All-South Region Team Announced

MINNEAPOLIS - Wesley College's Chris Mayes (Waldorf, Md./Westlake) was named the D3football.com South Region Defensive Player of the Year and six teammates joined him on the All-South Region team.

Mayes, a sophomore, has 32 and a half tackles for loss and 13 sacks for the Wolverines, who play at Mount Union on Saturday in the Division III football national semifinals. He has broken up eight passes and intercepted another, while forcing three fumbles and recording 63 tackles, 39 solo.

It marks the third time in the past five years a Wesley student-athlete has won the award.  Bryan Robinson won the honor in both 2005 and 2006.

Mike Ward (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) and Aaron Benson (Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven) joined Mayes on the first team defense.  Sean McAndrew (Lanoka Harbor, N.J./Lacey Township) was named to the first team offense.  Shane McSweeny (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) and Ellis Krout (Dallas, Texas/Roosevelt) claimed places on the second team offense and Mike Asiedu (Yonkers, N.Y./Gorton) was placed on the second team defense.

Ward, a senior defensive tackle, teamed with Mayes to give Wesley one of the nation's top defensive fronts.  He is second on team with 73 tackles (35 solo), 20.5 for loss and 10 sacks.  He also batted down seven passes, forced a pair of fumbles and blocked a kick.

The Wolverines' free safety, Benson showed a nose for the ball in 2009, intercepting a school record tying seven passes and setting the Wesley record with 203 return yards in one season, including a pair of trips to the end zone.  The junior registered 57 tackles, 5.5 for loss and broke up five other passes.  He also forced two fumbles and blocked a kick.

McAndrew showed big play ability from the tight end position.  The junior scored eight of his nine touchdowns down the stretch to help lead Wesley to the semifinals.  On the year, he has 32 receptions for 516 yards, an average of 16.1 per catch.  He also has Wesley's longest reception of the year, an 87-yard catch against Apprentice.

Throwing him the ball was dual threat McSweeny, as much a threat with his legs as his arm.  The junior signal caller is one touchdown short of the school's single season touchdown pass record with 35.  McSweeny has a pass efficiency of 161.8, has completed 58 percent of his passes and passed for 2,776 yards.  On the ground, he is second on the team with 678 yards and eight touchdowns.

Krout, a junior wide receiver, has found the end zone a Wesley record 20 times in 2009.  He leads the team with 53 catches for 855 yards.  He has caught multiple touchdowns in a game eight times this season and is averaging 16.1 yards per catch.

Asiedu leads the team in tackles in his first year starting at linebacker.  The sophomore has 90 stops, 51 solo, to go along with 12.5 tackles for loss.  He has 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, five pass break ups and two forced fumbles.

With seven honorees, the Wolverines tied Mary Hardin-Baylor for the most of any South Region school.

Wesley, 13-0, travels to Mount Union for the NCAA Division III Semifinals on December 12 at 12:00 PM.