The Eastern Washington University football team had 13 players honored on the All-Big Sky Conference team announced Tuesday (Nov. 21), but even more noteworthy is the number 10.
That’s the number of selections expected to return for the 2018 campaign, as only a trio of seniors – including first team pick Jordan Dascalo – were on the list of Eagles selected by the league’s head coaches for yearly honors in the Big Sky. Besides Dascalo, Eastern’s 13 selections included six players on the second team, three on the third team and three receiving honorable mention.
The six second team selections included junior quarterback Gage Gubrud, senior wide receiver Nic Sblendorio, junior center Spencer Blackburn, sophomore running back Antoine Custer Jr., senior defensive end Albert Havili and sophomore kickoff return specialist Dre’ Sonte Dorton.
On the third team were junior wide receiver Nsimba Webster, junior safety Mitch Fettig, and true freshman special teams standout Anfernee Gurley. Junior running back Sam McPherson, junior cornerback Josh Lewis, and sophomore offensive guard Tristen Taylor received honorable mention.
A year ago, a total of 13 players were honored when EWU won the Big Sky Conference title with an 8-0 record and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. One of those, Jay-Tee Tiuli, was a first team selection a year ago but had to redshirt this season after an early-season injury.
With just 14 seniors on its roster, Eastern closed the season 7-4 overall and in a tie for third in the Big Sky Conference with a 6-2 record. It’s the 11th-straight season the Eagles have finished 5-3 or better in the Big Sky. The Eagles secured its record 11th-straight winning season and 20th in the last 22 years.
Formerly from Los Angeles and a transfer from Washington State, Dascalo led the Big Sky and was 16th in FCS in average per punt (42.6), with 16 of his 47 punts downed inside the opponent 20-yard line. He had 12 punts of at least 50 yards this season, including a career-long 67-yarder that helped him earn Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors following EWU’s win at North Dakota on Nov. 11.
Players off Eastern’s productive offensive unit earned eight accolades. Eastern was seventh in FCS in passing (320.5 per game) and sixth in total offense (476.7) in the 2017 season, and was also 20th in scoring (34.5) and 10th in third down conversions (46.1 percent).
A first team selection and co-Offensive MVP a year ago, Gubrud led FCS in total offense per game (357.8) following the end of the regular season. He was also fourth in passing yards per game (334.2), second in FCS in points responsible for per game (19.4), fourth in completions per game (26.1) and 10th in total passing touchdowns (26). A year ago he led FCS in both passing and total offense (368.6 and 411.0, respectively).
Sblendorio was 12th in FCS with an average of 6.2 catches per game (72 total) and 25th in yards (82.9 per game, total of 912). Webster was 36th in receptions (5.4, total of 59) and 65th in yards (63.0, total of 693). Sblendorio capped his career with a near-record 273-yard receiving performance against Portland State on Nov. 18 in a game in which Webster was injured on the game’s opening kickoff.
Custer had 177 yards rushing and three touchdowns in his last game of the season versus Portland State, and finished 42nd in FCS and fifth in the Big Sky with an average of 70.5 yards per game (776 total). His 10 rushing touchdowns ranked him 20th in FCS and third in the league.
Blackburn, one of two offensive linemen honored, earned second team honors for the second year in a row. Taylor earned honorable mention for a second time, as did Fettig.
On defense, Havili was 47th in FCS and fifth in the league in sacks with an average of 0.64 per game (seven total), and also had 41 total tackles, four passes broken up and seven quarterback hurries. Fettig averaged 8.4 tackles per game (total of 92) to rank 58th nationally and ninth in the Big Sky, and also had three passes broken up. Lewis had 52 tackles and a team-leading three interceptions to go along with five other passes broken up.
On special teams, Dorton averaged 27.4 yards on 22 returns to finish ranked eighth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and third in the league. The team was ninth at 24.3 per return, as he had returns of 96 (touchdown), 51, 51, 49 and 38 in 2017.
Gurley, who a year ago was leading his high school team (Archbishop Murphy in Everett, Wash.) to the State 2A Championship, closed his debut season with 37 tackles, three passes broken up and two forced fumbles. He was a force on special teams and played as a backup defensive back.
The 2017 season was a rare year in which an Eagle did not win the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year honor. A year ago, Gubrud was the co-Offensive MVP along with Cooper Kupp, giving Eastern that award in 12 of the previous 16 seasons, including six of the previous seven. One of only 10 repeat winners in league history, Kupp in 2015 became only the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the honor. Wide receiver Keelan Doss of UC Davis won the award in 2017 for a three-year run of receivers winning the honor.
Weber State’s Taron Johnson was Defensive Player of the Year, Troy Anderson of Montana State was Freshman of the Year and Jake Maier of UC Davis was the league’s Newcomer of the Year.
Info released by EWU Athletics
