BOYS
Lafayette 56, Kearney 29
Benton 55, Platte County 46
Center 66, Central 44
Cameron 56, Bishop LeBlond 43
GIRLS
Bishop LeBlond 48, Maryville 45
Author: Dave Riggert
Four Griffons earn All-America honors from Don Hansen
Four members of the Missouri Western State University football team earned All-America honors from the Don Hansen Football Committee Friday.
Senior Michael Hill earned first-team All-America honors rushing for an MWSU single season record 2,168 yards this past season. Hill was also the runner up in the Harlon Hill race which is an award given to the DII Football Most Outstanding Player. Hill will be competing in the Raycom College Football All-Star on Saturday, January 19. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm in Montgomery, Ala. You can watch the game on CBS College Sports Network.
Senior defensive end David Bass and senior offensive tackle Macon Allan were named to the third team All-America squad while junior quarterback Travis Partridge received honorable mention All-America honors.
Bass finished his career with an MWSU record 56 tackles for a loss and 40.5 sacks. He started in all 52 games in his career for the Griffons as did Macon Allan. Bass will be playing in the East/West Shrine game on Saturday, January 19. The game will kickoff at 4:00 pm EST in St. Petersburg, Fla. The game will also be broadcasted on the NFL Network.
Partridge from St. Joseph, Mo. had his best season for the Griffons finishing with 48 total touchdowns (18 rushing, 30 passing). He passed for 2,706 yards completing 65.1-percent of his passes. He also finished with a 155.3 efficiency rating which led the MIAA and was 15th in the nation.
Shippensburg quarterback Zach Zulli, who captured the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy after passing for 4,747 yards and 54 touchdowns, was named the Don Hansen National Offensive Player of the Year. Fort Valley State junior linebacker Deron Furr, who led the nation with 26.5 tackles-for-loss, earned National Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Glenville State running back Rahmann Lee, who rushed for 1,357 yards and 13 touchdowns was named the National Freshman of the Year.
Valdosta State’s David Dean, who led the Blazers to a 12-2 record and the program’s third NCAA Division II National Championship, was named the 2012 Don Hansen National Coach of the Year.
— MWSU Sports Information —
Kansas City signs free agent DT Daniel Muir
The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Friday that the club has signed free agent defensive tackle Daniel Muir.
Muir (6-2, 322) originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 2007. He has appeared in 46 games (26 starts) in six seasons with Green Bay (2007), Indianapolis (2008-11) and the New York Jets (2012), recording 111 tackles (88 solo), 0.5 sacks (-5.0 yards) and one pass defensed.
He has started all four postseason games he’s appeared in, recording 16 tackles (11 solo) and 1.0 sack (-5.0 yards), including starting Super Bowl XLIV vs. New Orleans as a member of the Colts.
Muir was a four-year letterman at Kent State (2003-06), playing in 46 games with 45 starts, accumulating 198 career tackles, including 35 for loss, 14.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception.
The Lanham, Md., native, was a four-year letterman at Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Md., as both a defensive tackle and offensive guard.
— Chiefs Media Relations —
Five Northwest football players named Don Hansen All-Americans
Senior offensive lineman Rod Williams headlined a group of five Northwest Missouri State football players that were named to the Don Hansen All-America Team announced Friday.
Williams earned second team honors, as sophomore punter Kyle Goodburn was named to the third team. Three players also earned honorable mention acclaim with Collin DeBuysere, Travis Chappelear and Nate DeJong rounding out the Bearcats honored by Don Hansen Football Gazette.
With the award, Williams finishes his career at Northwest as a two-time All-America on the offensive line. The Kansas City native helped the Bearcats’ offense average 41 points per game in 2012 and over 50 points per game in 2011 to lead the nation.
Goodburn was one of the top punters in the nation finishing fourth at 44.2 yards per punt. The sophomore also led the MIAA in yards per punt and recorded 18 punts inside the 20-yard line.
DeJong and DeBuysere combined for 12 interceptions on the year as Northwest led NCAA Division II with 28. DeJong led the team with seven picks while DeBuysere was the second leading tackler with 74 and added a team-high nine tackles for a loss.
