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)