Don Hansen All-Super Region One Teams
BROOKFIELD, IL – Even more proof of a successful season for the Crimson Hawks, 10 IUP football players have been named to the 2012 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-Super Region One squad as it was announced on Tuesday.
Among the group of honorees are five first team selections, including senior running back
Harvie Tuck (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary), senior offensive tackle
Dan Matha (Erie/McDowell), senior defensive lineman
Carl Thornton (Beaver Falls/Beaver Falls), junior linebacker
Carl Fleming (Reisterstown, MD/Franklin) and senior safety
Johnny Franco (Altoona/Tyrone).
Those five picks are tied with Shippensburg for the most first team selections in the region.
Tuck has landed on multiple All-American teams after a season in which he ran for 1,660 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 2012 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Offensive Player of the Year wraps up his career as IUP's second all-time leading rusher with 4,341 yards.
Matha also earned All-American status as he helped pave the way for the Crimson Hawks rushing attack from his right tackle position. He was a Gene Upshaw Lineman of the Year candidate as IUP finished 10th in Division II with 269 rushing yards per game.
Thornton, Fleming and Franco were cornerstones of the nation's top defense. The Crimson Hawks gave up just 257.9 yards and 12.5 points per game – both first in Division II - recording three shutouts and holding opponents to 10 points or fewer four additional times. Opponents averaged just 80 rushing yards per game (third in the nation), managing just 2.6 yards per carry.
Thornton was second on the team with 12.5 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks; Fleming had 88 tackles and was named MVP of the PSAC Championship Game; and Franco was a do-it-all safety who finished tied for ninth in the nation with six interceptions.
Earning second team recognition were junior guard
Nick Carnicella (Greensburg/Hempfield), sophomore kicker
Brett Ullman (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) and junior linebacker
Alexander Berdahl (Ashburn, Va./Bishop O'Connell). Third team selections include senior running back
De'Antwan Williams (Woodbridge, VA/Woodbridge) and junior offensive tackle
Byron Dovales (Reading/Muhlenberg).
The 10 total picks were second most in the region behind Bloomsburg's 11 selections.
Under Head Coach
Curt Cignetti the Crimson Hawks finished the year with a 12-2 overall record, advancing to the NCAA Division II Super Region One championship, falling to eventual national runner-up Winston-Salem State 21-17 in North Carolina. IUP was ranked seventh in the final AFCA Top 25 poll, its highest ranking since sitting in that same spot on November 4, 2003.
