2009 NSIC All-Conference Football Release
Wayne State College had 13 players named to the 2009 Northern Sun Conference All-Conference Football Team released Monday afternoon by the league office in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wildcats landed five players on the NSIC South Division All-Conference First Team, four players received NSIC South Division Second Team All-Conference honors while four other players were selected NSIC South Division All-Conference honorable mention.
Senior quarterback Silas Fluellen, senior wide receiver Logan Masters and junior wide receiver Frederick Bruno were named First Team NSIC South Division All-Conference Offense, senior linebacker Ryan Reeves was named First Team Defense and senior place kicker Nick Hope was selected First Team Special Teams. Senior center Jake Runyon and junior left tackle Nehemiah Blackburn received Second Team Offense honors while junior linebacker Anthony Hale and sophomore defensive tackle Michael Bazata were selected Second Team Defense. Senior defensive back Ryan Molacek, junior offensive guard Joe Bundy, sophomore defensive back Javal Jones and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Jeff Pokorny were selected NSIC South Division All-Conference honorable mention.
Fluellen, a 6-1, 210 pound senior from Bellevue, Nebraska, was a repeat First Team All-NSIC selection for the Wildcats at quarterback after completing 66 percent of his passes (237 of 359) in conference play for 3,030 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. He led the NSIC total offense (347.5) and passing yards (303.0) per game and finished as the NSIC's all-time leader in career total offense (10,170 yds) and career passing yards with 8,996.
Masters, a 6-3, 185 pound senior from Storm Lake, Iowa, is another repeat First Team All-NSIC selection after hauling in 63 catches for 811 yards and five touchdowns in 10 conference games this season. He ranked second in NSIC games in receptions per game (6.3) and was fourth in receiving yards in league games at 81.1. Masters ended his career ranked second in NSIC career games receptions with 207, trailing only Northern State's Brian Jark, who finished with 210 career catches in NSIC games.
Bruno, a 5-8, 210 pound junior wide receiver from Miami, Florida, led Wayne State in receiving during NSIC play with 74 catches for 1,096 yards and eight scores while also rushing for 368 yards on just 32 carries and six more TD's. Bruno led the NSIC in receptions per game (7.4) and receiving yards per game (109.6) while ranking second in all-purpose yards per game (196.1) and scoring with 14 touchdowns.
Reeves, a 6-3, 245 pound linebacker from Wahoo, Nebraska, led Wayne State and the NSIC in tackles for the second straight season after recording 109 tackles in 10 league games this season. He also had four interceptions and six pass breakups to go with 7.5 tackles for loss and one blocked kick.
Hope, a 6-0, 220 pound senior place kicker from Avoca, Iowa, ranked second in the NSIC in field goals this season, making 11 of 16 kicks this season. He also made 40 of 43 PAT kicks to finish second on the Wildcat squad in scoring with 73 points this season.
Headlining the Second Team Offense selections were a pair of Wildcat offensive linemen. Jake Runyon, a 6-4, 300 pound senior center Bloomfield, Nebraska, was a two year starter anchoring a Wildcat offensive line that helped WSC lead the NSIC in total offense this season averaging 465.4 yards per game in conference play.
Blackburn, a 6-4, 270 pound junior from Omaha, Nebraska, moved from the defensive line to offensive line this season and started all 10 conference games at left tackle for the Wildcats.
Second Team Defense selections included Anthony Hale and Michael Bazata. Hale, a 5-10, 205 pound junior linebacker from Dale City, California, ranked fourth on the Wildcats defense with 54 tackles in 10 league games. He ranked tied for third in NSIC games with six sacks, tied for fourth in interceptions with four and tied for fifth in tackles for loss in league play with 11.5.
Bazata, a 6-4, 270 pound sophomore defensive tackle from Howells, Nebraska, ranked sixth on the Wildcat defense with 47 tackles in league play. He recorded 18 tackles vs. Bemidji State on October 10th to be named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week. Bazata tied for second in NSIC play with two fumble recoveries.
Four Wildcat players were received NSIC South Division honorable mention honors. Senior defensive back Ryan Molacek, a 5-11, 205 pounder from Stanton, Nebraska, had 44 tackles with three pass breakups during conference play. Junior offensive guard Joe Bundy, a 6-6, 305 pounder from Madison, South Dakota, received honorable mention All-NSIC honors for the second straight season. Sophomore defensive back Javal Jones, a 5-10, 180 pounder from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, had 41 tackles with four pass breakups and one interception in league play while redshirt defensive tackle Jeff Pokorny, a 6-3, 285 pounder from Howells, Nebraska, had 36 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in league play. His five sacks in 10 NSIC games ranked seventh in league play.
Wayne State finished the 2009 season with an 8-3 overall record, going 7-3 in the NSIC to finish in a tie for third place in the 14-team conference.
