ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Drake University football team,
winner of back-to-back Pioneer Football League championships, garnered 17
selections to the 2012 All-PFL teams, the league announced Tuesday.
The 10 first and second team all-conference selections were
the second most of any team in league. In addition to the 10 standouts that
were named first or second team all-PFL, the Bulldogs earned seven honorable
mention honors for 17 total honors spread among 16 players.
Tyler Moorehead (Mason City, Iowa), who earned PFL
Defensive Player of the Year honors on Monday, became just the 40th
player in PFL history to earn first team All-PFL honors three times in a
career. He was joined by two other Bulldogs on the first team in record-setting
quarterback Mike Piatkowski (Wheaton, Ill.) and offensive lineman Avery
Fuhs (Chariton, Iowa). The honor was the second of Piatkowski's career that
saw him shatter every Drake passing record while Fuhs blocked for an offensive
attack that was ninth in the nation in passing.
Drake's defense dominated the All-PFL second team with five
selections led by Brandon Coleman (Cary, Ill.) on the defensive line.
Coleman was second in the league in tackles for loss with 13.5 and fifth in
sacks. Redshirt-freshman John Hugunin (Oswego, Ill), earned the honor at
linebacker after leading Drake and finishing sixth in the PFL with 99 tackles
on the season. His fellow linebacker, Travis Merritt (Johnston, Iowa),
joined him on the second team with an equally productive season that saw him
record 98 tackles.
Defensive backs Mike Ratelle (Edina, Minn.) and Jake
Underwood (Cary, Ill.) were also named to the second team. Ratelle and Underwood
both finished sixth in the league in interceptions. Ratelle also earned a nod
as an honorable mention return specialist. The senior was third in the league
in kick return average and had an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Drake's offense was represented by two selections on the
second team in senior wide receiver Nick Rosa (Owasso, Okla.) and
offensive lineman Zach Bosch (Tuscola, Ill.) Rosa was fifth in the
league in receptions with 54 and sixth in yards per game with 73.1 in addition
to his six touchdown catches.
The Bulldogs' six other representatives on the honorable
mention all-PFL squad included Kevin Marshall (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) at
tight end, Joey Orlando (Park Ridge, Ill.) at receiver, Matt Purdom (Elmhurst,
Ill.) on the offensive line, Matt Acree (Shawnee, Kan.) and Anthony
Gianaras (Mundelein, Ill. ) on the defensive line and Bob Quilico, Jr.
(Schaumburg, Ill.) in the defensive backfield.
The Bulldogs finished their season with a share of their
second straight PFL title after going 7-1 in conference play and 8-3 overall
record.
