FOREST, Va. — Washington and Lee University running back Luke Heinsohn and Bridgewater College defensive lineman Joel Francis headline the 2012 ODAC Football All-Conference Awards as the J. Stokeley Fulton Offensive and Lou Wacker Defensive Players of the Year. Generals’ mentor Scott Abell was tabbed the ODAC Coach of the Year, while Guilford College quarterback Matt Pawlowski was named the ODAC Rookie of the Year. Emory & Henry College signal-caller Kyle Boden received the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award in a vote of the league’s sports information directors.
Heinsohn, a senior from Charlottesville, Va., took on the added role of place-kicker in addition to lead running back in the Generals’ option offense. He handled the added responsibility in record fashion as he set new conference marks with 188 points and 22 rushing touchdowns. The 188 points are the 10th-best output in NCAA Division III history. He finished the season second in the league with 1,253 rushing yards on 183 carries, good for 6.8 yards per rush. He notched a season and career-high 33 points in a 45-42 four-overtime win over Hampden-Sydney College with four touchdowns, four PATs, a two-point conversion, and the game-winning 37-yard field goal. Heinsohn finishes his career with 3,517 yards rushing, a record for Washington and Lee. His 48 career touchdowns all came via the ground and rank #2 all-time in ODAC overall and rushing touchdown categories. His 344 career points are also second-best in the conference. Heinsohn was recently announced as a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, which honors the top player in NCAA Division III.
Francis, a senior from Woodbridge, Va., adds this honor to an All-ODAC First Team nod in 2012 and an Honorable Mention selection in 2010. He finished the season with 55 total tackles (26 solo) and 12.5 tackles for a loss — both numbers leading the ODAC among all defensive linemen. That total included 4.5 quarterback sacks, which was fifth amongst the conference’s defensive linemen. Overall, Francis finished in a tie for sixth in the league in sacks and was ranked third in TFLs. He also forced one fumble and accounted for a score with a safety in Bridgewater’s season opening victory at St. Vincent. Francis will graduate having made 147 tackles (66 solo) with 33.5 TFLs and 12.5 sacks in four seasons as an Eagle.
Abell completed his first campaign as the Generals’ head coach after spending the previous four seasons as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He led Washington and Lee to its third straight eight-win season and its second trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament in the last three years after capturing the Generals fifth overall conference title. Abell is the architect of W&L’s modified option offense, which has posted a 15-0 record over the past three years when the Generals eclipse the 400-yard rushing plateau. Washington and Lee became the first ODAC team to rush for 500 or more yards (503) in a 45-28 win over Emory & Henry earlier this season.
Pawlowski, a freshman from Greensboro, N.C., put together a solid season in his first year under center for the Quakers. He finished third in the league with 2,443 yards on 205-of-342 (59.5%) passing. His 15 touchdown passes ranked fourth in the conference. Pawlowski’s best game of the season came in a 38-35 win over Randolph-Macon College when he completed 24-of-37 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns. He was named the ODAC Offensive Player of the Week three times, combining for nine touchdowns and 851 yards passing in addition to a pair of rushing scores.
Boden, a junior from Knoxville, Tenn., stands out on and off the field for Emory & Henry. In the classroom, he boasts a 3.975 grade point average as a Biology and Chemistry major. He is a multi-honoree on the E&H Dean’s List and a two-time member of the All-ODAC Academic Team. He was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American All-District First Team in 2011 and 2012. On the field, Boden was second in the ODAC with 2,511 yards on 250-of-392 passing. His 18 touchdown passes and 63.8 completion percentage were also second in the league. He was named the ODAC Offensive Player of the Week following the first and last weeks of the regular season when he combined for eight touchdown passes and 658 yards through the air.
Listed below are the 2012 All-ODAC Football Teams. For more information, visit any of the participating schools’ websites, or go to the ODAC’s home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow the ODAC on Twitter at @odacathletics. In addition, check out the ODAC’s YouTube channel.
