Willamette Football Places 22 Players on All-Northwest Conference Team

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University placed 22 players on the 2012 All-Northwest Conference Football Team in voting by the NWC head coaches. Five Bearcats earned First Team All-NWC honors, while nine received Second Team recognition and eight were chosen for Honorable Mention.

Overall, 89 players from the seven conference teams received All-NWC honors. Twenty-seven athletes were chosen for the First Team, with 25 athletes on the Second Team and 37 athletes receiving Honorable Mention.

Willamette's First Team selections on offense were senior tight end Benny Weischedel (San Pedro, CA/San Pedro HS), and senior offensive tackle Taylor Reeder (Prunedale, CA/Palma HS).

Players chosen for the First Team from Willamette's defense were senior defensive end Ben Lyons (Anchorage, AK/South Anchorage HS), sophomore inside linebacker Jack Nelson (Portland, OR/Jesuit HS) and senior safety Cody Pastorino (Glenn, CA/Willows HS).

WU athletes named to the Second Team on offense were Josh Dean (Jr., QB, Dana Point, CA/Dana Hills HS), Jake Knecht (Sr., WR, Issaquah, WA/Skyline HS/Illinois State Univ.), Terrell Malley (Jr. HB, Portland, OR/Roosevelt HS), Dylan Jones (So., RB, Santa Maria, CA/Ernest Righetti HS), and Keenan-Celtic Faatea (So., C/OG, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School).

Second Team choices from the WU defense were Kyle Bettencourt (Sr., NG, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS), Cullen Carroll (Sr., OLB, Petaluma, CA/St. Vincent de Paul HS), Dominic David (Sr., S, Salem, OR/South Salem HS/Portland State Univ.) and Tyson Giza (Jr., CB, Salem, OR/Sprague HS).

Named Honorable Mention from the Bearcat offense were Jake Turner (Sr., WR, Ontario, OR/Ontario HS), Zane Wise (Sr., OG/C, Sweet Home, OR/Sweet Home HS), and Anthony Scalercio (Sr., OG, Santa Rosa, CA/Montgomery HS/Santa Rosa JC).

Players chosen Honorable Mention from the WU defense were Matt Millar (Sr., DE, Clovis, CA/Floyd B. Buchanan HS), Scott Miller (Sr., DE, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS), Juan Alvarado (Sr., NG, Stockton, CA/Franklin HS), Wes Wenzel (Sr., ILB, Portland, OR/Sunset HS) and Reed Warner (Sr., OLB, Salem, OR/South Salem HS).

The NWC head coaches chose quarterback Mickey Inns from Linfield College as the NWC Offensive Player of the Year, named Linfield linebacker Dominique Forrest as the NWC Defensive Player of the Year, and selected Linfield Head Coach Joseph Smith as the NWC Coach of the Year.

Willamette played a difficult schedule that featured six road games and just four home games, but finished 8-2 overall, 4-2 in the NWC (3rd place). The Bearcats' only losses on the year were road games at nationally-ranked NCAA Division III playoff participants Pacific Lutheran and Linfield.

WU's 8-2 record in the first year under Head Coach Glen Fowles represents the best first-year record for a head coach in Bearcat football history. It is also the tenth time Willamette has concluded a season with eight or more wins.

First Team All-Northwest Conference

Benny Weischedel (Sr., TE) was a key part of Willamette's offensive success this season. He caught 47 passes for 711 yards and scored six touchdowns. He registered career highs with nine catches for 118 yards against Lewis & Clark College on Oct. 13. He scored a touchdown in six different games, and made a two-point conversion catch against Pacific University on Sept. 22.

Weischedel played in 23 games in his career, including all 10 games this season and nine games in 2011. He grabbed a total of 54 passes for 813 yards. He also provided blocking that helped WU average 498.1 total yards per game this season.

Taylor Reeder (Sr., OT) provided leadership in the offensive line. He contributed to a high-scoring offense that averaged 39.6 points per game. His blocking helped Willamette average 355.0 passing yards and 143.1 rushing yards per game. He was named First Team All-NWC for the second consecutive season.

During his WU career, Reeder played in 29 games for the Bearcats and started every game in both 2011 and 2012. As a junior in 2011, Reeder provided blocking that helped pave the way for the Bearcats to average 354.0 total yards per game.

Ben Lyons (Sr., DE) earned First Team All-NWC honors after receiving Second Team All-NWC recognition in 2011. This year, he ranked third on the team with 58 total tackles. He led the Bearcats with 9.0 quarterback sacks for 60 yards and was second on the team with 10.0 tackles for losses.

