Five SAC Football Players Invited To Cactus Bowl

KINGSVILLE, Texas -- The 2008 Valero Cactus Bowl has announced its rosters for the 2008 Division II All-Star game to be played at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas on Friday, January 11, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Five football players from the South Atlantic Conference have been invited to participate.

Catawba College quarterback Brad Roach, the SAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Carson-Newman linebacker Eric Rice, the SAC Defensive Player of the Year, are among those invited. Also on the roster are Wingate tight end Chris Conklin, Wingate linebacker Bobby Floyd and Catawba running back Kory Fisher.

The Valero Cactus Bowl will be regionally televised in up to eight million homes on Fox Sports Southwest.

Headlining the East team is Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Michael Eubanks. Eubanks is a linebacker from Delta State (Miss.) and is one of only two players in the history of the award, given annually to the best player in NCAA Division II, to make the three finalists as a defensive player.

Other standouts on the East team include Shepherd (W.va.) running back Drevon Wallace who finished second in the nation in rushing with 2138 yards and 24 touchdowns.

The two quarterbacks for the East team were the Players of the Year in their respective conferences. Mark Nicolet of Hillsdale (Mich.) was the Player of the Year in the Great lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after throwing for 3,335 yards and 31 touchdowns. Roach was the Offensive Player of the Year in the SAC after compiling 3,332 yards and 32 scores.

The West team includes wide receiver Nick Smart of Southwest Baptist (Mo.) who set the NCAA All-Division record for most pass catches in a season with 143.

West quarterbacks include Daniel Polk of Midwestern State (Texas), who was the only player in college football to pass for at least 2,000 yards and rush for at least 1,000 yards, and Ben King of Minnesota State-Mankato who led NCAA Division II with 4,096 yards passing.

Valero is a part-owner of the San Antonio Spurs franchise, stepping in to help organize a bid when the franchise was being pursued by out-of-town buyers who, potentially, could have relocated the team.

Valero has also been the title sponsor of the Valero Texas Open since 2002. In that time, the tournament has gone from the bottom of the PGA TOUR in terms of charitable fundraising to raising more for charity than any other event in PGA TOUR history.

The Cactus Bowl began as the Snow Bowl in 1994 at the Fargo Dome in Fargo, North Dakota. After its initial seven-year run, the game moved to Kingsville in January 2001.

The game was played in Kingsville for six years, took a hiatus last year and will return to Javelina Stadium in 2008.

Played in an East/West format, the teams are comprised entirely of the 'best of the best' NCAA Division II college seniors. The Cactus Bowl Committee, comprised completely of volunteers, is responsible for all aspects of organization for the contest. Net profits from the Cactus Bowl are donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Conklin (Snow Camp, N.C.) was named to the 2007 Daktronics All-Southeast Region football first team last week. He was the top vote-getter among Southeast Region tight ends. He is a repeat performer, as he earned Daktronics All-Southeast Region second team honors in 2006.

In 2007, Chris Conklin earned first team All-SAC honors for the second year in a row. Conklin led SAC tight ends with 30 catches for 446 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2007. His 10 touchdowns were the most of any SAC receiver (WR, TE, RB) this year.

On the 2007 Wingate scoring charts, Conklin was third in scoring behind redshirt senior place-kicker Jonathan Beford (68) and redshirt freshman tailback Nelson Woods (66). In 2006, Conklin led SAC tight ends with 25 catches for 438 yards and four touchdowns. A 6-4, 255-pound tight end, Conklin is a graduate of Southern Alamance High School.

Floyd (Fairmont, N.C.) was named South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Week two times this season. On the 2007 season, Floyd was second on the Wingate team with 93 tackles (38 solo, 55 assists). His ledger includes five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one QB sack.

A 6-2, 240-pound linebacker from Fairmont High School, Floyd was third in the SAC in tackles per game with 8.5 this year. Floyd stayed busy, as he participated on four Bulldog special teams units (kick-off return and coverage, punt coverage and extra-point block) in addition to his defensive duties.

In 2006, Floyd was second on the team with 67 tackles (31 solo, 36 assists) in 11 games. He had three interceptions, one sack, four pass break ups and two quarterback hurries in 2006. Floyd had two interceptions in a home win over Catawba (Oct. 28, 2006).

