(PRINCETON, W.Va.)---Defending WVIAC champion West Liberty is picked third nationally in the 2010 football preview magazines issued by the Sporting News and Lindy's. The same publications also hand out first team All-American accolades to five conference standouts.
West Liberty returns plenty of firepower from last season's 11-2 squad that established a WVIAC record by ringing up 47.3 points per game. Quarterback Zach Amedro and tight end Ryan Travis are first team All-American picks by the Sporting News and Lindy's, while wide receiver Kashif Walls is a Sporting News first team honoree and a second team selection by Lindy's. The Toppers also welcome back running back Kevon Calhoun, who rushed for 1529 yards and tallied 22 touchdowns last season.
Head coach Roger Waialae's squad opens their 2010 campaign with a September 4 home contest versus Edinboro, a squad ranked No. 9 by the Sporting News and No. 24 by Lindy's. The teams split a pair of 2009 battles with Edinboro winning the regular season matchup 42-30, while West Liberty gained revenge with a wild 84-63 decision in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Amedro (6-0, 200, Sr., Moundsville, WV) rewrote the WVIAC record books last season as he passed for 4,945 yards and 49 touchdown passes. The 2010 Lindy's pre-season Division II Offensive Player of the Year has thrown for 10,675 yards in his three-season WL career and needs only 1,209 yards to break Joey Conrad's (Glenville State, 2002-05) WVIAC standard.
Travis (6-3, 245, Sr., Massillon, OH) established a West Liberty single-season record with 104 receptions in 2009 and was a consensus All-American tight end. His 1,250 receiving yards last season is the 11th best total in WVIAC annals.
Walls (6-3, 205, Sr., Camden, NJ) is one of Division II's top deep threats, scoring touchdowns in 11 of 12 contests that he played in last year. He snared 61 passes for 1321 yards, a yardage figure good for eighth in WVIAC single-season annals. Walls' 132 points scored marks the top single-season total by a league receiver and places him in a tie for seventh among all players.
Concord wide receiver Thomas Mayo (6-2, 184, Jr., Reston, VA) is a first team All-American pick by Lindy's. He played a key role in Concord's turnaround 6-5 season in 2009 as he led Division II with 124.4 receiving yards per game. The sophomore made eleven touchdown grabs and his 1,368 receiving yards last year stand fifth on the all-time WVIAC single-season list.
Shepherd kick returner Deante Steele (5-9, 185, Sr., Woodbridge, VA) is on the Sporting News first team and the Lindy's second squad. He enters his final season tied for the Division II career kick return scoring record with 10 runbacks (6 punt, 4 kickoff) for touchdowns. In 2009, he ranked in the top ten nationally with a 17.0 yards per punt return average and a 28.9 yards per kick return figure. Steele also earned first team All-WVIAC accolades at defensive back.
Shepherd's Ben Minturn (6-1, 190, Sr., Gaithersburg, MD) is a second team selection by Lindy's. He led the Rams in tackles with 75 stops in 2009, including a team-high 55 solos.
In addition to the West Liberty-Edinboro matchup, WVIAC squads will face three more squads that are nationally ranked during the non-league portion of the schedule. North Alabama (#4 Lindy's, #10 Sporting News) travels to Glenville State on September 11 in UNA head coach Terry Bowden's return to West Virginia.
UNC Pembroke (#8 Sporting News, #14 Lindy's) makes a visit to Glenville State on October 2 and hosts Fairmont State (10/16) and Concord (10/30) later that month. The Braves took a 27-9 win over Concord and a 38-7 triumph against Fairmont State last year.
Shippensburg (#15 Lindy's, #19 Sporting News) provides the opposition for Shepherd in the annual Great Valley Classic on August 28. The Rams handed the eventual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champions a 34-23 setback in 2009.
