Click here to view the PDFSt. Paul, Minn.: Southwest Minnesota State University senior wide receiver Ray Denson, senior cornerback Julius Johnson and junior punter Andy Schlichting have been named first team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference as selected by the conference coaches, the league office announced on Monday.
The three players lead a group of 12 total Mustang players recognized by the NSIC head coaches. The 12 players is the most ever by an SMSU team since joining the conference in 1970. The 1993 and 1998 SMSU squads both had 11 players named either first team, second team or honorable mention.
The three first team selections also mark the first time SMSU has had three players earned first team all-conference honors since the 1999 season.
A 6-1, 201-pounder from Ft. Myers, Fla., Denson earned first team all-conference honors for the second straight season. He led SMSU with 68 receptions for 884 yards and six touchdowns and finished third in the NSIC (conference games only) in receptions with 44. His 68 receptions this season was the most by an SMSU receiver since the 1993 season. Denson finished his career with 199 receptions for 2,691 yards and 25 touchdowns in 43 games. In the SMSU career record book, he ranks fourth in receptions, fourth in receiving touchdowns and sixth in receiving yards.
Johnson, a 5-9, 171-pound native of Sacramento, Calif., led SMSU this season with five interceptions including one he returned for a touchdown. He finished tied for sixth on the team in tackles with 41 while also tying for the team lead in pass break-ups with five. Johnson, who was honorable mention All-NSIC last season as a kick return specialist, returned 16 kickoffs this season for an average of 20.4 yards per return.
Schlichting, a 6-1, 174-pound native of Chaska, Minn., set an SMSU single-season record as he averaged 40.8 yards per punt which included 11 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line. Schlichting, who earned second team All-NSIC honors in 2004, led the conference this season in punting with a 39.9 average in seven conference games.
SMSU senior linebacker Bryan Wilson, senior defensive lineman Kyle Morrow and junior punt return specialist Ryan Schroeder all were named second team All-NSIC.
Wilson, a 6-2, 253-pound native of Rocklin, Calif., finished second on the team in tackles with 69 and led the Mustang defense with 9.5 tackles for loss while also tying for the team lead in sacks with five. Wilson was an honorable mention all-conference pick in 2004.
A 6-5, 213-pound native of Concord, Calif., Morrow finished the 2005 season with 40 tackles and was second on the team in sacks with nine and second in tackles for loss with 4.5.
Schroeder, a 6-2, 196-pound native of Oak Creek, Wis., returned 16 punts for an average of 8.9 per return. In conference play he was second in the league with an average of 9.8 yards per return. As a wide receiver for SMSU he finished second on the team with 25 receptions for 285 yards and one touchdown.
Six other Mustangs earned honorable mention All-NSIC honors by the coaches. Defensively, junior defensive tackle Jon Kubat (Dawson, Minn.), sophomore linebacker Tyler Fischer (Gettysburg, S.D.), true freshman linebacker Jeff Mimick (Spencer, Neb.) and true freshman safety Tyler Reed (Ottumwa, Iowa) picked up honorable mention accolades, while junior offense lineman Jeremy Nopens (Lake Preston, S.D.) and placekicker Eric Oldenkamp (Chandler, Ariz.) also were recognized.
Kubat, who moved from linebacker to defensive tackle this season, finished the year with 40 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and also had two interceptions. Fischer ranked third on the team with 58 tackles and was fourth in sacks with 3.5. Mimick racked up 41 tackles in his first season and tied for the team lead with five sacks, while his three sacks in conference play ranked tenth in the eight-team league. Reed finished his rookie season as the teams leading tackler with 72 stops including a team-high 42 solo tackles. He also added three pass break-ups and two interceptions. He finished second in the NSIC among freshman with 49 tackles in seven conference games.
Nopens, who was playing his first full season on the offensive line after moving from the defensive line early last season, helped an SMSU offense average 20.1 points and 309.4 yards per game. Oldenkamp, a first team all-conference pick a season ago, connected on 9 of 14 field goal attempts this season while leading the team in points scored with 46. He finished his career booting 20 career field goals which ranks second all-time in school history.
Concordia quarterback James McNear was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Year while defensive lineman John Tackman of Winona State was named the conferences Defensive Player of the Year. Wide receiver Tyrone Ruffin of Concordia was named the Offensive Newcomer of the Year while safety Una Lata of Northern State was named Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Concordia head coach Mark Mauer was selected as the NSIC Coach of the Year.
Southwest Minnesota State finished the 2005 season 4-7 overall, 1-6 NSIC.
