NEWBERRY, S.C. – Carson-Newman football has landed five players on the Daktronics All-Region teams. Robbie Ignagni (Gallatin, Tenn.) and Alex Taylor (Bristol, Tenn.) made the first team offense as lineman. Jaycob Coleman (Norton, Va.) was a first team defensive pick at linebacker. Brandon Baker (Miami, Fla.) and Javaris Neal (Columbia, Tenn.) made the second team offense and defense, respectively.
Robbie Ignagni makes his first appearance on an all-region team after clearing the way for a rushing attack that ranked fourth in the nation with 343 yards per game. With Ignagni's help, the Eagles scored 50 rushing touchdowns for a second consecutive year. Ignagni led Carson-Newman's offensive linemen with 26 knockdowns and was third in overall grade. He had a four knockdown game against Shorter, the highest mark of any C-N o-lineman.
Alex Taylor concludes his Carson-Newman career after making 48 consecutive starts. The Eagles finished in the top five in rushing offense all four years of Taylor's career. In addition, he helped clear the way for C-N's third back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher (Baker) in school history. He was third on the team in knockdowns with 23 in his senior season and finished second in overall grade with the second most gradeouts on the team.
Jaycob Coleman turned in arguably the greatest season for a Carson-Newman defender since the turn of the century. The linebacker from Norton, Va. finished the year with 137 tackles, sixth most for a single season at Carson-Newman. The 137 stops are the most for a player at C-N since 1996. Coleman finishes his career with 270 tackles, 10th on C-N's all-time list.
Coleman put together seven consecutive games with 10 tackles or more to close the season. His 17 tackles against Tusculum are the second highest total since 1996 and tied for 11th all-time at C-N. He is the first player with multiple 15-tackle performances in a single season since current Carson-Newman defensive coordinator and consensus All-American Mike Clowney was playing for C-N in his senior season back in 1996.
Coleman is fourth in the league and 23rd in the nation in tackles per game. He's also recovered a fumble for a touchdown and picked off two passes this year.
Brandon Baker followed up an All-American junior campaign by becoming the third C-N player with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. His ability to score from miles away has vastly improved in his final go-around at Mossy Creek. A year ago, Baker had three touchdowns longer than 20 yards. This season, Baker has that many scores from longer than 50 yards.
He is just the third C-N tailback with more than 3,500 yards rushing for a career (3,528 to be exact) and his 36 rushing touchdowns rank seventh on C-N's all-time scoring list. Five of Baker's last eight games as an Eagle went for more than 100 yards on the ground.
Javaris Neal followed up a 2012 SAC defensive freshman of the year campaign by earning all-conference and all-region honors. The Columbia, Tenn.-native rumbled for a 41-yard interception return against Newberry and also picked off a pass against Mars Hill.
Neal is fifth in the league in tackles among defensive linemen. He's sixth in the league overall in sacks. He had a career best nine tackles against Brevard. Neal turned in season best 2.5 tackle for loss-performances against Brevard and Wingate in the regular season and Newberry in the playoffs. He also took down the opposing quarterback 1.5 times in the Brevard and Newberry games.
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown |
Previous School |
QB |
Bo Cordell # |
Tusculum |
Gr. |
6-1 |
205 |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
Indian Hill HS |
TE |
Wesley Powell |
Tusculum |
Jr. |
6-10 |
265 |
Titus, Ala. |
Elmore County HS |
WR |
Freddie Martino |
North Greenville |
Sr. |
6-0 |
195 |
North, S.C. |
North HS |
WR |
Corey Washington |
Newberry |
Sr. |
6-4 |
200 |
North Charleston, S.C. |
Georgia Mil. Acad./N. Charleston HS |
RB |
Shaikel Davis ^ |
Mars Hill |
Jr. |
5-10 |
170 |
East Flat Rock, N.C. |
East Henderson HS |
RB |
Javae Swindle |
West Alabama |
So. |
5-4 |
162 |
Thorsby, Ala. |
Jemison HS |
OL |
Robbie Ignagni |
Carson-Newman |
Sr. |
6-3 |
320 |
Gallatin, Tenn. |
Station Camp HS |
OL |
Wes Carter |
UNC Pembroke |
Sr. |
6-5 |
280 |
Albemarle, N.C. |
