Dec. 5, 2006
LAS VEGAS - Five UNLV football players earned spots on the 2006 first and second All-Mountain West Conference teams and the Rebels boasted their first freshman of the year in five seasons as the league announced its official postseason awards on Tuesday.
A year ago, UNLV only had three such selections - all on the second team. And even better for head coach Mike Sanford's program is that just one of this year's five honorees is a senior.
Rookie wide receiver Ryan Wolfe, out of Santa Clarita, Calif., was named to the first team as well as being honored as the MWC Freshman of the Year after becoming the first freshman to ever lead the league in receiving yards. The first first-team ball-catcher selected by the league since Damon Williams in 1997 when the school was part of the WAC, Wolfe is also the first Rebel to win a conference freshman award since running back Dominique Dorsey in 2001. Two other UNLV players have won freshman of the year honors in the program's history: linebacker James Sunia in 1998 and quarterback Jon Denton in 1996.
Wolfe currently ranks 25th in the nation with 75.92 receiving yards per game as well as 55th with 4.58 receptions per game. He led UNLV with five touchdown receptions in 2006, had three plays longer than 50 yards and became the first Rebel to turn in at least three 100-yard receiving games in one season since Earvin Johnson in 2002. Wolfe's total of 911 yards on 55 catches shattered the MWC freshman single-season receiving yards record of 771, which was set by BYU's Austin Collie in 2004. Wolfe also tied the MWC mark for yards in a game with 176 on a career-high nine receptions vs. New Mexico on Oct. 14.
"Ryan's production was tremendous and the records he broke make him very deserving of the honor," Sanford said. "He has good hands, runs good routes and does a great job of getting the ball and getting up field. He's a very determined guy who can only get better."
Joining Wolfe on the first team was punter Kip Facer. The senior from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., led the league and ranked seventh in the nation with a punting average of 45.2. He is the first Rebel punter to be named first team all-league in MWC history (Gary Cook in 2003 and Ray Cheetany in 1999 were second-team selections). Facer averaged at least 40 yards in 10 games this season, including a career-best 53.0-yard average at Utah on Oct. 28. Against TCU, he booted a career-long 78-yard punt, which tied for second-longest punt in UNLV history and fourth-longest in MWC history. Facer's 42.74-yard career average put him fourth in school history.
Another wide receiver, Casey Flair out of Anchorage, AK, was tabbed second team, marking the first time UNLV has had two all-conference receivers in the same season since 1994 when Randy Gatewood and Henry Bailey were honored by the Big West. Flair led the Mountain West with a career-high 67 catches and ranks 19th in the nation with 5.58 receptions per game. The sophomore former walk-on also ranks second in MWC and 41st in nation with 68.0 yards per game after posting a career-high 816 yards receiving. Flair, who turned in two 100-yard games in 2006, has caught at least one pass in all 23 games of his UNLV career, including at least three in all 12 games this season. He also took over punt-return duties midway through the season and ranked second in MWC play with a 12.8-yard average on nine returns vs. league competition.
Former USC transfer cornerback Eric Wright was named second team despite missing three games with a knee injury. The junior from San Francisco, Calif., ranked third in the MWC and 40th in the nation in passes defended with 1.0 per game. Totaling 29 tackles, grabbing one interception and also forcing one fumble, Wright also ranked second in the league and 34th in the nation in kickoff return average with 23.9 yards per attempt. He was the first Rebel cornerback to earn all-conference honors since All-American Kevin Thomas in 2001.
UNLV's other second-teamer was junior-college transfer Jeremy Geathers. The sophomore out of Andrews, S.C., finished among the MWC leaders in multiple major defensive categories, ranking second in the MWC and 68th in nation with 5.5 QB sacks, and fourth in the league with 9.5 tackles-for-loss. He led UNLV in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles. Geathers was the first Rebel defensive lineman to earn all-conference honors since end Anton Palepoi was a second-team choice in 2001.
Earning honorable mention this year from UNLV was a trio of seniors: nose guard Howie Fuimaono (career-high 27 tackles, 2.5 sacks), offensive tackle Marco Guerra (four-year starter) and safety Jay Staggs (led the team in both tackles with 87 and interceptions with three).
The MWC awards were voted on by the nine head coaches and a panel of 18 members of the media. BYU quarterback John Beck was a unanimous choice for the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, while Utah defensive back Eric Weddle was named MWC Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. New Mexico place-kicker Kenny Byrd and Utah place-kick/punter Louie Sakoda shared the inaugural MWC Special Teams Player of the Year award. BYU's Bronco Mendenhall was the MWC Coach of the Year.
