GSC Announces 2014 All-Conference Football Honors
Complete Release (PDF)
Birmingham, AL—The Gulf South Conference announced the 44th edition of its All-Conference Football Team today.
NCAA Playoff participant West Georgia led the way on this year’s squad, landing 16 total players.
Co-Champion North Alabama and
Playoff qualifier Valdosta State each posted 13 overall honorees led by UNA's team-high seven First Team standouts.
Co-Champion Delta State notched 12 overall winners, followed by
Florida Tech's nine.
Shorter recorded six honorees in its first season as an official GSC member and
West Alabama wrapped up the list with five All-GSC stars.
UWA'S CALDWELL, FIT'S MILTON SHARE GSC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Two players shared
GSC Offensive Player of the Year honors for the first time since 2000 after
West Alabama senior quarterback Kyle Caldwell and
Florida Tech senior wide receiver Xavier Milton tied in the voting.
Caldwell returns from 2013, becoming the first back-to-back Offensive winner since DSU's Scott Eyster repeated in 2005 and 2006. The Dadeville, Ala. native capped his UWA career by becoming the first player in school history to eclipse the 9,000-yard mark and his 9,090-yard total is sixth in the GSC records. Caldwell placed third in the Conference this season in total offense (261.5) and passing touchdowns (21), fourth in passing (216.6) and 10th in rushing (44.9).
Milton is FIT's first-ever GSC Offensive Individual winner and just the fourth wide receiver to win at least a share of the award since its inception in 1971. The Alameda, Ca. native led the GSC in touchdown catches (10) and receiving yards per game (101.5), while ranking second in receptions per game (6.6).
SU'S SHAW SELECTED AS GSC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Shorter capped its first official season as a GSC Football member by providing the
2014 GSC Defensive Player of the Year:
junior defensive back Jordan Shaw.
Shaw is the fifth all-time defensive back to claim the laurel and first since West Georgia's Nate Coggins in 2001. The Jasper, Ga. native spearheaded the Hawks' defense, leading the league with eight interceptions for 118 yards, including a 100-yard return for a touchdown. He became the 15th player with at least eight INTs in a season and just the seventh player to take back an miscue for 100 yards. Shaw did not stop there, ranking third in the GSC in total tackles (81) and fourth in tackles per game (7.8).
FIT'S CATO, DSU’S SHAW CLAIM GSC FRESHMAN HONORS
Florida Tech collected its first-ever
GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year:
quarterback Mark Cato. The redshirt freshman took the league by storm in 2014, starting all 11 games for the Panthers and leading the Conference with 32 touchdown tosses. The Alachua, Fla. native ranked second in the GSC in passing (266.0) and total offense (295.5) and he was the recipient of the newly added GSC Freshman of the Week honor eight times.
Delta State safety Trey Shaw garnered the
GSC Defensive Freshman of the Year honor. Shaw is DSU's third defensive freshman winner and second defensive back winner since Dominique Davenport in 2008. The Oxford, Miss. native completed the regular season with 21 total tackles in just seven games, including one for a loss. He was also involved in four takeaways, nabbing two interceptions and forcing two fumbles..
DSU’S COOLEY, FIT'S ENGLEHART SHARE GSC COACH OF THE YEAR
The GSC honored at least two
Coaches of the Year for the fourth time in six years. The 2014 recipients are
Delta State’s Todd Cooley and
Florida Tech's Steve Englehart.
Cooley celebrated his second season at DSU by claiming his second honor in a row after taking home outright accolades in 2013. He guided the Statesmen back to the top of the GSC for the first time since 2011 as DSU shared the 2014 Title with North Alabama. Delta State leads the Conference heading into the NCAA post-season after earning the No. 2 seed and a First-Round bye.
Englehart collects his first-ever Coach of Year in FIT's second season in the GSC. The Panthers featured one of the top offenses in the league this year, ranking tops in first downs (280) and second in passing (288.7) and total offense (487.6).
2014 ALL-GSC TEAM
The 2014 All-GSC Football Team is headlined by
one three-time returning First Team standout,
eight two-time returning First Teamers and four unanimous selections.
Delta State senior linebacker Rory Island leads the All-Conference defense as the GSC’s 48th three-time First Teamer. The Waveland, Miss. native ranked No. 10 in the GSC in tackles for loss per game (1.22) and No. 11 in tackles per game (6.3).
Shorter defensive back Jordan Shaw was the defense's lone unanimous selection, while the offense features three unanimous First Team senior wide receivers in
Florida Tech's Xavier Milton,
DSU's Casey Osborne and
West Alabama's Chad Toocheck.
Returning from last year’s First Team are
UWA quarterback Kyle Caldwell and
wide out Chad Toocheck, FIT tight end Gabe Hughes and
wide out Xavier Milton, West Georgia offensive guard Garrison Ushery and
linebacker Tyrell Adams and
North Alabama defensive lineman Taylor Carney.
UWG's Denarius Appling returns to the First Team as a return specialist for the first time since 2011.
Seven players made the jump from last year’s Second Team:
UNA running back Lamonte Thompson and
offensive tackle Keith Jones,
DSU wide receiver Casey Osborne and
defensive back Richard Nash,
VSU offensive guard Felei Tauvae,
UWG punter James Dugan and
UWA long snapper Matthew Humphries.
