Wesley Places Five on South Region Team
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Wesley College's Matt Ferguson, Jon Lanouette, Larry Beavers, Sean Matthews and Mike Ward were named to the D3football.com All-South Region Team announced late Tuesday evening.
Four of the five players, Ferguson, Lanouette, Beavers (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) and Matthews(Pennsauken, N.J./Roman Catholic {Pa.}), were named to the first team. Ward earned a spot on the second team.
Lanouette, Matthews and Beavers were all making repeat appearances on the team, while Ferguson and Ward were honored for the first time in their careers.
Matthews, the Wolverines' middle linebacker, earned the honor after winning his first Atlantic Central Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year award. The conference's leading tackler with 92 stops, he came through in big games for the Wolverines. Against Route 13 rival Salisbury, for the ACFC championship, he recorded a season-high 16 tackles in Wesley's 36-21 victory. Matthews then averaged 11 tackles per game in the NCAA Playoffs, including 14 against Mary Hardin-Baylor. He is a two-time first team selection at linebacker after earning that in 2007 as well. He was named to the All-South first team last season and was a D3football.com Preseason All-American in 2008. He finished his career among Wesley's all-time leaders in tackles for loss.
Return specialist Beavers adds another honor to go along with his second consecutive ACFC Special Teams Player of the Year honor after a run through the record books in 2008. The native of Annapolis, Md. now holds the NCAA Division III career marks for kick return touchdowns 10 and total runbacks for touchdowns 13. This year he is averaging almost 42 yards per kick return and 33 yards per punt return. He's returned kicks for touchdowns against Apprentice School kick and punt, consecutive kickoffs at Webber International, and a punt at Lake Erie College. His 98-yard kickoff return against Mary Hardin-Baylor set a school record for longest return and established the new Division III record with as his fifth kickoff return score of the year. He led Division III in kick return average at 39.5 and averaged over 29 yards per punt return.
Lanouette set the Wolverines' career record with 149 career receptions. The tight end tied for sixth all-time with 24 career touchdown receptions, while his 2,116 yards are sixth in school history. In 2008, he tied for the team lead with 30 receptions and six touchdown catches, while his 441 yards ranked second. Lanouette was named to the D3football.com All-America Team last season and was a Preseason All-American this year.
Ferguson, an offensive tackle, anchored a Wesley offensive line that paved the way for over 200 rush yards per game and finished in the top 25 in Division III in scoring offense. An All-ACFC selection in 2008 as a senior, he will return to the team as a graduate student in 2009.
Ward, a defensive tackle, was also named to the All-ACFC squad in 2008. He finished the season with 37 tackles, including 5.0 for loss. He was a critical part of a unit that finished the season 18th in Division III in total defense.
"We're all very proud of the recognition these guys are receiving," Head Coach Mike Drass stated. "While the group of seniors led by Sean, Jon and Larry is irreplaceable, we look forward to building next year's squad around Matt, Mike and the other players we have returning."
The five players led Wesley to a 9-2 record and undefeated season in the ACFC and the second round of the NCAA Division III Football Championships. It was the fourth straight conference title and trip to the NCAAs for the Wolverines.
Sean Matthews First Team |
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Jon Lanouette First Team |
Matt Ferguson First Team | 
Mike Ward Second Team |
