All-WIAC Football Team Announced
Printable version of the 2016 All-WIAC Football Team
MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Dan Arnold and UW-Whitewater’s Brandon Tamsett were named the Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, while UW-Platteville’s Quinn Buschbacher and UW-Stout’s Drew Pearson were selected Special Teams Co-Players of the Year to lead the individuals selected to the 2016 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Football Team by the league coaches. In addition, UW-Whitewater head coach Kevin Bullis was chosen the George Chryst Coach of the Year.
Arnold claimed first team recognition for the second straight year and leads the conference with 1,108 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns, while ranking second with 90 points scored and fourth with 1,173 all-purpose yards. He has produced at least 100 receiving yards in six games, including a season-high 213 yards against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 5. Arnold has recorded a pair of touchdown catches in seven contests.
Tamsett collected first team honors for the second consecutive season. He is fourth in the WIAC with 10.5 tackles for loss and eighth with 4.5 quarterback sacks to lead a defensive unit that tops the league with 83.8 rushing yards per game. Tamsett has added 22 solo tackles, 14 assisted tackles and one forced fumble on the year.
Buschbacher leads the conference with 31.3 yards per kick return and is third with 1,266 all-purpose yards. He had a season-high 120 kick return yards against UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 8 and season-best 60-yard return against UW-Stout on Oct. 29.
Pearson tops the league with 16 field goals made, while ranking fourth with 75 points scored. He successfully converted all 27 of his extra-point attempts and booted a season-long 52 yard field goal against Mayville State University (N.D.) on Sept. 17. Pearson also made a 51-yard field goal against UW-Oshkosh on Oct. 1. The 51- and 52-yard field goals are the longest in WIAC this year.
Repeat selections on the first team from a season ago included: UW-Oshkosh’s Reese Dziedzic, Johnny Eagan, Dylan Hecker and Branden Lloyd; UW-Platteville’s Brett Jerdee; UW-Stout’s Kane’ala Atchison-Keolanui; and UW-Whitewater’s Marcus Hudson and Tony Koepnick. UW-Oshkosh’s CJ Blackburn was a first team choice in 2014, while UW-River Falls’ Robbie Flom collected first team recognition in 2012.
Bullis captured the coaching honor after leading the Warhawks to a 10-0 regular-season record and the 35th WIAC championship in program history. UW-Whitewater also secured a spot in the NCAA Division III championship for the 14th time.
An All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school.
2016 All-WIAC Football Team
First Team - Offense
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Brent Campbell, Whitewater, Senior, Tight End, Rockford, Ill. (Winnebago)
Kane’ala Atchison-Keolanui, Stout, Senior, Offensive Line, Lodi, Wis.
Vincent Basile, Oshkosh, Senior, Offensive Line, Racine, Wis. (Union Grove)
Brett Jerdee, Platteville, Senior, Offensive Line, Mount Horeb, Wis.
Tony Koepnick, Whitewater, Senior, Offensive Line, Sussex, Wis. (Hamilton)
Nate Trewyn, Whitewater, Sophomore, Center, Janesville, Wis. (Milton)
Tom Kelly, Platteville, Senior, Quarterback, Chicago, Ill. (Guerin College Prep)
Dylan Hecker, Oshkosh, Junior, Running Back, Winneconne, Wis.
Drew Patterson, Whitewater, Sophomore, Running Back, Sussex, Wis. (Hamilton)
Dan Arnold, Platteville, Senior, Wide Receiver, Fargo, N.D. (Shanley)
Marcus Hudson, Whitewater, Junior, Wide Receiver, Delavan, Wis. (Delavan-Darien)
Joel Oxton, La Crosse, Senior, Wide Receiver, Lakeville, Minn. (North)
CJ Blackburn, Oshkosh, Senior, All-Purpose Back, Waukesha, Wis. (North)
First Team - Defense
John Flood, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, Spring Grove, Ill. (Richmond-Burton)
Nick Jacobsen, River Falls, Junior, Defensive Line, Prescott, Wis.
