2004 ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE PRESEASON FOOTBALL TEAMS UNVEILED
7/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 28, 2004
PLANO, Texas - With six players named to the first team and 10 to the second unit, Stephen F. Austin State University leads all universities with 16 total players named to the 2004 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football teams. Northwestern State University equaled SFA with six first-team picks and landed nine total among the 53 spots on the two offensive and defensive units.
Defending Southland champion McNeese State University has five first-team selections and a total of seven. Sam Houston State University also has five on the top squad and lands three on the second unit. Texas State University, under first-year head coach David Bailiff, also has seven with three of those being first-team picks.
Nicholls State University placed one on the first team with five on the second. Heading up the list for SFA is returning first-team All-SLC quarterback Michael Williams. A senior from Houston, Texas, Williams (6-0, 196) led the league a year ago in passing efficiency with a 165.7 rating. He threw for 1,106 yards in nine games with 11 touchdown passes and six interceptions while completing 61.9 percent (70-113) of his passes.
Expected to catch many of Williams' passes will be Tony Tompkins, who returns after being named first-team All-SLC last year as a sophomore. He caught 33 passes for 583 yards and two touchdowns last season and finished fourth in the league in all-purpose yards as he had 274 yards rushing, 234 yards on punt returns and 82 on kickoff returns to total 1,173 and a 106.6-yard average.
SFA's other first-team offensive selection is fullback Eric Chapman (5-9, 195).
On defense, linemen Ryan Smith (6-3, 215) and Kenneth Winters (6-3, 275) and linebacker Jeremy Davis (6-2, 240) return after being second-team All-SLC picks last December.
Jamall Johnson of Northwestern State, the reigning newcomer of the year in the Southland Conference and a first-team All-SLC pick last year, tops the Demon list of all-stars. In 2003, Johnson (6-0, 195), a senior from LaPlace, La., led the league with 117 tackles and was first with 19 tackles for lost yardage. He was second in the SLC in quarterback sacks with 6.5 and second in forced fumbles with three.
Demon lineman Quintene Newhouse (6-2, 285), cornerback David Pittman (6-0, 160) and return specialist Toby Zeigler (6-0, 190) join Johnson on the defensive first unit. Running back Derrick Johnese (5-10, 215) and lineman Greg Buckley (6-3, 279) are the two Northwestern State offensive players on the first team.
A year after having 17 players listed first or second team in the preseason, McNeese State's number is cut to seven, but five of those are on the top unit. Offensively, Cody LeBlanc and John Marino are returning first-team selections. LeBlanc (6-3, 300) is a senior from Lumberton, Texas, while Marino returns for his senior season after leading the league with 93 points scored in 2003. He was tops with 16 successful field goals and tied for first with 45 extra points made.
On the defensive side of the ball, John Paul Jones is a returning first-team lineman for the Cowboys. The junior from Carencro, La., has been the team's top tackler among defensive linemen for the past two seasons. He finished with 67 last year, including four for losses and one quarterback sack.
Chris White and Stephen Barrett were voted to the first team by the head coaches. White (5-10, 195) is a senior cornerback for the Cowboys while Barrett (6-1, 195) will be playing his junior year at safety.
Matching McNeese State with five first-team picks is SHSU. The Bearkats are led by Jason Godfrey (6-0, 215) at running back and offensive lineman Steve Izevbizua (6-1, 315). Godfrey was named to the first team a year ago after finishing fourth in the league with 723 rushing yards as a sophomore.
Elevated from second team following 2003 is SHSU's Chris Louvier (6-5, 290), who helps Izevbizua in the Bearkat offensive line. Voted to the first unit this fall from SHSU are Corey Roberts (6-5, 235) at tight end and Paul Donelson (6-0, 210) at safety.
The cupboard is not bare for Bailiff and Texas State as offensive lineman Ken McKoy (6-5, 365), linebacker David Simmons (5-11, 200) and punter Cory Elolf (6-1, 175) return as preseason first-team picks. In addition, the Bobcats return Terrell Harris (5-11, 230), one of four preseason second-teamers for the Bobcats, for his senior season. He finished third in the league in 2003 with 780 yards rushing and was eighth in all-purpose yards with 933.
Wide receiver Vince Butler (6-1, 184) of Nicholls State rounds out the list of 2004 preseason first-team picks. A senior from Tampa, Fla., Butler was a second-teamer in 2003 after catching 24 passes for 576 yards and four touchdowns for a Colonel team which utilizes the triple-option offense.
Nicholls totals six on the two teams with five second-team selections.
