SEATTLE – Pacific Lutheran placed six student-athletes on the 2013 All-Northwest Conference Football First Team, with 20 total Lutes receiving all-conference recognition.
Running back Niko Madison led the NWC in rushing yards with a total of 750 (83.3 per game and 5.8 per carry) to make the all-conference team for the first time, while 2012 first-team wide receiver Kyle Warner and honorable mention offensive lineman Tevon Stephens-Brown joined Madison on the first-team offense. Warner finished the regular season third in the NWC in both receiving yards (804) and touchdowns (8), while Stephens-Brown helped anchor an offensive line that allowed only 16 sacks and ranked third in the conference in rushing yards (1,604).
A trio of repeat first-teamers led the PLU defense on the all-conference first team. Defensive lineman Mychael Tuiasosopo tallied 27 tackles and 3.5 sacks, while linebacker Jordan Patterson ranked fourth in the league in tackles (8 per game, 72 total) and finished the regular season with 15.5 tackles for-loss and four sacks. Patterson added an interception and a fumble recovery. Defensive back Sean McFadden finished second on the team with 55 tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions. While all three of the PLU offensive first-teamers are juniors, Tuiasosopo, Patterson and McFadden are all seniors.
Eight Lutes earned second-team honors. Dalton Ritchey ranks fifth in the league in both passing yards (212.6 per game) and rushing yards (59.4), while his 10 rushing touchdowns ranks third in the NWC. He was a first-team honoree last season. Wide receiver Kellen Westering has been the Lutes' second-leading receiver with 32 receptions for 368 yards to move up from his 2012 honorable mention recognition. Senior offensive lineman Chris Edison was listed on the second team after making the first team last year, and junior lineman Parker Brown gives the Lutes six juniors on the first and second-team offense list.
Junior linebacker Joel Anthony led a quartet of PLU second-teamers on defense, as Anthony led the conference with nine sacks during the regular season to go with a pair of forced fumbles and 36 total tackles. Senior Ben Kaestner repeated his 2012 second-team honor, totaling 42 tackles, three sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss to go with one interception during the regular season. Junior defensive backs Connor Cummings and Greg Hibbard also received second-team recognition. Cummings finished the regular season with 35 tackles and two interceptions to go with 297 return yards while averaging 20.7 yards on kick returns and 10.8 on punt returns. Greg Hibbard finished with 34 tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions.
Seven Lutes helped fill out the honorable mention list, led by repeat honorees Lucas Sontra, Sam Lavis and Jonny Volland. Running back Va'a Logotala, defensive lineman Conor Gabbert and linebacker Dalton Darmody earned recognition, and Cummings received kick return honorable mention.
Pacific Lutheran has been ranked in the d3football.com poll all season, climbing as high as No. 10 and closing out the regular season at No. 13. The Lutes finished the regular season schedule with an 8-1 overall record and a 5-1 Northwest Conference mark to earn their second consecutive NCAA Div. III postseason berth. They travel to McMinnville, Ore., Saturday for a 12 p.m. first-round matchup against second-ranked NWC champion Linfield (9-0), the only team to defeat PLU this season.
