MIAC Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced the 2009 MIAC Football Awards today, November 23, 2009. The Bethel Royals had a number of players honored, with two players on the offensive first team, two players on the defensive first team, three players on the offensive second team, and five players on the defensive second team.
As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC announced the fourth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for football. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.
Reid Velo (Sr., Nashwauk, Minn.) is Bethel's representative to the team.
Logan Flannery (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) received his third consecutive All-MIAC first team honor by once again surpassing 1,000-yards rushing this season. Flannery finished the season with 1,046 rushing yards, averaging 104.6 yards per game. He also caught 17 passes for 148 yards. Flannery rushed for five touchdowns on the ground, caught five touchdowns through the air, and even passed for a touchdown on a halfback option completed to Joel Quick. With his successful performance this year, Flannery is now third all-time in rushing yards at Bethel with 3,396 total.
Mitch Elliott (So., Brooklyn Park), an offensive tackle, was one of the key anchors on the offensive line this season for the Royals. His tremendous play allowed Bethel to have a successful run game and pass protection on the year that lead to a potent offense. The physically imposing Elliott helped the offensive line allow the second fewest sacks in the MIAC this season with eight. The Royals also had the the third-best rushing offense in the conference, averaging nearly 185 yards per game. This is Elliott's first All-MIAC first team award.
Coming off an injury plagued season the year before, Andrew Johnson (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.) proved that he was one of the elite MIAC defensive ends this season. Johnson led the Royals squad this year with 10 sacks, which was second best among MIAC defensive ends and 13 tackles for a loss, which was the third best in the conference. He finished the season with 39 total tackles, 33 of which were solo. Johnson’s play contributed to the Royals allowing the second fewest rushing yards this season with 891 and recording the third most sacks with 28. This is Johnson's first All-MIAC first team award.
Nate Voronyak (Sr., Orono, Minn.) led a talented and deep set of linebackers this season for the Royals. He finished second on the team with 59 tackles. Voronyak also had six tackles for losses of 19 yards, including two sacks for 14 yards on the year. As one of the most dominant players in the conference, he broke up five passes, had a number of quarterback hurries, forced four fumbles, and recovered two. With his incredible vertical leap, he also helped block three kicks. This is his second All-MIAC first team award.
In his second season under center for the Royals, Josh Aakre (So., Dawson, Minn.) helped lead an offensive squad that was third in the MIAC in scoring, averaging 28.5 points per game. Aakre led all starting quarterbacks in pass efficiency this season completing 58.9 percent of his attempts while throwing only four interceptions. Aakre was third in the MIAC in total offense averaging 211.2 yards per game and 1,690 overall. The dual-threat quarterback threw for 1,351 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, while also rushing for 339 yards and four touchdowns. The Offensive Second Team honor is Aakre’s first All-MIAC award.
Joel Quick (Sr., Johnston, Iowa) also received Offensive Second Team All-Conference honors by leading the conference in receiving yards per game with 93 and receiving touchdowns with 10. He was also seventh in receptions per game, averaging nearly five catches each Saturday. Between receiving, kick and punt returning, the senior amassed 1352 all purpose yards, which was fifth best in the MIAC. Quick received MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors twice, and was also named to the D3football.com Team of the Week for his four-touchdown game against Concordia on Homecoming. This is Quick's first conference football award. He will also be playing in the D3 Senior Classic game on Dec. 5, in Salem, Va.
Kyle Boersma (So., Hospers, Iowa) was also a key member of the offensive line as a guard and received Second Team honors. His size and agility made it difficult for defenders to penetrate the offensive line to get into the backfield allowing Bethel to have the second best offense in the conference this season. This is Boersma's first MIAC recognition.
Jared Lyle (Sr., Elgin, Ill.), Bethel's starting nose guard, earned Defensive Second Team All-Conference honors this season. He was in the top 10 on the team for tackles with 34, had three sacks, two tackles for a loss, broke up two passes, and forced a fumble against Augsburg. Lyle's ferociousness wreaked havoc on opposing teams, and he was a major factor in Bethel's league leading scoring defense.
Ross Petterson (Jr., Maple Grove, Minn.) earned his first All-MIAC Defensive Second Team recognition by being one of the top 10 tacklers in the conference with 74. Petterson, a transfer from St. Thomas, had one of his best games of the season against his former team, recording 14 tackles and intercepting a pass as well. Petterson led the team in tackles, had a pair of interceptions - including a game-changing pick against St. Olaf, broke up six passes, 2.5 tackles for losses of 24 yards, and recovered a fumble. He earned MIAC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the Oles.
Coming off an All-MIAC Defensive First Team performance his sophomore season, Cory Svihla (Jr., Foley, Minn.) was another big part of Bethel's defense. Svihla started all 10 games and had 50 tackles, eight of them for losses of 35 yards, including four sacks for 25 yards. He also intercepted a pass and recovered two fumbles, helping Bethel add to its conference lead in pick-offs and finish second in turnover margin.
Tim Cornish (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) was the primary reason Bethel led the conference in interceptions as he helped account for six of the Royals 18 pick-offs, which was tied for the individual lead. Cornish gained 82 yards on his interceptions and ran one of them back for a touchdown, giving him four in his career off of 15 total interceptions. In addition to his pass defending abilities, he also had 33 tackels - two of them for losses, three pass break-ups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three blocked kicks. Cornish will join Quick out in Salem, Va., for the D3 Senior Classic. This is Cornish's second All-MIAC Defensive Second Team honor.
David Vavra (So., Cambridge, Minn.) made his presence known in the secondary on more than one occasion as well. Vavra started all of Bethel's games and was fourth on the team with 57 tackles - three of them for a loss. He was tie for third in the conference with four interceptions, one of which he ran back 35 yards to help set up a touchdown on the very next play. Vavra had seven pass break-ups, forced and recovered a fumble, too. Vavra earned MIAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week recognition earlier in the year, and this is his first season honor.
Reid Velo is Bethel's representative to the fourth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team. Velo is a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his work off the field and was a versatile player each of his four years. This season, he ran the ball, was 14-for-21 passing with two touchdowns, and caught 11 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown as well. Velo's Good Works feats will be featured as part of a vignette during halftime of the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2010.
