| 2004
All-KCAC Football Honors
Ratzlaff
receives more All-American honors
McPherson College junior
Jared Ratzlaff was named this week to Don Hansen's Football Gazette
2004 NAIA All-American team.
Named to the Football Gazette's
third team defense as a linebacker, Ratzlaff led the NAIA in tackles
in 2004 with a total of 174 stops in 10 games. He was credited with
104 solo tackles including 11 tackles for losses and one sack.
Ratzlaff was previously named
to the 2004 NAIA second team defense and NAIAFootball.net's honorable
mention team as well as being a All-KCAC first team pick.
Selected as McPherson College
's “Most Valuable Player” for the 2004 season, Ratzlaff was a second
team All-KCAC pick in 2003 when he was credited with 136 tackles,
seven TFL and two sacks in his first year as a Bulldog. Jared also
had one fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry.
A 2001 graduate of Fredonia
High School , Ratzlaff transferred to McPherson from Coffeyville
Community College where he played one season for the Red Ravens.
*****
Ratzlaff,
Smiley receive NAIA All-American honors
McPherson College juniors
Jared Ratzlaff and Kris Smiley have been named to the NAIA's 2004
football All-American squad.
Ratzlaff was named to the
NAIA's second team defense as a linebacker. Kris Smiley was named
the honorable mention squad as a kick return specialist.
“We are proud of all of these
young men,” said David Cunningham, McPherson College head coach.
“Despite the fact that our season fell short of our expectations,
they still distinguished themselves with their high caliber of play,
week in and week.”
 Jared
Ratzlaff led the NAIA in tackles with a total of 174 stops
in 10 games. He was credited with 104 solo tackles including 11
tackles for losses and one sack. Ratzlaff was previously named to
the All-KCAC first team, and NAIAFootball.net's honorable mention
team.
A second team All-KCAC pick
in 2003, Jared was credited with when he totaled 136 tackles, seven
TFL and two sacks in his first year as a Bulldog when he also recovered
one fumble and had one quarterback hurry.
A 2001 graduate of Fredonia
High School , Ratzlaff transferred to McPherson from Coffeyville
Community College where he played one season.
Jared is the son of Rusty
and Janet Ratzlaff of Fredonia , Kan. He is majoring in physical
education.
“Jared had a great season,”
said Cunningham. “He He was one of the leading tacklers in the nation
and led the conference. He is a smart football player and very athletic.
We are looking forward to him being a leader in our off-season program
and into the 2005 season.”
 Kris
Smiley ranked fourth in the NAIA with 360 yards in kickoff
returns, good for an average of 30.0 yards per return. His returns
were topped by his 93 yard touchdown return against Kansas Wesleyan.
Previously named to the All-KCACA
first team, Kris also rushed for 95 yards on 25 carries as a slotback
and caught 16 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. Smiley rounded
out his all-purpose yards by returning 12 punts for 113 yards.
A 1999 graduate of Humble
High School in Texas , Smiley transferred to McPherson College from
Grambling University .
Kris is the son of Cindy
Roberts of Houston , Tex. , and is majoring in business management.
“Kris had an outstanding
season return kicks,” said Cunningham. “He consistently gave us
great field position to start with of offense. He also had a good
year at slotback and wide receiver.”
*****
Bulldog
gridders named NAIA All-American Scholar-Athletes
Five members of the 2004
McPherson College football team were recently named 2004 Daktronics-NAIA
All-America Scholar-Athletes. Named were defensive lineman Joe
Blas, defensive back Matt Tobias , quarterback
Erik Johnson , running back Nick Griggs
, and running back Rod Boatner .
For Blas, Griggs, Johnson,
and Tobias, this was the second time to be named to the NAIA's academic
honors list for football. Criteria for the honors include an academic
standing of junior or above with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0
scale.
“We are very proud to have
these five young men earn this significant honor,” said David Cunningham,
McPherson College head coach. “They are quality people, students,
and players. That is what we are striving for in our program; to
excel both on the field and in the classroom.”
“These young men are all
seniors and have set a great example that hopefully our younger
players will follow, both on and off the field.”
 Matt
Tobias (SR, Eldora , IA , BCLUW School , History/Secondary
Education), graduated with honors last spring from McPherson College
, but returned this fall to use his final semester of eligibility.
Matt was credited with 27 tackles, 20 of which were unassisted.
He was credited with 1.5 sacks, forced one fumble, broke up one
pass, and had one tackle of lost yardage.
