKendree Cameron James, Sr., WR, McKendree Brett Pearman, Sr., DL, McKendree Derrik Starrett, Sr., OL, McKendree AJ WENTLAND, Jr., LB, McKendree Rob Cidlik, Jr., LB, Missouri S&T Braxton Graham, R-Fr., PR/KR, Missouri S&T Josip Juric, Sr., DL, Missouri S&T Nick Wunderli, So., OL, Missouri S&T Jared Carlton, So., OL, Quincy Greg Eilerman, Sr., O-UT, Quincy Chris Harris, R-So., RB, Quincy Eric Poindexter, Jr., WR, Quincy Owen Schoenenberger, R-So., TE, Quincy Marcin Gawlak, R-Jr., P, Saint Joseph’s Cedric Turner, Jr., C, Saint Joseph’s Chad Veccharella, Jr., D-UT, Saint Joseph’s JOEL WIMBLEY, Sr., LB, Saint Joseph’s ANTION MCBEE, Sr., DB, Southwest Baptist BUBBA JENKINS, So., RB, Southwest Baptist Ethan Decker, Sr., OL, Truman State Austin Zoda, Jr., DB, Truman State Anthony Mullin, Jr., WR, William Jewell Brandon Womack, R-Jr., J, William Jewell   Unanimous Selection in ALL CAPS

*SECOND TEAM Connor Barthel, Sr., QB, Indianapolis Alex Kimack, So., TE, Indianapolis Korey Rogan, Jr., DB, Indianapolis Brad Schickel, So., PK, Indianapolis Austin Vogt, Sr., OL, Indianapolis Antwon Davis, Fr., WR, Lincoln Paul Dodson, Sr. D-UT, Lincoln Kareem Joyner, Sr., LB, Lincoln Bryson Winfrey, Jr., O-UT, Lincoln Brenden Fred, So., P, McKendree Cameron James, Sr., R, McKendree Clint Ratermann, Jr., OL, McKendree Jabaree Winston, Jr., DB, McKendree Landon Compton, R-Fr., LB, Missouri S&T Spencer Elrod, Jr., WR, Missouri S&T Dalton Major, So., RB, Missouri S&T Jeremi Ross, Jr., C, Missouri S&T Adehkeem Brown, R-So., C, Quincy Austin Pearson, So., OL, Saint Joseph’s Braxton Shelton, R-Sr., RB, Saint Joseph’s Josh Caver, Sr., DL, Southwest Baptist Victor Clavier, Jr., DL, Southwest Baptist Tyler Curts, So., LB, Southwest Baptist Vice Epenesa, Jr., DL, Southwest Baptist Josh Johnson, Sr., OL, Southwest Baptist Austin Molitor, Sr., P, Southwest Baptist Nathan Mourik, Sr., WR, Southwest Baptist Jimmy Schmitler, Sr., OL, Southwest Baptist Jordan Brown, So., DB, Truman State Nick Reichert, Sr., DL, Truman State Joey Schenck, Jr., WR, Truman State Ben Wellman, So., LB, Truman State Tre Mask, So., RB, William Jewell Nick Messer, Sr., LB, William Jewell Aaron Neier, R-Jr., DL, William Jewell Logan Winter, Sr., OL, William Jewell

HONORABLE MENTION Dillon Dallas, So., DL, Indianapolis Jamie Placht, Jr., LB, Indianapolis Paul Dodson, Sr., LB, Lincoln Andrew Drummond, So., RB, Lincoln Darius Hicks, Jr., WR, Lincoln Marvin Holley, Jr., DB, Lincoln Dwayne Larkin, Sr., OL, Lincoln Eric Howard, Sr., DL, Lincoln Treston Pulley, Sr., LB, Lincoln Bryson Winfrey, Jr., WR, Lincoln Marquis Cherry, So., DL, McKendree Sean Dowling, Jr., WR, McKendree Tyler House, Jr., DL, McKendree Steven O’Block, Jr., PK, McKendree Nate Powell, So., DB, McKendree Austin Weltha, So., LB, McKendree Adam Echele, So., OL, Missouri S&T Braxton Graham, R-Fr., WR, Missouri S&T TJ Daniels, R-Fr., LB, Quincy Ray Gieseo, So., OL, Quincy Darian Johnson, Jr., DL, Quincy Nick Lonergan, Sr., QB, Quincy Donavan Vance, Jr., OL, Quincy Addison Dellinger, Jr., TE, Saint Joseph’s Jose Esquivel, Sr., WR, Saint Joseph’s Evan Gill, So., DL, Saint Joseph’s Jamyl Scott, Sr., S, Saint Joseph’s Gavin Voss, Sr., K, Saint Joseph’s Tracey Whitehead, Sr., C, Saint Joseph’s Quinlan Gaines, So., DB, Southwest Baptist Kendrick Payne, So., WR, Southwest Baptist Connor Still, So., O-UT, Southwest Baptist Brian Craft, So., DL, Truman State Derek Hammann, Sr., P/KR, Truman State Nate Egharevba, Sr., TE, William Jewell Brandon Klewer, Sr., OL, William Jewell Justice Taylor, Fr., DB, William Jewell