By Duane Cochran
FAIRMONT — The West Virginia Conference announced its 2009 all-conference football team Tuesday and Fairmont State’s Nate Black, Luke Black and Dewey McDonald all earned first-team honors from the league.
Three other Falcons, Zack Page, Stephan Johnson and Kyle Knight, were named to the second-team unit, while Doug Brazill, Greg Underwood and Drew Rossignol all received honorable mention on the squad.
Senior linebacker Nate Black, a first team All-WVC selection last year, led the Falcons with 95 total tackles this fall, including 56 solo tackles. He also added 13 tackles for a losses and three sacks. He intercepted one pass, forced a fumble and recorded a safety.
His brother, sophomore defensive end Luke Black, moved up from last year’s second team to the first unit this fall. He recorded 43 total tackles, including eight for losses and three sacks. He also forced a pair of fumbles.
McDonald, a true freshman from Jefferson High School, enjoyed a standout first college season. He was among both the conference and national leaders in interceptions per game. He finished with five picks and his 161 return yards on those interceptions established a new school record. McDonald also scored a TD on an interception return and recorded 36 tackles, including 28 solo stops. He also recovered one fumble and forced three.
Page, who set new single-season school records for kickoff returns (43) and kickoff return yardage (1,221) and finished ninth in the nation during the regular season with an average of 28.4 yards per return, was named to the second-team, All-WVC squad for the second straight year. The junior returned two kickoffs this fall for touchdown. As a unit, the Falcons had the second-ranked kick return unit in the country in Division II.
Johnson, a junior tight end, earned conference honors for the first time in his career being named to the second team on offense. Johnson led Fairmont State with four touchdown receptions. On the year, he had 12 catches for 237 yards.
Knight, a senior, closes out his career with second-team honors as an offensive tackle. Knight had twice earned honorable mention honors earlier in his career.
Brazill, an All-WVC honorable mention honoree in 2007, again was named honorable mention in 2009. The junior running back anchored a balanced FSU rushing attack with 664 yards and seven touchdowns on 140 carries. Brazill ranks among the top 10 rushers in FSU history heading into his senior season.
For the second-straight season, Underwood, a sophomore safety, earned honorable mention honors. Underwood finished tied for second on the team in total tackles with 68. He had 49 solo tackles and eight tackles for losses. He also was second on the team in interceptions with three.
Rossignol, a senior, earns conference recognition for the first time in his career as an honorable mention selection. The cornerback started all 11 games and had 28 tackles on the year. He also recovered two fumbles, taking one back for his first career touchdown.
West Virginia natives swept the top WVC football honors for the first time since 1986. The league’s coaches named West Liberty standout junior quarterback Zach Amedro and West Virginia State’s senior linebacker Andrew Eggleton as the conference’s 2009 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
Amedro, a former standout at John Marshall High School, established an NCAA Division II mark with 11 consecutive 300-yard passing games. He leads the country with 41 touchdown passes, ranks second in passing offense (367.3 ypg) and is third in total offense (367.4 ypg). He’s only the fourth player in D-II history to pass for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in a single season.
Eggleton, a senior from St. Albans, led the WVC with 109 tackles. He had six games of 10 tackles or more, forced three fumbles, recovered three fumbles and had one interception.
West Liberty’s Roger Waialae was honored by his peers as the conference’s Coach of the Year after guiding the Toppers to a 10-1 regular season mark and the conference championship with a perfect 8-0 league record.
West Liberty made the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the first time in school history this fall. The Hilltoppers are the top seed in Super Region I and will have a first-round bye this weekend. West Liberty is currently ranked ninth in the country.
