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*The Prairie Fire is well represented on the 2012
All-Midwest Conference football team.
Knox has a total of seven All-MWC selections.Four players were named
to the first team, one to the second team, and two are on the
honorable mention squad.
The all-conference first team offensive players are running back
*Derek Mortensen* and offensive lineman *Jordan Willits*, both
juniors.The first team defensive players are senior linebacker *Mike
Hendrick* and senior *Mike Schroeder* on special teams.
In addition, junior tight end *Neal Moon* is an All-MWC second team
pick.Senior offensive lineman *Mike Carr* and senior defensive
lineman*Lloyd Scott* were named honorable mention all-conference.
Mortensen, a Midwest Conference honorable mention selection last
season as a sophomore, set or tied 10 new school records during the
2012 season after rushing for 1362 yards and 17 touchdowns.He led the
Midwest Conference in rushing yards and was second in rushing yards
per game (136.2, #12 in NCAA Division III), rushing touchdowns,
scoring (104 points, 10.4 per game), and all-purpose yards (1373,
137.3 per game).
Willits, a repeat All-MWC first-teamer, helped pave the way for
Mortensen and the Prairie Fire rushing attack in 2012.Knox was in the
upper half of the conference with an average of 201.6 yards on the
ground per game and 26 touchdowns.Carr, a first-time all-conference
selection, was the Prairie Fire's center and a key member of an
offensive line that also helped Knox set a school record for points
in a season.
The Prairie Fire scored 311 points for an average of 31.1 per game,
the third-highest scoring offense in the league.That included a
63-point outburst in a win at home against Lawrence University on
November 3 -- the most points scored in a game since the 1919 team
put up a record 75.The 1919 squad also held the previous all-time
high for points in a season with 295.
The new records Mortensen set in 2012 were rushing touchdowns in a
game (6), total touchdowns in a game (6), rushing touchdowns in a
season (17), total touchdowns in a season (17), career rushing
touchdowns (30), points in a game (38), and rushing yards in a season
(1362).He tied the records for most points in a season (104), most
games over 100 yards in a season (seven), and most games over 200
yards in a season (two).
Moon was named all-conference for the first time in his career after
a fine season catching the football and blocking on the offensive
line.He had 22 receptions for 268 yards, an average of 12.2 yards per
catch, and five touchdowns.Moon was second among the Knox receivers
in touchdowns and third in reception yards.
Hendrick received All-MWC first team defense accolades for the second
straight season.The All-American led NCAA Division III in tackles in
2011 with 157 and tackles per game with 15.7.He finished 2012 with
133 total tackles, which led the Midwest Conference and ranked third
in the nation, while his average of 13.3 tackles per game average was
#5 in the country.Hendrick also had 5.0 sacks (#11 MWC), 11.0 tackles
for a loss (tied #9 MWC), and three forced fumbles (tied #2 MWC).
In addition, Hendrick set another school record for tackles during
his senior season.He ranks #1 all-time at Knox with 200 career solo
tackles.Other records Hendrick owns are total tackles in a game, solo
tackles in a game, solo tackles in a season, and total tackles in a
season.He had 373 career tackles, which is #2 all-time behind Tracy
Rodgers (453).
Schroeder had a record-breaking season on special teams and served as
a valuable member of the Prairie Fire defense in the secondary.He was
second on the team with 74 tackles and his 7.4 tackles per game tied
for #16 in the Midwest Conference.
Schroeder garnered all-conference recognition for the first time
after setting four new Knox football records on special teams.He's
the all-time leader with 1039 kickoff return yards in a season, 2112
career kickoff return yards, 46 kickoff returns in a season, and 95
kickoff returns in a career.Schroeder led the conference in kickoff
return yardage -- which included a 79-yard touchdown in week one --
and ranked second in the league with an average of 22.6 yards per
kick return.The Prairie Fire led the MWC with an average of 21.6
yards per kickoff return and Schroeder also ranked ninth in the
league with an average of 105.8 all-purpose yards per game.
Scott, a first-time all-conference selection, caused problems for
opposing offenses from his defensive line position.He concluded his
final season with 38 tackles, including nine for a loss (tied #13
MWC), 5.5 sacks (#10 MWC), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
The conference's three individual awards went to senior running back
Al Mitchell of Lake Forest College, senior defensive lineman Josh
Zank of Carroll University, and Lake Forest coach Jim Catanzaro.
Mitchell was named the 2012 Midwest Conference Offensive Player of
the Year, Zank the 2012 Midwest Conference Defensive Player of the
Year, and Catanzaro the 2012 Midwest Conference Coach of the Year.
