Wendt, Rice garner top SCIAC honors
Campus Times
December 6, 1996
Results are in and the University of La Verne football team took control
of the SCIAC voting for all-conference, including the all-around offensive
and defensive players.
Senior defensive end Matt Wendt, a transfer from Northern Colorado University
and senior running back Anthony Rice took top honors for the Defensive and
Offensive Players of the Year, respectively. This is the second time La
Verne has won both awards in the same season this decade (last done in 1993).
Wendt said, "I was shocked to find out from some of the guys that
I had been selected for the honor, but you have to remember that I am only
1/11th of the defense and that my teammates were the ones that enabled me
to get the award. The whole defense won the award in my eyes and that is
because we were the best defense in the conference if not the region."
Head Football Coach Don Morel said, "By a unanimous vote from the
other coaches in the conference, Matt was selected as the best defensive
player of the year. I was unable to vote for my own players, but if I could
of he would have gotten mine also. We really got lucky to have him come
down from Greeley, Colo. to play football here at La Verne."
On the other side of the line of scrimmage was Rice. This was the second
year in a row that a La Verne player took this honor.
Morel remarked, "Anthony Rice is a pretty good football player
and La Verne is really going to miss him. Anthony was certainly one of the
better players to have ever gone through SCIAC, and he certainly has the
potential ability to play the game of football at a higher level."
"I am really excited to finally win this award, but the simple
fact is that I could not have done it without two things; the coaching and
the offensive line that we have here at La Verne. It was those two things
that really allowed me to win the honor. Football is a big part of my life
and I just like to go out there and play the game," said Rice.
Rice was also recently named to the first team for the All-West Region
by the Don Harrison Football Gazette.
Others who claimed All-Conference titles are:
First Team All-SCIAC Offense-senior lineman Andy Moran, senior lineman
Pat Samsonas and senior tight end Pete Teichman.
Defense-senior lineman Paul Hatter, junior linebacker Anthony Russo
and senior back Carl Caston.
Second Team All-SCIAC Offense-junior wide receiver Fred Coffee.
Defense-senior lineman Trey Fultz, junior linebacker Brian Zavala and
senior linebacker Mike Dillard.