In 2003, Tobias posted 22
tackles during including six unassisted. Always around the ball,
he gathered in one fumble recovery and a pass interception, plus
was credited with one pass play broken up. During the 2002 season,
Tobias notched eight tackles, half of which were unassisted, and
a pass interception plus returned one kickoff for six yards.
 Joe
Blas (JR, Sumer , Wash. , White River HS, Biochemistry)
was listed as a junior athletically, due to an injury redshirt season
in 2002, while a senior academically,. While Blas could return for
another season of intercollegiate play in 2005, he has been accepted
into medical school for the fall class of 2005. Blas was named
to the All-KCAC honorable mention squad in 2003 and 2004.
Blas was credited with 23
tackles, 11 unassisted this past fall after posting 51 tackles,
20 unassisted during the 2003 season. He had four sacks, three quarterback
hurries, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble in 2004. His
junior season, Blas was credited with 4.5 sacks, six tackles for
lost yardage, 10 quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble.
 Erik
Johnson (SR, Caldwell , ID , Idaho State University/Vallivue
HS, Physical Education) saw his 2004 season ended prematurely due
to a series of injuries. Still he passed for 605 yards on 51 completions
and rushed for 139 yards in his limited playing time in seven games.
Johnson completed his Bulldog career with 2,475 yards passing, 548
yards rushing, 19 rushing and 21 passing touchdowns.
Johnson was an All-KCAC selection
following the 2002 season, but missed three games (four games on
the offensive side of the ball) in 2003 with a broken hand. Still,
he finished the 2003 season with 65 completions on 133 passes, good
for 833 yards and with only two interceptions. Instructed not to
take as many hits, following his 2003 injury as he did during his
sophomore year, Erik rushed only 79 times in 2003, but tallied five
touchdowns among those carries. As a sophomore transfer, Johnson
threw for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns as he completed 102 of
208 pass attempts in earning second team All-KCAC honors. Known
as one of the best scrambling quarterbacks in the KCAC, Johnson
also rushed for 373 yards and 13 touchdowns on 122 carries during
his sophomore season.
 Nick
Griggs (SR, Colorado Springs, CO, Harrison HS, Music Education)
became the Bulldogs' featured back and was named to the honorable
mention All-KCAC team in 2004 after playing behind all-conference
running backs his previous three seasons as a Bulldog. Griggs ended
his collegiate career with 1,138 yards rushing.
Griggs rushed for 681 yards
and a team high six touchdowns, and also caught four passes. As
a junior he rushed for 75 yards on only 17 carries and caught one
pass for five yards in addition to returning nine kickoffs for 151
yards. As a sophomore, Griggs rushed 75 times for 294 yards and
one touchdown, plus caught three passes for another 16 yards.
 Rod
Boatner (SR, Henderson , NV , Meadowdale (WA) HS, Business
Management), rushed for 14 yards in limited playing time as a senior.
Boatner missed the 2003 season with a injury after rushing for 29
yards as a sophomore in 2002.
*****
Ratzlaff
named All-American
Jared
Ratzlaff, McPherson College junior linebacker, was recently named
to NAIAFOOTBALL.NET's United States Sports Academcy 2004 All-American
team.
Ratzlaff, a 2001 graduate
of Fredonia High School , was earlier named to the Kansas Collegiate
Athletic Conference All-KCAC first team after leading the NAIA national
rankings in individual tackles with 104 unassisted tackles and a
total of 174 stops in the 10 games. He was credited with 11 tackles
for losses and one sack this past season.
Jared was a 2003 second team
All-KCAC pick following his transfer to McPherson College from Coffeyville
Community College where he red-shirted, then played one season.
In 2003, Ratzlaff was credited with 136 total tackles including
seven for losses and two sacks in addition to recovering on fumble
and one quarterback hurry.
Ratzlaff was also named McPherson
College 's “Most Valuable Player” for 2004 at the Bulldogs' recent
football honors ceremony.
“Jared had an unbelievable
year at linebacker,” said David Cunningham, McPherson College head
coach. “He made play after play, and led the nation in tackles.
He is a smart football player and is very athletic. We are excited
about Jared returning for his fifth year next season.”
“It shows how many great
players there are out there, when an individual can lead the nation
and still only be ranked as honorable mention, but it also reflects
on the overall success of our team this season.”
Jared is the son of Rusty
and Janet Ratzlaff of Fredonia , Kan. , and is majoring in physical
education at McPherson College.
*******
Three
named All-KCAC first team picks
McPherson College senior
Sean Eason and juniors Jared Ratzlaff and Kris Smiley led the McPherson
College 's 2004 All-KCAC (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference)
football picks as they were named the all-conference first team.
