Football: Nine Mountaineers Earn Big East Honors
December 10, 2008 02:35 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
December 10, 2008
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| Pat White |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A total of nine Mountaineers garnered All-Big East Conference First Team and Second Team honors in today’s release of the 2008 conference postseason football awards.
Seniors Pat White and Ryan Stanchek were WVU’s lone representatives on the All-Big East First Team Offense. White, who earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007, will finish his career as the NCAA all-time leading rusher at quarterback. The Daphne, Ala., native completed 63.6 percent of his passes in the regular season and had 1,510 yards and a career-high 18 touchdowns.
White has also rushed for 919 yards with eight touchdowns, leaving him only 81 yards shy from his third consecutive 1,000-yard season.
Stanchek ends his career as one of WVU’s best left tackles. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native earned his first selection to the All-Big East First Team Offense after guiding the Mountaineers to another successful season on the ground, as tailback Noel Devine amassed 1,228 yards on 193 carries.
Stancheck, a 2007 Football Writer’s Association of America First-Team All-American, leads the Mountaineers with 47 consecutive starts.
Senior Mortty Ivy represents WVU on the All-Big East First Team Defense. The Monroeville, Pa., native leads the Mountaineers with 86 tackles, and racked up six tackles-for-loss while starting every game this season at the Mike or Sam linebacker.
Ivy also recorded three interceptions, including one against Villanova in the season-opener that was taken back for a 29-yard touchdown.
The All-Big East Second Team Offense features four Mountaineers, including wide receiver Jock Sanders, center Mike Dent, Devine and kicker Pat McAfee. Sanders totaled 392 yards receiving with seven touchdowns as a sophomore, leading the Mountaineers in receiving yards and receptions (48).
Dent, a Jeannette, Pa., native, posts 21 career starts at center. He earns his second consecutive second-team All-Big East honors, and spear-headed a prominent offensive line that paved the way for WVU to average 5.5 yards per carry this season.
Sophomore Devine had another impressive regular season after averaging 6.4 yards per carry for WVU’s potent rushing attack. He added three touchdowns and caught 34 passes for 171 yards.
Senior McAfee rounds out the Mountaineer offense, having made 16-of-19 field goals this year, including two 52-yarders. McAfee also tallied 3,495 yards on 57 kickoffs with eight touchbacks, and leaves his career as the all-time points leader at WVU.
McAfee also earned a spot on the All-Big East Second Team Defense as a punter, along with defensive lineman Scooter Berry and cornerback Ellis Lankster. The Plum, Pa., native is third in the country with a net average of 40.31 yards, and is eighth in punting average with 44.73 yards per punt.
Lankster, a Whistler, Ala., native, ends his career successfully by earning his first all-Big East honor. He finished the regular season with 63 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass break-ups.
Berry anchored a strong defensive line during his sophomore campaign. He posted 32 tackles and 4.5 TFL's while clogging the line effectively and stuffing the run. The North Babylon, N.Y., native also has three pass-breakups and one forced fumble.
