SFA Lands Five on Preseason All-SLC Teams
7/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 26, 2006
Lake Charles, La. - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack football team placed five athletes, including three first-team selections, on the 2006 Preseason All-Southland Conference team announced league officials at the SLC Kickoff Celebration Wednesday morning. Quarterback Danny Southall and running back Louie Runnels received first-team recognition on the offensive side of the ball, while senior Keldrick Holman garnered first-team recognition on the defensive side.
Southall enters his junior season as the starting signal caller after spending three seasons behind all-conference quarterbacks Michael Williams and Zeke Dixon. Southall fought his way into the starting lineup midway through the 2005 season before having his year cut short due to injury. In his limited time as the starter, Southall was the league's top-rated passer. He finished the season completing 50-of-85 passes for 704 yards and five touchdowns. Southall also carried the ball 35 times for 136 yards and a score.
Runnels really came on at the end of the year starting the final three games of the season for the Lumberjacks at running back. Runnels finished the season with 168 carries for 779 and seven touchdowns. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and was among the league leaders averaging 70.8 yards per game.
Holman returns as one of the top defensive backs in the country. A 2005 first-team All-American, Holman led the SLC and finished fourth in the country in interceptions as a junior. He also finished second on the team with 82 tackles and 6.5 tackles for a loss on his way to first-team All-SLC honors.
Sophomore wideout Dominique Edison and junior punter Ryan Gooch received second-team honors. Edison had a breakout season in 2005 hauling in 30 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 18.5 yards per catch and was amond the league leaders averaging 50.5 yards per catch. Gooch earned 2005 honorable mention All-SLC honors after finishing his sophomore season averaging 37.2 yards per punt. Gooch recorded a career-best punt of 63 yards and downed 17 punts inside the 20-yard line in 2005.
The Lumberjacks will open the 2006 slate Thursday, Aug. 31 when they travel to Tulsa, Okla., to take on the Golden Hurricane. The game against Tulsa is slated to begin at 6 p.m. from Skelly Stadium.
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