Chadron State runningback Danny Woodhead and Albany State defensive lineman Alton Pettway headline the 2006 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
THE OFFENSE
Quarterback Cullen Finnerty of Grand Valley State is the signal-caller on the 2006 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team. In 2006, Finnerty led the nation in pass efficiency rating (175.3) and touchdown passes (40). He is one of four players in NCAA all-division history to pass for over 10,000 yards and rush for over 2,000 yards.
Finnerty’s receiving corps on this year’s team features Anthony Merritt of North Alabama, Weston Dressler of North Dakota and Mike Peterson of Northwest Missouri State. Merritt caught 48 passes for 541 yards and four touchdowns, rushed for 181 yards and a touchdown and also threw three touchdown passes. Dressler led the nation with 90 receptions and also finished the season with a school-record 1,215 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. Peterson, twice named to the All-MIAA team, is the Bearcats’ third leading receiver in 2006 with 34 catches for 497 yards, at an average of 14.6 yards per catch.
Chadron State’s Danny Woodhead and Wayne State’s (Mich.) Joique Bell are the runningbacks on this year’s team. Woodhead became the first college player in history to rush for more than 2,700 yards in a season, finishing with a nation’s best 2,756 yards. He also led NCAA Division II in scoring with 38 touchdowns (228 points). Bell set the Wayne State and GLIAC single-season rushing mark and became the 14th player in NCAA D-II history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season (2,065). In addition, he set school records for rushing touchdowns (22) and total touchdowns (23).
The offensive line features Allen Barbre of Missouri Southern State, Jason Capizzi of Indiana (Pa.), Tim McCutcheon of California (Pa.), John Cook of Texas A&M-Kingsville and Rayshaun Hollings of Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Barbre helped lead an offensive line that saw Adam Hinspeter become just the second quarterback in Missouri Southern history to throw for 2,500 yards twice in a career. Capizzi was the leader of an offensive line that led the way for 171.7 yards rushing per game and allowed a total of nine sacks on the year. McCutcheon was the lead blocker for an offense that ranked among the PSAC leaders in rushing offense (199.5, first), passing offense (217.9, fourth), total offense (417.9, first) and scoring offense (31.0, third). Cook allowed only one quarterback sack in 321 pass attempts, had 79 knockdowns and paved the way for a quartet of 100-yard rushing performances. Hollings was the top lineman for the nation’s seventh-best passing attack (276.5 ypg) and earned LSC North Division Lineman of the Year honors.
THE DEFENSE
The defense is led by Albany State defensive lineman Alton Pettway. Pettway led Division II in quarterback sacks with 14.5 and was sixth nationally in tackles for loss with 22.5. Joining Pettway on the defensive line are Ron Ellington of Catawba, Odell Willis of West Georgia and Trey Lewis of Washburn.
Ellington led the South Atlantic Conference in sacks with 8.5 this season, and posted a team-leading 74 tackles. Willis collected 53 tackles on the season, including seven sacks, which led the Gulf South Conference. Lewis was named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Defensive Player. He finished third on the team with 62 tackles and had four sacks.
This year’s linebackers include Charleston Hughes of Northwood, John Tackmann of Winona State and Mike Klobucher of Ferris State. Hughes led Division II with 6.5 solo tackles per game (71 total), and ranked fourth in the GLIAC in total tackles (9.4 per game) and fifth in tackles for loss (1.18 per game). Named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Tackmann ranked second to Hughes with 6.3 solo tackles per game and led the NSIC with 10.4 tackles per game. Klobucher racked up 92 total tackles, including 47 solo, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and two fumbles recovered.
The secondary feature’s David Jones of Wingate, Darvin Peterson of Texas A&M-Commerce, Quincy Skinner of Arkansas Tech and Robert Towns of Harding. A first team All-South Atlantic Conference performer for the second year in a row, Jones recorded four interceptions, made 24 tackles and knocked down 12 passes. Peterson earned LSC North Division Defensive Back of the Year honors after recording four interceptions and leading the team with 81 total tackles. Skinner tied for the GSC lead with eight interceptions and recorded 63 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and five pass break-ups. Towns had a team-high eight interceptions, the third most in Harding history, and was second on the team with 57 tackles.
THE SPECIALISTS
Stefan Logan of South Dakota is the all-purpose player on the AFCA Division II Coaches All-America Team. Logan rushed for 1,707 yards (6th nationally), had a 15.9 yard punt return average (8th nationally) and a 28.2 kickoff return average (10th nationally). Logan’s single season total of 2,670 all purpose yards ranked second in Division II and is the seventh-best single season total ever in Division II.
The placekicker is Mitch Warfield of West Alabama. Warfield earned first-team All-GSC honors after going 10 of 14 in field goals and a perfect 37 of 37 on PATs. East Central punter Curtis Lilly was nation’s leading punter with a 45.2 average. Fourteen of his punts traveled 50 yards or better and he set school records for punting average in a game (52.0), season (45.2) and career (42.4) in 2006.
Team Background
The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III respectively. The AFCA is selecting an NAIA-only team for the first time this year.
From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position has been replaced by an all-purpose player this season.
Selection Process
The AFCA’s Division I-AA All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA’s nine districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee.
