December 1, 1999
Football: Three YSU
Defensive Players Named To
All-Newcomer Team
YOUNGSTOWN, OH- The
Youngstown State University football
players were tabbed to the
All-Gateway Newcomer Team, the
league announced on Wednesday.
Linebacker Tim Johnson (Jr., Fairfield, AL), defensive end
Bryan Hawthorne (Jr., Pasedena, CA)
and defensive tackle Matt Mechling
(Fr., North Canton, OH) were each
tabbed to the league’s All-Newcomer
Team.
Johnson, a junior-college transfer from East Mississippi
Junior College, had a remarkable
season at his middle linebacker
position. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound
junior recorded 190 tackles, which
is second-best in school and league
history. He started all 11 games and
recorded a team-leading nine tackles
for loss and was second with three
interceptions. In games against
Indiana State and Illinois State,
Johnson recorded 20 plus tackles,
notching 25 and 20, respectively.
Hawthorne, another transfer, had a solid season from his
defensive end position. Starting ten
games, Hawthorne was credited with
43 tackles and two sacks. In the
Penguins 28-24 win over Western
Illinois, Hawthorne had eight
tackles. He also had seven stops and
a sack in the win over Villanova to
close the regular season.
One player who made an immediate impact as a true freshman
was Mechling. The native of Canton,
Ohio, filled a hole on the defensive
line and was an immediate starter.
Mechling leads the team with three
sacks and finished with 49 tackles.
He recorded seven tackles in his
first collegiate game against
Slippery Rock and had a career-high
nine tackles against Western
Michigan.
The Penguins will continue their trek towards a fifth
national championship when they host
North Carolina A&T in the
quarterfinals of the NCAA I-AA
Playoffs on Saturday. |