Brandon Tamsett, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, Waterford, Wis. (Waterford Union)
Austin Young, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Line, Shannon, Ill. (Eastland)
Reese Dziedzic, Oshkosh, Senior, Linebacker, Crystal Lake, Ill. (South)
Albert Itula, River Falls, Senior, Linebacker, Tomah, Wis. (Carson)
John Kontowicz, Stevens Point, Senior, Linebacker, Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Branden Lloyd, Oshkosh, Senior, Linebacker, Mukwonago, Wis.
Marty McGrail, Platteville, Junior, Linebacker, Plainfield, Ill. (North)
Matt Seitz, Whitewater, Junior, Linebacker, Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)
Cameron Brown, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Back, Milwaukee, Wis. (Riverside)
Johnny Eagan, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Back, Wautoma, Wis.
Tyler Ledbeter, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Back, Somerset, Wis.
Vince Mason, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, Green Bay, Wis. (Southwest)
First Team - Special Teams
Drew Pearson, Stout, Sophomore, Placekicker, Wausau, Wis. (West)
Clark Riedel, Stout, Junior, Punter, Waukesha, Wis. (West)
Robbie Flom, River Falls, Senior, Return Specialist, Somerset, Wis.
Dom Todarello, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Special Teams Player, Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)
Second Team - Offense
Cody Moon, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Tight End, Eldorado, Wis. (Laconia)
Austin Haase, Oshkosh, Senior, Offensive Line, Sussex, Wis. (Hartland Arrowhead)
Austin Jones, Whitewater, Senior, Offensive Line, Madison, Wis. (Memorial)
Nate Newberry, La Crosse, Senior, Offensive Line, Kenosha, Wis. (Tremper)
Adam Prince, Stevens Point, Senior, Offensive Line, Elkhorn, Wis.
Reggie Larson, River Falls, Senior, Center, Somerset, Wis.
Tarek Yaeggi, La Crosse, Junior, Quarterback, Watertown, Wis.
Devon Linzenmeyer, Oshkosh, Senior, Running Back, Fredonia, Wis. (Ozaukee)
Sean Studer, Platteville, Sophomore, Running Back, Manhattan, Ill. (Lincoln Way Central)
Quinn Buschbacher, Platteville, Senior, Wide Receiver, Sugar Grove, Ill. (Kaneland)
Matt Knapp, Eau Claire, Senior, Wide Receiver, Eau Claire, Wis. (Memorial)
Jared Pankow, Stevens Point, Senior, Wide Receiver, Mosinee, Wis. (D.C. Everest)
Rance Ashley, River Falls, Senior, All-Purpose Back, North Branch, Minn.
Second Team - Defense
Sam Phillips, La Crosse, Sophomore, Defensive Line, Oconomowoc, Wis.
Marcus Senn, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Line, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (Lincoln)
Adam Wachowiak, Stevens Point, Senior, Defensive Line, Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH)
Justin Watson, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Line, Wrightstown, Wis.
Chandler Crary, Platteville, Junior, Linebacker, St. Charles, Ill. (Burlington Central)
Paul Foster, Whitewater, Senior, Linebacker, Janesville, Wis. (Craig)
Robbie Flom, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Back, Somerset, Wis.
Kyle Narges, River Falls, Junior, Defensive Back, Cumberland, Wis.
AJ Plewa, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Defensive Back, South Milwaukee, Wis.
Ryan Weber, La Crosse, Junior, Defensive Back, Holmen, Wis.
Second Team - Special Teams
Eli Wettstein, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Placekicker, De Pere, Wis.
Turner Geisthardt, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Punter, Omro, Wis. (Oshkosh North)
Matt Knapp, Eau Claire, Senior, Return Specialist, Eau Claire, Wis. (Memorial)
Paul Swartz, Stevens Point, Senior, Special Teams Player, Burlington, Wis. (Wilmot)
Honorable Mention - Offense
Tyler Powers, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Offensive Line, Greenville, Wis. (Hortonville)
Logan Stoa, Stout, Senior, Offensive Line, Hawley, Minn.