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GSC OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: |
WR, Xavier Milton, Florida Tech |
|
|
QB, Kyle Caldwell, West Alabama |
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GSC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: |
DB, Jordan Shaw, Shorter |
|
GSC OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: |
QB, Mark Cato, Florida Tech |
|
GSC DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: |
S, Trey Shaw, Delta State |
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GSC COACHES OF THE YEAR: |
Todd Cooley, Delta State |
|
|
Steve Englehart, Florida Tech |
2014 ALL-GSC FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
QB |
!Kyle Caldwell |
West Alabama |
5-7 |
165 |
SR |
Dadeville, Ala. |
|
RB |
Trevor Sand |
Florida Tech |
5-11 |
205 |
SO |
Seminole, Fla. |
|
RB |
#%Lamonte Thompson |
North Alabama |
5-8 |
175 |
JR |
Florence, Ala. |
|
WR |
Delvon Carpenter |
North Alabama |
6-1 |
175 |
JR |
Houston, Tex. |
|
WR |
*!Xavier Milton |
Florida Tech |
6-0 |
190 |
SR |
Alameda, Ca. |
|
WR |
*#Casey Osborne |
Delta State |
6-3 |
205 |
JR |
Flowery Branch, Ga. |
|
WR |
*!%Chad Toocheck |
West Alabama |
6-3 |
212 |
SR |
Medina, Ohio |
|
TE |
!Gabe Hughes |
Florida Tech |
6-4 |
235 |
JR |
Lighthouse Point, Fla. |
|
AP |
Eric Dodson (QB) |
Shorter |
5-8 |
165 |
SR |
Thomasville, Ga. |
|
C |
Quincy Awa-Dubose |
West Georgia |
6-2 |
320 |
SR |
Oxnard, Ca. |
|
G |
Michael Gibbs |
Delta State |
6-2 |
300 |
SR |
Brandon, Miss. |
|
G |
#Felei Tauvae |
Valdosta State |
6-2 |
341 |
SR |
America Samoa |
|
G |
!Garrison Ushery |
West Georgia |
6-1 |
335 |
SR |
Austell, Ga. |
|
T |
#Keith Jones |
North Alabama |
6-5 |
305 |
SR |
Birmingham, Ala. |
|
T |
Jesse Yancey |
Valdosta State |
6-7 |
315 |
SR |
Claxton, Ga. |
DEFENSE
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
DL |
Randall Boyd |
Delta State |
6-0 |
245 |
JR |
Forest, Miss. |
|
DL |
Darrius Caldwell |
West Georgia |
6-6 |
245 |
JR |
Atlanta, Ga. |
|
DL |
!Taylor Carney |
North Alabama |
6-2 |
267 |
SR |
Killen, Ala. |
|
DL |
Trevaris Horton |
Shorter |
6-2 |
250 |
JR |
Phenix City, Ala. |
|
LB |
!Tyrell Adams |
West Georgia |
6-2 |
225 |
SR |
Atlanta, Ga. |
|
LB |
Wilson Curtis |
Delta State |
6-2 |
200 |
SO |
Winnsboro, La. |
|
LB |
!$Rory Island |
Delta State |
6-0 |
225 |
SR |
Waveland, Miss. |
|
LB |
Kenny Murphy |
Valdosta State |
6-2 |
240 |
JR |
Glennville, Ga. |
|
LB |
Steven Rich |
North Alabama |
6-3 |
210 |
SR |
Savannah, Tenn. |
|
LB |
J.J. Sanders |
Florida Tech |
5-10 |
235 |
JR |
Columbus, Ohio |
|
DB |
Fred Barnes |
West Alabama |
6-0 |
180 |
SR |
College Park, Ga. |
|
DB |
Philbert Martial |
North Alabama |
5-10 |
175 |
SO |
Mobile, Ala. |
|
DB |
%Richard Nash |
Delta State |
5-9 |
180 |
JR |
Macon, Ga. |
|
DB |
*Jordan Shaw |
Shorter |
6-2 |
215 |
JR |
Jasper, Ga. |
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
K |
Taylor Pontius |
North Alabama |
5-11 |
180 |
SR |
Biloxi, Miss. |
|
P |
#James Dugan |
West Georgia |
6-5 |
210 |
JR |
Carrollton, Ga. |
|
RS |
^&Denarius Appling |
West Georgia |
5-7 |
155 |
SR |
Griffin, Ga. |
|
BT |
Luke Wilson |
Shorter |
6-0 |
230 |
JR |
Fort Mitchell, Ala. |
|
UT |
#Matthew Humphries (LS) |
West Alabama |
6-1 |
230 |
SR |
Hueytown, Ala. |
|
|
|
|
!—2013 First Team All-GSC |
#—2013 Second Team All-GSC |
|
$—2012 First Team All-GSC |
%—2012 Second Team All-GSC |
|
^—2011 First Team All-GSC |
&—2010 Second Team All-GSC |
|
*—Unanimous selection |
|
2014 ALL-GSC FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
QB |
