Portland, OR – After a historic first official season in the National Collegiate Athletics Association where the Simon Fraser University football team had their best NCAA season yet, the team has now earned numerous Great Northwest Athletic Conference honours.
Ten Clan men have been selected to the first and second all-conference teams, and two individual awards were also given to the Clan.
Sophomore receiver Lemar Durant (Coquitlam, BC) was named GNAC Newcomer of the Year thanks to his record-breaking season with the Clan.
The transfer from University of Nevada-Reno was also named to the first team of conference all-stars and led the GNAC in receptions (1318), receiving touchdowns (17) and was second in the GNAC in total scoring with 104 points on the season.
Durant tied a GNAC single game record for most touchdown receptions and his yardage total was just eight yards shy of the GNAC single-game record in the Clanās October games against Dixie State.
Clan head coach Dave Johnson received the Clanās other individual honour, sharing the Coach of the Year title with Blaine Bennett of Central Washington.
Johnson, who has been with the Clan since 2007, led this yearās squad to their most-winning GNAC season, doubling their conference win total and leading the Clan to their first conference road win along the way.
This is Johnsonās first personal GNAC Coach of the Year award.
Along with Durant, the Clan first team GNAC all-stars are quarterback Trey Wheeler (Seattle, WA), tight end Jamal Kett (Orangeville, ON), and offensive lineman Matthias Goossen (Richmond, BC).
Wheeler had a record-breaking season for the Clan throwing six touchdown passes against Dixie State to earn the GNAC most touchdown passes in a single game record.
Kett was the only freshman named to the first all-conference team, and Goossen is a repeat first team all-star from last season.
Six Clan men were also selected to the second all-conference team thanks to their impressive 2012 performances.
Offensive honourees include senior running back Bo Palmer (North Vancouver, BC) and Bobby Pospischil (Coquitlam, BC), a sophomore wide receiver.
Palmer was third in GNAC scoring, earning 96 points on the season, and third in conference touchdowns with 16 on the year.
Pospischil was second in receptions (83) after his teammate Durant, and earned three punt-return touchdowns this season.
On the defensive side, four Clan men were selected to the second All-conference team.
Defensive lineman Andrew Marshall (Nanoose Bay, BC) led the GNAC in sacks this season, recording eight, and had 52 total tackles in the Clanās 11 games.
Casey Chin (Port Moody, BC), a junior linebacker, was the GNAC leader in tackles on the season recording 98 and also forced 11 fumbles.
Defensive back Derek Jones (Edmonton, AB) also earned second-team honours thanks to his performances this season. Ā He defended 11 passes in 11 games, which was good enough for fourth in the GNAC.
Tore Corrado (Vancouver, BC) was the Clanās final honouree. Ā The punt-returner had the highest punt return average in the GNAC (16.9) and was second in the conference in punt return yards (220).
The Clan finished the 2012 season with a 4-6 conference record and a 5-6 total record.
Photo: Ron Hole
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