By Riordan McClain, SID assistant
November 22, 2002
Nine Bluffton College student-athletes have received All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honors following voting held by the HCAC head football coaches late last week. BC finished at 3-7 this season with a 1-5 HCAC record.
Earning first team honors were senior quarterback Brad Moore (Norwalk/Norwalk H.S.) and junior linebacker Chris Sommers (Delphos/Jefferson H.S.)
Moore is Bluffton's first-ever three-time all-conference quarterback as he finished the season with 1,675 passing yards and nine touchdown passes. He completed 56.8% of his passes (134-for-236) and ran for 259 yards and five touchdowns. In his career at Bluffton College Moore has 5,997 yards in total offense (5,085 yards passing, 912 yards rushing) and 37 touchdown passes, which both rank third all-time at Bluffton. He set a new BC record for lowest interception percentage at 2.6% over his career.
Sommers led the HCAC in tackles with 116, which includes five tackles behind the line of scrimmage, two QB sacks, a pass breakup, and an interception. He was also selected to the HCAC first-team last season.
Four players earned second-team All-HCAC honors, including junior defensive end Luke Wilson (Elmore/Woodmore H.S.), junior running back Jovan Johnson (Columbus/West H.S.), junior wide receiver Jimmy Dwenger (Minster/Minster H.S.) and sophomore linebacker Scott Steiner (Berne, Ind./South Adams H.S.).
Wilson ended the season with 49 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Johnson totaled 1579 all-purpose yards, which led the HCAC. He finished with 637 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and 55 receptions for 588 yards and two touchdowns. Dwenger caught 28 passes for 423 yards and three touchdowns on the season. Steiner ended the season with 65 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception, five pass break-ups and two forced fumbles.
Three players also earned honorable mention All-HCAC honors, including senior center Travis Lepley (Lima/Senior H.S.), senior offensive tackle Luke Sorrell (Cincinnati/Mason H.S.), and senior defensive end Brian Steiner (Rawson/Cory-Rawson H.S.)
Lepley and Sorrell led the way on the offensive line for Bluffton on their way to leading the HCAC in rushing for the third time in the last four years. That line gave up a mere nine sacks totaling 48 yards on the season compared to the 22 sacks for 186 yards by Bluffton's defense. Steiner had 50 tackles, 3.5 for loss, one pass break-up, one fumble recovery and forced two fumbles.