Kimmel leads five on HCAC football team

Anderson University’s Denny Kimmel was named the Special Teams Player of the Year as well as First Team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference for the 2007 football season.

Also honored on the First Team were seniors Cory Boyland, Sam Weaver; junior Matt Plessinger and sophomore Jeremiah Townsell.

Kimmel led the conference in all-purpose yards with a school-record 2,164 yards and ranked second in the country. He also set a season record with 822 kickoff return yards, including a 79-yard TD return against Rose-Hulman.

Weaver was a three-time All-HCAC selection as well as three-year stater on the offensive line. Townsell led the Ravens with 84 tackles, six sacks and 18 tackles-for-loss this season and Plessinger was second with 83 stops and a sack. Boyland had 56 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss and six sacks.

Second Team selections were senior Josh Deeter; juniors Tom Helms, Travon Curry and sophomore Luke Hurst. Deeter had 55 tackles, two pass breakups and an interception and Helms had 37 tackles and three sacks. Curry added 64 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, four sacks, four pass breakups and an interception return for a TD and Hurst 52 tackles, three interceptions and two pass breakups.

Honorable mention selections were junior offensive linemen Jaren Weldy and Shawn Wedmore and senior defensive back Brandon Johnson. The latter had 35 tackles, 14 pass breakups and three interceptions.

AU finished the season 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the HCAC.