Yellow Jackets Place 12 on All-HCAC Team

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Just days after closing the 2008 season with a 27-13 win over Bluffton to end the year on a four-game winning streak, the Defiance College football team saw 12 student-athletes selected to the All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Team.

DC's four-straight wins at the end of the season clinched a winning record in the HCAC and a top three finish in the league for the fourth time in as many years. DC head coach, Rob Taylor's, players were rewarded for the late season-surge, with the 12 All-HCAC awards matching last season's total as the most for the Yellow Jackets since claiming 13 in 2005.

The 12 all-league honors pushed the total number of All-HCAC players that have been mentored by Taylor during his six-year tenure on the DC sidelines to 68. This year's group has a fresh look to it however, as nine-of-12 were first-time award winners for Defiance.

One of the three repeat performers for the Purple and Gold was First Team All-HCAC free safety Keith Snyder. The three-time All-HCAC selection ranked 11th in the nation with 11.9 tackles per game and piled up a career-best 119 hits by notching at least eight stops in all 10 games. Snyder consistently acted as the rock of the DC defensive unit and was rewarded with a pair of HCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors, while also earning a spot on a D3football.com National Team of the Week. Along with his league-leading 119 tackles, Snyder led all conference players with 13 passes defended and tied for second with three interceptions in seven league contests. Snyder leaves a lasting record as one of the grittiest players to step foot on the gridiron for the Yellow Jackets and ends his outstanding career as the program's all-time leader with 174 assisted tackles.

Tom Foos joined Snyder as a First Team All-HCAC selection after serving as DC's primary kicker and punter in 2008. The sophomore averaged 38.6 yards per punt to rank second in the HCAC and 34th in the nation. A large part of Foos' value came via his ability to turn the field by pinning the opposition deep in its own territory, a skill which is reflected by his seven punts inside the 20-yard line. For the season, Foos racked up 57 boots, with three sailing over 50 yards. The sophomore also earned HCAC Special Teams Player-of-the-Week honors after putting a pair of punts inside the 20 and hitting the game-winning, 38-yard field goal in overtime of DC's 31-28 win at Hanover.

Defiance had six players make Second Team All-HCAC, with Lewis Caralla, Nick Nicol, Tim Chambers, Austin Hedderly, Joel Billings and Dustin Supan making the list.

Caralla earned his second All-HCAC nod in two years at DC after piling up 824 yards and six touchdowns on 162 carries. The senior running back ranked fourth with 91.4 rushing yards per HCAC contest and was top 10 in all-purpose yardage and scoring.

Nicol and Chambers were two of Defiance's main cogs on the offensive line, which paved the way for DC's one-two punch of Caralla and Drew Kuesel. The Second Team All-HCAC honors were the first for each player, who helped the Jackets top the 150-yard barrier on the ground four times. The duo also played major roles in DC's late-season surge, opening the way for 173.5 yards per game and 10 rushing scores over the final six games of the year.

Another tandem anchored the defensive line, as Hedderly and Billings helped to limit HCAC foes to just 113.4 rushing yards per contest for the second-best clip in the league. The Second Team All-HCAC selections were also the first for Hedderly and Billings, who each ranked among the league leaders in the HCAC in sacks and tackles for lost yardage. Hedderly ended with 39 tackles, 9.5 hits for lost yardage and 3.5 sacks, while Billings countered with 27 hits, 8.0 for negative yards, 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hurries.

Supan's Second Team All-HCAC award was the first for his career and capped off a strong junior season in the Defiance secondary. The junior cornerback piled up 45 tackles to go with eight passes defended and a pair of interceptions, which he returned for 93 total yards. Along with bolstering the defense, Supan made valuable contributions to the special teams unit, serving as the return man.

Kent Corthell, Nick Wiedenhoft, Kyle Longsdorf and Travis Guisinger were each named as Honorable Mention All-HCAC players to round out the list of 12 All-HCAC honors for the Purple and Gold.

Corthell joined Nicol and Chambers as the three All-HCAC offensive linemen for the Jackets, after helping DC produce two of the league's top six rushers this season. Corthell also helped Defiance rush for over 150 yards per game in HCAC play during his freshman campaign.

Wiedenhoft, along with Corthell, was one of only 11 rookies to garner All-HCAC honors. The freshman wide receiver missed the first two games of the season, before hauling in at least one pass in each of his eight games. Wiedenhoft ended the year as Defiance's top receiving threat and tallied 31 catches for 365 yards and a trio of scores, while netting 11.8 yards per reception.

Longsdorf burst onto the HCAC scene during his sophomore season and ranked second on Defiance with 70 tackles from his strong safety position. Longsdorf's performance excelled once the Jackets reached league play, where he ranked second in the HCAC with three interceptions and 10th with 7.9 tackles per game. Longsdorf adds the Honorable Mention All-HCAC tag to his HCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Week honor, which he claimed after notching a career-best eight solo hits and returning a pick 20 yards for a touchdown in DC's overtime victory at Hanover.

Guisinger joined Snyder, Supan and Longsdorf in the Yellow Jacket secondary all season long and garnered his second All-HCAC honor with the Honorable Mention selection. The junior strong safety was third on the DC team with 65 tackles and added nine hits for lost yardage, two sacks and four passes defended. Along with being among Defiance's best, Guisinger ranked among the top 10 players in the HCAC in sacks and hits for lost yardage in seven conference games.

Defiance ended the 2008 campaign with four-straight wins to finish 4-6 overall and 4-3 in the HCAC. The Jackets will look to carry that momentum over into the 2009 season and are set to return nine of their 12 All-HCAC players.