2009 NSIC All-Conference Teams
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Ten Southwest Minnesota State football players were honored by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference on Monday as the conference released its postseason awards. The all-conference teams were selected by the 14 head coaches in the conference and were announced on Monday morning from the league office in St. Paul.
SMSU junior quarterback Ryan Ratekin was named the NSIC Offensive Newcomer of the Year and second team All-NSIC South Division. Joining Ratekin on the second team All-NSIC South squad were senior offensive tackle Bill Noethlich, sophomore safety Levi Reiff, senior wide receiver Blake Wilson and senior running back Zach Wysong. Wilson was also named second team All-NSIC South as a return specialist.
SMSU also had five players named honorable mention All-NSIC South, including junior offensive lineman Brian Bular, senior defensive lineman Matt Carmody, sophomore linebacker Derek Klinkner, junior tight end Shane LaDage and sophomore wide receiver Wade McDonough.
Ratekin, a 6-foot-3, 204-pound junior from Chico, Calif., started all 11 games this season completing 225 of 352 passes for 2,963 yards and 33 touchdowns. The 33 touchdown passes ranks as the third highest in one season in school history while the passing yards rank seventh highest in a single-season school history. In 10 conference games, Ratekin led the NSIC in touchdown passes (29), finished second in passing average (265.3) and third in total offense (257.7). He is the second Mustang in history to earn NSIC Offensive Newcomer of the Year joining quarterback Adrian Headen in 2004.
Noethlich, a 6-foot-7, 301-pound senior from Doland, S.D., earns postseason honors for the third straight season. He was named honorable mention All-NSIC South last season and was a second team All-NSIC honoree in 2007. Noethlich, a 2009 team captain, started 41 of his 44 career games, including 40 consecutive starts from late in the 2006 season through this year. This season he helped anchor an offense that averaged 36 points per game, the second highest per game average in school history and 396.2 yards per game. SMSU also scored 30 or more points in eight games, tying a school record for the most 30-point games in a single-season.
Reiff, a 6-foot-3, 206-pound sophomore from Dell Rapids, S.D., ended the season leading the Mustangs in both tackles with 76 and pass break-ups with six and also tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Reiff finished the 10-game NSIC season ranked 13th in the league with 7.1 tackles per game.
Wilson, a 5-foot-10, 182-pound senior from Frankfort, S.D., earns postseason honors for the second straight season after earning honorable mention accolades in 2008. Wilson, a 2009 team captain, led SMSU with 62 receptions for 842 yards and 13 touchdowns. Wilson’s 62 receptions is the second highest by a Mustang wide receiver in a single-season since 1993. He finished his career fifth in school history in touchdown receptions (23), eighth in touchdown scored (24) and 10th in receiving yards (1,896). In 10 NSIC games, he ranked third in the conference in receiving yards per game (81.9), third in receptions per game (6.0) and fourth in scoring (7.8). As a punt returner, Wilson ranked third in the NSIC in return average (10.9) and finished the season overall returning 17 punts for a 10.1 average, including one touchdown return for a school record 80 yards in a victory over Minnesota, Crookston.
Wysong, a 5-foot-9, 188-pound senior from Hills, Minn., rushed for a team-high 905 yards and five touchdowns on 146 carries this season. He also ranked third on the squad with 27 receptions for 348 yards. The school’s all-time leading rusher with 3,175 yards, Wysong finished the conference season ranking seventh in the NSIC in rushing yards per game (82.3). A second team All-NSIC South honoree last season and an honorable mention pick in 2007, Wysong finishes his career at SMSU first in rushing yards, first in attempts (664), first in rushing yards per game (73.8), second in rushing touchdowns (25), second in all-purpose yards (4,818) and tied for fourth in both points scored (206) and touchdowns scored (34).
Bular, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound junior from Andover, Minn., started all 11 games on the offensive line for SMSU and helped the Mustang offense average 36 points per game, the second highest per game average in school history and average 396.2 yards per game. SMSU also scored 30 or more points in eight games, tying a school record for the most 30-point games in a single-season.
Carmody, a 6-foot-3, 267-pound senior from Pipestone, Minn., racked up 42 tackles, including four for loss and three sacks in 2009. A 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine second team Academic All-District honoree, Carmody finished his career at SMSU with 133 tackles, including 16 for loss.
Klinkner, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound sophomore from Artesian, S.D., led SMSU with 7.5 tackles for loss, tied for the team lead with two interceptions and ranked second on the squad in tackles with 71.
LaDage, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound junior from Parker, Colo., caught a career-high 14 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown and helped block for an offense that averaged 36 points and 396.2 yards per game.
McDonough, a 6-foot-3, 174-pound sophomore from Sac City, Iowa, finished the season second on the team with 47 receptions for 725 yards and nine touchdowns. In 10 NSIC games, McDonough ranked ninth in the conference in yards per game (64.5) and 10th in receptions per game (4.6). In two seasons at SMSU, McDonough has 71 receptions for 1,075 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Southwest Minnesota State University, located in Marshall, Minn., is a member of NCAA Division II. SMSU finished the 2009 season 5-6 overall, 4-6 NSIC. SMSU’s 11 combined victories the past two seasons are the most in program history since 1991-92.
A complete list of the 2009 NSIC All-Conference team can be found at www.northernsun.org.