Tuesday, July 31, 2012
ST. LOUIS – Drake quarterback
Mike Piatkowski and San Diego defensive lineman
Blake Oliaro headline the 2012 All-Pioneer Football League squads. Oliaro was one of a league-high five players representing six positions from 2011 PFL co-champion San Diego selected to the preseason squad. Drake also shared the 2011 title and placed five players on the preseason team.
Returning players who were selected to the league’s 2011 All-PFL teams were automatically selected to the 2012 preseason team in order of voting. Twelve preseason selections were first-team selections last season.
Piatkowski returns to lead the offensive squad after earning 2011 PFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. He finished the campaign as the league’s top rated passer with a 151.40 pass efficiency rating that was 11th among FCS quarterbacks. He is joined on offense by the wide receiver corps of Davidson senior
Lanny Funsten (100 receptions, 1,107 yards, 8 TDs), San Diego junior
Sam Hoekstra (53 receptions, 554 yards, 6 TDs) and Morehead State senior
Donte Sawyer (60 receptions, 904 yards, 12 TDs). Marist senior
Anthony Calcagni (40 receptions, 494 yards, 5 TDs) and Jacksonville senior
Quintin Davis (19 receptions, 360 yards, 6 TDs) both return after earning first-team All-PFL honors at tight end last season.
The rest of the PFL’s preseason back field is composed of Drake senior fullback
Kevin Marshall (33 receptions, 280 yards, 3 TDs), Dayton running back
Taylor Harris (132 carries, 916 yards, 8 TDs) and San Diego junior running back
Kenny James (217 carries, 1,206 yards, 12 TDs) comprise the league’s preseason backfield. While the league’s six-person offensive line was composed of Morehead State seniors
Joey Clegg and
Eric Matteson, senior
Matt Storey and junior
Jay Howard of Butler, Marist senior
Phede Celestin and San Diego junior
Matt Peleti.
Oliaro, the 2011 PFL Defensive Player of the Year, leads the league’s defensive unit after finishing last season ranked among the FCS’s leaders in sacks per game (4th, 1.36 pg) and tackles for loss per game (10th, 1.77 pg) and leading a Toreros defense that was ranked 20th nationally in rushing defense. In addition, Drake sophomore linebacker
Travis Merritt (66 tackles) joins the league’s preseason team after earning Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honors last season.
Joining Oliaro on the league’s preseason defensive line are Drake senior
Brandon Coleman (51 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 12 sacks), Marist senior
Terrence Fede (72 tackles, 16 TFL, 8.5 sacks) and Jacksonville senior
Mike Mayoral (39 tackles, 8 TFL, 6.5 sacks). The linebacker corps includes Merritt, San Diego senior
Zach Dunaj (74 tackles, 6 TFL), Drake senior
Tyler Moorehead (78 tackles, 21 TFL, 10.5 sacks) and Butler senior linebacker
Jordan Ridley (140 tackles, 8 TFL). Campbell seniors
Brandon Chandler (50 tackles, 2 INT) and
Steth Monroe (49 tackles, 4 INT) are joined by Marist senior
Nick Mainiero (53 tackles) and Jacksonville junior
Schon Thomas (29 tackles, 11 passes defended) in the league’s defensive back unit.
The league’s three-person specialists unit was led by San Diego junior
Kenny James (34 kick returns, 828 yards, 1 TD), who also was selected at running back. Morehead State senior
Rainer Duzan (12-17 FG, 49-51 PAT, 54.8 yards per kickoff) got the preseason nod at placekicker and Valparaiso senior
Greg Wood (76 punts, 42.0 yards per punt) was the league’s choice at punter.