Chappelear was the third leading tackler for the Bearcats adding 8.0 tackles for a loss to one of the nation’s top defensive units. Northwest allowed 13 points per game the third best mark in NCAA Division II football during the 2012 season.
The Don Hansen Division II All-America Team carries out the legacy of longtime small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988.
The Don Hansen Football Committee selected All-Super Region teams in December and early January, with the first-team and second-team All-Super Region players advancing to the national ballot.
A total of 175 players earned some form of Don Hansen All-America honors. Players from 83 of the 157 football-playing schools in Division II earned Don Hansen All-America accolades. National Champion Valdosta State and national semifinalist West Texas A&M led the way by placing eight players apiece on the All-America squad.
— NWMSU Sports Information —
Snyder adds Seiler to Kansas State coaching staff
Former Kansas State defensive end Blake Seiler, who has spent the past two years as a graduate assistant, has been promoted to assistant coach and will tutor the Wildcats’ defensive ends, head coach Bill Snyder has announced.
A letterman at K-State from 2004-06, Seiler spent the past two seasons as the defensive graduate assistant for Snyder where he assisted the defensive coaching staff in breaking down film and running the scout team. Prior to his term as a defensive graduate assistant, Seiler served as an office assistant.
“As a student-athlete and a graduate assistant in our program, Blake has epitomized the values represented by our 16 goals in a major way,” said Snyder. “He is a quality individual that excelled on the field at the position he is going to coach and has been vital to our game-to-game preparation these past two years. He is highly respected by our players, coaches and supports staff, and he fits into ‘The Family’ extremely well.”
As a player, Seiler was a former walk-on who transferred to K-State from Oklahoma State where he was a member of the Cowboy wrestling squad. The Goddard, Kan., product earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors during his final three years in Manhattan while becoming one of the biggest contributors on defense. As a senior in 2006, Seiler made 21 tackles, including a career-best four sacks. He registered at least one tackle in 11-of-13 games and had multiple stops six times as he helped the Wildcats earn a trip to the 2006 Texas Bowl.
“After spending eight years at K-State as a player and graduate assistant, I am very appreciative that Coach Snyder has granted me the opportunity to join his staff as a full-time assistant coach,” said Seiler. “It is an honor and a privilege to work at my alma mater, and I look forward to continuing to work with an outstanding group of coaches.”
During an 11-game 2005 season, Seiler carded a career-best 34 tackles, including a season-high seven against Texas A&M. That season, Seiler won honored with the program’s Nancy Bennett Award, representing fight, spirit and a positive nature.
Seiler saw action in all 11 games in 2004 as a sophomore, being credited with six tackles, including 1.5 for loss. He earned the Kansas State Purple Pride Award as the walk-on that displayed quality play, leadership and work ethic.
“I’m very excited about adding Blake to the full-time staff,” added defensive coordinator Tom Hayes. “He has a great combination of experience at K-State as both a player and graduate assistant, and his work speaks for itself. He is bright, aggressive, works extremely hard and is relatable to our players. He is very deserving of this position.”
Seiler graduated from Kansas State in 2006 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also holds a master’s degree from Wichita State.
— KSU Sports Information —
Royals sign Hochevar to one-year contract
The Kansas City Royals announced Friday that the club has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with right-handed pitcher Luke Hochevar for the 2013 season, avoiding arbitration. Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed. The Royals have now signed all arbitration-eligible players for the 2013 season.
The 29-year-old Hochevar made 32 starts in 2012, finishing at 8-16 with a 5.73 ERA over 185.1 innings. He set a career-high with 144 strikeouts, posting 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings. Hochevar’s strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.36 was also a career best. The first-overall selection in the 2006 June Free Agent Draft resides in Knoxville, Tenn., with his wife, Ashley, and daughter, Laney.
— Royals Media Relations —
Ravens use defense to defeat Baker
The Benedictine (Kan.) College men’s basketball team committed a season-low seven turnovers on Thursday night en route to a 52-39 win in the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium over Baker University.
