Two Bearkats Earned All-America Squad
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Torrance Williams is a first team selection and Bookie Sneed a third team honoree for the Sam Houston football team on the Sports Network FCS All-America list, the first major post-season honor squad announced for the 2013 football season.
Williams, a senior from Waco Connally, is the Sport Network’s first team All-America punt return specialist.
Williams led the Southland Conference and ranked No. 2 nationally in punt returns this season.
He broke the Sam Houston single season punt return yardage school record with 29 returns for 464 yards.
He also set a single game school mark with five returns for 138 yards in SHSU’s victory over Lamar.
Williams completed his Bearkat career ranked No. 5 in Sam Houston career punt return yardage with 31 returns for 487 yards.
The senior led Sam Houston with 1,546 all-purpose yards this year.
Sneed, a senior cornerback from Conroe, was a third team All-America defensive back in the Sports Network listing.
He totaled 66 tackles in the secondary for the Bearkats and led the team with 13 pass break-ups. Sneed was a first team All-Southland Conference selection, his third year in a row to earn All-Southland honors.
Sam Houston is one of only three teams in FCS football to earn berths in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs each of the past three seasons.
2013 The Sports Network All-America Team
First Team – Offense
QB – Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois, Sr., 6-3, 222
RB – Terrance West, Towson, Jr., 5-11, 223; Zach Zenner, South Dakota State, Jr., 6-0, 220
FB – Andrew Grothmann, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-1, 232
WR – Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington, Fr., 6-2, 195; Lee Kurfis, Lehigh, Sr., 6-2, 190; Erik Lora, Eastern Illinois, Sr., 5-11, 190
TE – MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois, Jr., 6-3, 260
OL – Dakota Dozier, Furman, Sr., 6-4, 291; Eric Pike, Towson, Sr., 6-5, 298; Collin Seibert, Eastern Illinois, Jr., 6-4, 277; Billy Turner, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-6, 314; Bryan Witzmann, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-7, 305
AP – Fabian Truss, Samford, Sr., 5-9, 185
PK – Tyler Sievertsen, Northern Iowa, Sr., 6-2, 185
KR – Xavier Roberson, Southeastern Louisiana, So., 5-9, 170
First Team – Defense
DE – Brad Daly, Montana State, Sr., 6-1, 240; Terrence Fede, Marist, Sr., 6-5, 270
DT – Sullivan Grosz, Cal Poly, Sr., 6-4, 295; Caraun Reid, Princeton, Sr., 6-2, 305
LB – Stephon Robertson, James Madison, Sr., 5-11, 230; Justin Shade, Samford, Sr., 5-10, 229; Joe Thomas, South Carolina State, Sr., 6-0, 230; Lynden Trail, Norfolk State, Jr., 6-7, 260
CB – Kendall James, Maine, Sr., 6-0, 214; Marcus Williams, North Dakota State, Sr., 5-11, 194
S – Jerome Couplin III, William & Mary, Sr., 6-2, 215; Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State, Jr., 6-0, 214
P – Chad Zinchini, Tennessee Tech, Sr., 6-3, 220
LS – Richard Wright, Liberty, Sr., 6-1, 260
PR – Torrance Williams, Sam Houston State – Sr., 5-8, 170
Second Team – Offense
QB – Vernon Adams, Eastern Washington, So., 6-0, 190
RB – Kyle Harbridge, St. Francis (Pa.), Sr., 5-10, 195; DaMarcus James, Jacksonville State, Jr., 5-10, 220; Lorenzo Taliaferro, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 6-2, 230
FB – Emmanuel Holder, Towson, So., 5-11, 255; Darien Robinson, The Citadel, Sr., 6-0, 220
WR – Sam Ajala, Fordham, Jr., 6-0, 194; Jeremy Butler, UT Martin, Sr., 6-3, 205; Lee Doss, Southern, Sr., 6-2, 180
TE – Justin Perillo, Maine, Sr., 6-4, 240
OL – Arinze Agada, McNeese State, Sr., 6-1, 286; Tristan Bellamy, South Carolina State, Sr., 6-3, 290; Matt Crisaki, William & Mary, Sr., 6-4, 302; A.J. Dalton, Robert Morris, Sr., 6-4, 280; Mason Halter, Fordham, Jr., 6-6, 282
AP – Rob Hollomon, Central Connecticut State, Jr., 5-8, 170
PK – Griffin Thomas, Jacksonville State, Sr., 6-0, 198
KR – Adrian Wilkins, North Carolina Central, So., 5-8, 170
Second Team – Defense
DE – Zach Hodges, Harvard, Jr., 6-3, 235; Shaquille Riddick, Gardner-Webb, Jr., 6-7, 240; Davis Tull, UT-Chattanooga, Jr., 6-3, 240
DT – Zach Kerr, Delaware, Sr., 6-2, 310; Troy Moore, Sacred Heart, Jr., 6-3, 285
LB – Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 5-10, 215; Todd Davis, Sacramento State, Sr., 6-1, 250; Tyler Starr, South Dakota, Sr., 6-4, 235; Jordan Tripp, Montana, Sr., 6-4, 237
CB – T.J. Lee III, Eastern Washington, Sr., 5-9, 190; Jordan Love, Towson, Sr., 6-1, 180
S – Daniel Fitzpatrick, Tennessee State, Jr., 6-2, 210; Jaquiski Tartt, Samford, Jr., 6-1, 218
P – Kyle Loomis, Portland State, Jr., 6-2, 210
LS – Chris Highland, Illinois State, Jr., 6-2, 215
PR – Tavoris Doss, Alcorn State, Sr., 5-8, 165
Third Team – Offense
QB – Michael Nebrich, Fordham, Jr., 6-1, 205
RB – D.J. Adams, Portland State, Sr., 5-10, 210; Keshaudas Spence, Sacred Heart, Jr., 5-10, 230; Marcus Wiltz, McNeese State, Sr., 5-9, 192
FB – Kurt Odom, Campbell, Sr., 6-1, 215
