The Lenoir-Rhyne Football Team placed a league-high 11 players on the 2012 All-South Atlantic Conference First and Second Teams, league officials announced this afternoon. Of the 11 players, seven were named to the all-conference first

team including five on defense. Sophomore halfback Jarrod Spears (Bunnlevel, N.C.) and senior guard Kaleb Myrick (Loganville, Ga.) both earned First-Team All-SAC honors on offense. Spears leads the squad with 820 yards rushing to go along with eight touchdowns while averaging 13.7 yards per carry.
Myrick, meanwhile, earned all-league accolades for the second time in his career and spearheaded an L-R ground game that leads the nation in rushing at 384.7 yards per game. In addition, Myrick won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy along with Carson-Newman's Kevin Day. The trophy goes to the top offensive lineman in the South Atlantic Conference. An L-R player has now won the award for the third straight year. Chandler Rearden won the honor in 2010 and 2011.
On defense, senior lineman Brandon Martin (Roebuck, S.C.) earned first-team accolades for the third straight year. Martin has 28 tackles on the season with four quarterback sacks and an interception.
A pair of linebackers were named to the first-team all-conference squad in senior Demetrius Green (Cedartown, Ga.) and sophomore Tanner Botts (Lawrenceville, Ga.). Demetrius Green, last year's SAC Defensive Player Of The Year, once again leads the team in tackles with 86 and was an all-league first-team honoree for the third consecutive season.
Botts is second on the squad in takedowns with 79 in addition to four quarterback sacks and two interceptions and has been named the SAC Defensive Player Of The Week twice this year.
The Bears also placed two defensive backs on the All-South Atlantic Conference First Team in junior free safety Michael Green (Kingsland, Ga.) and junior cornerback Myer Nolan (Atlanta, Ga.).
Micheal Green has 51 tackles and three interceptions this season and once again earned all-league honors as both a defensive back and return specialist (second team). Nolan, in his first season with the Bears, leads the squad in interceptions with five to go along with 53 tackles.
Senior quarterback Reuben Haynes (Commerce, Ga.), sophomore fullback Isaiah Whitaker (Salisbury, N.C.), junior center Parker Murray (Ninety Six, S.C.) and senior placekicker Zach Neumann (Mechanicsville, Md.) were all named to the All-SAC Second Team for the Bears.
Haynes has rushed for 594 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 434 yards passing and six touchdown tosses while Whitaker is second on the squad in rushing (643 yards) with a pair of touchdowns.
Murray took over the center spot earlier in the season while Neumann set the school single-season record for points for a kicker with 80. Neumann has hit 41-of-43 point-after-attempts and 13-of-14 field goal tries in 2012.
Lenoir-Rhyne (8-2), the 2012 SAC Champion and winners of seven straight games, will host Fort Valley State (8-3) in the First Round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs this Saturday at Noon. L-R will be making its first postseason appearance in 50 years.

2012 All-South Atlantic Conference
Football Teams
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Quarterback - Brandon Haywood, Carson-Newman
Wide Receiver - Chris Bowden, Wingate
Wide Receiver - Dimitri Holmes, Mars Hill
Wide Receiver - Corey Washington, Newberry
Running Back - Brandon Baker, Carson-Newman
Running Back - Jarrod Spears, Lenoir-Rhyne
Running Back - Shaikel Davis, Mars Hill
Offensive Lineman - Kaleb Myrick, Lenoir-Rhyne
Offensive Lineman - Kevin Day, Carson-Newman
Offensive Lineman - Nick Allison, Mars Hill
Offensive Lineman - Joseph So, Wingate
Offensive Lineman - LeQuawn James, Newberry
Tight End - Eric Watts, Brevard
Long Snapper - Skylar West, Tusculum
Punter - Eric Watts, Brevard
Placekicker - Curt Duncan, Carson-Newman

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Lineman - Brandon Martin, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defensive Lineman - Troy Harris, Mars Hill
Defensive Lineman - Mam Nyang, Mars Hill
Defensive Lineman - DeShon Collins, Carson-Newman
Linebacker - Cory Johnson, Catawba
Linebacker - Tanner Botts, Lenoir-Rhyne
Linebacker - Apollo Stretch, Newberry
Linebacker - Michael Gruber, Brevard
Linebacker - Demetrius Green, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defensive Back - Michael Green, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defensive Back - Jumal Rolle, Catawba
Defensive Back - Myer Nolan, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defensive Back - Luke Harris, Tusculum
Return Specialist - L.J. McCray, Catawba

