BATON ROUGE — In a year that featured many outstanding individual performances in Louisiana college football, five different schools were represented in the top player and coach honors handed out in the 2004 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana college football team.
The team was selected by a panel of LSWA members based on nominees from the sports information directors of the various football-playing schools in the state.
Running back Ryan Moats of Louisiana Tech won the state’s top honor as Offensive Player of the Year, while defensive lineman Marcus Spears of LSU was the state’s Defensive Player of the Year. Freshman of the Year was Grambling State quarterback Brandon Landers and the state’s Newcomer of the Year for non-freshman first-year players in the state went to Tulane signal-caller Lester Ricard. Finally, Scott Stoker of Northwestern State was named the 2004 Louisiana Coach of the Year for leading the Demons to the 1-AA playoffs.
Moats rushed for 1,774 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Bulldogs and had another 15 receptions for 116 yards and a score. He was a Doak Walker Award Semifinalist and the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Moats finished seventh in the nation in rushing per game at 147.8 yards per contest and topped the previous Tech rushing record by over 300 yards. Moats rushed for over 200 yards five times, including a 238-yard, four TD efforts in a win over No. 17 Fresno State.
LSU’s Spears bypassed a sure high draft pick to come back for his senior season and his choice as a Walter Camp All-American shows he did nothing to hurt his NFL status. He was the leader of a defense that ranked third in the nation in both total defense (249.9 ypg) and pass defense (145.5 ypg). He was second in the Southeastern Conference in sacks (9) and tackles for losses (17). Included in his resume was a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown against Mississippi State.
Landers did a tremendous job stepping into the quarterback position at Grambling State to earn the state’s top honor in the category. The Monroe product threw for 2,283 yards (a freshman school record) and 18 touchdowns, completing 132 of 316 passes. His passing yards average of 207.5 was third in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. He was also honored as the SWAC Freshman of the Year and had a passing high of 387 yards against Prairie View in October.
Another quarterback took the Newcomer honors after transferring to Tulane for this his sophomore campaign. In nine games before breaking his wrist against Army, Ricard completed 143-of-211 passes for 1,881 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Amite, La., native ranked 11th in the country in passing efficiency with a 152.51 mark. Ricard threw a school-record six touchdowns in Tulane’s 59-55 win over UAB, tying the Conference USA mark. He also threw four touchdowns in Tulane’s upset win over Navy.
Stoker’s Demons posted an 8-3 record, winning the Southland Conference championship. Besides the honor as Louisiana’s top coach, Stoker was named the SLC Coach of the Year as the Demons won their first SLC title in six seasons. The Demons, in the playoffs for the second time in his third year as head coach, led 1-AA in total defense (250 ypg) and rushing defense (78 ypg). Stoker’s team broke three conference records and 14 school marks, including NSU’s single-season scoring mark.
Joining Moats on the first team were Andrew Whitworth and Ben Wilkerson of LSU, Greg Buckley of Northwestern State, Aaron Lips of Louisiana Tech and Myniya Smith of Southern University on the offensive line; Derrick Johnese of Northwestern State at the other running back spot; Felton Huggins of Southeastern Louisiana and Roydell Williams of Tulane at wide receiver; Josh Taylor of Southeastern Louisiana at tight end; and, Martin Hankins of Southeastern Louisiana at quarterback.
With Spears on the defensive first team line are Ed Queen of Northwestern State; Kyle Williams of LSU and Kenneth Pettway of Grambling State; Anthony Cannon of Tulane, Jamall Johnson of Northwestern State and Byron Santiago of Louisiana Tech are the first-team linebackers; and, Laron Landry and Corey Webster of LSU join C. C. Brown of Louisiana-Lafayette and Chris Harris of Louisiana-Monroe at the defensive pack positions.
The first team specialists are Grambling State place kicker Brian Morgan, punter Joel Stelly of UL-Monroe and Northwestern State’s Toby Zeigler was named the return specialist.
2004 All-Louisiana College Football Team
(As selected by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association)
First Team Offense
Pos/Name/School/Year/Ht/Wt/Hometown/Stats-Notes
OL/Andrew Whitworth/LSU/Jr/6-7/325/West Monroe, La./Started 38 straight for LSU
OL/Ben Wilkerson/LSU/Sr./6-4/300/Hemphill, Texas/Named nation’s co-top center
OL/Greg Buckley/Northwestern St./Sr./6-3/290/Lewisville, Texas/First Team All-SLC
OL/Aaron Lips/La. Tech/Jr./6-5/315/Tickfaw, La./First Team All-WAC
OL/Myniya Smith/Southern/Sr./6-7/340/New Orleans, La./First Team All-SWAC
RB/Ryan Moats/La. Tech/Jr./5-9/205/Dallas, Texas/1,774 yds, 18 TDs, First Team All-WAC
RB/Derrick Johnese/Northwestern St./Jr./5-10/207/Baton Rouge, La./SLC Offensive Player of Year
WR/Felton Huggins/Southeastern La./Jr./6-4/190/Zachary, La./3rd in 1-AA receiving yards; 4th TDs
WR/Roydell Williams/Tulane/Sr./6-2/192/LaPlace, La./25th in NCAAA receiving yards a game (82.6)
TE/Josh Taylor/Southeastern La./Jr./6-3/195/Denham Springs, La./Averaged 17.5 yards per catch
QB/Martin Hankins/Southeastern La./So./6-2/195/Hattiesburg, Miss./1-AA leader in yards (4,240), TDs (35)
First Team Defense
Pos/Name/School/Year/Ht/Wt/Hometown/Stats-Notes
DL/Marcus Spears/LSU/Sr./6-4/298/Baton Rouge, La./Leading vote getter on 1st team, 9 QB sacks, 17 TFL
DL/Ed Queen/Northwestern St./So./6-2/254/Baton Rouge, La./First team All-SLC
DL/Kyle Williams/LSU/Jr/6-2/295/Ruston, La./53 tackles, 10 TFL, 6 sacks
DL/Kenneth Pettway/Grambling State/Sr./6-4/255/Houston, Texas/First Team All-SWAC, 16 TFL, 8.5 sacks
LB/Anthony Cannon/Tulane/Jr./6-0/233/Stone Mountain, Ga./107 total tackles (3rd straight 100 tackle season)
LB/Jamall Johnson/Northwestern St./Sr./6-0/210/LaPlace, La./SLC Defensive Player of the Year
LB/Byron Santiago/Louisiana Tech/Sr./6-2/222/Violet, La./First Team All-WAC
DB/Laron Landry/LSU/So./6-2/187/Ama, La./Led LSU in tackles for second straight year (86).
