Football

BEREA, OHIO -- Three Baldwin-Wallace College Yellow Jacket football players have earned special recognition and Defensive Coordinator Adam Howard was tabbed as the OAC "Assistant Coach of the Year". To access the entire 2003 All-OAC football team, please click here.

Senior running back Mark Anders (North Olmsted) was named as the Mike Gregory Outstanding Offensive Back, senior defensive end Nate Mitchell (Butler, Pennsylvania. Butler) was tabbed as the Paul Hoernemann Outstanding Defensive Lineman and senior All-American safety Greg Koch (Olmsted Falls) was named as the Lee Tressel Most Outstanding Defensive Back.

Anders owns virtually every B-W rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards records and is a first-team pick for the second straight year. He currently tops the Yellow Jackets in rushing with an OAC-leading 1,314 yards and a B-W single-season-record 20 TD. Anders has also caught 23 passes for 256 yards and three more TD. His 23 TD and 138 points also lead the OAC and are B-W seasonal records.

Mitchell is fifth on the team in total tackles with 69 and leads the OAC in both tackles for loss with 25 and quarterback sacks with a B-W single-season school-record-tying 12 for 77 yards in losses. He has also batted down six passes, forced opposing QBs to hurry 21 others, forced one fumble and recovered another.

Koch, who earned Division III All-American honors both last year (by The Football Gazette and by Hewlett-Packard) and this year (by the American Football Coaches Association), tops the Yellow Jackets in tackles with 101. He has also tackled opponents 11 times for losses, including a QB sack, intercepted four passes and has eight total breakups. Koch was an honorable meention All-OAC pick in 2001 and a first-team choice last year.

Howard, who came to B-W two years ago from OAC rival Wilmington College, has his defense among the best in the OAC. This year, the Yellow jackets are allowing just 15 points and 312 yards per game and shut out two opponents.

Joining Anders, Mitchell and Koch on the All-OAC first-team are senior quarterback Dan Larlham (Brimfield/Walsh Jesuit), junior tight end Nate Wilder (Youngstown Cardinal Mooney), senior offensive guard Ian Formaz (Wadsworth) and senior punter Rob Becker (Dover). Named to the second-team were junior center Tom Kovacevich (Strongsville), junior defensive end Ryan Lewis (Holland/ Springfield), sophomore outside linebacker Justin Princehorn (Massillon Washington) and senior defensive back Tom DeLuca (Norwalk). Tabbed as honorable mention All-OAC choices were senior offensive tackle Sean Baker (Hanoverton/ United Local) and senior safety Jeff Fox (Willoughby South).

Larlham is the second leading rusher with 967 yards on 136 carries and 10 touchdowns.  He has also thrown the ball for 1,739 yards, completing 128 of 217 passes including 22 TDs and only eight interceptions. Wilder is the Jackets' second leading receiver with 19 catches for 278 yards and a team-high six TD. Formaz, Kovacevich and Baker are a part of an offensive line that has helped B-W to average 41.5 points and 450.5 yards per game. Becker is averaging an OAC-leading 38.5 yards per punt and it is the second straight year that he has led the conference. On defense, Lewis has 43 total tackles, including 14 for losses of 48 yards and seven QB sacks for minus 30 yards. Princehorn is third in total tackles with 95, fourth with 12 tackles for lost yardage and tied for third with three interceptions. DeLuca is an All-OAC honoree for the third straight year. He is ninth in tackles with 41 and first with 10 pass breakups. He also tops B-W by averaging 18.7 yards in nine kickoff returns and 12.0 yards in 17 punt returns. Fox is fourth in tackles with 77, tops the team with five interceptions and is tied for second with nine breakups.

This Saturday, the Yellow Jackets travel to Wheaton, Illinois to play in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Division III National Playoffs against Wheaton College. For more information on that game, please click here.

FOR MORE Baldwin-Wallace College Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. To contact Head Football Coach John Snell, please call him at 440-826-2069, FAX him at 440-826-2192 or e-mail him at jsnell@bw.edu.