June 11, 2003
Cullowhee, N.C. -
Western Carolina senior Michale Spicer was named the sixth-best returning defensive end in I-AA football according to The Sports Network.
Spicer, who has bulked up to 6-3 and 260-pounds, is coming off a record-setting junior season. The Goldsboro, N.C., native tallied 26 tackles for loss in 2002 to establish a WCU record, shattering the previous mark of 23 set by Clyde Simmons. Spicer's 2.36 tackles for loss per game additionally led the Southern Conference and ranked seventh nationally. The first team All-SoCon pick and third team All-American also registered 11 sacks in 2003, which was second in the SoCon, seventh nationally and second-most on WCU's single-season list. After collecting 53 tackles in his first two years combined, Spicer finished fifth on the team with 56 tackles for his junior season alone.
Spicer enters his senior season with 21.5 career sacks to rank fourth on the WCU all-time list. He only trails Simmons (23), Steve Yates (25) and Louis Cooper (30). Spicer additionally has 42 career tackles for loss, trailing only Simmons (47) and Cooper (48) on the Catamount all-time list.
Joining Spicer as The Sports Network's top returning players in I-AA from the SoCon were punter Jimmy Miner (Wofford), punter Aaron Bass (ETSU), return specialist DaVon Fowlkes (Appalachian State), defensive end K.T. Stoval (App State), linebacker Mike Warren (Elon), cornerback Tony Tiller (ETSU), cornerback Derrick Black (App State) and safety Matt Nelson (Wofford).
Western Carolina will officially begin preparations for the 2003 season on August 4 with the start of two-a-day practices. The 2003 season will begin on August 30 in Raleigh as the Catamounts face North Carolina State at 6 pm. Western's first home game will be Sept. 13 at 6 pm versus Johnson C. Smith. The following week (Sept. 20) WCU host The Citadel at 6 pm for the teams' first SoCon game.