WR – Kenny Cook, Gardner-Webb, Jr., 6-4, 210; Adam Drake, Eastern Illinois, Jr., 6-2, 199; Roman Wilson, Princeton, Sr., 5-11, 190
TE – Jeff LePak, Eastern Illinois, Jr., 6-6, 222
OL – Dorian Byrd, Georgia Southern, Sr., 6-1, 265; Phede Celestin, Marist, Sr., 6-4, 318; Jamey Cheatwood, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 6-5, 330; Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee State, Sr., 6-4, 290; Chris Elkins, Youngstown State, Sr., 6-4, 290; Danny Kistler, Montana, Sr., 6-8, 315; Mitchell Van Dyk, Portland State, Sr., 6-9, 290
AP – Greg Hardin, North Dakota, Sr., 5-11, 177
PK – Colton Cook, Southern Utah, Sr., 5-8, 185
KR – Shawn Johnson, Montana State, Jr., 5-9, 175
Third Team – Defense
DE – Anthony Bass, Tennessee State, Jr., 6-2, 230; Jesse Dickson, Lamar, Sr., 6-3, 265; Colton Underwood, Illinois State, Sr., 6-4, 255
DT – Robert Simpson, Mississippi Valley State, Sr., 6-3, 267; Tracey Smith, Bucknell, Sr., 6-1, 265
LB – Telvion Clark, Towson, Sr., 6-1, 230; Jarkevis Fields, Bethune-Cookman, Sr., 6-0, 230; Stephen Hodge, Jr., 6-0, 202; Cqulin Hubert, Southeastern Louisiana, Sr., 6-1, 250; Christian Kuntz, Duquesne, So., 6-2, 210
DB – Guy Morgan, McNeese State, Sr., 6-0, 188; Winston Wright, South Dakota State, Sr., 5-10, 190 , Colten Heagle, North Dakota State, Jr., 5-11, 202; Bookie Snead, Sam Houston State, Sr., 6-0, 180
P – Bentlee Critcher, Appalachian State, Fr., 6-1, 175; Bobby Wenzig, Alabama State, Sr., 6-2, 180
LS – Phil Faccone, Wagner, Jr., 5-9, 195; Chris Maikranz, Lamar, Sr., 6-6, 255
PR – Antwan Eddie, Robert Morris, Jr., 5-10, 180
Bearkats Fall Short Thanks To Toledo’s Rally
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Despite a strong defensive effort by Sam Houston State, Toledo remained undefeated rallying for a 77-61 victory over the Bearkats in a non-conference men’s basketball game on the Rockets’ home floor Saturday afternoon.
Now 9-0 for the year, Toledo came into the contest ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division I men’s basketball scoring with a team average of 90.5 points per game.
Sam Houston, now 7-4 for the season, limited the Rockets to 28 first half points and held a 36-30 lead two minutes into the second half.
But Toledo got its scoring touch back, going on a 23-7 run over the next nine minutes to build a 10-point lead, 53-43, with 8:22 to play.
The Rockets out-scored Sam Houston 49-31 in the second period.
Paul Baxter and Jabari Peters led Sam Houston with nine points each.
James Thomas scored eight points and Michael Holyfield and Kaheem Ransom each added six points.
Holyfield led the Kats with eight rebounds and Thomas and Ransom pulled down seven boards.
Justin Drummond led Toledo with 18 points.
Sam Houston took an early seven point lead, 19-12 after a three-point basket by Dakarai Henderson with 12:29 to go in the first half.
Toledo battled back to take a 24-23 lead at the 5:41 mark.
Sam Houston went into the locker room with a 30-28 lead at intermission after two free throws by Peters with four seconds left in the period.
Sam Houston breaks for the Chrismas holidays.
The Bearkats’ next action is a home game with LIU-Brooklyn on Saturday, December 28 at 4 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.
Bearkats Finishes First Half Of Season At No.10
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston stands No. 10 in the National Ten Pins Coaches Association December rankings for NCAA Division I women’s bowling.
The newly released rankings reflect play in tournament competition across the nation during the fall semester.
The Bearkat women compiled a record of 44-21 during the fall, competing in five tournaments.
Sam Houston won the Hornet Invitational in Montgomery, Ala. and were the runner-up at the Tulane Classic in the fall schedule’s opening event.
The Bearkats also finished fifth at the Nebraska Big Red Classic and seventh in both the New Jersey Jamboree and the Valparaiso Classics.
Sam Houston posted 15 victories in their 34 matches against teams ranked in the preseason NTCA top 20 including wins over Arkansas State and Central Missouri, the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 3, respectively in the December poll.
“The fall half of the schedule was a learning curve for our talented young roster,” SHSU head coach Brad Hagen said. “We have a lot to build on in the spring.”
Arkansas State garnered the top spot in the rankings with a 31-11 record. Maryland-Eastern Shore, Central Missouri, Fairleigh Dickinson and Stephen F. Austin round out the top five.
Nebraska, Wisconsin-Whitewater, Vanderbilt, Kutztown and Sam Houston are ranked sixth through tenth, respectively.
Since debuting in the NTCA national rankings on December 18, 2010, during the program’s inaugural season, Sam Houston’s women’s bowlers have been ranked among the nation’s top 10 in every poll.
The Bearkats earned berths in the NCAA Elite Eight in both 2011 and 2013.
Twice the Kat bowlers have been ranked as high as No. 5
A Simple Gesture Goes A Long Way
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