Seniors Alan Childress and Lamar Holmes were named to All-KCAC second
team while eleven Bulldogs received honorable mention recognition.
They included on the defensive side of the ball Preston Taylor,
Mitch Maginot, Ricky Gottschalk, Jason Henry, and Joe Blas. Named
to the offensive HM squad were Todd Davis, Louie Schneider, Nick
Griggs, and Troy McBroom. Place kicker Ziya Gunay and punter Jacob
Walden also received HM recognition.
“We are proud of all of these
young men,” said David Cunningham, McPherson College head coach.
“Despite the fact that our season fell short of our expectations,
they still distinguished themselves with their high caliber of play,
week in and week.”
 Sean
Eason , a 2000 graduate of Royal High School, was the KCAC's
first team utility pick after starting the season at slotback, then
moving to quarterback the final 3 ½ games of the season.
Eason rushed for 435 yards and three touchdowns, most coming from
the slotback position, before moving to quarterback and throwing
for 425 yards and one touchdown on 41 of 105 passing during the
final third of the season. Sean also caught seven passes for 85
yards and one touchdown, and returned 11 kickoffs for a average
of 17.5 per return, with a longest of 40 yards.
Sean completed
his career at McPherson College with 922 rushing yards on 206 attempts,
850 yards on 72 pass receptions, 622 yards on 32 kickoff returns
and 634 yards on 53 of 151 passing. He accounted for a total of
17 touchdowns; six rushing, eight receiving, and three passing..
Sean is the son
of Essie Eason of Brookshire , Tex. He is majoring in sociology/psychology.
“Sean moved over from slotback
to quarterback after Erik John was injured,” said Cunningham. “It
was a very difficult and unselfish move on his part. He had a huge
game at slotback against Sterling and was instrumental in our win
at Friends at quarterback. His putting the team ahead of himself
defined the position of utility player.”
Jared
Ratzlaff , a 2001 graduate of Fredonia High School , transferred
to McPherson from Coffeyville Community College where he played
one season. Ratzlaff was a second team All-KCAC pick in 2003. This
season Ratzlaff led the NAIA with an amazing 174 tackles, 104 of
which were solo. These came after his first year at McPherson when
he totaled 136 tackles. Jared was credited with 11 tackles for losses
and one sack this year after posting seven TFL and two sacks in
his first year as a Bulldog when he also recovered one fumble and
had one quarterback hurry. Jared is the son of Rusty and Janet Ratzlaff
of Fredonia , Kan. He is majoring in physical education.
“Jared had an unbelievable
year at linebacker,” said Cunningham. “He made play after play,
and led the nation in tackles. He is a smart football player and
also very athletic. We are excited about Jared coming for his fifth
year next season.”
Kris
Smiley , a 1999 graduate of Humble High School in Texas
, transferred to McPherson College from Grambling University . Smiley
averaged 30.0 yards per kickoff return this season, which ranked
4 th among NAIA kickoff return men, totaling 360 yards on 12 returns.
His returns were topped by his 93 yard touchdown return against
Kansas Wesleyan. He also rushed for 95 yards on 25 carries as a
slotback and caught 16 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. Smiley
rounded out his all-purpose yards by returning 12 punts for 113
yards. Kris is the son of Cindy Roberts of Houston , Tex. , and
is majoring in business management.
“Kris is very deserving of
this honor,” said Cunningham. “He has a great work ethic and has
worked diligently on his return skills. He is an explosive player
who we have been working at getting the ball to more often. He cam
on very strong the last half of the season.”
 Alan
Childress , a 2001 of Chalmette High School in Chalmette
, La. , helped anchor the Bulldogs' offensive front. Childress'
growth as an offensive lineman and value to the Bulldog offense
was recognized by the conference's coaches as he moved up the All-KCAC
charts, being named honorable mention in 2003 before this year's
second team selection. Alan is the son of Conrad and Gloria Childress
of Chalmette , La. Childress is majoring in physical education.
“Alan was a four-year starter
for us at left tackle,” said Cunningham. “He was loyal and dependable,
and always gave us 100% effort in every game. He is a student of
the game and plans to go into teaching and coaching. We plan to
have him on our staff as a student assistant next year.”
 Lamar
Holmes , a 1998 of Tokay High School in Stockton , Calif.
