NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Frostburg State University football senior kick return specialist
Avery Willie (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) was selected as the Atlantic Central Football Conference (ACFC) Special Teams Player of the Year to highlight 15 Bobcat players named to this year's all-conference teams, Thursday.
Willie, who earned First Team All-ACFC honors as a return specialist as well, led the league in several kick return categories, including returns (40), yards (747) and average (18.7). Willie broke his own school records in both kick returns and return yards in a season and is the career record holder in both categories with 75 returns for 1,363 return yards in just two seasons with the Bobcats. As a punt returner, Willie returned six punts for 76 yards and a touchdown, a 43-yarder in the season opener against Geneva.
On the offensive side of the ball, Willie captured Second Team all-conference honors. He finished third in touchdowns (4), fourth in yards (482) and fifth in both receptions (34) and yards per game (48.2). He caught a season-high eight passes for 96 yards and a touchdown in FSU's win over Apprentice in early November.
Seniors
Ben Crowder (Boydton, Va./Bluestone) and
Mike Iheakanwa (Lantham, Md./Duval) each took home first team honors. Crowder was the anchor for the Bobcat offenisve line this season at center. A three-time All-ACFC selection after earning second team honors as a sophomore and junior, Crowder blocked for an offense that averaged 281.4 yards per game. Iheakanwa earned his second-consecutive all-conference award as a member of the FSU defensive line. He finished sixth in the league in tackles for loss (1.05) and 14th in tackles per game (4.9). On the year, Iheakanwa made 49 total tackles, 10.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks.
Ten Frostburg State players earned second team honors, including five on the defensive side of the ball.
Senior
George Feiser (Hagerstown, Md./Smithsburg) and sophomore
Travis Blair (Upper Marlboro, Md./Oxon Hill) captured two of the four second team spots at linebacker. Feiser finished the season ranked sixth in the league in tackles (6.3) with 63 total stops. He also turned in 6.0 tackles for loss and a sack. Blair paced the conference with 93 tackles and a 10.3 tackle per game average. He also tied the conference lead with 36 assisted stops and tied for the league lead with 57 solo tackles. He added 4.0 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, two forced fumbles and two recoveries to his list of accolades.
The junior defensive back tandem of
Terryl Monroe (Temple Hills, Md./Dematha) and
Ian Turner (Hanover, Md./Meade) earned two of the four second team awards. Monroe, a 2008 First Team All-ACFC selection, was second in the conference in tackles (77) and tackles per game (7.7). He led the league in forced fumbles (3) and was tied for sixth in both interceptions (3) and passes defended (3). Turner made 26 tackles on the season and finished sixth in the ACFC in passes defended (7).
Rounding out the defensive side for the Bobcats was second-team defensive lineman
Ryan Simmons (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright). The sophomore made 16 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks.
On offense, Frostburg State had three players named to the all-conference second team. Junior running back
Anthony King (Germantown, Md./Northwest) was second in the league in rushing (63.6) and rushing yards (636) and was tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (3).
Juniors
Greg Rhoades (Frostburg, Md./Thomas Stone) and
Patrick Fears (Washington D.C./Archbishop Carroll) each captured second team honors, their first all-conference awards of their careers. They started nine games each and helped the Bobcats put up over 2,800 yards in total offense.
On special teams, senior punter
Nick Payne (Frostburg, Md./Nothern Garrett) and freshman kicker
Zachary Beukers (Lusby, Md./Calvert) earn a spot on the second team. Payne, a four-time All-ACFC selection, led the conference in punt yards (1,983) punts (52) and punting average (38.1). Payne finished at or near the top in the ACFC in all four years with FSU. He has totaled 7,468 yards and averaged 38.3 yards per punt throughout his career.
Beukers led the league in field goals made (7) and finished third in both PAT kicking (18-of-24) and scoring (39 pts.). He hit two field goals against Brockport and Apprentice this past season.
Sophomore
Jim Lohr (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) and freshman
Christian Cook (Reisterstown, Md./Calvert Hall) round out the Bobcat All-ACFC selections as both were placed on the honorable mention team. Lohr finished second in the conference in interceptions (5) and fifth in both tackles (70) and passes defended (8). Cook had a breakout season in his first year. He tied for fourth in the ACFC in receptions (34) and tie for fifth in touchdowns (3). He totaled 326 yards, averaging 36.2 yards per game.
Frostburg State finished the 2009 season with a 1-9 overall record and a 1-2 ACFC mark.
2009 All-ACFC Release - pdf