After suffering a set-back on Monday night on the road in a loss to Missouri Valley, Benedictine hit 43.1 percent from the floor to put away the Wildcats who only converted five second-half field goals.
Benedictine forward TJ Stevens scored a career-high 17 points in the win for the Ravens while guard John Harris Jr., chipped in with 10 points.
The Ravens held Baker leading scorer Ben Steinlage to 9 points, nearly five below his season average of 14.4 ppg.
The Ravens hit the road Saturday, traveling to Kansas City, Mo, for a 4 p.m. game against Avila University.
— BC Sports Information —
Five Missouri Western football players earn D2Football.com All-America honors
The Missouri Western football team had five players named to the D2Football.com All-America team which was announced Thursday morning.
Running back Michael Hill was a first team selection as well as being named the Offensive Player of the Year. Senior defensive end’s David Bass and Ben Pister were named to the second team while junior tight end Reggie Jordan and senior offensive tackle Macon Allan were honorable mention selections.
The Griffons come off a season where they were the outright MIAA Champions for the first time in history and went to the quarterfinals of the DII Playoffs.
They picked up their first two playoff victories in school history defeating Minnesota-Duluth 57-55 in triple overtime at home before defeating Henderson State 45-21 in Arkadelphia, Ark. The Griffons finished with a 12-2 overall record and were 9-1 in MIAA play. The 12 victories was the most in Griffon history.
— MWSU Sports Information —
Benedictine women rally past Baker
The Raven women’s basketball team proved tonight they had the heart and skill to battle back from a double-digit deficit, as they defeated Baker University 61-58 in front of a loud home crowd.
Baker University (11-8, 4-3 HAAC) held a consistent lead throughout the majority of the game and were leading by as much as 11 points in the second half.
Guard Rosie Youngstrom (Jr., Fairway) brought the No. 17 Ravens (17-3, 7-1 HAAC) back to life when she turned back- to- back steals into uncontested layups, bringing the game within three, with under five minutes to go.
Guard Jackie Ziesel (So., St. Joseph, Mo) tied the game with a 3-point field goal with 2:46 left in the game. Ziesel later ensured the win for the Ravens, putting in another 3-point shot with 29 seconds left to play.
Guard Justice Payne led the Ravens with 12 points and went 3-8 from behind the 3-point line. Ziesel and post Liz Stinson (Sr., Stilwell) both had 10 points.
Baker outplayed Benedictine in the first half and had the upper hand under the basket with 19 offensive rebounds and 27 on the defensive glass.
“We got out-rebounded pretty hard, a lot of times they were ripping balls right out of our hands,” said Raven head coach Chad Folsom. “We’ve got to be stronger; we’ve got to be able to get those balls.”
In the end it was the defense and the big plays from several players that got the victory for the Ravens.
“We did a better job at attacking the basket second half,” said Folsom. “The press also did a good job; (it) didn’t allow them to set up, which allowed us an easier opportunity to defend. I thought Kelsey (Anselmi) made some great leads to get off that screen and find the post.”
Forward Erin Murphy (Sr., Olathe) led the Ravens with 9 rebounds.
Guard Alisha Fanshier scored 19 points for Baker, followed by guard Ericka Simpson with 12 points off the bench.
Forward Rece Huddlin recorded a game high of 11 rebounds for the Wildcats.
On Saturday the Ravens travel to Kansas City, Mo., to take on Avila University at 2 p.m. They return home next Thursday, Jan. 24, at 5:30 p.m. against Graceland University.
— BC Sports Information —
Chiefs sign offensive tackle Steven Baker
The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Thursday that the club has signed free agent offensive tackle Steven Baker.
Baker (6-8, 310) originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. He was released by the Colts on Aug. 31 and joined the Arizona Cardinals practice squad roster on Sept. 3.
Baker played in 42 games at East Carolina, primarily serving as the school’s right tackle and also contributing on special teams. The Rocky Mount, N.C., native, prepped at Northern Nash High School where he was a multi-sport athlete.
— Chiefs Media Relations —