Nov. 29, 2001
Asheville, N.C. -
Two days after being named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year by the league's coaches, fifth-year WCU head coach Bill Bleil completed the sweep by winning The Wallace Wade Award as the Southern Conference Sports Media Association (SCSMA) Coach of the Year on Thursday.
The SCSMA also announced its 2001 All-Conference team. Western Carolina was represented by Michael Banks and Justin Fryer on the first team, while Fred Boateng and Nick McNeil made the second team.
Bleil led WCU to a 7-4 record and a fourth-place finish in the league with a 5-3 record. It marked just the 11th time in Western's 68 years of football that the Catamounts had won at least seven games. Western was picked to finish sixth in the league by the coaches and seventh by the media in the preseason.
Banks (Spotsylvania, Va.) and Fryer (Connelly Springs, N.C.) were each selected to the first team by both the SCSMA and the coaches. This season, Banks ranked second in the league in receiving yards (63.4) and third in receptions per game (4.0), while leading the Catamounts in both categories for the third consecutive season. With one season of eligibility remaining, he ranks ninth on the school's all-time receiving yards list (2,145), seventh on the all-time receptions list (140) and fifth on the all-time touchdown reception list (16).
Fryer, who ranked third (tied) in the SoCon with his 10.5 tackles per game average, led Western with 116 total hits, which ranks 10th (tied) on the school's single-season list. Fryer led WCU's defense, which ranked third in the nation in pass defense and surrendered a I-AA low five touchdown passes this season. In addition to leading WCU in tackles, Fryer had two interceptions, four pass breakups, one caused fumble and one fumble recovery.
Boateng, a consensus selection for the second consecutive season, became just the fifth back in WCU history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for a season. The Falls Church, Va., native's 1,225 yards this season was the third-best total in Catamount history, while ranking third in the SoCon and 21st nationally with his 111.4 yards per game average. As a sophomore, Boateng already ranks eighth on the school's all-time rushing list with 2,159 yards and carries an impressive 5.4 yards per rush average. He additionally ranks sixth on the WCU single-season rushing TD list with 12 this season.
McNeil, a sophomore defensive end from Leland, N.C., earns his first conference honor in football and his second overall after being named SoCon Freshman of the Year in outdoor track with a second-place finish in the hammer throw, third in the discus and ninth in the shot put. This past season, he led the league with 11 total sacks and nine solo sacks. McNeil fell just short of the school record of 12 sacks in a season, which is held by Louis Cooper (1984) and Johnny Williams (1981). He had a season-high three sacks versus Liberty and logged 2.5 at Chattanooga. In the first half against the Mocs, he tallied two sacks for minus 17 yards, while the UTC offense only managed 38 yards of total offense. McNeil finished the season with 46 tackles, including 13 for losses, with six quarterback pressures and one forced fumble.
While he did not earn all-conference recognition, freshman Tyler Norman (Duluth, Ga.) finished third in the SCSMA balloting for Freshman of the Year. Norman led all SoCon freshmen with 84 tackles, which ranked third on the team. He finished the season with consecutive double-digit tackle performances and was SoCon Freshman of the Week in the season finale, collecting 10 tackles and forcing a fumble to seal WCU's victory versus the Bulldogs.
Banks and Fryer become Western's 83rd and 84th first team All-SoCon selection since WCU became a league member in 1977. Bleil becomes the second Catamount coach to win Coach of the Year by the both coaches and media. Steve Hodgin was also honored by both in 1992. Bob Waters was the media's Coach of the Year in 1983. However, the coaches have only been voting since 1989.
2001 Southern Conference Sports Media Association Honors
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
TE Trent Sansbury, Furman, (6-2, 238, Sr)
WR Cecil Moore, East Tennessee State, (6-2, 205, Jr)
WR MICHAEL BANKS, WESTERN CAROLINA, (5-10, 172, Jr)
OT Wayne Smith, Appalachian State, (6-2, 304, Sr)
OT Donnie Littlejohn, Furman, (6-3, 272, Sr)
G Omar Nesbitt, The Citadel, (6-1, 305, Sr)
G Marty Priore, Furman, (6-1, 288, Sr)
C Chris Stewart, Furman, (6-0, 280, Sr)
QB J.R. Revere, Georgia Southern, (5-11, 184, Sr)
RB Louis Ivory, Furman, (5-9, 200, Sr)
RB Adrian Peterson, Georgia Southern, (5-10, 210, Sr)
RS Brian Bratton, Furman, (5-9, 168, RS Fr)
PK Danny Marshall, Furman, (6-0, 180, So)
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Ryan Watson, Appalachian State, (6-2, 300, Sr)
DL Josh Jeffries, Appalachian State, (6-2, 265, Jr)
DL Freddy Pesqueira, Georgia Southern, (6-1, 250, Jr)
DL Nathan Fuqua, Wofford, (6-1, 280, Jr)
LB Justin Seaverns, Appalachian State, (6-2, 230, Sr)
LB Travis Stephens, The Citadel, (6-0, 230, Sr)
LB Will Bouton, Furman, (6-2, 233, Sr)
DB Shelvis Smith, Furman, (6-0, 207, Sr)
DB Kevin Howard, The Citadel, (5-10, 175, Sr)
DB David Young, Georgia Southern, (6-2, 205, Jr)
DB JUSTIN FYRER, WESTERN CAROLINA, (6-2, 190, Jr)
P Jimmy Miner, Wofford (6-3, 195, So)
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
TE Nick Hendrickson, East Tennessee State, (6-4, 240, Sr)
WR Sterling Hayward, Appalachian State, (6-0, 200, So)
WR Bear Rinehart, Furman, (5-11, 185, Jr)
OT James McCoy, Georgia Southern, (6-3, 254, Jr)
OT J.C. Neel, Wofford, (6-5, 285, Sr)
G Josh Jones, Georgia Southern, (5-11, 280, Sr)
G Eric Nash, Wofford , (6-3, 280, Sr)
C Tyler Elkins, Appalachian State, (6-2, 275, Sr)
QB Billy Napier, Furman, (6-3, 207, Jr)
RB Maurice Murphy, The Citadel, (6-0, 220, Sr)
RB FRED BOATENG, WESTERN CAROLINA, (6-2, 20, So)
RS DaVon Fowlkes, Appalachian State, (5-9, 155, Fr)
PK Darren Brown, Wofford, (6-0, 170, Sr)
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Ryan Spencer, Furman, (6-2, 265, Sr)
DL LeBryan Sperling, Furman, (6-3, 285, Jr)
DL Tyler Unzicker, Chattanooga, (6-2, 265, Sr)
DL NICK McNEIL, WESTERN CAROLINA, (6-4, 235, SO)
LB John Thrift, Furman, (6-0, 220, Sr)
LB Joe Scott, Georgia Southern, (5-10, 211, Jr)
LB Josh Cain, Chattanooga, (6-1, 230, Jr)
DB Nygel Rogers, Appalachian State, (6-1, 200, Jr)
DB Josh Cooper, Furman, (5-11, 190, Sr)
DB Richie Jackson, Furman, (6-0, 190, Sr)
DB Tony Tiller, Appalachian State, (6-1, 185, So)
P Brent Barth, VMI, (6-1, 195, Jr)
Coach of the Year: BILL BLEIL (WESTERN CAROLINA)
Offensive Player of the Year: Louis Ivory (Furman)
Defensive Player of the Year: Will Bouton (Furman)
Freshman of the Year: Brian Bratton (Furman)
