All-WAC teams announced

[PonyPride]

The Western Athletic Conference announced its 2003 all-conference football teams today. SMU running back Keylon Kincade and defensive tackle Allen Adami were among the honorees:


DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference announced its all-WAC teams and coach and players of the year awards as voted upon by the WAC’s coaches. WAC Champion Boise State and Hawai‘i led the league with five first-team all-WAC honorees, while Fresno State placed four on the first team. Boise State’s
Ryan Dinwiddie was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Hawai‘i’s Travis LaBoy earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. Tulsa linebacker Nick Bunting was the Freshman of the Year while the Golden Hurricane’s first-year coach, Steve Kragthorpe, was voted the WAC’s Coach of the Year.

Dinwiddie, a senior quarterback from Elk Grove, Calif. (Elk Grove HS), leads the WAC and is fourth nationally in passing efficiency with a 165.0 rating. He leads the WAC with 4,031 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes. Dinwiddie completed 257-of-411 passes on the season with just five interceptions. He also scored 12 rushing touchdowns, tied for the most in the WAC.

LaBoy, a senior defensive end from San Rafael, Calif. (Utah State), leads the WAC with 13.0 sacks for 101 yards. He also had nine additional tackles
for a loss of 42 yards. LaBoy has a total of 76 tackles and has picked off two passes and recovered two fumbles on the season.

Bunting, a freshman from Tulsa, Okla. (Holland Hall), recorded 74 tackles (34 solo, 40 assists) and 6.5 tackles for loss. He also had three sacks and
intercepted two passes for the Golden Hurricane.

Kragthorpe earned his coach of the year award after leading Tulsa to an 8-4 record and to its first bowl game in 12 years. Tulsa came off back-to-back one-win seasons prior to Kragthorpe’s arrival. The Golden Hurricane finished in a tie for second in the WAC with a 6-2 record and will play Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl on Jan. 3.

Repeat first-team selections from last year include Dinwiddie and Hawai‘i senior defensive back Hyrum Peters.

For the second time in his career, Fresno State senior Bernard Berrian was named a first team all-WAC receiver and special teams player. Berrian was
named to both positions in 2001, but missed last year after an injury in the first game of the year forced him to miss the season.

Nevada, Rice and Tulsa placed three players on the first-team, while Louisiana Tech and UTEP each had two.

First Team
Offense
WR-Chad Owens, Hawai‘i, 5-9, 177, Jr.
WR-Tim Gilligan, Boise State, 5-9, 181, Sr.
WR-Bernard Berrian, Fresno State, 6-2, 190, Sr.
TE-Garrett Mills, Tulsa, 6-2, 214, So.
OL-Trey Darilek, UTEP, 6-6, 305, Sr.
OL-Austin Chadwick, Tulsa, 6-4, 283, Sr.
OL-Harvey Dahl, Nevada, 6-5, 309, Jr.
OL-Ben Stephens, Rice, 6-2, 300, Sr.
OL-Chris DeMunbrun, Rice, 6-4, 295, Sr.
QB-*Ryan Dinwiddie, Boise State, 6-1, 187, Sr.
RB-Ryan Moats, Louisiana Tech, 5-8, 201, So.
RB-Howard Jackson, UTEP, 5-10, 160, Jr.

Defense
DL-Isaac Sopoaga, Hawai‘i, 6-3, 315, Sr.
DL-Travis LaBoy, Hawai‘i, 6-4, 249, Sr.
DL-Jorge Cordova, Nevada, 6-2, 250, Sr.
DL-Julius Roberts, Boise State, 6-5, 239, Jr.
LB-Andy Avalos, Boise State, 5-10, 223, Jr.
LB-Bryce McGill, Fresno State, 5-11, 205, Sr.
LB-Nick Bunting, Tulsa, 6-1, 205, Fr.
LB-Daryl Towns, Nevada, 6-0, 230, Sr.
DB-Wes Nurse, Boise State, 5-10, 189, Sr.
DB-*Hyrum Peters, Hawai‘i, 5-8, 188, Sr.
DB-Kelvin Millhouse, Hawai‘i, 6-1, 205, Sr.
DB-James Sanders, Fresno State, 5-11, 205, So.

Specialists
PK-Josh Scobee, Louisiana Tech, 6-2, 186, Sr.
P-Jared Scruggs, Rice, 6-3, 165, Fr.
ST-Bernard Berrian, Fresno State, 6-2, 190, Sr.

*2002 First Team All-WAC Selection

Top Individual Awards
Offensive Player of the Year – Ryan Dinwiddie, Sr., QB, Boise State
Defensive Player of the Year – Travis LaBoy, Sr., DE, Hawai‘i
Freshman of the Year – Nick Bunting, LB, Tulsa
Coach of the Year – Steve Kragthorpe, Tulsa

Second Team
Offense
WR-Tuati Wooden, Sr., San Jose State
WR-D.J. Curry, Sr., Louisiana Tech
WR-Romby Bryant, Sr., Tulsa
TE-Courtney Anderson, Sr., San Jose State
OL-Daryn Colledge, So., Boise State
OL-Dartagnon Shack, So., Fresno State
OL-Samson Satele, Fr., Hawai‘i
OL-Joseph Hayes, Sr., San Jose State
OL-Chris Hines, Jr., Nevada
OL-LaMons Walker, Sr., San Jose State
QB-James Kilian, Jr., Tulsa
RB-Chance Kretschmer, Jr., Nevada
RB-Keylon Kincade, Sr., SMU

Defense
DL-Derek Kennard, Sr., Nevada
DL-Brian Morris, Jr., Fresno State
DL-Garrett McIntyre, So., Fresno State
DL-Allan Adami, Jr., SMU
LB-Robert Rodriguez, Jr., UTEP
LB-Michael LeDet, Jr., Tulsa
LB-Byron Santiago, Jr., Louisiana Tech
LB-Travis Burgher, Sr., Boise State
LB-Antonio Crow, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DB-Kedrick Alexander, So., Tulsa
DB-Gabe Franklin, Jr., Boise State
DB-Gerald Jones, Sr., San Jose State
DB-Jermaine Hope, Jr., Tulsa

Specialists
PK-Brett Visintainer, Jr., Fresno State
P-Bryce Benekos, Jr., UTEP
ST-Tim Gilligan, Sr., Boise State

[HorsePower]

That's insane - individual players are being punished for the record of the team. Kincade and Adami should have been first-team. Steve Reindl should have been AT LEAST second-team all-WAC, maybe first. D.D. Johnson deserved consideration, too.

[Cheesesteak]

DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference announced...

Will CUSA move its headquarters now that member schools have been subtracted and added?

Is Dallas under consideration?

Congratulations to Keylon and Allan!