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Quarterback - Reuben Haynes, Lenoir-Rhyne
Wide Receiver - Xzanvion Smith, Tusculum
Wide Receiver - Nate Charest, Catawba
Wide Receiver - Duenta Jennings, Mars Hill
Running Back - Brian Marshall, Tusculum
Running Back - Isaiah Whitaker, Lenoir-Rhyne
Running Back - Tyron Douglas, Carson-Newman
Offensive Lineman - Israel Pickens, Tusculum
Offensive Lineman - Alex Taylor, Carson-Newman
Offensive Lineman - Andrew Valazquez, Brevard
Offensive Lineman - Parker Murray, Lenoir-Rhyne
Offensive Lineman - Ethan Winn, Catawba
Tight End - Mark Clyburn, Wingate
Long Snapper - D.J. Davis, Catawba
Punter - Andy Rosetti, Tusculum
Placekicker - Zach Neumann, Lenoir-Rhyne

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Lineman - Jacob Hanes, Catawba
Defensive Lineman - Letavious Williams, Newberry
Defensive Lineman - Damein Lee, Catawba
Defensive Lineman - Malcolm Ricks, Wingate
Defensive Lineman - Nick Napolitano, Wingate
Linebacker - Jared Seate, Wingate
Linebacker - Rudy Cabral, Mars Hill
Linebacker - Brian Alexander, Tusculum
Defensive Back - Oliver Davis, Carson-Newman
Defensive Back - Isaac Kinley, Carson-Newman
Defensive Back - Timmy Rogers, Wingate
Defensive Back - Brian Spencer, Newberry
Return Specialist - Michael Green, Lenoir-Rhyne & Xzanvion Smith, Tusculum

Co-Offensive Player Of The Year - Brandon Haywood, Carson-Newman & Chris Bowden, Wingate
Co-Defensive Player Of The Year - Troy Harris, Mars Hill & Cory Johnson, Catawba
Offensive Freshman Of The Year - Jaquan Marsh, Brevard
Defensive Freshman Of The Year - Jarvis Neal, Carson-Newman
Co-Jacobs Blocking Trophy - Kaleb Myrick, Lenoir-Rhyne & Kevin Day, Carson-Newman
Coach Of The Year - Mike Houston, Lenoir-Rhyne

SAC STATISTICAL CHAMPIONS
Rushing Yards per Game - Shaikel Davis, Mars Hill (117.3)
Passing Yards per Game - Robbie Nallenweg, Wingate (332.2)
Total Offense per Game - Robbie Nallenweg, Wingate (323.3)
Receptions per Game - Chris Bowden, Wingate (9.64)
Receiving Yards per Game - Chris Bowden, Wingate (122.1)
All-Purpose Yards per Game - Brian Marshall, Tusculum (163.5)
Pass Efficiency Rating - Reuben Haynes, Lenoir-Rhyne (168.8)
Punt Return Average - Brian Marshall, Tusculum (10.8)
Kick Return Average - L.J. McCray, Catawba (29.2)
Punting Average - Eric Watts, Brevard (43.0)
Scoring Average (TDs) - Brandon Haywood, Carson-Newamn (8.40)
Scoring Average (Kicking) - Curt Duncan, Carson-Newman and Zach Neumann, Lenoir-Rhyne (8.00)
Field Goals per Game - Zach Neumann, Lenoir-Rhyne (1.30)
Field Goal Percentage - Zach Neumann, Lenoir-Rhyne (.930)
Tackles per Game - Cory Johnson, Catawba (11.82)
Sacks per Game - Nick Napolitano, Wingate (0.68)
Tackles for Loss per Game - Troy Harris, Mars Hill (1.20)
Interceptions per Game - Jumal Rolle, Catawba (0.55)
Scoring Offense - Carson-Newman (41.0)
Scoring Defense - Lenoir-Rhyne (16.4)
Passing Offense - Wingate (333.3)
Passing Defense - Mars Hill (158.4)
Rushing Offense - Lenoir-Rhyne (384.7)
Rushing Defense - Lenoir-Rhyne (94.5)
Total Offense - Carson-Newman (478.2)
Total Defense - Wingate (344.2)

Photo Courtesy: Mike Houston, L-R Athletics