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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: IIAC Deputy Commissioner: Dan Hammes

November 16, 2017
(319)-930-0782

Dubuques Joseph, Wartburgs Sacia and Coach Willis

Earn Top IIAC Football Honors
ALL-IOWA CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM ANNOUNCED

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- The 2017 All-Iowa Conference Football Team as voted by the league's head
coaches:

2017 All-Iowa Conference Football

Offensive MVP Matt Sacia, Jr., QB, Wartburg College
Defensive MVP Michael Joseph, Sr., DB, University of Dubuque
Coach of the Year Rick Willis, Wartburg College
First Team - Defense School Year Pos. Hometown / High School
Michael Joseph ! $ Dubuque Senior DB Oswego, Ill./Oswego
Brendan Holmes Simpson Sophomore DB Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic
JoJo McNair Wartburg Freshman DB Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central
Robbie Peters ! Coe Senior DL Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon
Drew Heitland ! Coe Senior DL Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy
Mitch Van Epps Luther Senior DL Wild Rose, Wis./Wild Rose
Jake Stearns @ Simpson Senior DL Knoxville, Iowa/Knoxville
Dillon Radamaker Wartburg Senior DL Greene, Iowa/North Butler
Tyler Olson Central Senior LB Mapleton, Minn./Maple River
Sam Norgaard @ Central Senior LB Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley
Rob Rottler Wartburg Senior LB Greene, Iowa/North Butler
Tony Anstoetter ! Wartburg Senior LB Farley, Iowa/Beckman
First Team - Offense School Year Pos. Hometown/High School
Cal Smith Central Senior OL Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg
Jacob Langenberg -h1 Coe Senior OL Maquoketa, Iowa/Maquoketa
Dalton Kuehl ! -h2 Coe Junior OL Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson
Tanner Venteicher Simpson Senior OL Glidden, Iowa/Glidden-Ralston
Derek Schipper Wartburg Senior OL Ackley, Iowa/AGWSR
Matt Sacia @ Wartburg Junior QB Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott
D. Allen Jr. Dubuque Sophomore RB Hampshire, Ill./St. Edward
Nebraska Norfolk, Neb./Lutheran High
Shaka Taylor Junior RB
Wesleyan Northeast
Kyle Gritsch Central Senior TE Brooklyn, Iowa/BGM
TJ Lint Buena Vista Senior WR Perry, Iowa/Greene County
Sam Markham ! $ -h3 Central Senior WR Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic
Riley Brockway @ Wartburg Senior WR Postville, Iowa/Postville
First Team - Specialist School Year Pos. Hometown/High School
Walter Ollie -h1 Loras Junior RS Pearl City, Ill./Eastland-Pearl City
Jon Alberts Central Sophomore PK Huntley, Ill./Huntley
Tyler Bryant Central Junior P Donnellson, Iowa/Central Lee
Second Team -
School Year Pos. Hometown/High School
Defense
Walter Ollie -h1 Loras Junior DB Pearl City, Ill./Eastland-Pearl City
Dante Joseph Luther Junior DB Layton, Utah/Northridge
Nebraska
Dakota Buss Senior DB Beatrice, Neb./Beatrice
Wesleyan
Ryan Lehr -h1 Simpson Sophomore DB Indianola, Iowa/Indianola
Peyton Imhoff Wartburg Junior DB Dubuque, Iowa/Dubuque Hempstead
Gary Weaver Buena Visa Sophomore DL Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View
Doug Gates Dubuque Junior DL Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton
Nebraska
Tyler Sorensen @ Senior DL Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Northeast
Wesleyan
Troy Heick Wartburg Senior DL West Liberty, Iowa/West Liberty
Brady Illg Buena Vista Senior LB Spencer, Iowa/Spencer
Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove
Le'Devin Smith @ Dubuque Senior LB
South
Ryan Sarver -h1 Simpson Junior LB Albia, Iowa/Albia
Second Team - Offense School Year Pos. Hometown/High School
Josh Brunk -h1 Central Senior OL West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley
Zak Ranshaw @ Coe Senior OL Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City West
Collin Stefanowski Dubuque Junior OL Lake Villa, Ill./Grant Community
Nebraska
Jacob LaMarche Junior OL Ralston, Neb./Ralston
Wesleyan
Hudson Johnston Wartburg Senior OL Maynard, Iowa/West Central
Cole Miller Buena Vista Junior QB Dumont, Iowa/Hampton-Dumont
Nebraska
Jonathan Curti Sophomore QB Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer
Wesleyan
Cam Bunting Simpson Junior RB Indianola, Iowa/Indianola
Dylan Binion Wartburg Sophomore RB Albany, Ill./Erie
Braden Meints Simpson Senior TE Garner, Iowa/Garner-Hayfield
Demetrius Harper Coe Senior WR Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie
Jackson Redmond Simpson Senior WR Kansas City, Mo./Liberty
Second Team -
School Year Pos. Hometown/High School
Specialists
Nick Slavens Luther Senior RS Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Mason Quigley Loras Senior PK Washington, Iowa/Washington
Jake Pisarik ! Wartburg Senior P Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon
 Honorable Mention School Year Pos. Hometown/High School
Joe Thraen Buena Vista Senior OL Irwin, Iowa/IKM-Manning
Tyler Obbereuter Buena Vista Senior TE Battle Creek, Iowa/OA-BCIG
Eric Pacheco Buena Vista Freshman RS Kearney, Neb./Kearney Catholic
Justin Dilks Central Senior DL Mount Pleasant, Iowa/Mount Pleasant
Josh Scheible Central Senior LB Kansas City, Mo./Liberty
Blaine Hawkins Central Freshman QB Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny
Dalton Shadle Coe Senior LB Morning Sun, Iowa/Mediapolis
BJ Weepie -h1 Coe Senior OL Fairbank, Iowa/Wapsie Valley
Derek Trotter @ Dubuque Senior DB Tripoli, Iowa/Wapsie Valley
Bob Brophy Loras Senior LB Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel
Greg Cybulski Loras Senior OL Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central
Mason Quigley Loras Senior P Washington, Iowa/Washington
Damon Stroup Luther Senior DB Tracy, Calif./Tracy
Nick Slavens Luther Senior RB Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Cory Wirth -h2 Luther Senior P Maquoketa, Iowa/Maquoketa
Brady Letney -h1 Luther Senior QB Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Nebraska
Caleb Conway Junior TE Omaha, Neb./Millard West
Wesleyan
Michael Connor Simpson Junior LB Woodward, Iowa/Woodward-Granger
Drew Jensen -h2 -h3 Simpson Senior PK Indianola, Iowa/Indianola
Sam Sasso Simpson Senior QB Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton
Chris McNutt Wartburg Senior DB Solon, Iowa/Solon
Tyler Schager Wartburg Junior OL Kasson, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville
Tom Schiffer Wartburg Senior OL Mason City, Iowa/Mason City
Griffin Brennecke Wartburg Senior WR Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar
JoJo McNair Wartburg Freshman RS Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central
Previous Honors
! - 2016 First Team All-Conference
@ - 2016 Second Team All-Conference
-h1 - 2016 Honorable Mention
$ - 2015 First Team All-Conference
% - 2015 Second Team All-Conference
-h2 - 2015 Honorable Mention
& - 2014 First-Team All-Conference
#- 2014 Second Team All-Conference
-h3- 2014 Honorable Mention

