Playoff-bound Pioneers earn 18 All-WIAC selections; Arnold tabbed Offensive Player of the Year, Buschbacher named co-Special Teams POY

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin–Platteville football team earned its second NCAA Division III playoff berth in program history Sunday night.

The good news kept on coming when the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WIAC) announced its all-conference team and Player of the Year awards Thursday afternoon.

The senior-laden Pioneers garnered 18 All-WIAC selections, one short of the program record set in 2013, and senior Dan Arnold was named the Offensive Player of the Year, while fellow senior Quinn Buschbacher was tabbed the co-Special Teams Player of the Year.

The Pioneers received five first-team, three second-team and 10 honorable mention selections.

Arnold, along with senior quarterback Tom Kelly and senior offensive lineman Brett Jerdee received first-team honors on offense, while senior defensive tackle Austin Young and junior linebacker Marty McGrail earned first-team accolades on defense.

Arnold earned the league's top offensive honor and his second straight first-team honor after leading the WIAC 1,108 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on 58 receptions while ranking second with 90 points scored and fourth with 1,173 all-purpose yards. 

Kelly, a second-team All-WIAC pick a year ago, currently leads the conference in passing efficiency (160.6), passing yards (2,727) and touchdowns (36). He has completed 198 of 335 passes (59.1 percent) with only four interceptions in 10 games, while also rushing for 207 yards and three TDs. Jerdee earned his second straight first-team selection, anchoring the offensive line that has helped the Pioneers average a conference-best 496.7 yards and a league-best 42.0 points per game.

Young earned first-team honors after receiving honorable mention a year ago, recording 20 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. McGrail leads the Pioneers and currently ranks third in the WIAC with 73 total tackles, including 46 solo stops and two sacks.

Buschbacher earned second-team honors as a wide receiver for a second straight year and received honorable mention as an all-purpose back and a return specialist. He was joined on the second-team offense by sophomore running back Sean Studer, while junior Chandler Crary earned second-team defensive honors.

Buschbacher currently leads the WIAC with 73 catches for 688 yards and eight touchdowns. He also leads the conference with a 31.3-yard kick return average on 14 returns. Buschbacher has also rushed for 140 yards this season and is third in the league with 126.6 all-purpose yards per game. Studer is currently fourth in the WIAC with 72.7 yards rushing per game with 654 yards and five touchdowns on 102 carries in nine games. Crary finished the regular season with 44 total tackles and leads the Pioneers with 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, both eighth in the WIAC.

Junior center Ryan Gaul, senior receiver Patrick Sheehan, junior defensive linemen Colin Griffin and Nick Kilianek, senior defensive backs Brian Johnson and Patrick Swanson, sophomore punter Connor Foley and senior Dillon Villhauer (as special teams player) all received honorable mention.

Senior Justin Johnson was named to the eight-player All-Sportsmanship Team.

Sheehan has 32 catches for 454 yards and six touchdowns through 10 games. Giffin has totaled 48 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception. Kilianek has 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks. Brandon Johnson has 31 tackles, two tackles for loss and two interceptions. Swanson is third on the team with 50 tackles and has one interception.

Foley currently leads the WIAC with a 41.8-yard punting average on 33 kicks. Vilhauer has 174 yards on 17 punt returns. Justin Johnson has made 25 tackles.

The 12th-ranked Pioneers (8–2) face ninth-ranked St. John's (Minn.) (9–1) on Saturday at noon in the first-round of the 2016 NCAA Division III football playoffs.

The complete All-WIAC football team can be found at http://www.wiacsports.com/news/2016/11/16/FB_1116162927.aspx

By Jason Nihles, UW–Platteville Athletics