ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T had 12 members of its football team named Monday to the Great Lakes Football Conference’s all-league team for the recently completed 2009 season, including five selected to the first team.
The Miners had two members of the offensive unit – quarterback Jason Schlueter and guard Dan Hickman – as well as two from the defensive side of the ball in tackle Justin Philpy and cornerback Terry Robinson, chosen to the first team along with placekicker Joe Drahos.
Schlueter, named as the All-GLFC first team quarterback for the second straight season, led the league in passing during the season as he completed 245 of 392 passes (62.5 percent) for 2,638 yards and 17 touchdowns during the year. The completion total was the third-highest single season mark in S&T history and the yardage mark – which put his career total at 4,486, the second-best all-time at the university – was the fourth-most in one season despite missing half of one game and all of another.
Hickman was also a repeat selection to the first team and chosen as the GLFC’s top offensive lineman in 2009. He headed an offensive line that spurred the S&T offense to an average of 370.9 yards per game, including 254.8 per game through the air.
Philpy was also named to the All-GLFC first team for the second year in a row at his defensive tackle spot, as he finished the year with 43 tackles, including 21 solo stops. Robinson, meanwhile, was second on the team in tackles with 68 and also broke up five passes during the season.
Drahos broke the Miners’ single season mark for field goals with 13, including a game-winning 28-yard field goal with seven seconds to play to give the Miners a 39-37 win over Saint Francis (Ind.) when the Cougars were ranked fourth in the NAIA poll.
The Miners had players named to the second team, led by tight end Bryan Crider, who led S&T with 57 receptions for 604 yards and four touchdowns. Crider closed his career Saturday ranked fourth in career receptions at S&T with 142, the most ever by a Miner tight end.
Wideout Kevin Dillon was also named to the second team after making 24 catches, including six for touchdowns, to land him “Co-Freshman of the Year” honors. Offensive lineman Matt Kuelker, the Miners’ center throughout the season, was also a second team choice.
On defense, S&T was represented on the second team by linebacker Steve Edwards, its top tackler on the year with 84 and safety Brian Jordan, who finished with 63 tackles including a team-best 7.5 for a loss, while linebacker R.J. Miller (59 tackles, five tackles for a loss) and defensive end Loren Severs (22 tackles, two pass breakups) were honorable mention picks.
Missouri S&T was also well represented on the GLFC’s all-academic team that was announced Monday, getting 10 members of its squad on the first team and 13 overall.
The first team selections were Hickman (mechanical engineering major at S&T), Schlueter (mechanical engineering), Crider (engineering management), tight end Jake Drallmeier (civil engineering), wide receiver David Kavish (chemistry) and offensive linemen John Krumme (chemical engineering), Collin Bahr (history), Doug Beach (computer engineering), Adam Helton (psychology) and Matt Mast (civil engineering).
Miller (interdisciplinary engineering), Edwards (civil engineering) and R.J. Shubatt (petroleum engineering) were named to the second team on the all-academic squad.
Missouri S&T finished the 2009 season with a record of 4-7.