2006 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE AWARDS
Offensive Player of the YearJohn Beck, Senior, QB, BYU
Defensive Player of the YearEric Weddle, Senior, DB, Utah
Co-Special Teams Players of the YearKenny Byrd, PK, New MexicoLouie Sakoda, PK/P, Utah
Freshman of the YearRyan Wolfe, WR, UNLV
Coach of the YearBronco Mendenhall, BYU
2006 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
OFFENSEPOS PLAYER CLASS SCHOOLQB John Beck#* Sr. BYUWR Travis Brown Jr. New MexicoWR Ryan Wolfe Fr. UNLVRB Curtis Brown* Sr. BYURB Rodney Ferguson So. New MexicoTE Jonny Harline* Sr. BYUOL Jake Kuresa Sr. BYUOL Robert Turner* Sr. New MexicoOL Herb Taylor* Sr. TCUOL Tavo Tupola Sr. UtahOL Chase Johnson Sr. WyomingPK Kenny Byrd Sr. New MexicoPR/KR Brian Bonner Jr. TCU
DEFENSEPOS PLAYER CLASS SCHOOLDL Tommy Blake#* Jr. TCUDL Chase Ortiz* Jr. TCUDL Kelly Talavou Sr. UtahDL Antwan Applewhite Jr. San Diego StateLB Drew Fowler Jr. Air ForceLB Cameron Jensen# Sr. BYULB Jason Phillips So. TCUDB Quincy Black Sr. New MexicoDB Marvin White Sr. TCUDB Eric Weddle#* Sr. UtahDB John Wendling Sr. WyomingP Kip Facer Sr. UNLV
#Unanimous Selection*Two-Time First-Team Selection
2006 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST TEAM SECOND TEAM
OFFENSEPOS PLAYER CLASS SCHOOLQB Jeff Ballard Sr. TCUWR Casey Flair So. UNLVWR Brent Casteel So. UtahRB Chad Hall Jr. Air ForceRB Aaron Brown So. TCUTE Wade Betschart Jr. WyomingOL Robert Kraay Sr. Air ForceOL Sete Aulai Jr. BYUOL Clint Oldenburg Sr. Colorado StateOL Matty Lindner Jr. TCUOL Jason Karcher Sr. WyomingPK Jared McLaughlin Jr. BYUPR/KR Nate Meikle Sr. BYU
DEFENSEPOS PLAYER CLASS SCHOOLDL Tyler Donaldson Jr. New MexicoDL Jeremy Geathers So. UNLVDL Paul Soliai Sr. UtahDL Corey Mace Sr. WyomingLB Joe Martin Sr. San Diego StateLB Joe Jiannoni Jr. UtahLB Ward Dobbs So. WyomingDB Quinn Gooch Jr. BYUDB DeAndre Wright So. New MexicoDB Brian Bonner Jr. TCUDB Eric Wright Jr. UNLVP Jimmie Kaylor Jr. Colorado State
2006 HONORABLE MENTIONAir Force: Shaun Carney, Jr., QB; Bobby Giannini; Jr., DB; Stuart Perlow, Sr., OL; Gilberto Perez, Sr., DL. BYU: Bryan Kehl, Jr., LB. Colorado State: Luke Adkins; Sr., LB; Josh Day, Sr., OL; Jeff Horinek, So., LB; Klint Kubiak, So., DB; Jesse Nading, Jr., DL; Damon Morton, Jr., WR/KR; Mike Pagnotta, So., DB; Blake Smith, Jr., DL; Kory Sperry, Jr., TE; Johnny Walker, Jr., WR. New Mexico: Glover Quin, So., DB; Marcus Smith, Jr., WR. San Diego State: Atiyyah Henderson, Fr., RB; Patrick Justman; Nick Osborn, Jr., DL. TCU: Robert Henson, So., LB; Lonta Hobbs, Sr., RB; Chris Manfredini, Jr., PK; Blake Schlueter, So., OL. UNLV: Howie Fuimaono. Sr., DL; Marco Guerra, Sr., OL; Jay Staggs, Sr., DB. Utah: Jason Boone, Jr., OL; Martail Burnett, Jr., DL; Robert Conley, So., OL; Casey Evans, Sr., DB; Brice McCain, So., KR; Derrek Richards, Jr., WR; Louie Sakoda, So., K/P; Steve Tate, Jr., DB. Wyoming: Michael Ford, Jr., WR; Dorsey Golston, Sr., DB; Aaron Robbins, Sr. DL; Julius Stinson, Jr
