Nov. 20, 2006
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Led by five second-team picks, Western Washington University placed eight players on the 2006 North Central Conference All-Star Football Team announced today.
Three Vikings were named to the second-team offense - running backs Craig Garner (Fr., Tacoma/Lakes) and Calvin McCarty (Jr., Surrey, B.C./St. Thomas More) and tackle Brandon Torrey (Sr., Graham/Bethel). Second-team choices on defense were end Ryan Conwell (Jr., Kent/Kentwood) and middle linebacker Shane Simmons (Jr., Kent/Kentlake).
Garner and McCarty combined to run for 1,147 yards and 11 touchdowns. Garner started the last four games and finished with 655 yards and six touchdowns. McCarty had 492 yards and five touchdowns before a foot fracture ended his season after seven games.
McCarty, who ran for three touchdowns and 139 yards in the Vikings' season opener against Humboldt State, also had 30 pass receptions for 278 yards.
Garner became the first Western player since 1999 to have four consecutive 100-yard games, those coming in the Vikings' last four contests. He also had 13 catches for 68 yards and one touchdown.
Simmons suffered a season-ending shoulder/neck injury after five games. Up to that point, he was leading the NCAA Division II nationally in solo tackles (49, 9.8 avg.) and the NCC in total stops (56, 11.2). In Western's 16-13 upset of No.15 Washburn, Simmons was credited with 11 tackles and forced a fumble that led to the winning field goal with 2.7 seconds left.
Conwell, who had 36 tackles, ranked second in the NCC with 12.5 tackles for losses of 53 yards, including six quarterback sacks.
Torrey led a solid offensive line that had the same starters in eight of the Vikings' 11 games.
Western players receiving honorable mention were placekicker Robby Smith (So., Bellingham), defensive tackle Junior Aumavae (So., Palmer) and free safety Todd McClellan (Sr., Lacey/Timberline).
Smith ranked second among NCC placekickers in PAT kicking percentage (23-of-23, 1.000), third in field goals (12, 1.09, 15th nationally) and field goal percentage (12-of-19, .632) and fourth in kick scoring (5.4 avg. per game). During one stretch, he made seven straight field goals, one short of school record, and he tied a school record with a 54-yarder versus St. Cloud State. Against Washburn, Smith kicked three field goals, including the game winner with 2.7 seconds remaining.
McClellan led the NCC in pass interceptions with six, having at least one in each of the Vikings' last three games. Both those accomplishments were the best by a Western player since 1995.
McClellan's season total of 66 tackles ranked second on the team, and he also had three forced fumbles and three passes defensed.
Aumavae was credited with 16 tackles and two passes defensed.
Nebraska-Omaha's Pat Behrns was named NCC Coach of the Year. Offensive awards went to Ben Hochstein of Nebraska-Omaha as Most Valuable Offensive Lineman, Stefan Logan of South Dakota as Most Valuable Offensive Back and Weston Dressler of North Dakota as Most Valuable Receiver. Logan became just the third player in league history to be named all-NCC in each of his four years.
Defensive awards went to Adam Wolff of North Dakota as the Most Valuable Defensive Lineman, Steve Brennan of North Dakota as Most Valuable Linebacker and Jordan Davis of South Dakota as Most Valuable Defensive Back.
Western finished with a 5-6 record in its first season under head coach Robin Ross, ending the campaign with three straight wins. The Vikings tied for fifth place at 3-5 in their inaugural year in the NCC, which is regarded as one of the nation's top NCAA Division II football alignments.