Mark Cato |
Florida Tech |
6-2 |
205 |
FR |
Alachua, Fla. |
|
QB |
Jake Medlock |
Valdosta State |
6-3 |
226 |
SR |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
|
QB |
#Tyler Sullivan |
Delta State |
6-3 |
236 |
SO |
Louisville, Miss. |
|
QB |
Luke Wingo |
North Alabama |
6-2 |
185 |
JR |
Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
|
RB |
!$Cedric O’Neal |
Valdosta State |
6-0 |
213 |
JR |
Dublin, Ga. |
|
RB |
%Seth Hinsley |
West Georgia |
5-10 |
224 |
SR |
Norcross, Ga. |
|
WR |
Chris Anderson |
Valdosta State |
5-8 |
195 |
JR |
Brunswick, Ga. |
|
WR |
Shaq Hall |
West Georgia |
6-3 |
200 |
JR |
Burlington, New Jersey |
|
WR |
!Ricky Hunt |
Delta State |
5-10 |
180 |
SR |
Sardis, Miss. |
|
WR |
Justin Leavy |
Delta State |
6-4 |
210 |
JR |
Greenville, Miss. |
|
WR |
Lee Mayhall |
North Alabama |
5-10 |
175 |
JR |
Jackson, Tenn. |
|
TE |
#Ty Morgan |
West Alabama |
6-3 |
242 |
JR |
Sweet Water, Ala. |
|
TE |
Eric Newman |
West Georgia |
6-3 |
250 |
SR |
Dacula, Ga. |
|
AP |
Denarius Appling |
West Georgia |
5-7 |
155 |
SR |
Griffin, Ga. |
|
C |
#Ramsey Sellers |
Florida Tech |
5-10 |
290 |
SR |
Wiggins, Miss. |
|
C |
Collin Stubblefield |
Delta State |
6-0 |
305 |
SR |
New Albany, Miss. |
|
G |
Orion Awa-Dubose |
West Georgia |
6-1 |
310 |
JR |
Oxnard, Ca. |
|
G |
Chris Beno |
Shorter |
6-0 |
270 |
JR |
Newnan, Ga. |
|
T |
Mose Countryman |
Delta State |
6-5 |
280 |
JR |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
|
T |
Matt Garcia |
Florida Tech |
6-5 |
275 |
JR |
Orange Park, Fla. |
DEFENSE
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
DL |
Alex Armah |
West Georgia |
6-2 |
245 |
SO |
Lawrenceville, Ga. |
|
DL |
#$Tevin Davis |
Valdosta State |
6-2 |
253 |
SR |
Forsyth, Ga. |
|
DL |
Shaquille Smith |
North Alabama |
6-2 |
265 |
SR |
Jackson, Miss. |
|
DL |
Dalvon Stuckey |
West Georgia |
6-4 |
300 |
JR |
DeFuniak Springs, Fla. |
|
LB |
Zach Butts |
Shorter |
6-0 |
227 |
SO |
McDonough, Ga. |
|
LB |
#Chris Stapleton |
Florida Tech |
5-11 |
215 |
SO |
Navarre, Fla. |
|
LB |
Sharmaine Washington |
Valdosta State |
6-1 |
232 |
SO |
Moultrie, Ga. |
|
LB |
Justin Williams |
Valdosta State |
6-0 |
210 |
SR |
Valdosta, Ga. |
|
DB |
#Manny Abad |
Florida Tech |
6-1 |
175 |
SO |
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
|
DB |
Levi Fell |
North Alabama |
5-11 |
160 |
SO |
Muscle Shoals, Ala. |
|
DB |
Carlos Hutton |
West Georgia |
5-11 |
170 |
JR |
Carrollton, Ga. |
|
DB |
Duran Lowe |
Valdosta State |
5-11 |
210 |
SR |
Plant City, Fla. |
|
DB |
Larry Murphy |
Valdosta State |
5-11 |
167 |
JR |
St. Petersburg, Fla. |
|
DB |
Laronji Vason |
West Georgia |
5-10 |
170 |
SO |
Montgomery, Ala. |
|
DB |
Romelo Wilson |
Delta State |
5-11 |
170 |
SO |
Ewa Beach, HI |
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
K |
Anthony Pistelli |
Valdosta State |
5-9 |
199 |
SO |
Thomasville, Ga. |
|
P |
Jake Medlock |
Valdosta State |
6-3 |
226 |
SR |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
|
RS |
Philbert Martial |
North Alabama |
5-10 |
175 |
SO |
Mobile, Ala. |
|
BT |
Will Lovelace (LS) |
North Alabama |
5-11 |
200 |
FR |
Florence, Ala. |
|
UT |
Gabe Freeman |
West Georgia |
6-1 |
235 |
SO |
Calhoun, Ga. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
!—2013 First Team All-GSC |
#—2013 Second Team All-GSC |
|
$—2012 First Team All-GSC |
%—2012 Second Team All-GSC |
|
^—2011 First Team All-GSC |
&—2010 Second Team All-GSC |
NOTE: The 2014 All-GSC Football Team was selected by the Head Coaches; Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players; Ties were not broken.
#GSC#