BLOOMINGTON, Ill.-- Seniors Josh Akin and Kevin Kaplan have been selected as the most valuable offensive player and most valuable defensive player, respectively, for the 2002 Illinois Wesleyan University football team.

Akin (Naperville, Benet Academy) completed 166 of 324 attempts for 2,035 yards and 15 touchdowns in earning first-team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors. He led the CCIW in passing and in total offense, and his 3,176 career passing yards is good for eighth all-time at IWU.

Kaplan (Cary, Cary-Grove HS) was a first team all-conference defensive back for the third straight year and was the league’s first team return specialist for the second straight season. He made 49 total tackles, including 37 solo, intercepted five passes and had 13 pass breakups. Kaplan also was chosen for the “Titan Award”, which is voted on by the coaches for loyalty, leadership, citizenship, sports-minded, team-minded and attitude.

Junior tight end Bob Cullen (Sycamore HS) was selected as the “Most Improved Player”, and linebacker Damon Banks (Bellwood, Walther Lutheran HS) earned "Most Valuable Freshman" honors. Cullen had seven catches for 98 yards and one touchdown while Banks made 12 total tackles, including seven solo, with a quarterback sack and one other tackle for yardage loss.
The “Best Big Skill” award went to senior fullback Pat Spangler (Joliet HS) and the “Best Skill” award went to sophomore wide receiver Eric White (Antioch HS). Spangler had 48 carries for 135 yards and one rushing TD. He also made five catches for 32 yards.
White led the CCIW in catches (77) and receiving yards (1,064) and had eight touchdowns. His catch total is second most in a single season at IWU while his season yardage total is third best. After two seasons, White is 11th all-time at IWU in receptions (97) and 12th with 1,376 receiving yards.
Senior defensive lineman Willie Chandler (St. Louis, Mo., Hazelwood East HS) was chosen “Best Lineman” and junior kicker Brian Klesath (Peoria, Notre Dame HS) was the “Best Special Teams” player. Chandler made 40 tackles, including 23 solo. He had three quarterback sacks and four more tackles for yardage losses. He also had an interception return for a 40-yard touchdown.
Klesath scored a team-high 71 points, connecting on 35 of 39 extra point kicks and 12 of 17 field goals for a school season record. His four field goals vs. North Central tied an IWU game record and, with one season remaining, Klesath has 25 career field goals, leaving him four short of the school mark of 29 by Dave Pearce from 1979-82. His 155 points makes him fifth all-time at IWU.
Freshman quarterback Tom Kudyba (Des Plaines, Elk Grove HS) and sophomore defensive lineman William Gaitros (Cerro Gordo HS) were the winners of the top offensive and defensive junior varsity player honors, respectively.

There are two ways of looking at the Illinois Wesleyan football team's recently concluded season.
On the positive side,, the Titans nailed down their 13th winning campaign in 14 seasons by posting a 6-4 record while tying for fifth place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.
On the other hand, it could have been better. A lot better.
"The disappointing part of our season was the fact we were in every ballgame," said IWU coach Norm Eash. "We played some good football; we just didn't play enough of it at certain times. It was very frustrating. We'll bounce back. We'll rebound."
The Titans, who graduate 18 players from a strong senior class, will return six starters on offense, four on defense and the bulk of its special teams performers in 2003.
The top returnees will include first-team all-CCIW selections White, Klesath and junior linebacker Solomon Jones (Kankakee HS). Sophomore offensive lineman Greg Whisler and sophomore defensive back Vince Heaton (Wheaton, Warrenville South HS) were second-team all-league performers.
"We'll definitely be a dark horse next year," said Eash, who has 105-44-1 record in 16 seasons at his alma mater. "We're going to be in a transition year and have a team with new faces. Some of these young kids are going to have to step up.
"We'll be the underdog in most of our ballgames. There will definitely less pressure, but the sense of urgency will be greater next year than what it was this year. We'll have more to prove.”

Eash awarded letters to 57 IWU football players, 39 of whom will return in 2003. They are:

SENIORS (18) - Josh Akin (Naperville, Benet Academy), Nathan Bell (Mahomet, Mahomet-Seymour HS), Brad Burtnette (Woodridge, Downers Grove South HS), John Butler (Deerfield HS), Joe Bzdyl (Mokena, Lincoln-Way HS), Willie Chandler (St. Louis, Mo., Hazelwood East HS), Mike Clark (Joliet, West HS), Doug DePersia (Tinley Park HS), Nathan Gavzer (Rolling Meadows, Palatine HS), Randy Green (Urbana HS), Kevin Kaplan (Cary, Cary Grove HS), Steve Messina (Chicago, Nazareth Academy), Adam Miller (Elgin, Larkin HS), Chris Ross (Chatham, Chatham-Glenwood HS), Pat Spangler (Joliet HS), John Spellman (Wilmette, New Trier HS), Tolley Steckel (Winchester HS), Travis Wieland (Catlin HS).

JUNIORS (13) - Josh Addis (Essex, Reed-Custer HS), Luke Carreras (Park Forest, Marian Catholic HS), Bob Cullen (Sycamore HS), Peter Dabrowski (Elmwood Park HS), Anthony Florentine (Downers Grove, North HS), Solomon Jones (Kankakee HS), Pat Kinsella (Bolingbrook, Joliet Catholic HS), Brian Klesath (Peoria, Notre Dame HS), Llewellyn Nash (University Park, Crete-Monee HS), Jacob Norris (Springfield, Sacred Heart Griffin HS), Tim Snyder (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard South HS), Dave Strubbe (Oak Forest, Providence Catholic HS), Kyle Venvertloh (Quincy, Notre Dame HS).

SOPHOMORES (21) ? Dave Byers (Lansing, Thornton Fractional South HS), Mike Cafferata (Chicago, Gordon Tech HS), Josh Evans (Sycamore HS), Tom Geary (Glencoe, New Trier HS), Vince Heaton (Wheaton, Warrenville South HS), Matt Holland (Kenney, Clinton HS), Adam Houser (St. Charles, East HS), Kyle Jones (Glenview, Glenbrook South HS), Tom King (Lansing, Thornton Fractional South HS), Steve Lucas (Grant Park, Kankakee HS), Tyler Neal (Bloomington HS), Josh O’Hara (Bolingbrook, Romeoville HS), Garrett Oleson (Genoa, Genoa-Kingston HS), Jon Pritchard (Galesburg HS), Josh Remer (Crestwood, Shepard HS), Chris Reynolds (Springfield, Southeast HS), Sam Stanke (Round Lake Park, Grayslake HS), Andrew Tarman (Carol Stream, Glenbard North HS), Greg Whisler (Des Plaines, Maine West HS), Eric White (Antioch HS), Kyle Wolfe (St. Joseph, St. Joseph-Ogden HS).

FRESHMEN (5) ? Damon Banks (Bellwood, Walther Lutheran HS), Drew Himes (Princeton HS), Tom Kudyba (Des Plaines, Elk Grove HS), Matt Ross (Chatham, Chatham-Glenwood HS), Blake Schulenburg (Springfield, Sacred Heart Griffin HS).
 
 

CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, (309) 556-3206 and/or head coach Norm Eash, (309) 556-3344