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today its major football awards and the 54-
member All-Iowa Conference team for the 2017 season. Wartburg College junior quarterback Matt Sacia
(Jr., Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott) has been selected as the IIAC Football Offensive Most Valuable Player. On
the defensive side of the ball, University of Dubuque defensive back Michael Joseph (Sr., Oswego,
Ill./Oswego) has been named the IIAC Football Defensive Most Valuable Player. Wartburg College head
coach Rick Willis earned the honor of IIAC Football Coach of the Year and the Iowa Conference
Championship at 8-0 in league play.
Sacia was a consistent force on offense for the Knights this season, compiling a league-best 181.3 passer
efficiency rating. The North Scott prep threw for 1,995 yards and 24 touchdowns in conference play. He
completed 129-204 passes while only throwing three interceptions. His overall season completion percentage
of .669 ranks 12th in NCAA Division III and his 175.1 passing efficiency rating ranks seventh. With 28 total
touchdowns he ranks 16th in Division III and a 9.18 yards per completion ranks him 18th. Sacia becomes the
10th Wartburg player to earn MVP honors, joining Murray McMurray (1968), Connie Hellerich (1969),
Mike Ward (1982), Scott Fritz (1983), Gary Walljasper (1984), Vince Penningroth (1995), Matt Wheeler
(1999), Spencer Capitani (Defensive MVP 2014) and Logan Schrader (2014, 2015).

With top end speed and range, Joseph made quarterbacks think twice before throwing his way this season.
The senior from Oswego, Ill. tied for a league-high five interceptions and totaled eight INTs on the season.
Averaging .8 interceptions per game ranks him third in NCAA Division III. In conference play Joseph broke
up seven passes and totaled 46 tackles. In his final game as a Spartan, the versatile Joseph took his first
career kickoff return 96 yards for a touchdown. Joseph follows Blaine Snitker in 2015 as the last Dubuque
player to win the Defensive Player of the Year. He is the fifth Spartan to earn conference MVP honors,
joining Rick Steil (1979), Michael Zweifel (Offensive MVP 2011), Wyatt Hanus (Offensive MVP 2012) and
Snitker.