He played in 36 games for the Bearcats, including all 30 games the past three seasons. He achieved career totals of 112 total tackles (57 unassisted), 18.5 sacks for 108 yards and 21.5 tackles for losses.

Jack Nelson (So., ILB) led Willamette's defense with 72 tackles this season, including a team-high 45 unassisted stops. He began the year as a back-up at linebacker, but received plenty of playing time and moved into a starting position when Wes Wenzel (Sr., ILB) was injured. Nelson retained the starting spot when Wenzel returned to the lineup.

He contributed in many ways on defense, earning 5.5 tackles for losses and 3.0 sacks, while intercepted a pass, breaking up four passes and forcing a fumble. During his two seasons at WU, he has amassed 99 total tackles, with 61 unassisted stops.

Cody Pastorino (Sr., S) received First Team All-NWC status for the second season in a row. In addition, he was named Second Team All-NWC in 2010. This year, he always seemed to be near the ball, which is not surprising since he registered 62 tackles to rank second on the team and earned 40 unassisted stops.

Pastorino led WU with five interceptions for 53 yards, and broke-up six passes. He achieved 2.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for losses. He blocked three kicks, giving him a career total of seven blocked kicks.

Additional career totals for Pastorino included 169 tackles (111 solo), 8.5 tackles for losses, 11 interceptions and 14 pass break-ups.

Second Team All-Northwest Conference

Josh Dean (Jr., QB) set all of Willamette's single season passing records this year as he completed 273 of 422 passes for 3,345 yards and 34 touchdowns. He tied a school record with six touchdown passes against Hardin-Simmons University (Texas) in the season opener.

He concluded the season ranked third in the nation in NCAA Division III in passing yards, was fifth in passing yards per game (334.5), was listed sixth in total offense per game (351.6 yards) and ranked sixth in completions per game (27.3).

Jake Knecht (Sr., WR) received All-NWC honors for the second year in a row. He was named First Team All-NWC in 2011. This year, he led the Bearcats with 55 catches for 773 yards (14.1 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. He set career highs with 10 catches against Pacific on Sept. 22 and 147 receiving yards against Whitworth University on Oct. 6.

In three seasons at Willamette, Knecht played in all 30 games. He recorded 103 receptions for 1,708 yards and 20 touchdowns. He scored 132 points, including 66 points this season. He finished his career with 2,434 all-purpose yards.

Terrell Malley (Jr., HB) played H-back for the Bearcats this year and contributed to the offense as a runner and a pass receiver. He carried the ball 33 times for 278 yards (8.4 avg.) and two touchdowns. He also caught 39 passes for 428 yards and five scores. He grabbed nine passes for 119 yards against the University of Puget Sound on Nov. 10.

Malley has rushed for 1,176 career yards on 158 carries (7.4 avg.), and has scored 12 rushing TDs. He was named Second Team All-NWC as a running back in 2010. He missed the 2011 season to focus on playing for the WU men's basketball team.

Dylan Jones (So., RB) topped the Willamette rushing attack with 716 yards on 158 carries. He scored a team-high seven rushing touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes for 223 yards and two TDs. He rushed for a career-high 168 yards on 24 carries against Lewis & Clark on Oct. 13.

In two seasons at WU, Jones has gained 939 rushing yards on 189 carries, while scoring 12 rushing TDs. He has achieved three career 100-yard rushing games, including two this season.

Keenan-Celtic Faatea (So., C,OG) saw action at center and offensive guard this year while playing in all 10 games. He made a significant difference for the Bearcats, who amassed 4,981 total yards on offense (498.1 avg.), while earning 253 first downs (25.3 per game). His blocking helped WU complete 64.5% of its passes for a total of 3,550 yards.

Faatea, who also played in 10 games as a freshman, has started 15 games in his career. In 2011, his work in the offensive line contributed to the Bearcats gaining 3,540 total yards and 2,209 rushing yards.

Kyle Bettencourt (Sr., NG) achieved 18 total tackles, including 11 unassisted tackles, this season. He helped the Bearcats limit opponents to 3.1 yards per rushing attempt. His efforts in the defensive line also allowed the Willamette linebackers to make numerous tackles throughout the season.

During his four years at Willamette, Bettencourt played in 30 games. He saw action in every game in 2011 and 2012. He finished his career with 36 total tackles.

Cullen Carroll (Sr., OLB) ranked fourth on the team this season with 57 total tackles and was second with 44 solo tackles, despite missing the last two games due to injury. He led the Bearcats with 11.0 tackles for losses and provided 3.5 quarterback sacks. He forced three fumbles, recovered two fumbles and broke up three passes.

At Willamette, Carroll accumulated 118 career tackles in 31 games played. He achieved 20.5 career tackles for losses and 6.5 career sacks.

