Pemasa Named Freshman of the Year, 10 'Dogs Earn All-Big South Honors
November 23, 2010 | Football
CHARLOTTE - Gardner-Webb defensive end Preston Pemasa was named 2010 Big South Conference Freshman of the Year Tuesday, and was one of 10 Runnin' Bulldogs to earn All-Big South honors.
Pemasa (Garden Grove, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS) is the third GWU player in the last four seasons to be named league Freshman of the Year, following Matt Goods (2009) and Jeffery Williams (2007).
The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder started the season's final 10 games, led the conference with 14.5 tackles for loss and became the first freshman in Big South history to pace the league in quarterback sacks (7.0).
Pemasa led Gardner-Webb with 65 total tackles on the season, including 41 in league play and added nine quarterback pressures. He also led the Big South's defensive linemen in total tackles in 2010.
He was named Big South Freshman of the Week on October 25 after a 10-tackle game against Presbyterian, and had at least one tackle for loss in all but two games in 2010.
Pemasa was a near unanimous selection for Freshman of the Year, earning 15 of 24 first-place votes. He was the top vote getter as well among defensive linemen on the Big South All-Conference first team.
Pemasa was joined on the All-Conference first team by teammates Corey O'Daniel (offensive guard) and James Perry III (receiver). Both Perry and O'Daniel earned their third All-Big South Conference position in a row.
O'Daniel (Louisville, Ky. / St. Xavier HS), a 6-foot-7, 330-pound senior, was a preseason All-America selection and is a strong candidate to continue his career in the NFL. He graded out above 80 percent for the third season in a row, and started all 11 games at either left guard or left tackle. O'Daniel was a four-year starter during his time with the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Perry (Greensboro, N.C. / Dudley HS) caught a career-high 65 passes in 2010, his third season in a row with at least 50 receptions. He finished with 673 yards receiving and three touchdowns. His 10-catch, two-touchdown effort on September 11 sparked Gardner-Webb's overtime win over the Akron Zips. His third touchdown of the season, a 27-yarder against VMI, was the lone touchdown for the 'Dogs in a 10-7 win in the season finale.
The 6-0, 182-pound standout is only the second player in Gardner-Webb or Big South history to have three consecutive 50-catch seasons and, with one season remaining, is on track to shatter the current league receiving mark held by Maurice Price (Charleston Southern, 202 catches).
Perry has made 181 catches during his career at Gardner-Webb, which ranks fourth behind Hall of Famer Rodney Robinson (188) and just ahead of Hall of Famer Cameron Brooks (176). His 2,092 career receiving yards rank eighth in GWU history with one season remaining.
Gardner-Webb placed three players on the second-team offense, with running back Patrick Hall, Sr., Gastonia, N.C. / Ashbrook HS), tight end Josh Miller (Sr., Danville, Ky. / Boyle County HS) and guard Jamie Dunaway (So., Lyman, S.C. / Byrnes HS) getting the nod.
Hall, who finished third in Gardner-Webb history with 27 rushing touchdowns, was an All-Big South choice for the second year in a row. Miller, who finished as the second-leading receiver at the tight end spot in GWU history, returned to the All-Big South team after earning a spot in 2008. Dunaway, who has started all 22 games in his young career, followed up a preseason All-Big South selection with his first postseason recognition.
Linebacker Jeffery Williams (Sr., Frisco City, Ala. / Frisco City HS) and cornerbacks Bryce Nixon (Sr., Ellenwood, Ga. / Martin Luther King HS) and Cedric McGowan (Sr., Greer, S.C. / Greer HS) were named to the second-team defense.
Williams finished his career with 345 tackles, despite playing the final two seasons hampered with injuries, and is an All-Big South linebacker for the third time in four seasons. Nixon, a three-year starter, earned his first All-Conference honor, while McGowan was named All-Big South for the third time in his career.
Versatile standout Hudson Smith (RFr., Aiken, S.C. / Aiken HS) earned second-team All-Big South honors at long snapper. The 6-foot-1, 227-pounder also started games this year at running back and defensive end.
Linebacker Dami Teniola (Sr., Stone Mountain, Ga. / Stephenson HS) earned a spot on the All-Big South Academic Team.
