Anderson University was well represented on the 2008 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football squad as six players made the first-team.
Senior offensive lineman Sam Weaver was picked for the fourth time in his career. Weaver was a four-year starter on the offensive line. Other players named to the 1st Team were Darryl Stott, Chris Russell, Tristan Cork, Jeremiah Townsell and Ryan Hildenbrand.
In addition to Weaver, Townsell was also a repeat selection from a year ago. The senior lineman had 83 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He ranks second on the career list with 39 tackles-for-loss.
Stott led the conference in rushing yards per game and finished the season with 1,067 rushing yards and 13 TDs. He tied a school record with five touchdown runs at Rose-Hulman and tallied the second most yards rushing in that game with 252. His rushing totals were the fourth most in school history and he is the fourth back to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a single season.
Cork also tied a school record this year with nine field goals, equaling Mike Roberts total from 1996. He tied Jason Gilman’s 20-year-old record with a 46-yard field goal against Mt. St. Joseph and then set the record the following week with a 51-yarder.
Hildenbrand led the Ravens this season with 90 tackles, including 59 solos. He also had a team-best 18 tackles-for-loss to go with three sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Russell finished the season with 37 receptions for a team-high 670 yards and seven touchdowns. The sophomore also returned 23 kickoffs for 441 yards for a 19.2 average per return.
Junior Nathan Lundy was named to the 2nd Team while Chase Thurston, Cory Perrin, Shawn Wedmore and Luke Hurst were honorable mention. Lundy and Wedmore are a two-year starters on the offensive line while Perrin had 41 tackles and a team-high four intereceptions and nine pass breakups in his freshman season. Thurston set a school record this season, attempting 71 passes against Defiance. He also threw for 1,631 yards and seven TDs.
AU finished third in the conference with an overall record of 5-5, including a 4-3 mark in the HCAC.
