By Staff
ROYAL OAK – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced its All-MIAA team for the 2008 football season.
Adrian College quarterback-running back Troy Niblock, a senior from White Pigeon was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Player on offense, while Trine University linebacker Courtney Pearson, a senior from Fort Wayne, Ind. (South Side HS), was chosen the league's Most Valuable Player on defense.
Both are being honored for the second consecutive year. Last year, Niblock shared offensive MVP honors with Hope College's Doug Van Eerden, while Pearson was defensive co-MVP with Olivet College's Marc Miller.
Niblock and Pearson become the third and fourth players in MIAA history to be named most valuable player in football twice. Albion College's Jeff Robinson was Offensive Most Valuable Player in 1993-94, while Hope College's J.D. Graves was Offensive Most Valuable Player in 1999-2000.
Alma College defensive back Buddy Scarborough, a senior from Romeo (Romeo HS), was named the winner of the Pete Schmidt Memorial Award, a scholar-athlete award that honors the late Albion College football coach who coached the Britons from 1983-96.
Here are this year's All-MIAA selections:
First Team – All-MIAA
Offense
QB -Eric Watt, Trine* (sophomore from Kentland, Ind./South Newton HS)
RB-Troy Niblock, Adrian** (senior from White Pigeon/White Pigeon HS)
RB-Pat Clasgens, Olivet** (junior from Livonia/Stevenson HS)
RB-Mikael Glidden, Trine* (senior from Indianapolis, Ind./Monrovia HS)
WR -Andrew Schaar, Alma* (sophomore from DeWitt/DeWitt HS)
WR-Jimmy Semelsberger, Kalamazoo* (junior from Bloomfield Hills/Lahser HS)
WR Lemar Qualls, Trine* (freshman from Indianapolis, Ind./Arlington HS)
OL-John Ahearn, Adrian* (senior from Tecumseh/Tecumseh HS)
OL-James Vinston, Adrian* (senior from Ypsilanti/Ypsilanti HS)
OL-Cameron Reichow, Albion* (junior from Albion/Albion HS)
OL-Erik Ladomersky, Hope*** (senior from Grandville/Grandville HS)
OL-James Greenlee, Trine* (junior from Columbus, Ind./North HS)
TE-Troy Hirschy, Trine* (senior from Monroe, Ind./Adams Central HS)
Defense
DL-Gino Panza, Adrian* (junior from Monroe/Jefferson HS)
DL-Austin Rodgers, Albion* (sophomore from Dexter/Chelsea HS)
DL-Erik Walker, Trine* (junior from Grand Rapids/Ottawa Hills HS)
DL-Justin Judd, Adrian* (sophomore from Grosse Ile/Grosse Ile HS)
LB-Courtney Pearson, Trine** (senior from Fort Wayne, Ind./South Side HS)
LB-Hakeem Yakubu, Olivet** (junior from Kalamazoo/Central HS)
LB-Harry Bailey, Adrian* (senior from Hudson/Hudson HS)
LB-Joe Curtis, Trine* (senior from Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn HS)
DB-Christon Calley, Adrian* (senior from Grosse Pointe Woods/Warren Lincoln HS)
DB-Steve Charon, Kzoo* (senior from Ionia/Ionia HS)
DB-Michael Terranova, Olivet** (senior from Lansing/Catholic Central HS)
DB-Corrie Latta, Trine** (senior from Battle Creek/Delton-Kellogg HS)
*-number of years All-MIAA First Team
Special Teams
P-Ryan Patten, Olivet**(junior from Charlotte/Charlotte HS)
K-Jeremy Howard, Trine* (sophomore from Elkhart, Ind./Concord HS)
Return Specialist-Jared Edwards, Adrian* (freshman from Bellbrook, Ohio/Bellbrook HS)
Special Teams
P-Nathan Fitzsimmons, Trine (senior from Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw HS)
K-Justin Warner, Adrian (junior from Paw Paw/Paw Paw HS)
Return specialist-Kyle Dietrich, Hope (sophomore from Gobles/Gobles HS)