Willis, voted as the league's Coach of the Year, led the Knights to a perfect 10-0 record and the programs
15th IIAC title. With the conference crown, Wartburg also earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA
Division III playoffs, where the will host Franklin College. Willis and his coaching staff guided the
defensive unit to league-best in scoring defense (14.9pts/g), total defense (230.5yds/g), rushing defense
(101.1yds/g) and redzone defense (50.0pct). On the offensive side of the ball the Knights were just as
dangerous, racking up a conference-high, 40.1pts/g. Wartburg also took care of the ball offensively and
created turnovers on defense as they led the league with a +7 turnover margin. In Willis' 19th year at the
helm, this is his fifth Coach of the Year honor (1999, 2010, 2013, 2014).

Central College also placed a conference-best, five, on first-team offense. Cal Smith (Sr., Orland Park,
Ill./Carl Sandburg) was recognized as one of the best offensive linemen in the league, helping the Dutch to a
league-high 476.1 yards of total offense per game. Central's rushing game averaged 244.0 yards per game to
stand at third in the conference and their passing attack averaged 232.1 yards per game. Senior tight
end Kyle Gritsch (Sr., Brooklyn, Iowa/BGM) was named to his first all-conference team. Gritsch totaled
512 yards receiving on 32 grabs in league action and scored four receiving touchdowns. Sam Markham
(Sr., Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic), senior wide receiver for the Dutch is joining an elite group as a three-time first-
team all-conference recipient. Markham was also named honorable mention all-conference as a freshman.
Markham finished league play tied for first in receiving touchdowns (11), second in receiving yards (934)
and receiving yards per game (116.8). Sophomore placekicker, Jon Alberts (So., Huntley, Ill./Huntley) and
junior punter, Tyler Bryant (Jr., Donnellson, Iowa/Central Lee) were named first-team all-conference for
the first time. Alberts led the conference in field goals made (10) and field goal percentage (83.3). He went
34 of 37 on PAT attempts for a 94.6 PAT percentage in conference play. Bryant averaged 40.9 yards per
punt in eight conference contests, which was good for first in the league. He placed 12 punts inside the 20-
yard line and boomed six for greater than 50 yards.

Wartburg teammates Riley Brockway (Sr., Postville, Iowa/Postville) and Derek Schipper (Sr., Ackley,
Iowa/AGWSR) join Sacia as first-team all-conference selections. Brockway, a senior wide receiver is
earning his second all-conference honor after being selected second-team a year ago. In conference play,
Brockway averaged 16.5 yards per catch over 50 receptions, to total 825 yards receiving. He was tied for a
conference-leading 11 touchdown receptions. Schipper, an AGWSR prep, anchored an offensive line that
helped rack up 463.6 yards per game in conference play. Schipper was a key cog in the Knights averaging
207.9 yards per game on the ground and 255.8 yards per game throw the air.

Coe College earned two spots on the first-team offense. Offensive linemen Dalton Kuehl (Jr., Cedar Rapids,
Iowa/Jefferson) and Jacob Langenberg (Sr., Maquoketa, Iowa/Maquoketa) led a unit that generated 427.6
yards of total offense per contest. Kuehl is now a two-time first-team all-conference selection after earning
the honor a season ago. He was also honored as an honorable mention selection in 2015. Langenberg, an
honorable mention selection a year ago, is named to first-team offense for the first time in his Kohawk
career.

The league's leading rusher, D. Allen Jr. (So., Hampshire, Ill./St. Edward) of Dubuque is a first-team
selection for the first time in his young career. In seven conference games, Allen rushed the ball 129 times
for 1,004 yards. He led the league with a 7.8 yards per carry average, for backs with more than 70 carries.
While averaging 143.4 yards per game he found the endzone eight times.

Also a first-team running back selection was Nebraska Wesleyan's Shaka Taylor (Jr., Norfolk,
Neb./Lutheran High Northeast). Taylor was a workhorse for the Prairie Wolves, rushing the ball 202 times in
conference play for the second best rushing total, 975 yards. He averaged 121.9 yards per game and 4.8
yards per carry. He scored three touchdowns on the ground and added another sic receiving TDs. Taylor was
a dual threat back, racking up 613 yards receiving on 53 receptions. Taylor led the league in all-purpose
yards with 1,588, and a per game average of 198.5.

Buena Vista University wide receiver, TJ Lint (Sr., Perry, Iowa/Greene County), racked up 888 yards of
receiving in conference play on his way to a first-team all-conference selection. Lint hauled in eight
receiving touchdowns during IIAC contests. He averaged 111.0 yards per game and 14.3 yards per
reception.