2012 Preseason All-PFL |
OFFENSE |
WR |
Lanny Funsten |
Davidson |
6-2 |
185 |
Sr. |
Raleigh, N.C. (Ravenscroft HS) |
WR |
Sam Hoekstra |
San Diego |
5-10 |
180 |
Jr. |
Carlsbad, Calif. (Santa Fe Christian) |
WR |
Donte Sawyer |
Morehead State |
6-0 |
190 |
Sr. |
Acworth, Ga. (North Cobb HS) |
TE |
Anthony Calcagni |
Marist |
6-5 |
218 |
Sr. |
Thornwood, N.Y. (Westlake HS) |
TE |
Quintin Davis |
Jacksonville |
6-3 |
195 |
Sr. |
Jacksonville, Fla. (Wolfson HS) |
QB |
Mike Piatkowski |
Drake |
6-1 |
170 |
Sr. |
Wheaton, Ill. (Wheatonville Warrenville South HS) |
FB |
Kevin Marshall |
Drake |
6-4 |
237 |
Sr. |
Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard South HS) |
RB |
Taylor Harris |
Dayton |
5-10 |
190 |
Sr. |
Centerburg, Ohio (Highland HS) |
RB |
Kenny James |
San Diego |
5-8 |
175 |
Jr. |
San Diego, Calif. (Mt. Carmel HS) |
OL |
Phede Celestin |
Marist |
6-5 |
317 |
Sr. |
Brooklyn, N.Y. (Canarsie HS) |
OL |
Joey Clegg |
Morehead State |
6-1 |
257 |
Sr. |
Westerville, Ohio (Westerville HS) |
OL |
Jay Howard |
Butler |
6-5 |
260 |
Jr. |
Dublin, Ohio (Dublin Coffman HS) |
OL |
Eric Matteson |
Morehead State |
6-2 |
308 |
Sr. |
Saline, Mich. (Saline HS) |
OL |
Matt Peleti |
San Diego |
6-3 |
295 |
Jr. |
Laguna Niguel, Calif. (Aliso Niguel HS) |
OL |
Matt Storey |
Butler |
6-4 |
280 |
Sr. |
St. Louis, Mo. (St. Louis Univ.) |
|
DEFENSE |
DL |
Brandon Coleman |
Drake |
6-4 |
244 |
Sr. |
Cary, Ill. (Cary-Grove HS) |
DL |
Terrence Fede |
Marist |
6-4 |
270 |
Sr. |
Nyack, N.Y. (Nyack HS) |
DL |
Blake Oliaro |
San Diego |
6-5 |
250 |
R-Jr. |
Folsom, Calif. (Folsom HS) |
DL |
Mike Mayoral |
Jacksonville |
6-0 |
240 |
Sr. |
St. Augustine, Fla. (St. Augustine HS) |
LB |
Zach Dunaj |
San Diego |
5-11 |
228 |
Sr. |
Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Westlake HS) |
LB |
Travis Merritt |
Drake |
6-1 |
215 |
So. |
Johnston, Iowa (Johnston, Iowa) |
LB |
Tyler Moorehead |
Drake |
6-1 |
222 |
Sr. |
Mason City, Iowa (Newman Catholic HS) |
LB |
Jordan Ridley |
Butler |
6-0 |
220 |
Sr. |
Indianapolis, Ind. (Lawrence Central HS) |
DB |
Brandon Chandler |
Campbell |
5-8 |
201 |
R-Sr. |
Kernersville, N.C. (Glenn HS) |
DB |
Nick Mainiero |
Marist |
6-1 |
200 |
Sr. |
Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. (Croton-Harmon HS) |
DB |
Steth Monroe |
Campbell |
6-0 |
196 |
Sr. |
Waxhaw, N.C. (Parkwood HS) |
DB |
Schon Thomas |
Jacksonville |
5-11 |
185 |
Jr. |
Dunbar, Fla. (Dunbar HS) |
|
SPECIAL TEAMS |
PK |
Rainer Duzan |
Morehead State |
5-11 |
165 |
Sr. |
Dublin, Ohio (Dublin Scioto) |
P |
Greg Wood |
Valparaiso |
6-1 |
175 |
Sr. |
Libertyville, Ill. (Libertyville HS) |
RS |
Kenny James |
San Diego |
5-8 |
175 |
Jr. |
San Diego, Calif. (Mt. Carmel HS) |