Twelve Thunderbirds Earn All-GWFC Recognition

CEDAR CITY, Utah, Nov. 20 – Twelve Southern Utah football players have been named to the all-Great West Football Conference squad, the conference announced today. The team was selected by voting among the league's coaches.

Running back Johnny Sanchez and safety Jovan Jackson both earned first-team honors, while six players were named to the second-team and four more earned honorable mention recognition.

Sanchez, a second-team honoree in 2006, led the Thunderbirds in rushing for the second straight season. The senior from Los Lunas, N.M. (Glendale CC/Los Lunas HS), averaged 4.4 yards per carry, with a total of 701 yards on 161 attempts. He also caught 25 passes for another 118 yards and scored seven touchdowns, all on the ground.

Jackson, a senior from Phoenix, Ariz. (Phoenix College/Maryvale HS), tallied 53 tackles, one interception, a tackle for loss and recovered two fumbles. A walk-on in the spring of 2006, Jackson earned a starting spot and a scholarship that fall and finished among the team’s top-four tacklers the past two seasons.

Repeat selections earning second-team recognition for the Thunderbirds were senior offensive tackle Matt Roan (Dublin, Va.; Virginia Tech/Pulaski HS), a second-team selection last year and an honorable mention honoree in 2005; and sophomore linebacker Robert Takeno, a second-team selection as a freshman in 2006.

Senior defensive end Jimmy Judd earned his first GWFC honor as a member of the second squad, while true freshmen defensive backs Chase Pendley and Collin Pretlow also earned second-team recognition.

Takeno, who prepped at Hillcrest High School, led the team in tackles for the second straight season. He finished the year with 82 stops, seven tackles-for loss, a pair of pass break-ups, and had three fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown and forced a fumble.

Judd, a Copper Hills HS grad, finished among the team’s top-two in sacks for the third straight season after tallying three, with a team-high 12 tackles-for-loss. He also had 43 tackles and broke up a pair of passes.

Pendley, who prepped at Skyline High, finished the season with 38 tackles, two TFLs and a sack; while Las Vegas HS grad Pretlow had 34 tackles, 25 solo, with five TFLs, a half sack, an interception and three pass deflections.

Earning honorable mention honors for the Thunderbirds were seniors D.J. Senter, a safety out of  Las Vegas, Nevada’s Bishop Gorman High; and Jeremy Edwards, a wide receiver from Phoenix College (Key West, Fla.). Special teamers Steve Pulver (K, Jr, Highland HS) and Trevor Ward (P, Soph, Bonneville HS) also earned honorable mention recognition.