Courtesy UNK Sports Information Director

11 Lopers on RMAC 1st-team
Morris COY for 3rd Time

Kearney, Neb. - The 6th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney football team has placed 17 players on the 2009 All-RMAC team.

The team is voted upon by the league's head coaches.

UNK (10-1, 9-0 RMAC) had 11 players on the 1st-team (5 offensive, 6 defensive), three on the 2nd-team (1 offensive, 2 defensive) and three more on the 3rd-team (2 defensive, 1 special teams).

Sophomore running back Rustin Dring (Kearney H.S.) is the RMAC Offensive Player of the Year; quarterback Justin Coleman ('99), running back Mike Miller ('05) and receiver Richie Ross ('03) are the Lopers to have previously won this award.

Head coach Darrell Morris was also chosen as Coach of the Year, the third time he has won the award (2002 & 2005). In his tenure as Loper coach (2000-present), Morris has gone 72-34, including a 61-21 mark in RMAC games.

Of note, sophomore Jake Spitzlberger (Lakewood, Colo.) earned 1st-team honors, the first Loper QB since Coleman in 1999 to earn 1st-team All-RMAC honors.  Three starting o-linemen made the 1st-team in center Jack Hiett (Arvada, Colo.), left tackle Kyle Davison (Kearney H.S.) and right tackle Orion Matthies (Overton).

On defense, all four members of the UNK secondary earned recognition. Corners Mike Neal (Brentwood, Calif.) and Ozzie Smith (Bellevue) and safety Jake Mandelko (Lexington) were 1st-team picks with safety Pat Ackerman (Holdrege) on the 2nd-team.

Finally, three d-linemen were tabbed in tackle Josh Rohde (1st-team/Eddyville), end Mason Brodine (1st-team/Elm Creek) and nose guard Caleb Tyler (3rd-team/Grand Island).