DB/Corey Webster/LSU/Sr./6-2/204/Vacherie, La./31 tackles, 1 TFL, 10 passes defended, 2 interceptions
DB/C.C. Brown/UL-Lafayette/Sr./6-2/210/Greenwood, Miss./101 tackles, invited to 2005 Hula Bowl
DB/Chris Harris/UL-Monroe/Sr./6-1/206/Little Rock, Ark./Tied first in nation with seven ints. (.64 pg)
First Team Specialists
Pos/Name/School/Year/Ht/Wt/Hometown/Stats-Notes
PK/Brian Morgan/Grambling State/Sr./6-0/185/Sr./Groves, Texas/Two-time first-team All-SWAC
P/Joel Stelly/UL-Monroe/Jr./5-11/187/Cecilia, La./First in Sun Belt, sixth in nation (45.1 ypg)
RS/Toby Zeigler/Northwestern St./Jr/6-0/188/Monroe/All-SLC Return Specialist
Special Awards
Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year: Ryan Moats, Louisiana Tech.
Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Spears, LSU
Louisiana Freshman of the Year: Brandon Landers, Grambling State
Louisiana Newcomer of the Year: Lester Ricard, Tulane
Louisiana Coach of the Year: Scott Stoker, Northwestern State
Second Team Offense
OL — Justin Brown (Northwestern St., Sr., 6-0, 285, Monroe, La.); Lester Brown (Louisiana Tech, Sr., 6-4, 305, Apple Valley, Calif.); Adrian Gonzalez (La. Tech, 6-5, 325, Sr., Dallas, Texas); Rudy Niswanger (LSU, Jr., 6-5, 293, Monroe, La.); Kennard White (Southeastern La., SR., 6-5, 330, Miami, Fla.).
RB — Alley Broussard (LSU, So., 6-0, 233, Lafayette, La.); Ray Perkins (Southeastern La., Sr., 5-11, 198, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).
WR — Schuyler Anderson (Louisiana College, 5-10, 185, Smithville, Texas); Bill Sampy (UL-Lafayette, Sr., 6-1, 175, Carencro, La.); James Vernon (Southern, Jr., 6-0, 175, Baton Rouge, La.).
TE — Joel Trappey (UL-Monroe, Jr., 6-1, 224, New Iberia, La.)
QB — Thomas Ricks (Southern, Sr., 6-3, 215, LaPlace, La.)
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL — Jemelle Cage (Louisiana Tech, Sr., 6-1, 290, New Orleans, La.); Brandon Guillory (UL Monroe, Sr., 6-4, 240, New Orleans, La.); Quintene Newhouse (Northwestern St., Sr., 6-0, 285, Emory, Texas); Chris Van Hoy (Louisiana Tech, Sr., 6-4, 314, Arlington, Texas).
LB — Stanley Smith (UL-Lafayette, Sr., 6-1, 240, Ferriday, La.); Lionel Turner (LSU, Sr., 6-2, 260, Walker, La.); John Winchester (UL-Monroe, Sr., 6-3, 246, Logansport, La.).
DB — David Pittman (Northwestern St., Jr., 6-0, 160, Gramercy, La.); Antwain Spann (UL-Lafayette, Sr., 6-0, 185, Oceanside, Calif.); Ahmad Treaudo (Southern, Sr., 6-0, 190, New Orleans, La.); Russ Washington (Northwestern St., So., 5-9, 170, LaMarque, Texas).
SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
PK — Chris Jackson (LSU, So., 5-11, 165, New Orleans, La.)
P — Chris Beckham (Tulane, So., 6-2, 195, Grenada, Miss.)
RS — Fred Smith (Tulane, SO., 5-8, 181, Destrehan, La.)
HONORABLE MENTION
Offense — OL — Andre’ Bennett (Grambling); Cody LeBlanc (McNeese); Chris McGee (Tulane); Joe Trosclair (Nicholls St.).
Defense — DL — Claude Wroten (LSU); LB — Tarus Morgan (Southern); DB — David Willis (Nicholls St.)