Catanzaro is the first Lake Forest coach to win the award since 2002,
when Knox athletic director and outgoing football coach Chad Eisele
received the honor after leading the Foresters to the Midwest
Conference championship that year.
2012 MWC Offensive Player of the Year
Al Mitchell, Senior, Running Back, Lake Forest College
2012 MWC Defensive Player of the Year
Josh Zank, Senior, Defensive Line, Carroll University
2012 MWC Coach of the Year
Jim Catanzaro, Lake Forest College
--2012 MWC Football First Team All-Conference--
OFFENSE
QB Michael Bates So. Illinois College
RB Al Mitchell Sr. Lake Forest College
RB Lamont Williams So. Carroll University
RB Derek Mortensen Jr. Knox College
TE Aaron White Sr. Carroll University
WR Austin Sobey Sr. Lake Forest College
WR Tyler Mazur Sr. Lawrence University
WR Joe Green Sr. St. Norbert College
OL Will Savor Sr. Lake Forest College
OL A.J. Ulrich Jr. Monmouth College
OL Matt Hermes Sr. Carroll University
OL Keith Lane Jr. Illinois College
OL Jordan Willits Jr. Knox College
K Matt Newman So. Illinois College
K Ace Henricks So. Monmouth College
RS Joe Green Sr. St. Norbert College
DEFENSE
DL Josh Zank Sr. Carroll University
DL Justin Pflum Sr. St. Norbert College
DL Kurt Frischman Jr. Illinois College
DL Jake Rotkvich Sr. Lake Forest College
LB Steve Korus Sr. Carroll University
LB Mike Hendrick Sr. Knox College
LB Adam Nitsche Sr. St. Norbert College
LB Jordan Cruz Jr. Lake Forest College
DB Neal Layng Sr. Carroll University
DB Joe Gaines Sr. Illinois College
DB Ed Dobernig Jr. Lake Forest College
DB Austin Arts Sr. St. Norbert College
P Brik Wedekind Jr. Monmouth College
ST Mike Schroeder Sr. Knox College
www.midwestconference.
--2012 MWC Football Second Team All-Conference--
OFFENSE
QB Pete Scaffidi Sr. Lake Forest College
RB Tom Sawyer Jr. Ripon College
RB Cecil Brimmage Jr. Illinois College
RB Trey Yocum Jr. Monmouth College
TE Neal Moon Jr. Knox College
WR Tyler Ostrander Jr. Carroll University
WR Justin Cox So. Cornell College
WR Cody Weber Sr. Grinnell College
OL Zach Tamblyn Jr. Carroll University
OL Sam Cluck So. Cornell College
OL Travis Gullett Sr. Illinois College
OL Tyler Jonas So. Ripon College
OL Andrew Cullen Jr. St. Norbert College
RS Andrew Clark Jr. Grinnell College
DEFENSE
DL Bryan Larson Jr. Carroll University
DL Tom Brinkman Sr. Grinnell College
DL Michael Garetto-Balmer Jr. Lake Forest College
DL Sam Hoster Sr. Monmouth College
DL Petr Bohacek Sr. St. Norbert College
LB Geoffrey Miller Jr. Cornell College
LB David Ternes So. Grinnell College
LB Carter Cox Jr. Illinois College
LB John Dillon Jr. Lake Forest College
DB Drew Blumberg Sr. Grinnell College
DB Dylan DeFauw Sr. Illinois College
DB Aidan Price Sr. Lake Forest College
DB Josh Vanden Heuvel Sr. St. Norbert College
P Matt Traub Jr. Carroll University
ST Ben Hartman Sr. Lawrence University
--2012 MWC Football Honorable Mention All-Conference--
OFFENSE
RB T.J. Schaid Sr. Grinnell College
RB Max Herrmann Sr. Ripon College
TE Greg Alonso Jr. Lake Forest College
WR Kevin Fuller Jr. Illinois College
WR Dominique Dirden So. Lawrence University
OL Mike Carr Sr. Knox College
OL Tom Mitchell Jr. Lake Forest College
OL Todd Groth Sr. Monmouth College
OL Hayden Simonis Jr. Beloit College
K Jake Gahart Sr. Ripon College
RS Luke Versulien Fr. Beloit College
RS Evan Whaley So. Carroll University
DEFENSE
DL Vince Osborne Sr. Cornell College
DL Lloyd Scott Sr. Knox College
LB Jon Hope Sr. Lawrence University
LB Toby Cole Sr. St. Norbert College
DB Jacob Lindmair Jr. Carroll University
DB Nick Brautigam Jr. Cornell College
DB Sam Wagner Jr. Lawrence University
DB Luke Morgan Jr. Ripon College
P Graham Fisher Fr. Grinnell College
P Jon Gurchak Fr. Lake Forest College
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