Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

Greenville wins big in UMAC Football All-Conference awards

11/18/2010 5:51:14 PM

ST. PAUL -- Fresh off of winning the 2010 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) football championship, Greenville College swarmed the league’s postseason awards, claiming 10 of the 32 all-conference first team spots and all five of the UMAC’s individual awards. In his first season at the helm of the Panthers squad, head coach and 2010 UMAC Coach of the Year Ordell Walker led his team to a perfect 6-0 mark in league play and 15 all-conference accolades between the first and second teams.

Walker’s top running back in Anthony Ambers was named the UMAC’s Offensive Player of the Year, while Joel Deayon, a linebacker, was chosen as the league’s top defensive player. Ambers was the UMAC’s leading rusher, averaging 173.5 yards per game on the ground in six conference affairs. Averaging 12.0 points per game to earn the league’s individual scoring title, Ambers finished the season ranked second in the nation in yards per contest. Deayon had 30 tackles in the same six UMAC games, 14 of which were solo for an average of 5.0 per game. The senior had nine tackles for a loss and four sacks throughout the 2010 campaign.

Keeping with the black and orange theme, Greenville’s Luis Diaz and David Butler were honored with Special Teams Player and Lineman of the Year awards. Diaz, a five-time UMAC Player of the Week award winner, was easily the league’s top scoring kicker, averaging 8.3 points per game with his leg. The freshman, who both punted and kicked for the Panthers, finished fifth in the nation in field goals made. As part of Greenville’s offensive line, Butler contributed to his team being ranked first in the conference in scoring offense, rushing offense and total offense and eighth in all of NCAA Division III for rushing offense.

Crown College, Martin Luther College and Westminster College (Mo.) all had four first team all-conference performers, followed by the College of St. Scholastica and Eureka College who each had three first team selections. Like Greenville did for the first team, St. Scholastica claimed over a third of the UMAC All-Conference Second Team awards with 10. Greenville followed with five second team honors to round out their all-conference total at 15. In just the school’s third season, St. Scholastica finished second in the UMAC standings with a 5-2 league record.

A full listing of the UMAC’s postseason awards can be seen below.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year: Anthony Ambers (Greenville College)
Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Deayon (Greenville College)
Special Teams Player of the Year: Luis Diaz (Greenville College)
Lineman of the Year: David Butler (Greenville College)
Coach of the Year: Ordell Walker (Greenville College)