Dominic David (Sr., S) registered 48 tackles this season with 31 solo stops. He intercepted four passes for 62 yards in returns and recorded six pass break-ups. He also forced two fumbles and recovered a fumble. He was named Second Team All-NWC for the second consecutive year.

His career stats in three seasons at WU include 75 unassisted tackles and 58 assists for 138 total tackles. He picked off nine passes and broke up 16 passes. He played in 29 games for the Bearcats, including starts in all 20 games the past two seasons.

Tyson Giza (Jr., CB) provided solid play in the defensive secondary, as he earned 25 total tackles (18 solo), intercepted four passes and broke up a team-high seven throws. In addition, he averaged 21.0 yards on 22 kickoff returns to rank third in the NWC.

In 28 career games played, Giza has attained 68 total tackles with 44 unassisted stops. He has registered nine interceptions to go along with 13 pass break-ups. He has returned 28 kickoffs over the past three season, while averaging 21.9 yards per return. He was named Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2011.

Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference

Jake Turner (Sr., WR) finished second on the team with 50 catches for 763 yards (15.3 avg.) and scored five touchdowns. He grabbed a career-high 11 passes for 173 yards and two TDs against East Texas Baptist University on Sept. 14.

Turner played in all 10 games during each of the last three seasons. He caught a 69 passes for 948 yards and six touchdowns in his career. He also rushed for 515 yards on 87 carries (5.9 avg.). He was named Second Team All-NWC in 2011 while playing flanker.

Zane Wise (Sr., OG/C) started every game in 2010 and 2011. He helped the Bearcats protect the quarterback as Willamette completed 287 passes for 3,550 yards and 37 touchdowns this season. In 2010, his blocking was one reason WU gained 2,209 rushing yards and 23 TDs on the ground.

Overall, he played in 30 games during his career. He was chosen Second Team All-NWC in 2011.

Anthony Scalercio (Sr., OT) saw action in 19 games -- all as a starter -- over the last two seasons. This year, he provided quality blocking that enabled Willamette to achieve 4,981 yards of total offense (498.1 avg.). The Bearcats scored 55 offensive touchdowns and kicked five field goals.

He transferred to WU after playing two seasons at Santa Rosa Junior College. He graduated from Santa Rosa with an associate's degree in Sociology.

Matt Millar (Sr., DE) registered a career-high 22 tackles this season, evenly split between 11 solo tackles and 11 assists. He earned 2.5 tackles for losses and 1.5 sacks. He also was credited with two quarterback hurries and one blocked kick.

He competed in a total of 19 games in 2011 and 2012 to finish his career with 26 games played. During his career, he achieved 40 tackles, including 5.0 tackles for losses. He recovered two fumbles, both in 2011.

Scott Miller (Sr., DE) set a personal high with 40 total tackles in 2012. He made 22 unassisted tackles, and also recorded 7. 5 tackles for losses and 1.5 quarterback sacks. He supplied six tackles again nationally-ranked Linfield.

Miller played in 28 game during his career and competed in all 20 games the past two seasons, including 19 starts. He claimed career totals of 33 unassisted tackles, 37 assists and 70 total tackles. He also attained 9.0 tackles for losses, and forced one fumble.

Juan Alvarado (Sr., NG) finished a solid career by earning 27 tackles this season with 17 solo stops. He made 2.0 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, to go along with two quarterback hurries. He also forced a fumble and blocked a kick.

Alvarado played in 41 games at WU. He received a medical hardship waiver in 2009. He amassed 92 career tackles, including 51 unassisted stops. He made 12.0 tackles for losses and recorded 2.5 sacks. Alvarado was chosen First Team All-NWC in 2010.

Wes Wenzel (Sr., ILB) made 51 tackles this year, including 28 unassisted stops, despite missing two games due to injury. He registered 10 or more tackles three times. He also provided 2.0 sacks. He rushed for 20 yards on a fake punt against Pacific on Nov. 3.

In his career, Wenzel achieved 130 tackles in 33 games. He produced 6.5 tackles for losses, broke up four passes, forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble. He rushed three times for 63 yards on fake punts. He was named Second Team All-NWC in 2011.

Reed Warner (Sr., OLB) started all 10 games in 2011 and contributed 39 total tackles. He made 4.5 tackles for losses, was credited with 2.5 quarterback sacks, and gained one fumble recovery.

During his career as a Bearcat, he earned 150 tackles, including 17.0 tackles for losses and 8.5 sacks. He recovered five fumbles and forced one fumble. He played in 38 games, including every game in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He returned an interception 12 yards for a TD against Menlo College on Oct. 23, 2010.