Runnin' Bulldogs Take 12 Spots On All-Big South Football Squad
November 26, 2013 | Football
The team is voted on by the Big South's head coaches and a panel of select media members. Seven Gardner-Webb student-athletes earned first-team All-Big South honors.
Gardner-Webb's defense, which led the Big South in eight major team defense categories and set a new league record by allowing just 296.8 yards per game, placed five student-athletes on the first team - and took up three of four slots on the defensive line.
Defensive end Shaquille Riddick (Akron, Ohio / Buchtel HS) was runner-up for the league's Defensive Player of the Year award, finishing just three votes behind incumbent Quinn Backus of Coastal Carolina. Deservedly so, Riddick was the top vote getter on the defensive front after setting a Big South record with 8.5 sacks, finishing second nationally in tackles for loss per game and leading the nation with 109 negative yards recorded.
The 6-foot-7, 240-pounder also established new career-best totals in tackles (67), tackles for loss (19.0) and pressures (17). Riddick was named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award on Monday and is also the lone FCS representative on the Ted Hendricks Award Mid-Season Watch List - given annually to the nation's top defensive end.
Preston Pemasa (Garden Grove, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS) became a four-time All-Big South Conference selection Tuesday, earning a spot on the first-team defense after another stellar season at defensive end. The 6-foot-2, 254-pound senior was also a first-team All-Big South choice in 2010 and 2011 and was the league's Freshman of the Year in 2010.
One of the top pass rushers in the Big South's history, Pemasa finished his career with 46.5 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks. He totaled 49 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks in 2013 - helping Gardner-Webb lead the league as a team in quarterback sacks.
Youthful nose guard O.J. Le'iatua Mau (Masefau, American Samoa / Fagaitua HS) earned first-team All-Big South honors as well after a spectacular season anchoring the Gardner-Webb defensive line. Mau stepped in admirably for preseason All-America senior Matt Goods - who missed most of 2013 with injuries - and was the lynchpin for Gardner-Webb's success in the trenches.
Mau emerged as an All-America candidate himself after finishing the season with a career-high 54 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and four quarterback pressures, regularly dominating double teams in the middle. His best game came in the 3-0 win over #8/10 Wofford, when he finished with nine total tackles and a sack - garnering Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week accolades and College Sporting News National Weekly All-Star honors.
The defensive line trio played a key role in Gardner-Webb holding eight different opponents to less than 150 yards rushing and four under 100 yards on the season. In its three wins over nationally-ranked opponents, GWU's defense allowed just 56.6 yards per game on the ground.
Linebacker Tanner Burch (Savannah, Ga. / Savannah Christian Prep) earned first-team All-Big South honors for the second season in a row after finishing second in the league with 107 total tackles. It marked the second consecutive season with at least 100 hits for the 6-foot-3, 241-pound junior, who excelled in the middle of a new 3-4 scheme in 2013.
Burch has totaled 237 stops, 16.0 tackles for loss in 32 career games at Gardner-Webb.
Cornerback Keon Williams (Charlotte, N.C. / Providence HS) was also a first-team All-Big South choice and enjoyed a breakout year at the position. The 6-0, 170-pound senior finished with 36 total tackles (24 solo) and picked off a career-high four passes (43 yards, TD) and broke up nine more passes in a stellar campaign covering opposing receivers.
Williams, who was also a first-team Capital One Academic All-District III selection earlier this month, finished his career with 98 tackles, five interceptions and 11 pass break ups in 40 games played.
Kenny Cook (Cross Hill, S.C. / Clinton HS) was the lone Gardner-Webb representative on the All-Big South first-team offense, and was the league's most impressive receiver in 2013.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound redshirt junior finished his second season with the program by leading the Big South in receptions (76), yards (1,008) and touchdowns (8). Cook is the first Gardner-Webb receiver since Rodney Robinson in 1992 to cross the 1,000-yard mark and only the second in the school's football history to do so. Cook's 76 receptions are the second-most in school history as well.
In his two seasons with the program Cook has hauled in 124 passes for 1,674 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Jordan Day (Marvin, N.C. / Marvin Ridge HS) was named first-team All-Big South at punter and was a second-team selection as a placekicker, capping his lone college football season with a shelf-full of recognition.
Day led the Big South in punting average with 39.1 yards per attempt and in net punting average for the season. He pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 17 times, forced 18 fair catches and boomed seven punts at least 50 yards. Day was named Special Teams Player of the Week four times during the 2013 season, with his scoring exploits early in the season giving way to outstanding punting in the late stages.
Day also led the Big South with 14 field goals, third-most in Gardner-Webb history for a single-season and the most since Ryan Gates booted 16 in 2008. He ranked third in the league in kick scoring and kicked seven combined field goals in Gardner-Webb's three wins over ranked opponents.
Running back Juanne Blount (Wingate, N.C. / Forest Hills HS) and tight end Mike Estes (Raleigh, N.C. / Athens Drive HS) each earned second-team All-Big South honors on offense, with Blount posting the first 1,000-yard season for a Gardner-Webb back and just the fourth since 1989.
Blount carried a league-high 257 times and finished with 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns - all career-high totals. In his 35 games at Gardner-Webb, the 5-foot-9, 201-pound standout has carried 530 times for 2,125 yards and 18 touchdowns. His carries rank second in school history behind Hall of Famer Darrell Middleton.
