Ten Jackets named to Grid All-HCAC Team

--Defiance, Ohio—Ten members of the Defiance College Football squad were named to the All-Heartland Conference team as named by the conference coaches.

First-team selections included junior punter Blake Stambaugh (Swanton, Ohio), senior defensive back Joe Cronkhite (Plainwell, Mich.), and senior wide receiver Jason Brown (Grand Rapids, Ohio). Stambaugh led the league in punting with a 39.3 yards average, putting 14 punts inside the 20-yard line. Cronkhite totaled 53 tackles on the year, while breaking-up three passes and added 2.5 tackles-for-loss. Brown led the Jackets with 40 receptions, and scored one touchdown. The senior also had 152 kick-return yards.

Members of the HCAC second-team are senior offensive lineman Ben Haas (Allegan, Mich), sophomore linebacker Steven Brancheau (Temperance, Mich.), and defensive backs junior, Kris Zajac (Grosse Ile, Mich.) and sophomore, Mike Haydon (Allen Park, Mich.). Haas helped the Jackets churn-out 986 rushing yards through nine games, while Brancheau ended the year with 52 tackles and six tackles for loss. Zajac was second on the team with 57 tackles and added 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, and five pass break-ups. Haydon was the defensive leader for DC, leading the Jackets with 73 tackles, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Honorable mention selections were sophomore defensive lineman Richard Palmer (Orlando, Florida), sophomore linebacker Tyler Haines (Piqua, Ohio) and quarterback Nate Fitton (Grand Ledge, Mich.). Palmer had 32 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery, while Haines contributed 40 tackles, a team-high 9.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack and four pass break-ups. Freshman Nate Fitton threw for 834 yards through eight games while also sprinting for 250 yards on the ground, and had eight touchdowns.

The Jackets play at Bethany College in West Virginia on Saturday at noon.