North Stanly HS |
OL |
Joe Ray |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
So. |
6-0 |
245 |
Atlanta, Ga. |
Druid Hills HS |
OL |
Jamal Ellis |
Newberry |
Sr. |
6-4 |
315 |
Pelzer, S.C. |
Wren HS |
OL |
Tyler Sizemore |
North Alabama |
Sr. |
6-2 |
305 |
Apalachicola, Fla. |
Troy/Port St. Joe HS |
OL |
Alex Taylor |
Carson-Newman |
Sr. |
6-3 |
285 |
Bristol, Tenn. |
Tennessee HS |
RS |
Jason Livingston |
Newberry |
Sr. |
5-10 |
175 |
Conway, S.C. |
Conway HS |
K |
Zach Neumann |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
Sr. |
5-7 |
180 |
Mechanicsville, Md. |
La Plata HS |
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown |
Previous School |
DL |
Blake Baker |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
Jr. |
6-1 |
215 |
Bethlehem, N.C. |
Alexander Central HS |
DL |
Matt Turner |
UNC Pembroke |
Jr. |
6-0 |
225 |
Winston-Salem, N.C. |
Mount Tabor HS |
DL |
Troy Harris ^ |
Mars Hill |
Sr. |
6-4 |
260 |
Orlando, Fla. |
Winter Park HS |
LB |
Chris Pope ^ |
Valdosta State |
Sr. |
6-1 |
233 |
Jackson, Ga. |
Jackson HS |
LB |
Jaycob Coleman |
Carson-Newman |
Sr. |
6-1 |
205 |
Norton, Va. |
John I. Burton HS |
LB |
Edmond Robinson |
Newberry |
Jr. |
6-4 |
230 |
Wadmalaw Island, S.C. |
St. John's HS |
LB |
Tavarius Wilson ! |
North Alabama |
Sr. |
5-11 |
235 |
Jackson, Miss. |
Hinds CC/Forest Hills HS |
S |
Michael Green $ |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
Sr. |
6-0 |
195 |
Kingsland, Ga. |
Camden Co. HS |
S |
Caleb Massey |
North Alabama |
Sr. |
6-0 |
226 |
Sulligent, Ala. |
Troy/Sulligent HS |
CB |
L.J. Stroman |
UNC Pembroke |
Jr. |
5-10 |
185 |
Hamlet, N.C. |
Richmond Senior HS |
CB |
Thomas Wolfe III |
Fort Valley State |
Sr. |
6-0 |
190 |
Marietta, Ga. |
Wheeler HS |
P |
James Dugan |
West Georgia |
So. |
6-5 |
180 |
Carrollton, Ga. |
Carrollton HS |
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown |
Previous School |
QB |
Luke Charles |
UNC Pembroke |
Sr. |
6-1 |
215 |
Murphy, N.C. |
Murphy HS |
TE |
Mabry Cook |
North Alabama |
Sr. |
6-2 |
240 |
Brewton, Ala. |
T.R. Miller HS |
WR |
Dimitri Holmes |
Mars Hill |
Jr. |
5-10 |
165 |
Athens, Ga. |
Clarke Central HS |
WR |
Justin Houston |
Tusculum |
So. |
5-8 |
180 |
Cleveland, Tenn. |
Bradley Central HS |
RB |
Brandon Baker ! |
Carson-Newman |
Sr. |
5-11 |
210 |
Miami, Fla. |
American Senior HS |
RB |
Jacquise Lockett |
Kentucky State |
Jr. |
6-2 |
230 |
Fulton, Ky. |
Fulton City HS |
OL |
Brandon White |
West Georgia |
Sr. |
6-5 |
305 |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
Colerain HS |
OL |
Zack Bunn |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
Sr. |
6-2 |
260 |
Lucama, N.C. |
James B. Hunt HS |
OL |
David Lundberg |
North Alabama |
Sr. |
6-1 |
310 |
Winfield, Ala. |
Winfield HS |
OL |
Taylor Burnett |
West Alabama |
Sr. |
6-3 |
271 |
Spanish Fort, Ala. |
Spanish Fort HS |
RS |
Philbert Martial |
North Alabama |
Fr. |
5-10 |
175 |
Mobile, Ala. |
McGill-Toolen HS |
K |
Mark Grant |
West Alabama |
R-Fr. |
5-7 |
160 |
Panama City, Fla. |
Moseley HS |
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown |
Previous School |
DL |
Mario Gainer |
West Alabama |
Sr. |
6-0 |
245 |
Gautier, Miss. |
Mississippi Gulf Coast CC/Gautier HS |
DL |
Javaris Neal |
Carson-Newman |
So. |
6-2 |
245 |
Columbia, Tenn. |
Zion Chr. Acad. |
DL |
Letavious Williams |
Newberry |
Sr. |
6-3 |
265 |
Ware Shoals, S.C. |
Ware Shoals HS |
DL |
Taylor Carney |
North Alabama |
Jr. |
6-2 |
275 |
Killen, Ala. |
Lambuth/Brooks HS |
LB |
Brian Alexander |
Tusculum |
Sr. |
6-2 |
245 |
Union Point, Ga. |
Greene County HS |
LB |
Sammy Siasia |
Mars Hill |
Sr. |
5-10 |
190 |
Marietta, Ga. |
Dean CC |
LB |
Gabe Poe |
North Alabama |
Sr. |
5-10 |
210 |
Pheba, Miss. |
E. Mississippi CC/UWA/West Okitibbeha HS |
LB |
Tanner Botts |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
Jr. |
6-2 |
230 |
Lawrenceville, Ga. |
Peachtree Ridge HS |
S |
David Davis |
Newberry |
Sr. |
6-0 |
185 |
Columbia, S.C. |
Ridge View HS |
S |
L.J. McCray |
Catawba |
Sr. |
6-1 |
215 |
Charlotte, N.C. |
Harding HS |
CB |
Malcolm Butler |
West Alabama |
Sr. |
5-11 |
180 |
Vicksburg, Miss. |
Hinds CC/Vicksburg HS |
CB |
Jack Howard |
Lane |
Sr. |
5-11 |
170 |
Miami, Fla. |
Sebring HS |
P |
Kyle Clark |
Newberry |
So. |
6-4 |
170 |
Beaufort, S.C. |
Beaufort HS |
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