Jan. 20, 2007
Football: Season Individual Award Winners Announced at Banquet
Nine Youngstown State seniors reaped
individual specialty awards for their performances during the 2006 football
season at the team's annual postseason Awards Banquet on Saturday afternoon at
the Chestnut Room in YSU's Kilcawley Center.
Seniors earning individual awards for their performances this
past year were Monquantae Gibson, Marty Hutchinson, Marcus Mason, Jason Perry,
Joe DeBee, Patrick Walker, Jeff Koval, John Foster and Joe Bishop.
Overall, the entire group of 27 seniors helped lead the Penguins
to an 11-3 overall mark, the school's first outright Gateway Football Conference
in school history by posting a 6-1 mark. The Guins advanced to the NCAA
semifinals for the seventh time in school history and first since 1999.
Mason (tailback) was named the team's John Delserone
Most Valuable Player. A first-team All-American and Gateway Conference Offensive
Player of the Year, Mason rushed for a school record 1,847 yards averaging a
school best 153.9 yards per contest. He scored 23 touchdowns which ranked as the
second most in school history. In 12 games played he rushed for more than 100
yards on 10 occasions. In his two-year career, Mason rushed for 2,719 yards on
478 carries and scored 31 touchdowns.
Gibson (tailback) was selected as the Outstanding
Offensive Player for the season. A versatile player, he had 94 rushes for 540
yards and 19 receptions for 204 yards. He had eight rushing touchdowns and one
receiving touchdown for the campaign. He played in 12 games, making two starts.
In the Gateway championship clinching win, Gibson rushed for 236 yards on 43
carries and had two scores. In his three-year career, he rushed for 1,767 yards
on 315 carries and scored 18 touchdowns.
Hutchinson (linebacker) was named the Outstanding Defensive
Player for the season. A first-team All-Gateway pick, Hutchinson had a
career-high 111 tackles during the campaign. He was second on the team with
eight pass breakups and 10.5 tackles for losses. He ended his career with 243
stops, including 126 solos while starting 37 games.
Walker (right tackle) took home the Jim Zdelar Offensive Linemen-of-the-Year honor.
Walker, who was a first-team All-Gateway selection, started all 14 games and
finished his career with 25 starts on the offensive line.
DeBee (offensive tackle) was
named as the recipient of the Dr. Patrick Spurgeon Torchbearer Award. A
fifth-year senior, DeBee played in 13 games as a reserve offensive lineman.
Foster (offensive guard/center) was selected as the Neal Frost Outreach Man
of the Year. Foster was a key contributor to the offensive line throughout his
career. In 2006 he saw action in 13 games on the offensive line. He started the
NCAA quarterfinal contest against Illinois State. He played both guard and
center during his career.
Koval (linebacker) was tabbed the Jermaine Hopkins
Defensive Lineman of the Year. An honorable-mention All-Gateway pick, he
recorded 56 total tackles during the year, including a team-best 13 for losses.
He tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks. He started the final 13 contests and
in his career was a starter 23 times.
Perry (cornerback) was selected as the Ron Stoops
Inspirational Player. A second-team All-American and first-team All-Gateway selection,
he led the team with 11 pass breakups, tied for the lead with four interceptions
and scored three touchdowns during his final campaign. He returned interceptions
for touchdowns against UC Davis and Missouri State while returning a punt versus
Indiana State. A team captain, he started 38 games during his career.
Bishop (punter) was named the Paul McFadden/Jeff
Wilkins Specialist of the Year. He was a first-team All-Gateway selection as a
senior. He had 59 punts for an average of 37.3. It was his kickoffs and
directional punting that were most effective in 2006. He placed 21 punts inside
the opposition's 20-yard line. Of his 84 kickoffs, opponents' starting field
position was at the 25-yard line.
Redshirt freshman quarterback
Todd Rowan was presented the
Four Square Academic Player-of-the-Year Award. Rowan appeared in every game
during the 2006 season as the holder on placement kicks. Through his first three
semesters at YSU, Rowan holds a perfect 4.0 grade-point average as a Biology
Pre-Med major.
Also presented were game awards
that Mason, senior wide receiver T.J. Peterson, junior tight end Louis Irizarry and
junior linebacker James Terry earned
during the season.
Peterson was named the Four Square Offensive Player of the
Game for his performance in the 34-14 win over Maine on Sept. 9. Peterson caught
five passes for a then-career-best 110 yards. He had touchdown receptions of 42
and 16 yards against the Blackbears.
Terry was named the Four Square Defensive Player of the Game
for his performance against Maine on Sept. 9. He had a total of 10
tackles in the game, including seven solo stops. He also had 2.5 tackles for
losses, including 1.5 sacks.
Mason and tight end Louis Irizarry received the Football
Alumni Club's Difference Maker Award for their performances in the Homecoming
game against Northern Iowa on Oct.
21. In that contest Mason rushed for 172 yards on 33 carries and scored three
touchdowns while Irizarry caught a team-high four passes for 31 yards.
2006 YSU Football Awards
Outstanding Offensive Player --
Monquantae Gibson, TB
Outstanding Defensive Player -- Marty Hutchinson, LB
John Delserone Most Valuable Player -- Marcus Mason, TB
Ron Stoops Inspirational Player -- Jason Perry, CB
Dr. Spurgeon Torchbearer -- Joe DeBee, OT
Jim Zdelar Offensive Lineman of the Year -- Patrick Walker, OT
Jermaine Hopkins Defensive Lineman of the Year -- Jeff Koval, LB
Neal Frost Outreach Man of the Year -- John Foster, OG
Four Square Academic Player of the Year -- Todd Rowan, QB
Paul McFadden/Jeff Wilkins Specialist of the Year -- Joe Bishop, P
Alumni Club Difference Maker Award -- Marcus Mason, TB and Louis
Irizarry, TE (vs. Northern Iowa)
Four Square Offensive Player of the Game vs. Maine - T.J. Peterson, WR
Four Square Defensive Player of the Game vs. Maine - James Terry, LB
Captains - Ryan Jewell, C; Jason Perry, CB; Jeremiah Wright; LB
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