--www.southland.org--
2004 All-Southland Conference Football Preseason Teams
First Team Offense POS NAME UNIVERSITY HT. WT. CL. HOMETOWN QB Michael Williams Stephen F. Austin 6-0 196 Sr. Houston, Texas RB Jason Godfrey Sam Houston State 6-0 215 Jr. Tomball, Texas RB Derrick Johnese Northwestern State 5-10 215 Jr. Baton Rouge, La. FB Eric Chapman Stephen F. Austin 5-9 195 Sr. Fort Worth, Texas WR Tony Tompkins Stephen F. Austin 5-8 165 Jr. Port Arthur, Texas WR Vince Butler Nicholls State 6-1 184 Sr. Tampa, Fla. TE Corey Roberts Sam Houston State 6-5 235 Jr. Carthage, Texas OL Steve Izevbizua Sam Houston State 6-1 315 Sr. Houston, Texas OL Cody LeBlanc McNeese State 6-5 300 Sr. Lumberton, Texas OL Greg Buckley Northwestern State 6-3 279 Sr. Lewisville, Texas OL Chris Louvier Sam Houston State 6-5 290 Sr. Dayton, Texas OL Ken McKoy Texas State 6-5 365 Sr. Killeen, Texas PK John Marino McNeese State 5-9 198 Sr. Covington, La.First Team Defense DL John Paul Jones McNeese State 6-3 300 Jr. Carencro, La. DL Quintene Newhouse Northwestern State 6-2 285 Sr. Emery, Texas DL Ryan Smith Stephen F. Austin 6-3 215 Jr. Newton, Texas DL Kenneth Winters Stephen F. Austin 6-3 275 Sr. Raywood, Texas LB Jamall Johnson Northwestern State 6-0 195 Sr. LaPlace, La. LB Jeremy Davis Stephen F. Austin 6-2 240 Sr. The Colony, Texas LB David Simmons Texas State 5-11 200 Jr. Houston, Texas CB David Pittman Northwestern State 6-0 160 Jr. Gramercy, La. CB Chris White McNeese State 5-10 195 Sr. Lake Charles, La. S Stephen Barrett McNeese State 6-1 195 Jr. Carencro, La. S Paul Donelson Sam Houston State 6-0 210 Sr. New Waverly, Texas P Cory Elolf Texas State 6-1 175 Jr. Converse, Texas RS Toby Zeigler Northwestern State 6-0 190 Jr. Monroe, La.
Second Team Offense QB Scott Pendarvis McNeese State 6-3 219 Sr. Walker, La. RB Terrell Harris Texas State 5-11 230 Sr. Kernes, Texas RB Derek Farmer Stephen F. Austin 5-10 205 Sr. Tyler, Texas FB *Colt Colletti Nicholls State 5-9 215 Sr. River Ridge, La. FB *Issa Banna Northwestern State 6-0 240 Sr. Mesquite, Texas WR Chance Dennis Stephen F. Austin 6-3 190 So. Houston, Texas WR Jarrod Fuller Sam Houston State 5-8 170 Sr. Jacksonville, Texas TE Mark Morris Northwestern State 6-4 240 Sr. Winter Haven, Fla. OL Matt Hoelscher Stephen F. Austin 6-3 290 Jr. College Station, Texas OL Tom Keresztury Texas State 6-6 260 Jr. New Braunfels, Texas OL Alfred Nungaray Nicholls State 6-1 310 Sr. Downey, Calif. OL Jess Demarest McNeese State 6-4 295 Sr. Klein, Texas OL Brandon Flannery Stephen F. Austin 6-2 285 So. San Antonio, Texas PK Ryan Rossner Stephen F. Austin 6-3 230 Sr. Metairie, La.
Second Team Defense DL Gary Wesley Northwestern State 6-2 245 Sr. Monroe, La. DL Ed Henson Stephen F. Austin 6-3 280 Sr. San Augustine, Texas DL Jeff Mayhew Sam Houston State 6-4 290 Jr. Nederland, Texas DL Travis Upshaw Texas State 6-1 300 Jr. Burleson, Texas LB Marcus Mikulec Sam Houston State 6-2 243 Jr. Canton, Texas LB Larry McNeal Nicholls State 6-1 240 Jr. Clarksdale, Miss. LB Eric Robinson Stephen F. Austin 6-0 220 Sr. Alto, Texas CB Roderick Palmer Stephen F. Austin 5-10 180 Jr. Dallas, Texas CB Henry Johnson Nicholls State 5-10 180 Jr. Marerro, La. S Epsilon Williams Texas State 5-10 195 So. Dallas, Texas S David Willis Nicholls State 5-11 185 Sr. St. Martinville, La. P Clay Gilbert Stephen F. Austin 5-10 180 Sr. Dallas, Texas RS Tony Tompkins Stephen F. Austin 5-8 165 Jr. Port Arthur, Texas Two second-team fullbacks were named due to a tie in the voting.
