5 Newberry Players Named All-SAC
ROCK HILL, S.C. (NC SID) — Five Newberry College Wolves have been named to the 2010 All-South Atlantic Conference football teams as announced by the conference office today. Offensive lineman Matt Holmes, defensive back Ron Parker and wide receiver David Pressley were named to the first team, while defensive lineman Arterio Arnold and linebacker Apollo Stretch were named to the second team.
Holmes, a senior from Johnston, S.C., anchored an offensive line which allowed only 12 sacks in 365 pass dropbacks this season. The 12 sacks were the fewest allowed by a SAC team this year. This is the third season Holmes has earned all-SAC honors, making the second team in 2008 and the first team in 2009 and 2010. He was a national semifinalist for the National Football Foundation’s Campbell Trophy, one of only 12 Division II players to earn the honor and the only player from the SAC and Super Region Two. He was named first team all-region by Daktronics in 2009 and was named all-South Carolina by The State and the Orangeburg Touchdown Club in 2009. The Gene Upshaw Award nominee completes his Newberry career with an impressive string of 30 consecutive starts.
Parker, a senior from St. Helena Island, S.C., earns all-SAC first team honors for the second straight season. The six time All-American and 2009 SAC Defensive Player of the Year led the conference in interceptions and fumble recoveries while making 59 tackles in his senior season. Parker finished the regular season ranked 14th nationally in interceptions with 0.56 per game, and was one of fewer than 20 players at all levels of collegiate football to record eight takeaways this season, snagging five interceptions and recovering three fumbles. He had a career-best 16 tackles at Mars Hill and had a defensive takeaway in six of his nine games played, including two straight games with two takeaways and three straight games with a fumble recovery, including a 72-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Catawba.
Pressley, a senior from Anderson, S.C., wrapped up a stellar career with a record-breaking season. Pressley established new school records for receptions (86 catches) and receiving yardage (1,117 yards), becoming the first Newberry player to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He had 11 receiving touchdowns – the second most in a Newberry season – and 12 total touchdowns. He ranks second in Newberry history in career receptions (148 catches) and receiving touchdowns (17 receiving touchdowns) and fifth in career receiving yardage (1,860 yards). He had seven games with over 100 receiving yards this season and four games with over 150 receiving yards, including a career-high 183 yards in the season finale against Wingate. He finished the regular season leading the conference in receiving yards per game (111.7 yards), which ranked ninth nationally, and second in the league in receptions per game (8.6 catches per game), which ranked sixth nationally.
