Held Named LSC North Coach-of-Year
November 15, 2006
RICHARDSON, Texas – Southwestern Oklahoma State University football coach Ryan Held was awarded the Lone Star Conference North Division Coach-of-the-Year for his efforts in leading the Bulldogs impressive on-field improvement. The second-year coach was selected by a vote of the division’s six coaches earlier this week.
The Bulldogs ended the 2006 season with a 6-5 record and finished in a tie for second in the LSC North Division. The winning record was the first for the SWOSU football team since 2002.
While Held secured one of the top awards, three other SWOSU players were selected to the division’s first team squad including defensive back Desmond Baker, offensive lineman Austin Ellis and kick returner Patrick Weaver.
Baker, a sophomore from Garland, Texas, was one of the league’s top defensive backs from his cornerback position. He finished among the LSC’s leaders in passes defensed with 10, three of which were intercepted. He was the only LSC defender to return two interceptions for touchdowns this season. He ended the year with 32 tackles, which ranked him sixth on the team.
Ellis, a junior from Burns Flat, started all 11 games for the Bulldogs at offensive guard. A transfer from New Mexico Highlands, Ellis was one of the primary reasons for SWOSU’s improved quarterback protection. This season quarterback Jimmy Sangster was sacked only 14 times in 274 attempts, compared to the 46 times in 346 attempts Bulldog quarterbacks were sacked in 2005.
Weaver, a sophomore from Oklahoma City, returned both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns this season. He led the LSC in punt returns averaging 13.8 yards on 17 returns and was among the league’s best averaging 26.1 yards on 12 kickoff returns. He returned the opening kickoff 98 yards against East Central and brought a punt back 79 yards against Tarleton State for a touchdown.
SWOSU had nine players on the North division second team including quarterback Jimmy Sangster, running back Reshard Dudley, fullback Tyson Bryant, wide receiver Johnathan Haggerty, offensive lineman Jonathan Dobrinski, defensive tackle Cory Summers, defensive end Joe Castle and linebackers Greg Franklin and Jon Patterson.
Sangster, a junior from Macon, Mo., took 665 of the 669 offensive snaps for the Bulldogs this year at quarterback. He completed 140-of-274 passes for 1,857 yards and 14 touchdowns while being intercepted nine times. He was named the LSC North Offensive Player-of-the-Week when he threw for 266 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 25-22 win over Central Oklahoma.
Dudley, a junior from Marianna, Fla., was the Bulldogs leading rusher this season with 650 yards on 155 carries for an average of 4.2 yards an attempt. The transfer from Oklahoma Panhandle State rushed for more than 100 yards twice this season in games against Missouri Rolla and OPSU.
Bryant, a junior from Cordell, started at fullback for the Bulldogs and was a triple-threat player as a runner, receiver and a blocker. He had four carries for 10 yards and nine receptions for 79 yards. His 39-yard reception against Texas A&M-Commerce set up the team’s only score.
Dobrinski, a sophomore from Thomas, made a successful switch to the offensive line after spending his first two seasons as a defensive tackle. Dobrinksi, along with Ellis, helped SWOSU average better than 40 rushing yards per game more than last season.
Haggerty, a freshman from Dallas, gave the team a deep-ball threat at the receiver position. He led the team with 45 catches for 804 yards and seven touchdowns. Haggerty averaged nearly 18 yards a reception and had 133 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate game against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Summers, a sophomore from Westmoore, anchored the Bulldogs defensive line from his tackle position. He had 14 tackles, seven of which were behind the line of scrimmage. He finished second on the team in sacks with three for losses totaling 27 yards.
Castle, a junior from Beaumont, Texas, made an instant impact from as a defensive end after transferring from Tyler Junior College. Castle was fourth on the team with 54 tackles, including six for 29 yards in loss. He scored the first points in the UCO game when he sacked the Broncho quarterback in the endzone for a safety.
Franklin, a sophomore from Midwest City, was a three-time winner of the LSC North Defensive Player-of-the-Week leading the Bulldogs to victories against A&M-Kingsville, Northeastern and East Central. He finished first on the squad with 85 tackles and had 18 stops in the season finale against A&M-Commerce, the second most by any LSC defender in a single game this year.
Patterson, a senior from Plano, Texas, had an outstanding final year with the Bulldogs finishing second on the squad with 62 tackles, five of which were for losses. He had a season-high nine tackles against East Central and picked off his only pass of the year against division champion Southeastern Oklahoma State University.