Berridge, Rucker named to preseason All-Conference First Team

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