, transferred to McPherson College last year from Central Christian
College in McPherson where he was playing basketball. He stepped
into a starting role this fall at cornerback and totaled 56 tackles,
45 of which were solo, forced two fumbles and recovered one. He
intercepted three passes, including two in the Bulldogs' season
finale. Lamar also was credited with nine passes broken up. In his
first season of collegiate football, Holmes was credited with 28
tackles, four passes broken up, and one fumble recovery. Lamar is
the son of Kathy Walker and Lamar Holmes of Stockton , Calif. He
is majoring in communications.
“Lamar is a young man who
transferred over from Central Christian College where he played
basketball,” said Cunningham. “He proved to be one of our toughest,
most dependable players throughout his two-year career. He developed
into a solid tackler and great cover guy. He also was one of our
best special teams players.”
 Preston
Taylor , a 2003 graduate of Gatesville High School in Gatesville
, Tex. , tied for the team lead with four pass interceptions, including
one which set up the winning touchdown against Friends. He was credited
with 26 tackles, 18 solo, and four passes broken up. Preston also
returned to two kickoffs for 58 yards and one punt of 22 yards.
As a freshman, Taylor picked off two passes, forced one fumble,
and returned a fumble for 31 yards for a touchdown. Preston is the
son of Debrah Taylor of Gatesville , Tex. Taylor is majoring in
chemistry.
“ Preston is a very good
cover corner,” said Cunningham. “He is one of the fastest players
in the conference and processes a great nose for the football. His
interception return against Friends set up the winning score.”
 Mitch
Maginot , a 2003 graduate of James Bowie High School in
Arlington, Tex., tied for the team lead in pass interceptions this
season with four, which he returned for a team high 62 yards. His
longest return of 35 yards ranked second among the Bulldogs' 18
pass interception returns. Credited with 28 tackles from his free
safety position, Mitch also broke up six passes and recovered two
fumbles. He is the son of Robert and Rochelle Maginot of Arlington
, Tex. Mitch is majoring in auto restoration technology.
“Mitch had an outstanding
sophomore year,” said Cunningham. “He did a good job as a safety
for us and also was an important player on our special teams. We
know Mitch was a good player, but he really came on this year, which
was key because Lucus (Lanning) was hurt during the course of the
season.”
 Ricky
Gottschalk , a 2002 graduate of Hall High School in Little
Rock , Ark. , was credited with 32 total tackles, 24 solo, and eight
sacks this season. His average of 0.8 sacks per game tied for 12
th in the NAIA for sacks per game, and resulted in a team high 54
yards in losses. He was also credited with six other tackles for
losses. In addition to four quarterback hurries, he recovered one
fumble. Ricky was an honorable mention All-KCAC selection as a sophomore
in 2003 when he had a total of 45 tackles, eight tackles for losses,
and eight sacks for 71 yards. Ricky is the son of Lee and Liz Gottschalk
of Little Rock , Ark. Ricky is majoring in auto restoration/business.
“Ricky was among the league
leaders in sacks,” said Cunningham. “He missed the Bethel game due
to an ankle sprain, but still was one of defensive leaders. We expect
him to be a cornerstone of our defense in 2005.”
 Jason
Henry , a 2000 graduate of North Shore High School in Houston
, Tex. , transferred to McPherson College from Blinn Junior College
in Texas for the 2003 season. At the conclusion of his first season
at McPherson, Jason was named to the All-KCAC second team. With
opposing offensive running away from him in 2004, Jason still totaled
44 tackles, 26 of which were solo. He ranked second among the Bulldogs
with five sacks resulting in 38 yards in losses, plus three more
tackles for another 15 yards in losses. Henry forced 13 hurried
passes by opposing quarterbacks, broke up one pass, and recovered
a fumble. A year ago, Henry was credited with 69 tackles, including
43 solo stops. He also led McPherson with 10 ½ sacks, had
eight other tackles for losses, forced three fumbles, and recovered
four others. Jason is the son of Charles and Doris Henry of Houston
, Tex. Jason is majoring in sociology.
“Jason was a junior college
transfer from Blinn in Texas ,” said Cunningham. “He did a great
job for us in his two years here. He always has a smile on his face
and has a tremendous attitude. He was a joy to have in our program
and was consistently one of our best defenders.”
Joe
Blas , a 2001 graduate of White River High School in Buckley
, Wash. , was named to the All-KCAC honorable mention list for a
second time this season, after being similarly honored in 2003.
