Shorts, Crowl are All-Americans

STAFF/WIRE REPORT

NEW YORK — Cecil Shorts and Caleb Crowl of Mount Union were named to The Associated Press Little All-America team.

Shorts was named to the first team as a receiver, while Crowl, also a senior, from Lisbon High School, was named to the third team as an offensive lineman.

The team, which is made up of players from Division II and III, along with NAIA, was released Thursday.

Wayne State (Mich.) tailback Joique Bell is the all-division rushing leader in the NCAA, averaging 189.5 yards per game. He also led the nation in scoring at 17 points per game for Wayne State.

West Liberty quarterback Zach Amedro threw 49 touchdown passes, the most in college football this season, and passed for 4,945 yards for the top scoring team in Division II.

Completing the Little All-America backfield is Isaac Odum of Minnesota-Duluth, a junior who ran for 1,808 yards and scored 33 touchdowns.

Shorts made the first team at receiver, just a few days after he filled in at quarterback in the Purple Raiders’ 24-7 semifinal victory against Wesley.

Shorts caught a touchdown pass, then ran for two scores while playing quarterback for injured starter Kurt Rocco.

“To me, he’s the best player in Division III football,” Wesley coach Mike Drass. “I don’t think you look at it any other way. That’s how good I think that kid is.”

Frantz Simeon of Arkansas Tech is the other All-American receiver.

The offensive line is led by Brett Grozinger of Division II champion Northwest Missouri State and Augustana (Ill.) College’s Blaine Westemeyer, who become the first offensive lineman to win the Gagliardi Trophy as Division III’s top player.

Tony Washington of Abilene Christian, Jared Veldheer of Hillsdale and Nick McDonald of Grand Valley State, which lost to Northwest Missouri in the Division II final last week, complete the offensive line.

Frederick Bruno from Wayne (Neb.) State is the all-purpose player and Steve Ivanisevic of Washburn is the kicker.

West Liberty put three players on the first team, the most of any school.

Joining Amedro is tight end Ryan Travis and defensive back Derek Evans.

Two North Alabama players made the first-team defense: linebacker Michael Johnson and defensive lineman Montrell Craft.

The rest of the defensive line has Willie Walker from California, Pa., Cedric Thornton from Southern Arkansas and Eddie Vallery from Division III Wittenberg.

John Jacobs, D-II’s leading tackler from Saginaw Valley State, and Kyle Gesswein from Division III Delaware Valley aree the other All-America linebackers.

Joining Evans in the defensive backfield are Josh Jones from Harding, Quintez Smith from Shaw and Dominique Dixon from Division III Montclair State.

Justin Hinson of North Carolina Pembroke is the punter.