Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Kick Team Players Highlight MSU Preseason All-Big Sky Choices
7/14/2014 2:32:00 PM | Football
“Our conference is so competition,” Ash said, “that as a coach you look for every advantage. But in our league everyone does such a good job with special teams that you have to put a lot of effort into that area just to keep up.”
Rob Ash has spent much of his seven seasons at Montana State – not to mention his four decades as a college football coach – preaching the importance of special teams, and coaching that way.
Proof of that came Monday morning, when two Bobcats earned Big Sky Conference Preseason All-Conference honors for their role on kick teams. Sophomore Chad Newell was named as the league's Special Teams performer, while returning All-America Shawn Johnson earned the nod as the return specialist.
"Our conference is so competition," Ash said, "that as a coach you look for every advantage. But in our league everyone does such a good job with special teams that you have to put a lot of effort into that area just to keep up."
In addition to Newell and Johnson, two other Bobcats landed preseason Big Sky honors. Sophomore JP Flynn and senior Deonte Flowers also landed on the All-Big Sky Preseason Team. Flynn moved into the starting lineup midway through his redshirt freshman season but was lauded with Third Team All-Big Sky honors. Flowers is a third-year starter who has been a major part of MSU's defensive effort throughout his career.
"This is a great honor for these guys," Ash said, "but it recognizes past performance. It doesn't have anything to do with what will happen in the future. We know that, and I think we're all excited to get back to work in August."
2014 Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team
Offensive MVP – Vernon Adams, Sr., QB, Eastern Washington
Defensive MVP – Zack Wagenmann, Sr., DE, Montana
OFFENSE
Pos. Player Year Hometown School
QB *#Vernon Adams Jr. Pasadena, Calif. Eastern Washington
RB Kristaan Ivory Sr. Los Angeles, Calif. Cal Poly
RB Gabe Manzanares Sr. San Francisco, Calif. UC Davis
FB Nick Butier Jr. San Luis Obispo, Calif Northern Arizona
TE #R.J. Rickert Sr. Gilbert, Ariz. Northern Arizona
OG Trevor Poole Sr. Spokane, Wash. Montana
OG Cornelius Edison Sr. University Place, Wash. Portland State
OG JP Flynn So. Bettendorf, Iowa Montana State
C *Roy Garcia Sr. Tempe, Ariz. Northern Arizona
OT *Clay DeBord Jr. Asotin, Wash. Eastern Washington
OT Jacob Julian So. Prescott, Ariz. Northern Arizona
WR *#Cooper Kupp So. Yakima, Wash. Eastern Washington
WR #DeAndre Carter Sr. San Jose, Calif. Sacramento State
WR Ellis Henderson Jr. Portland, Ore. Montana
PK *Brady Stuart Jr. Newhall, Calif. UC Davis
Returns #Shawn Johnson Sr. Bakersfield, Calif. Montana State
DEFENSE
Pos. Player Year Hometown School
DE *#Zack Wagenmann Sr. Missoula, Mont. Montana
DE James Cowser Jr. Fruit Heights, Utah Southern Utah
DT Tonga Takai Sr. Honolulu, Hawai'i Montana
DT Dylan Zylstra Sr. Kent, Wash. Eastern Washington
LB Ronnie Hamlin Sr. Lacey, Wash. Eastern Washington
LB Austin Hasquet Sr. Peoria, Ariz Northern Arizona
LB Nick Dzubnar Sr. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Cal Poly
LB Leilon Willingham Sr. Denver, Colo. Northern Colorado
CB Deonte Flowers Sr. San Diego, Calif. Montana State
CB Deon'tae Florence Sr. Largo, Fla. Weber State
S Matt Hermanson Sr. Sioux Falls, S.D. Montana
S Tevin McDonald Sr. Fresno, Calif. Eastern Washington
P #Kyle Loomis Sr. Roseburg, Ore. Portland State
Special Teams – Chad Newell So. Billings, Mont. Montana State
*Unanimous selection
#2013 First Team All-Conference
Proof of that came Monday morning, when two Bobcats earned Big Sky Conference Preseason All-Conference honors for their role on kick teams. Sophomore Chad Newell was named as the league's Special Teams performer, while returning All-America Shawn Johnson earned the nod as the return specialist.
"Our conference is so competition," Ash said, "that as a coach you look for every advantage. But in our league everyone does such a good job with special teams that you have to put a lot of effort into that area just to keep up."
In addition to Newell and Johnson, two other Bobcats landed preseason Big Sky honors. Sophomore JP Flynn and senior Deonte Flowers also landed on the All-Big Sky Preseason Team. Flynn moved into the starting lineup midway through his redshirt freshman season but was lauded with Third Team All-Big Sky honors. Flowers is a third-year starter who has been a major part of MSU's defensive effort throughout his career.
"This is a great honor for these guys," Ash said, "but it recognizes past performance. It doesn't have anything to do with what will happen in the future. We know that, and I think we're all excited to get back to work in August."
2014 Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team
Offensive MVP – Vernon Adams, Sr., QB, Eastern Washington
Defensive MVP – Zack Wagenmann, Sr., DE, Montana
OFFENSE
Pos. Player Year Hometown School
QB *#Vernon Adams Jr. Pasadena, Calif. Eastern Washington
RB Kristaan Ivory Sr. Los Angeles, Calif. Cal Poly
RB Gabe Manzanares Sr. San Francisco, Calif. UC Davis
FB Nick Butier Jr. San Luis Obispo, Calif Northern Arizona
TE #R.J. Rickert Sr. Gilbert, Ariz. Northern Arizona
OG Trevor Poole Sr. Spokane, Wash. Montana
OG Cornelius Edison Sr. University Place, Wash. Portland State
OG JP Flynn So. Bettendorf, Iowa Montana State
C *Roy Garcia Sr. Tempe, Ariz. Northern Arizona
OT *Clay DeBord Jr. Asotin, Wash. Eastern Washington
OT Jacob Julian So. Prescott, Ariz. Northern Arizona
WR *#Cooper Kupp So. Yakima, Wash. Eastern Washington
WR #DeAndre Carter Sr. San Jose, Calif. Sacramento State
WR Ellis Henderson Jr. Portland, Ore. Montana
PK *Brady Stuart Jr. Newhall, Calif. UC Davis
Returns #Shawn Johnson Sr. Bakersfield, Calif. Montana State
DEFENSE
Pos. Player Year Hometown School
DE *#Zack Wagenmann Sr. Missoula, Mont. Montana
DE James Cowser Jr. Fruit Heights, Utah Southern Utah
DT Tonga Takai Sr. Honolulu, Hawai'i Montana
DT Dylan Zylstra Sr. Kent, Wash. Eastern Washington
LB Ronnie Hamlin Sr. Lacey, Wash. Eastern Washington
LB Austin Hasquet Sr. Peoria, Ariz Northern Arizona
LB Nick Dzubnar Sr. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Cal Poly
LB Leilon Willingham Sr. Denver, Colo. Northern Colorado
CB Deonte Flowers Sr. San Diego, Calif. Montana State
CB Deon'tae Florence Sr. Largo, Fla. Weber State
S Matt Hermanson Sr. Sioux Falls, S.D. Montana
S Tevin McDonald Sr. Fresno, Calif. Eastern Washington
P #Kyle Loomis Sr. Roseburg, Ore. Portland State
Special Teams – Chad Newell So. Billings, Mont. Montana State
*Unanimous selection
#2013 First Team All-Conference
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
