Complete 2004 Coaches All-SoCon Team PDF Format
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Nov. 23, 2004
Cullowhee, N.C. -
Western Carolina senior defensive tackle Albert Reid has been named first team All-Southern Conference by the league's coaches, while sophomore corner back Bruce Lee, junior safety Primus Glover and sophomore punter Tim Mayse each earned second team All-SoCon honors, the conference announced today. It marks the first time any of the four have earned postseason honors.
Reid (Morganton, N.C./Freedom HS) ranked seventh on the team in tackles with 43, while tying for the team lead with 11 tackles for losses. He added a fumble recovery in Western's home finale versus Appalachian State, which led to the Catamounts' game-winning touchdown two plays later with just 41 seconds remaining in the game. Reid helped lead the Catamount defense, which ended the regular season ranked 16th nationally -- the school's highest ever national ranking as season's end, allowing just 301.91 total yards per game. Western was additionally 44th nationally against the run, allowing just 138.27 rushing yards per game. That rushing total is even more impressive considering Western held the nation's top rushing teams below their season average, including Georgia Southern (I-AA's top rushing team), Wofford (I-AA's second-best rushing team), Nicholls State (I-AA's 10th-best rushing team), Furman (I-AA's 14th-best rushing team) and Alabama (I-A's 20th-best rushing team).
Reid was named the Arby's/Catamount Student-Athlete of the Month for October after having some dominating performances versus some of the nation's top teams. Reid ranked second on the team in tackles for the month with 26, including a team-best seven tackles for losses. Reid started the month by tallying just three stops at Furman. However, he did record a sack in the contest. The following week, he played perhaps the best game of his career as he recorded a team-best eight tackles against Georgia Southern. He followed that performance with a five tackle outing at Wofford, including two for losses. On Homecoming, the senior registered six tackles, half of which went for losses. He capped the month with a four-tackle effort at Elon. In each game during the month, Reid helped the WCU defense hold their opponents to their lowest offensive outputs of the season.
Lee (Camden, S.C./Camden HS) closed the season in fine fashion, earning SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors versus Appalachian State. The sophomore tallied eight tackles, including seven solo stops, a sack and broke-up a pair of passes as the Catamounts upset Appalachian State, 30-27. Lee also helped contain Appalachian State's DaVon Fowlkes, limiting the Walter Payton Award candidate to five catches for 56 yards and no touchdowns. Late in the second quarter, with ASU on the Catamount 20 yard line, it was Lee's seven-yard sack that backed the Mountaineers up, forcing ASU to settle for a 48-yard field goal making the score 6-3 in WCU's favor at the break. To start the third quarter, Lee broke up an Alan Atwater pass to Richie Williams (on a tailback throw back play) in the endzone, once again forcing an App field goal, giving WCU a 9-6 lead. For the season, Lee ranked eighth on the team in tackles with 40, while tying for the team lead with six pass break-ups.
A preseason All-SoCon pick as well,
Glover (Springfield, Ga./East Tennessee State/Effingham HS) earned postseason honors, despite missing the last three games with an injury. Even though he only played in eight games, Glover still ranked sixth on the team in tackles with 44. Of his 44 stops, four went for losses, while he registered two interceptions, three pass break-ups, a fumble forced and a fumble recovery. Glover, who had five tackles in the Alabama and Nicholls State games, put together an impressive three-game stretch prior to his injury. Against second-ranked Furman, he had nine tackles, while adding eight and seven versus third-ranked Georgia Southern and sixth-ranked Wofford, respectively. He was on his way to another fine performance versus Chattanooga, before leaving the game early with his season-ending injury.
The play of Lee and Glover helped Western Carolina rank 15th nationally in second in the SoCon in pass defense, allowing just 163.64 passing yards per game. It marked the eighth time WCU has ended the season ranked among the nation's top 20 in pass defense since 1977 and the first time since 2001.
Mayse (Pine Mountain, Ga./Columbus HS) ended the season ranked 27th nationally and second in the SoCon with a punting average of 39.84. Of his 50 punts, he had three travel over 50 yards, 10 pinned inside the opponent's own 20 and 14 not returned as the opponent signaled for a fair catch. His effort helped the Catamounts rank third in the SoCon in net punting. Mayse also handled the Catamount placekicking duties, leading the team in scoring with 41 points.