Ryan Gaul, Platteville, Junior, Center, Aurora, Ill. (Oswego East)
JT DenHartog, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Quarterback, Hopkins, Minn.
Brett Kasper, Oshkosh, Junior, Quarterback, Two Rivers, Wis.
Cole Wilber, Whitewater, Sophomore, Quarterback, Dana Point, Calif. (Dana Hills)
Michael Diggins, River Falls, Junior, Running Back, Andover, Minn. (Centennial)
Nick Holcomb, La Crosse, Junior, Wide Receiver, Germantown, Wis.
Trenton Monson, River Falls, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Big Lake, Minn.
Pat Sheehan, Platteville, Senior, Wide Receiver, Floosmoor, Ill. (Homewood)
Dom Todarello, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)
Sam Zwieg, La Crosse, Senior, Wide Receiver, Watertown, Wis.
Quinn Buschbacher, Platteville, Senior, All-Purpose Back, Sugar Grove, Ill. (Kaneland)
Tony Gumina, Whitewater, Junior, All-Purpose Back, Sussex, Wis. (Hamilton)
Honorable Mention - Defense
Dakin Coons, La Crosse, Sophomore, Defensive Line, Verona, Wis.
Colin Griffin, Platteville, Junior, Defensive Line, Geneva, Ill.
Kyle Hunter, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Line, Luck, Wis.
Nick Kilianek, Platteville, Junior, Defensive Line, Villa Park, Ill. (Willowbrook)
Tim Regan, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, Algonquin, Ill. (HD Jacobs)
Levi Singler, Stevens Point, Junior, Defensive Line, Shiocton, Wis.
Brad Birkhauser, Stevens Point, Senior, Linebacker, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (Assumption)
Steve Forner, Oshkosh, Senior, Linebacker, Crystal Lake, Ill. (South)
Peter Krien, La Crosse, Senior, Linebacker, Lake Geneva, Wis. (Badger)
Noah Risch, La Crosse, Junior, Linebacker, Holmen, Wis.
Tony Blair, Stout, Junior, Defensive Back, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Colin Buck, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, Greendale, Wis. (Franklin)
Bo Casper, Eau Claire, Senior, Defensive Back, Freedom, Wis.
Juleyan Givens, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Plainfield East)
AJ Harris, Stevens Point, Junior, Defensive Back, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Brandon Johnson, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Back, Thor, Iowa (Eagle Grove)
Patrick Swanson, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Back, Mokena, Ill. (Marian Catholic)
Honorable Mention - Special Teams
Connor Foley, Platteville, Sophomore, Punter, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Xavier)
Quinn Buschbacher, Platteville, Senior, Return Specialist, Sugar Grove, Ill. (Kaneland)
Dillon Villhauer, Platteville, Senior, Special Teams Player, Oxford, Iowa (Clear Creek Amana)
All-Sportsmanship Team
Joe Hakeem, Stout, Senior, Linebacker, Woodbury, Minn.
LeRocman Hall, Oshkosh, Senior, Wide Receiver, Milwaukee, Wis. (King)
Ellis Johnson, La Crosse, Senior, Center, River Falls, Wis.
Justin Johnson, Platteville, Senior, Defensive Back, Menomonee Falls, Wis.
David Menk, Eau Claire, Senior, Offensive Line, Manitowoc, Wis. (Lutheran)
Chris Nelson, Whitewater, Senior, Quarterback, Twin Lakes, Wis. (Wilmot Union)
Logan Taylor, Stevens Point, Senior, Wide Receiver, Wausau, Wis. (East)
Evan Verhota, River Falls, Sophomore, Tight End, La Crosse, Wis. (Logan)
Offensive Player of the Year: Dan Arnold of Platteville
Defensive Player of the Year: Brandon Tamsett of Whitewater
Special Teams Co-Players of the Year: Quinn Buschbacher of Platteville and Drew Pearson of Stout
George Chryst Coach of the Year: Kevin Bullis of Whitewater
Max Sparger Co-Scholar-Athletes (sponsored by Badgerland Financial): Kyle Larson of Stevens Point and Branden Lloyd of Oshkosh
# # # # #