Estes tied for the league lead among tight ends with a career-high 18 receptions and finished with 278 yards and a team-high 15.4 yards per catch. He was named Freshman of the Week once and earned three honorable mention FCS Tight End Performer of the Week honors from CFPA during the season. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder was one of only two freshmen to earn any form of All-Conference recognition in 2013 - joining Coastal Carolina kickoff return man Devin Brown.
Rising star Chad Geter (Irmo, S.C. / Dutch Fork HS) was named second-team All-Big South on defense and turned in perhaps the top all-around season of any linebacker in the conference in 2013. The 6-foot-2, 233-pounder finished with 82 total tackles, led the team with 50 solo hits and added 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and two game-changing interceptions. His six pass break ups were tied for tops in the Big South among linebackers.
Day and long snapper Hudson Smith (Aiken, S.C. / Aiken HS) earned spots on the second-team special teams unit and quarterback Lucas Beatty (Charlotte, N.C. / Olympic HS) earned a spot on the All-Big South Academic Team.
Only league champion Coastal Carolina and Liberty had more All-Conference selections than the Runnin' Bulldogs on Tuesday.
Gardner-Webb (7-5) finished with its highest win total since 2003 and will welcome back 18 starters on offense and defense for the 2014 season.
FIRST-TEAM
ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB
Alex Ross, R-Soph., Coastal Carolina
RB
Lorenzo Taliaferro, Sr., Coastal Carolina
RB
Christian Reyes, Jr., Charleston Southern
WR
Kenny
Cook, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
WR
Matt Hazel, Sr., Coastal Carolina
WR
Darrin Peterson, Soph., Liberty
TE
Brandon Apon, R-Sr., Liberty
OL
Jamey Cheatwood, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
OL
Hunter Steward, Sr., Liberty
OL
Chad Hamilton, R-Jr., Coastal Carolina
OL
Drew Herring, R-Sr., Coastal Carolina
OL
Clayton Truitt, Jr., Charleston Southern
DEFENSE
DL
Shaquille
Riddick, Jr., Gardner-Webb
DL
Preston
Pemasa, Sr., Gardner-Webb
DL
Chima Uzowihe, Soph., Liberty
DL
O.J.
Le'iatua Mau, Soph., Gardner-Webb
LB
Quinn Backus, Jr., Coastal Carolina
LB
Tanner
Burch, Jr., Gardner-Webb
LB
Nick Sigmon, R-Jr., Liberty
LB
Calvin Bryant, Jr., Charleston Southern
DB
Jacob Hagen, R-Jr., Liberty
DB
Walt Aikens, R-Sr., Liberty
DB
Kevin Fogg, R-Sr., Liberty
DB
Keon
Williams, Sr., Gardner-Webb
SPECIAL
TEAMS
PK
Alex Catron, Jr., Coastal Carolina
P Jordan
Day, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
LS
Richard Wright, R-Sr., Liberty
KR
Devin Brown, Fr., Coastal Carolina
PR
Jeremiah McKie, Jr., Presbyterian College
SECOND-TEAM
ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB
Josh Woodrum, R-Soph., Liberty
RB
Desmond Rice, Jr., Liberty
RB
Juanne
Blount, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
WR
Tobi Antigha, Jr., Presbyterian College
WR
Sam Patterson, Soph., VMI
WR
DeMario Bennett, Sr., Coastal Carolina
TE
Mike
Estes, R-Fr., Gardner-Webb
OL
Jonathan Burgess, Soph., Liberty
OL
Mitch Hansen, R-Jr., Liberty
OL
Will Lucas, Sr., VMI
OL
Greg Ray, R-Jr., Liberty
OL
Tim Fowler, R-Sr., Presbyterian College
DEFENSE
DL
Cory Freeman, R-Sr., Liberty
DL
James Smith, Jr., Charleston Southern
DL
Dylan Black, Jr., Charleston Southern
DL
Calvin Hollenhorst, R-Soph., Coastal Carolina
LB
Mike McClure, Sr., Coastal Carolina
LB
Chad
Geter, Soph., Gardner-Webb
LB
Weston Reber, R-Sr., VMI
LB
Scott Hyland, Sr., Liberty
DB
Elijah Lee, Sr., Charleston Southern
DB
Demaris Freeman, R-Jr., Charleston Southern
DB
Richie Sampson, Soph., Coastal Carolina
DB
Denzel Rice, Jr., Coastal Carolina
SPECIAL
TEAMS
PK
Jordan
Day, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
P
David Eberhardt, R-Sr., VMI
LS
Hudson
Smith, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
KR
Jeremiah McKie, Jr., Presbyterian College
PR
Niccolo Mastromatteo, Sr., Coastal Carolina
ALL-ACADEMIC
TEAM
Kirby
Broome, Sr., TE, Charleston Southern
Niccolo
Mastromatteo, Sr., WR, Coastal Carolina
Lucas
Beatty, R-Jr., QB, Gardner-Webb
Scott
Hyland, Sr., LB, Liberty
Stephen
Doar, R-Soph., P, Presbyterian College
Ty
Garvin, R-Jr., LB, VMI
OFFENSIVE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lorenzo
Taliaferro, Sr., RB, Coastal Carolina
DEFENSIVE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Quinn
Backus, Jr., LB, Coastal Carolina
SPECIAL
TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LaDarius
Hawthorne, Sr., DB, Coastal Carolina
FRESHMAN
OF THE YEAR
Daniel
Croghan III, R-Fr., QB, Charleston Southern
COACH
OF THE YEAR
Jamey
Chadwell, Charleston Southern
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
OF THE YEAR
Scott
Hyland, Sr., LB, Liberty
