Berridge, Rucker named to preseason All-Conference First Team
Offensive lineman Brandon Berridge and wide receiver Craig Rucker were named to the 2018 South Atlantic Conference (SAC) preseason All-Conference First Team, as announced by the league Tuesday afternoon.
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference announced the 2018 Preseason All-Conference Football Teams on Thursday (Aug. 2). Chosen by the SAC Football Media Relations Directors, preseason favorite Carson-Newman had nine players named to the first team, while Wingate and Catawba had five selections each, Newberry had four, Mars Hill and Lenoir-Rhyne two picks each and Limestone rounded out the first team with one selection.
Carson-Newman's Derrick Evans was named first team quarterback. A two-way threat, he threw for 1,460 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 625 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Earning spots on the first team at running back were Carson-Newman's Antonio Wimbush, Catawba's Kenyatta Greene and Limestone's Jerko'ya Patton.
Wimbush had his season cut short due to injury, but posted 149 yards on the ground in just two games, including a 115-yard performance in the Eagles season opener against Pikeville.
Greene led the SAC in yards per rush, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He also rushed for more than 700 yards in 2017 and crossed the goal line eight times for the Catawba Indians.
Patton finished 2017 ranked fourth in the league in yards per game, averaging 90.7 yards per game. In all, he ran for 907 yards and eight touchdowns.
The first team wide receiver core features Markell Castle from Newberry, BJ Muckelvene of Wingate and Craig Rucker from Mars Hill.
Castle was one of the conference leaders in yards per catch and touchdowns, finishing 2017 ranked third in yards per catch at 19.4 and second in touchdowns with nine.
Muckelvene, a 2017 All-American, earned a spot on the first team as both a wide receiver and a return specialist. As a receiver he hauled in 23 receptions for 394 yards and four touchdowns, while as a return man he averaged more than 20 yards per return and scored three touchdowns.
Rucker closed out the 2017 season ranked third in the SAC in receptions, yards and yards per game. He caught 52 passes for 915 yards and averaged 91.5 yards per game. He also scored six touchdowns.
The first team offensive line consists of Phil McDowell and Jordan Seal from Carson-Newman, Quinzavious Sands from Catawba, Mars Hill's Brandon Berridge and Wingate's Connor Baroniunas. McDowell, Sands and Berridge were all first team selections in 2017, while Seal and Baroniunas were All-SAC second team selections.
Rounding out the first team offense selections were Catawba's Jordan Osinskie at tight end, Catawba's Lee Brackman at placekicker and Carson-Newman's Dawson Campbell at long snapper.
Osinskie, a first team selection in 2017, hauled in 30 receptions for 400 yards with three touchdowns last season.
Brackman, also a first team selection in 2017, led the league in field goals made, P-A-T's made and points. He made 12 field goals, put 40 P-A-T's through the uprights and scored 76 points.
Campbell was a preseason All-SAC selection last season and had only one field goal blocked all season.
On the defensive side of the ball the first team defensive line consists of Montel Presley of Carson-Newman, Jamarcus Henderson and Keito Jordon of Newberry and Auntrell Mack of Wingate. All four players were first team All-SAC selections in 2017.
The first team linebacker crew is made up of Lenoir-Rhyne's Sherrod Williams, Wingate's Robbie Wallace, Joe Blue of Newberry and Antonio Henderson of Carson-Newman.
Blue, the lone first teamer returning from last year's squad, was second in the league in solo tackles with 54.
Williams and Wallace were both All-SAC second team picks in 2017. Wallace was the conference leader in total tackles with 104 and Williams was ranked in the top-10 in both tackles and tackles per game.
The first team secondary selections are Darius Williams and Desmond Fairell from Carson-Newman, Cris Page from Catawba and Kyle Duggar from Lenoir-Rhyne.
Duggar led the league in tackles last season with 59, while Williams led the conference in interceptions with five. Fairell was second in interceptions with four and Page was third with three. Williams, Fairell and Page were all first team selections, while Duggar was a second team pick.
Rounding out the first team selections was Wingate punter Christopher Birozes.
2018 Preseason All-SAC Football Teams
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB – Derrick Evans, Carson-Newman
RB – Antonio Wimbush, Carson-Newman
RB – Kenyatta Greene, Catawba
RB – Jerko'ya Patton, Limestone
WR – Markell Castle, Newberry
WR – BJ Muckelvene, Wingate
WR – Craig Rucker, Mars Hill
OL – Phil McDowell, Carson-Newman
OL – Quinzavious Sands, Catawba
OL – Brandon Berridge, Mars Hill
OL – Jordan Seal, Carson-Newman
OL – Connor Baroniunas, Wingate
TE – Jourdan Osinskie, Catawba
PK – Lee Brackman, Catawba
LS – Dawson Campbell, Carson-Newman
RS – BJ Muckelvene, Wingate
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL – Montel Presley, Carson-Newman
DL – Jamarcus Henderson, Newberry
DL – Keito Jordan, Newberry
DL – Auntrell Mack, Wingate
LB – Sherrod Williams, Lenoir-Rhyne
LB – Robbie Wallace, Wingate
LB – Joe Blue, Newberry
LB – Antonio Henderson, Carson-Newman
DB – Darius Williams, Carson-Newman
DB – Desmond Fairell, Carson-Newman
DB – Cris Page, Catawba
DB – Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Christopher Birozes, Wingate
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB – Alex Ogle, Tusculum
RB – Maxwell Joseph, Tusculum
RB – Austin Barnes, Newberry
RB – Marcus Williams, Carson-Newman
WR – JT Stokes, Wingate
WR – Saaehim Brooks, Lenoir-Rhyne
WR – Jaquay Mitchell, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL – Jalen Soto, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL – Tyler Anderson, Newberry
OL – Keveon Broadwater, Tusculum
OL – Cody Meree, Limestone
OL – Austin May, Wingate
TE – Gary Breuklander, Tusculum
PK – Shea Rodgers, Newberry
LS – Tucker Mullis, Wingate
RS – Jay Boyd, Tusculum
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL – Brian Bembry, Carson-Newman
DL – Omar Staley, Catawba
DL – Jordan Hemingway, Catawba
DL – Kelvin Atkins, Limestone
DL – Cardell Rawlings, Wingate
LB – Ivan Hogans, Tusculum
LB – Anfernee Moffett, Newberry
LB – Temoris Coats, Carson-Newman
LB – Clayton Horn, Lenoir-Rhyne
DB – Jawanza Adams, Newberry
DB – Dee Alford, Tusculum
DB – Kam Johnson, Wingate
DB – Joshua Simmons, Limestone
DB – Jay Boyd, Tusculum
P – Caleb Berry, Catawba