2008 Cactus Bowl East Team

Almonzo Banks WR 6-2 220 West Liberty State
Mackenzy Bernadeau OL 6-4 303 Bentley (Mass.)
Vince Black LB 6-2 245 Fairmont State (Wva.)
Bill Bourdlais OL 6-4 290 Ferris State (Mich.)
Jamar Brittingham RB 6-0 203 Bloomsburg (Pa.)
Mike Butterworth OL 6-7 330 Slippery Rock (Pa.)
Kyle Clement DE 6-4 266 Northwood (Mich.)
Chris Conklin TE 6-4 255 Wingate (N.C.)
De'Audra Dix DB 5-10 160 Johnson C. Smith (N.C.)
Michael Eubanks LB 6-2 225 Delta State (Miss.)
Kory Fisher RB 5-10 195 Catawba (N.C.)
Bobby Floyd LB 6-3 215 Wingate (N.C.)
Nate Forse WR 6-4 220 California (Pa.)
Alex Hall DL 6-6 260 St. Augustines's (N.C.)
Anthony Hailstock DB 5-10 170 Virginia State
Denatay Heard DB 6-0 180 Stillman College (Ala.)
Tim Hunt DL 6-5 274 North Alabama
Kurt Hout DL 6-2 276 Ferris State (Mich.)
Kurt Kutscher OL 6-7 315 Henderson State (Ark.)
Eric Lamoureux PK 5-11 178 Fayetteville State (N.C.)
Maurice Leggett DB 6-0 180 Valdosta State (Ga.)
Jason Messing WR 6-1 200 North Alabama
Dan Marshall OL 6-4 298 Northwood (Mich.)
Keith McCleary DL 6-2 300 University of Mary (N.D.)
Tim McCutcheon OL 6-4 305 California (Pa.)
Jermaine Moye WR 6-3 215 California (Pa.)
Mark Nicolet QB 6-1 220 Hillsdale (Mich.)
Jacob Owens DL 6-5 270 Fairmont State (Wva.)
Elfren Quiles WR 6-2 205 Kutztown (Pa.)
Brad Roach QB 6-6 245 Catawba (N.C.)
Eric Rice LB 5-11 205 Carson Newman (Tenn.)
Jeremy Ricks WR 5-9 175 Delta State (Miss.)
Paul Tetzel DB 5-10 195 Bentley (Mass.)
Rory Thomas OL 6-3 300 Indiana (Pa.)
Matt Vanover P 5-10 195 Hillsdale (Mich.)
Dervon Wallace RB 5-6 177 Shepherd (Wva.)
Jamarcus Wiggins DB 6-3 215 Delta State (Miss.)
Brian Witherspoon DB 6-1 180 Stillman College (Ala.)
Kyle Witucki TE 6-4 249 Edinboro (Pa.)

2008 Cactus Bowl West Team

Donovan Alexander DB 6-0 181 North Dakota
Amos Allen RB 5-8 180 South Dakota
Steve Allen LB 6-4 235 West Texas A&M
Jerale Badon WR 5-8 180 Abilene Christian (Texas)
Brandon Borchardt OL 6-5 262 Western State (Colo.)
Eric Butler DT 6-2 305 Washburn (Kan.)
Will Clewis LB 6-1 240 Central Oklahoma
Weston Dressler WR 5-8 164 North Dakota
Derek Dykstra WR 6-3 200 Colorado Mines
Jeff Fielder TE 6-5 260 Minnesota State-Mankato
Dallas Flynn DE 6-5 280 Northwest Missouri
Matt Frankel P 6-0 200 Central Missouri
Ashton Gronewold WR 5-10 190 Missouri-Rolla
Floyd Headen OL 6-7 330 West Texas A&M
Willie Hopson RB 5-8 185 Ouachita Baptist
Chris Johnson TE 6-3 275 Abilene Christian
Bobby Jones NG 6-4 285 Nebraska-Omaha
Ben King QB 6-1 215 Minnesota State-Mankato
Kurt Kissner DT 6-3 245 Mesa State (Colo.)
Jake Krause TE 6-4 270 Nebraska-Omaha
Rob Lewis DE 6-5 292 Nebraska-Omaha
Johnny Lopez RB 5-8 188 Central Washington
Christian Morton OL 6-5 286 South Dakota
Rod Mosley DB 5-10 175 Texas A&M-Kingsville
Tywain Myles DL 6-2 305 Tarleton State (Texas)
Ranardrick Phillips DB 5-10 202 Tarleton State (Texas)
Daniel Polk QB 6-2 202 Midwestern State (Texas)
Kendall Ricketts DB 5-10 190 Central Missouri
Jon Roberts K 6-0 190 West Texas A&M
Matt Robertson LB 6-1 235 Northwest Missouri
Tim Schneider OL 6-7 283 South Dakota
Pat Schwenke OL 6-5 300 West Texas A&M
Shane Simmons LB 6-1 230 Western Washington
Nick Smart WR 6-1 185 Southwest Baptist (Mo.)
John Strand OL 6-8 280 Chadron State (Neb.)
Brett Stray LB 6-2 251 Central Washington
James Thabuteau DB 6-1 218 Truman State (Mo.)
Beau Wendling DB 6-2 212 Chadron State (Neb.)
Cary Williams DB 6-2 190 Washburn (Kan.)
Rod Windsor WR 6-2 205 Western New Mexico
Nathan Young OL 6-4 295 Abilene Christian (Texas)