WVIAC football kicks off on Thursday, August 26 when Concord welcomes Southern Virginia for a 6:00 p.m. start. The complete Sporting News and Lindy's Top 25's and pre-season All-American squads follow:
Sporting News Division II Top 25
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State
3. WEST LIBERTY
4. Minnesota-Duluth
5. California (PA)
6. Nebraska-Kearney
7. Central Washington
8. UNC Pembroke
9. Edinboro (PA)
10. North Alabama
11. Carson-Newman (TN)
12. Minnesota State
13. Hillsdale (MI)
14. Abilene Christian (TX)
15. Tarleton State (TX)
16. Missouri Western
17. Tuskegee (AL)
18. Texas A&M-Kingsville
19. Shippensburg (PA)
20. Saginaw Valley State (MI)
21. East Stroudsburg (PA)
22. West Texas A&M
23. Arkansas Tech
24. West Alabama
25. Midwestern State (TX)
Sporting News Pre-season Division II All-America Team:
Offense
QB-Zach Amedro (West Liberty)
RB-Isaac Odim (Minnesota-Duluth)
RB-Jonas Randolph (Mars Hill)
RB-Rustin Dring (Nebraska-Kearney)
OL-Brett Grozinger (NW Missouri State)
OL-Cameron Bradfield (Grand Valley State)
OL-Brandon Fusco (Slippery Rock)
OL-Royland Tubbs (Abliene Christian)
OL-David Mims (Virginia Union)
TE-Ryan Travis (West Liberty)
WR-Jake Soy (NW Missouri State)
WR-Kashif Walls (West Liberty)
ATH-Trevar Deed (Delta State)
K-Greg Zuerlein (Nebraska-Omaha)
Defense
DL-Cedric Thornton (Southern Arkansas)
DL-Danny Richard (Grand Valley State)
DL-Xavier Brown (C.W. Post)
DL-Aston Whiteside (Abilene Christian)
LB-Robbie Aurich (Minnesota-Duluth)
LB-Matt Freed (East Stroudsburg)
LB-Nick Thomas (Wayne State, MI)
DB-Ron Parker (Newberry)
DB-Caylon Hann (UNC Pembroke)
DB-Branden Williams (Edinboro)
DB-Rodney Mitchell (Eastern New Mexico)
KR-Deante Steele (Shepherd)
P-Brian Schmedidebusch (Findlay)
Lindy's Division II Top 25
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State (MI)
3. WEST LIBERTY
4. North Alabama
5. Minnesota-Duluth
6. California (PA)
7. Central Washington
8. Tarleton State (TX)
9. Carson-Newman (TN)
10. Midwestern State (TX)
11. Nebraska-Kearney
12. Saginaw Valley State (MI)
13. Minnesota State
14. UNC Pembroke
15. Shippensburg (PA)
16. Bloomsburg (PA)
17. Abilene Christian (TX)
18. East Stroudsburg (PA)
19. Hillsdale (MI)
20. Missouri Western
21. Arkansas Tech
22. Texas A&M-Kingsville
23. West Alabama
24. Edinboro (PA)
25. Tuskegee (AL)
Lindy's Pre-season Division II All-America Team:
1st Team Offense
QB-Zach Amedro (West Liberty)
RB-Isaac Odim (Minnesota-Duluth)
RB-Jonas Randolph (Mars Hill)
WR-Thomas Mayo (Concord)
WR-Jake Soy (NW Missouri State)
TE-Ryan Travis (West Liberty)
OL-Cameron Bradfield (Grand Valley State)
OL-Brett Grozinger (NW Missouri State)
OL-David Mims (Virginia Union)
OL-Trevis Turner (Abilene Christian)
OL-Jason Wiseman (NW Missouri State)
KR-Trevar Deed (Delta State)
K-Joe Drahos (Missouri S&T)
1st Team Defense
DL-Malcolm Jenkins (Elizabeth City State)
DL-Danny Richard (Grand Valley State)
DL-Cedric Thornton (Southern Arkansas)
DL-Aston Whiteside (Abilene Christian)
LB-Robbie Aurich (Minnesota-Duluth)
LB-Matt Freed (East Stroudsburg)
LB-Justin Victor (Grand Valley State)
DB-Pierre Desir (Washburn)
DB-Giorgio Dunham (Central Oklahoma)
DB-Rodney Mitchell (Eastern New Mexico)
DB-Ron Parker (Newberry)
P-Kevin Berg (Chadron State)
2nd Team Offense
QB-Blake Bolles (NW Missouri State)
RB-Rustin Dring (Nebraska-Kearney)
RB-Fred Winborn (Texas A&M-Kingsville)
WR-Justin Johnson (Fort Lewis)
WR-Kashif Walls (West Liberty)
TE-Mike Higgins (Nebraska-Omaha)
OL-Tripp Boatner (Arkansas-Monticello)
OL-John Buckman (Emporia State)
OL-Pat Casey (Bloomsburg)
OL-Orion Matthies (Nebraska-Kearney)
OL-Marcus McElveen (Shaw)
KR-Deante Steele (Shepherd)
K-Dalton Lane (Colorado Mines)
2nd Team Defense
DL-Darian Barnes (Tuskegee)
DL-Marcus Crump (St. Augustine's)
DL-Xavier Brown (C.W. Post)
DL-Danny Anderson (Tuskegee)
LB-Tony Johnson (Merrimack)
LB-Shawn Loiseau (Merrimack)
LB-Anthony Scott (West Texas A&M)
DB-Akeem Deloatch (Livingstone)
DB-Michael Elliott (Truman State)
DB-Ben Minturn (Shepherd)
DB-Kenneth Turner (Bowie State)
P-Mike Langston (Dixie State)