This fall, Joe came away with 23 tackles, 11 solo, from his nose
guard position. He had four quarterback sacks for 27 yards, was
credited with three quarterback hurries, forced and recovered one
fumble. A year ago, Blas had 51 tackles, 4 ½ sacks, six tackles
for losses, and forced one fumble. He is the son of Antonio and
Lynette Blas-Bamba of Sumner , Wash. Joe is majoring in biochemistry.
“Joe is a fourth year junior,”
said Cunningham. “He is an outstanding student and hopes to be a
doctor. We are hoping he will decide to return for his fifth year.
He is a guy we can always count on to do the right thing, both on
and off the field.”
 Todd
Davis , a 2001 graduate of Chalmette High School in Chalmette
La. , is being named to his third All-KCAC squad after being named
second team in 2003 and honorable mention as a sophomore. Part of
the Chalmette trio on the Bulldogs' offensive line, along with All-KCAC
honorees Alan Childress and Louie Schneider, Davis helped pave the
way for the Bulldogs offense. Todd is the son of Robert Davis of
Chalmette, La. , and Paula Davis of Meraux, La. Davis is majoring
in accounting.
“Todd was another four-year
starter for McPherson College ,” said Cunningham. “He suffered a
knee injury late his junior year and underwent off-season surgery.
He bounced back and played well his senior year. We could always
count on Todd to play hard.”
 Louie
Schneider , a 2001 graduate of Chalmette High School in
Chalmette , La. , returned to McPherson College to anchor the offensive
line this fall after spending the previous year closer to home at
Nicholls State . Schneider was a first team All-KCAC performer in
2002 after being named to the all-conference honorable mention squad
as a freshman. Louie is the son of Louis and Linda Schneider of
Arabi , La. Schneider is majoring in business administration.
“Louie returned from Nicholls
State this season,” said Cunningham. “He solidified our center position
and strengthened our offensive line. We are happy we will be back
next season.”
Nick
Griggs , a 2001 graduate of Harrison High School in Colorado
Springs , Colo. , stepped into the starting running back role in
the Bulldogs' second game. He went on to finish the season with
a team high 681 yards rushing and six touchdowns. He was also on
the receiving end of four passes. Nick's career day came when he
ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns against rival Bethany College
. He completed his collegiate career with 1,138 yards rushing on
297 attempts and while not used as a return man this past season,
returned 16 kickoffs for 278 in his career. Nick is the son of Nathaniel
Sanders of Colorado Springs, Colo. Griggs is majoring in music education.
“Nick is the epitome of a
true student-athlete,” said Cunningham. “He played behind some very
good backs throughout his career. When he got his chance he was
ready and had a very good senior season. He is one of the best people
to come through this program in the five years I have been here.”
 Troy
McBroom , a 2001 graduate of Manteca , Calif. , High School,
transferred to McPherson from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton
, Calif. He immediately stepped in and became the Bulldogs' leading
receiver, pulling down 28 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, he was credited with the Bulldogs' only blocked kick
this past season. Troy is the son of Yolanda Cooksey of Manteca
, Calif. McBroom is majoring in physical education.
“ Troy is one of the most
talented receivers in the conference,” said Cunningham. “We were
unable to get the ball to him nearly as often as we wanted. He still
caught 28 passes and scored two touchdowns. He was very unselfish
and did a great job blocking.”
 Ziya
Gunay , a 2001 graduate of Corn Bible Academy in Geary,
Okla. , was the Bulldogs' second leading scorer with 33 points.
He successfully converted 16 of 17 on PAT kicks, and six of nine
field goal attempts. As a junior, Gunay made five of six field goals
and 23 of 30 PAT kicks to rank second in scoring for McPherson with
40 points. In his four years as the Bulldogs' primary placement
kicker, he was successful on 80 of 98 PATs, 15 of 20 field goals,
and scored 126 points. Ziya is the son of Bulent and Ceyda Gunay
of Lyndhurst , NJ . Ziya is majoring in business.
“I am very happy for Ziya,”
said Cunningham. “He has worked hard and improved each year he has
been here. Because we struggled so much offensively this season
he was not able to post big numbers, but he came through for us
when we needed him.”
 Jacob
Walden , a 2003 graduate of Bennett , Colo. , averaged
37.3 yards on 68 punts this season, a mark that ranked third in
the KCAC. His longest punt was 57 yards. His punts were returned
21 times for an average of 6.1 yards per kick. Jacob is the son
of Dale and Marcy of Bennett, Colo. Walden is majoring in biology.
“Jacob had an excellent year
in the punting game,” said Cunningham. “He.His numbers suffered
because he consistently pinned the other team down inside the 10
with his punts. This hurt his overall average but helped the team
win games.”
|