Gardner-Webb's 10 All-Big South selections ranked third in the league, behind Liberty (13) and Coastal Carolina (12). Stony Brook (8), Charleston Southern (6), VMI (5) and Presbyterian (4) also had multiple selections.
The complete All-Big South Conference Teams are listed below:
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB Mike Brown, R-Jr., Liberty
RB Miguel Maysonet, Soph., Stony Brook
RB Brock Jackolski, Jr., Stony Brook
WR Chris Summers, R-Jr., Liberty
WR Gerald Stevenson, Sr., Charleston Southern
WR James Perry III, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
TE David Duran, R-Jr., Coastal Carolina
OL Paul Fenaroli, Sr., Stony Brook
OL Alex Stadler, R-Sr., Liberty
OL Corey O'Daniel, Sr., Gardner-Webb
OL Justin Vargas, R-Sr., Liberty
OL Brian Crew, Sr., Stony Brook
DEFENSE
DL Preston Pemasa, Fr., Gardner-Webb
DL Terry Adams, R-Sr., Liberty
DL Josh Wine, Sr., VMI
DL Asa Chapman, Jr., Liberty
LB Andrae Jacobs, Soph., Coastal Carolina
LB A.J. Gross, R-Jr., VMI
LB Kyle O'Donnell, R-Sr., Liberty
LB Chris Patrick, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
DB Arin West, Sr., Stony Brook
DB Josh Norman, Jr., Coastal Carolina
DB Charles James, R-Soph., Charleston Southern
DB Dominique Davenport, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Matt Bevins, Jr., Liberty
P Mike Larsson, Jr., Liberty
LS Daniel Bonifas, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
KR Gerald Stevenson, Sr., Charleston Southern
PR Michael Rainey-Wiles, Sr., VMI
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB Zach MacDowall, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
RB Eric O'Neal, Sr., Coastal Carolina
RB Patrick Hall, Sr., Gardner-Webb (tie)
RB Trandon Dendy, R-Sr., Presbyterian College (tie)
WR Matt Brevi, Jr., Stony Brook
WR Brandon Whitley, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
WR B.J. Hayes, R-Jr., Liberty
TE Josh Miller, Sr., Gardner-Webb
OL Seth Smalls, Sr., Coastal Carolina
OL Jordan Lancaster, R-Sr., Charleston Southern
OL Soeren Wendland, R-Sr., Liberty
OL Jamey Cheatwood, R-Fr., Coastal Carolina
OL Jamie Dunaway, Soph., Gardner-Webb
DEFENSE
DL Damiso Alexander, R-Sr., VMI
DL Kent Harper, Sr., Coastal Carolina
DL Patrick Bannon, Sr., Liberty
DL Joel Walton, Sr., Charleston Southern
LB Craig Richardson, Soph., Stony Brook
LB Jeffery Williams, Sr., Gardner-Webb
LB Derek Brown, Sr., Presbyterian College
LB Doncel Bolt, Sr., Liberty
DB Cedric McGowan, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
DB Justin Bethel, Jr., Presbyterian College
DB Byron Allen, R-Jr., VMI
DB Bryce Nixon, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Wesley Skiffington, R-Soph., Stony Brook
P Patrick Morgano, Soph., Presbyterian College
LS Hudson Smith, Fr., Gardner-Webb
KR Brock Jackolski, Jr., Stony Brook
PR Niccolo Mastromatteo, Fr., Coastal Carolina
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Brad Sweatt, Soph., LB, Charleston Southern
Marcus Lott, Jr., DB, Coastal Carolina
Dami Teniola, Sr., LB, Gardner-Webb
Matt Bevins, Jr., K, Liberty
Myron Gary, Sr., QB, Presbyterian College
Michael Coulter, Jr., QB, Stony Brook
Chaz Jones, Jr., RB, VMI
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Brown, R-Jr., QB, Liberty
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andrae Jacobs, Soph., LB, Coastal Carolina
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Preston Pemasa, DL, Gardner-Webb
COACH OF THE YEAR
David Bennett, Coastal Carolina
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Michael Coulter, Jr., QB, Stony Brook