The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
2006 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team
Offense
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| WR | Anthony Merritt
| 6-0 | 189 | Sr. | North Alabama | Mark Hudspeth | Columbus, Ga. (Shaw)
|
| WR | Weston Dressler
| 5-8 | 164 | Jr. | North Dakota
| Dale Lennon
| Bismarck, N.D. (Bismarck) |
| TE | Mike Peterson | 6-3 | 245 | Jr. | Northwest Missouri St.
| Mel Tjeerdsma
| Atlantic, Iowa (Atlantic) |
| OL | Allen Barbre
| 6-4 | 295 | Sr. | Missouri Southern St.
| Bart Tatum | Granby, Mo. (East Newton) |
| OL | Jason Capizzi
| 6-9 | 315 | Sr. | Indiana (Pa.)
| Lou Tepper
| Gibsonia, Pa. (Pine-Richland) |
| C | Tim McCutcheon
| 6-4 | 305 | Jr. | California (Pa.)
| John Luckhardt
| Sewickley, Pa. (Quaker Valley) |
| OL | John Cook | 6-3 | 310 | Sr. | Texas A&M-Kingsville
| Richard Cundiff
| Houston, Texas (Spring Woods) |
| OL | Rayshaun Hollings | 6-2 | 290 | Sr. | Southeastern Okla. St.
| Ray Richards
| Grand Prairie, Texas (Grand Prairie) |
| QB | Cullen Finnerty
| 6-2 | 210 | Sr. | Grand Valley St.
| Chuck Martin | Brighton, Mich. (Brighton) |
| RB | Danny Woodhead | 5-9 | 200 | Jr. | Chadron St.
| Bill O'Boyle
| North Platte, Neb. (North Platte) |
| RB | Joique Bell | 6-0 | 213 | Fr. | Wayne St. (Mich.)
| Paul Winters | Benton Harbor, Mich. (Benton Harbor) |
Defense
| Pos | Name
| Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| DL | Ron Ellington
| 6-4 | 225 | Jr. | Catawba | Chip Hester
| Charlotte, N.C. (Independence) |
| DL | Odell Willis
| 6-3 | 242 | Sr. | West Georgia | Mike Ledford | Yantley, Ala. (Choctaw County) |
| DL | Trey Lewis | 6-3 | 290 | Sr. | Washburn
| Craig Schurig
| Topeka, Kan. (Washburn Rural) |
| DL | Alton Pettway
| 6-3 | 258 | Sr. | Albany St.
| Mike White
| Bay Minette, Ala. (Baldwin County) |
| LB | Charleston Hughes
| 6-1 | 235 | Sr. | Northwood
| Pat Riepma | Saginaw, Mich. (Saginaw) |
| LB | John Tackmann | 6-2 | 210 | Sr. | Winona St.
| Tom Sawyer
| Eau Claire, Wis. (Altoona) |
| LB | Mike Klobucher
| 6-2 | 248 | Sr. | Ferris St.
| Jeff Pierce
| Grand Haven, Mich. (North Muskegon) |
| DB | David Jones
| 6-1 | 196 | Sr. | Wingate
| Joe Reich | Greenville, S.C. (Greenville) |
| DB | Darvin Peterson
| 6-0 | 200 | Sr. | Texas A&M-Commerce
| Scotty Conley | Mesquite, Texas (Dallas Adamson) |
| DB | Quincy Skinner
| 5-10 | 170 | Sr. | Arkansas Tech
| Steve Mullins
| Coral Springs, Fla. (Ely) |
| DB | Robert Towns
| 5-11 | 195 | Sr. | Harding | Randy Tribble
| Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest) |
Specialists
Pos
| Name
| Ht.
| Wt.
| Cl.
| School
| Coach
| Hometown (High School) |
| P | Curtis Lilly
| 6-5 | 225 | Sr. | East Central
| Kurt Nichols | McIntire, Iowa (Riceville) |
| PK | Mitch Warfield
| 5-9 | 154 | Fr. | West Alabama | Bobby Wallace | Bay Minette, Ala. (Baldwin County) |
| AP | Stefan Logan
| 5-7 | 180 | Sr. | South Dakota
| Ed Meierkort
| Miami, Fla. (Jackson) |
Top Teams: Texas A&M-Kingsville has been represented a total of 32 times by 28 players on the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team. Trailing Texas A&M-Kingsville is Pittsburg State (17/14), Indiana (Pa.) (16/14), American International (14/13), North Dakota (14/13), Texas A&M-Commerce (14/12), North Alabama (13/12), Grand Valley State (12/11), Northwest Missouri State (12/8) and Ferris State (12/11).
Consecutive Years: Texas A&M-Kingsville had at least one player named to the AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team for 18 straight seasons, from 1986 to 2003, the most by any team in Division II.
Repeat After Me: Texas A&M-Kingsville’s
Johnny Bailey is the only player to earn Coaches’ All-America honors in four consecutive years at any level. Bailey was a four-year pick at runningback in 1986-87-88-89.
One Player, Two Schools: Punter
Mark Bounds is the only player to earn Coaches’ All-America honors at two different schools. He was named to the AFCA College Division I team in 1990 while playing for West Texas A&M. He transferred to Texas Tech after West Texas dropped football and earned I-A All-America honors as a Red Raider in 1991.
Class Distinction: This year’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 17 seniors, six juniors and two freshman.
First Time Schools: Rayshaun Hollings of Southeastern Oklahoma State,
Trey Lewis of Washburn and
Joique Bell of Wayne State (Mich.) are the first players from their schools to earn AFCA Coaches’ All-America Team honors.
Courtesy: AFCA