Ranner Venteicher (Sr., Glidden, Iowa/Glidden-Ralston), Simpson College offensive lineman is making his
first all-conference team. Venteicher was part of an offensive unit that averaged 442.6 yards of total offense
per game. The Storm offense averaged 282.0 yards through the air and 160.6 yards on the ground.

The other first-team specialist in addition to Central's Alberts and Bryant was Loras' Walter Ollie (Jr., Pearl
City, Ill./Eastland-Pearl City). Ollie, named the league's top return specialst was named honorable mention a
season ago. The Easland-Pearl City prep totaled 668 kickoff return yards for an average of 25.7 yards per
return. Ollie put his name in the Iowa Conference record book this season, taking a kickoff return 100 yards
for score. Ollie joins Trevor Shannon (Wartburg, 1996) and Greg Ortberg (Dubuque, 1999) as the IIAC
record holders for longest kickoff return.

On the defensive side of the ball, Wartburg placed a conference-best four players on first-team. Tony
Anstoetter, linebacker (Sr., Farley, Iowa/Beckman), is earning his second first-team all-conference honor.
Anstoetter totaled 70 tackles, 8.8 per game in conference play. He also had 2.5 quarterback sacks, six tackles
for a loss and one interception. Fellow linebacker Rob Rottler (Sr., Greene, Iowa/North Butler) is a first-
time all-conference selection. Rottler averaged 9.0 tackles per game for a conference total of 72. He sacked
the quarterback 3.5 times and tallied 5.5 tackles for a loss. On the defensive line for the Knights, Dillon
Radamker (Sr., Greene, Iowa/North Butler) is now a first-team all-conference selection for the first time in
his career. Radamaker's 9.5 tackles for a loss ranked third in the league, as does his five quarterback sacks.
He compiled 43 tackles for a 5.4 tackles per game average. The Knight's fourth first-team defensive selection
is defensive back JoJo McNair (Fr., Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central). The Joliet Central prep snagged three
interceptions in conference play and added six pass breakups. He also tallied 44 tackles.

Kohawk defensive linemen Robbie Peters (Sr., Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) and Drew
Heitland (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) are repeat first-team defensive selections for Coe College.
Peters led the conference in tackles for a loss (11.5) and sacks (8). He racked up 53 total tackles in
conference contests. Heitalnd ranked third in the league with five sacks and fourth with 8.5 tackles for a
loss.

Central College placed two players on the first-team defense in Sam Norgaard (Sr., Naperville, Ill./Neuqua
Valley) and Tyler Olson (Sr., Mapleton, Minn./Maple River). Norgaard, now a two-time all-conference
selection at linebacker, was named second-team a season ago. Norgaard averaged a conference-best 14.3
tackles per game and totaled 86 in only six conference games. Fellow linebacker, Olson, grabbed three
interceptions and had the second ranked tackles per game average at 11.4. His 91 total tackles were a
conference best.

Simpson College had two first-team defensive selections. Jake Stearns, defensive lineman, (Sr., Knoxville,
Iowa/Knoxville) is earning his second all-conference honor after being named second-team last year. Stearns
averaged 7.0 tackles per game and totaled 56. He ranked second in the conference with 11.0 tackles for a loss
and tied for third with 5.0 sacks. Defensive back, Brendan Holmes (So., Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic) racked up
70 tackles in conference play for an 8.8 tackles per game average. He tied for a league-high five
interceptions and added three pass breakups.

Luther's Mitch Van Epps (Sr., Wild Rose, Wis./Wild Rose) rounds out the first-team all-conference
defensive selections. The senior defensive lineman tallied 7.5 tackles for a loss to rank sixth in the league.
The Wild Rose prep also added 2.5 sacks in conference play.

The 54-member team includes 14 earning at least their second all-conference honor (first/second-team),
including Central wide receiver Sam Markham, who becomes a three-time first-team honoree (First Team:
2017, 2016, 2015). Dubuque senior, Michael Joseph is also earning his third first-team all-conference award
(First Team: 2017, 2016, 2015).

Undefeated Conference Champion Wartburg led the team totals with 12 selections seven on first-team and
five on second-team. The Knights placed six on offense, five on defense, and one on special teams. Central
and Simpson each finished with eight all-conference selections. The Dutch had seven of their eight selections
earn first-team. The Storm had three players named first-team and five selected second-team. Coe was fourth
with six selections, just ahead of Dubuque and Nebraska Wesleyan who each had five honorees. Buena Vista
came in at seventh with four all-conference players. To round out the 2017 team, Loras earned three all-
conference spots and Luther two.

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