2012 ALL-ODAC FOOTBALL TEAMS
J. Stokeley Fulton Offensive Player of the Year: Luke Heinsohn, Sr., RB/K, Washington and Lee
Lou Wacker Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Francis, Sr., DL, Bridgewater
Coach of the Year: Scott Abell, Washington and Lee
Rookie of the Year: Matt Pawlowski, Fr., QB, Guilford
ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Kyle Boden, Jr., QB, Emory & Henry
ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM Offense Nash Nance Sophomore Quarterback Hampden-Sydney Luke Heinsohn Senior Running Back Washington and Lee Will McGhee Junior Running Back Randolph-Macon Brett Murray Senior All-Purpose Back Washington and Lee Alonzo Cooke Senior Wide Receiver Catholic Holton Walker Sophomore Wide Receiver Hampden-Sydney Zach Midulla Senior Tight End Randolph-Macon Will Ferrell Junior Offensive Line Hampden-Sydney Connor Hollenbeck Junior Offensive Line Washington and Lee Bobby Jones Junior Offensive Line Washington and Lee Kyle Keister Junior Offensive Line Bridgewater Byron Overstreet Senior Offensive Line Randolph-Macon Max Antwerpes Sophomore Kicker Hampden-Sydney Defense Ian Candelaria Senior Defensive Line Randolph-Macon Vinny Cortese Senior Defensive Line Catholic Joel Francis Senior Defensive Line Bridgewater Danny Grogg Senior Defensive Line Bridgewater Kenny Fryman Senior Linebacker Hampden-Sydney Jajuan Johnson Senior Linebacker Shenandoah Andrew Palmer Junior Linebacker Bridgewater Robert Smith Sophomore Linebacker Guilford Steven Fogleman Junior Defensive Back Hampden-Sydney Darrick Gore Sophomore Defensive Back Bridgewater Jake Pelton Senior Defensive Back Washington and Lee Satiir Stevenson Sophomore Defensive Back Guilford Cory Gay Senior Punter Shenandoah ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM Offense Nick Lombardo Junior Quarterback Washington and Lee Evan King Senior Running Back Hampden-Sydney Joe Vaughn Sophomore Running Back Emory & Henry Vance Hendren Senior All-Purpose Back Randolph-Macon Luke Sellers Senior Wide Receiver Randolph-Macon Adam Smith Freshman Wide Receiver Guilford Cord Keating Senior Tight End Bridgewater Joe Breithaupt Junior Offensive Line Randolph-Macon Justin Farmer Junior Offensive Line Emory & Henry Michael O'Shea Junior Offensive Line Catholic Joseph Pearson Senior Offensive Line Guilford Tyler White Senior Offensive Line Hampden-Sydney Matt Turchin Senior Kicker Emory & Henry Defense Nick Erdman Senior Defensive Line Shenandoah Scottt Hill Junior Defensive Line Emory & Henry Ray Jackson Senior Defensive Line Hampden-Sydney Michael Unholz Junior Defensive Line Washington and Lee Jesse Jenkins Senior Linebacker Washington and Lee Salem Nganga Senior Linebacker Bridgewater Devan Sproles Senior Linebacker Emory & Henry Conor Stueckler Junior Linebacker Catholic DeMikael Burse Junior Defensive Back Emory & Henry Hunter English Sophomore Defensive Back Guilford Timbo McGarry Senior Defensive Back Catholic Byron Mitchell Junior Defensive Back Shenandoah Tracy Murden Junior Punter Randolph-Macon ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM Offense Zac Naccarato Sophomore Quarterback Randolph-Macon Mike Williams Senior Running Back Guilford Jacob Wright Sophomore Running Back Bridgewater J. M. Sparagna Senior All-Purpose Back Hampden-Sydney Qiydaar Murphy Senior Wide Receiver Shenandoah Corey Ware Senior Wide Receiver Emory & Henry Alex Evans Junior Tight End Washington and Lee Jake Brent Senior Offensive Line Shenandoah Faris El-Ali Junior Offensive Line Guilford Micah Fleet Sophomore Offensive Line Washington and Lee Eric Hrynczyszyn Junior Offensive Line Catholic Shawn Otte Senior Offensive Line Bridgewater Tyler Hunt Freshman Kicker Guilford Defense Calvin Davis Sophomore Defensive Line Randolph-Macon Tyler Eller Sophomore Defensive Line Guilford Evan Griffin Junior Defensive Line Shenandoah Rob Schaetzl Senior Defensive Line Catholic Ross Ellis Senior Linebacker Emory & Henry Paul Forney Junior Linebacker Emory & Henry John Moore Sophomore Linebacker Hampden-Sydney Alex Price Senior Linebacker Hampden-Sydney Sean Blackman Junior Defensive Back Shenandoah Daniel Brent Freshman Defensive Back Bridgewater Alex Smith Junior Defensive Back Guilford Mitchell Thompson Junior Defensive Back Washington and Lee