Sean Hackel

Ten members of The College of Wooster football team were recognized all-North Coast Athletic Conference, headlined by Sean Hackel, a first-team selection at running back, the league office announced Thursday.

In addition to Hackel, quarterback Richard Barnes, center Kory George, and fellow offensive linemen Michael McCants and Matt Reeder played key roles on the league's second-best offense (443.6 ypg), thus they were all named second-team all-NCAC, as did wide receivers Darrian Owens and Justin Rice, who each received honorable mention.

Defensively, Mitchell Czerniak and Brandon James finished 1-2 on the team in tackles en route to second-team all-conference laurels, and defensive end Stephen McKinney was honorable mention.

Hackel entered his junior season without a career rushing attempt, but the new coaching staff quickly named him the starting running back and he responded with a breakout performance, totaling an NCAC-best 1,097 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The first 1,000-yard rusher at Wooster since 2006, Hackel's consistency was notable as he had rushing totals of 149, 100, 151, 99, 119, 105, 153, and 157 yards in eight of nine games played (an injury caused him to miss the second half of one game and the following week). The 5-11, 180-pound back also was a regular part of the passing game with 23 receptions, 312 yards, and two more scores, and he began the year returning kickoffs (21.8 average), good for 1,692 all-purpose yards – most in the league in 2013 and the third-highest mark in school history.

Barnes won the starting quarterback position in training camp for the fourth time and put together his best season, highlighted by a school-record 2,243 passing yards and a career-high 612 rushing. He was responsible for 25 touchdowns – 16 passing and nine rushing – tying for the second-most in the NCAC. Barnes, who completed 57.8 percent of his passes, compiled a 137.8 quarterback rating, the fifth-highest in team history. Among his game highlights, Barnes threw for 300 yards twice, including 306 against Wabash College's No. 1 ranked defense (220.7 ypg), and he rushed for 100 or more four times, 101 at eventual NCAC champion Wittenberg University.

George made the move from two-year starting left tackle to the middle of the offensive line in 2013 and fellow senior Reeder switched sides of the ball to right tackle after being a two-year starter on the defensive line, while McCants, a junior, returned to start at right guard for the second season. Together, they combined for 29 starts (Reeder missing one game due to injury) and paved the way for the Scots' record-setting offense. Their 443.6 yard average was a program best, as were 22.6 first downs per game and an overall pass efficiency rating of 140.97. As a unit, the line cleared the way for Wooster runners to go 4.2 yards per carry and it yielded less than three sacks a game.

Czerniak, who transitioned from a safety to linebacker in the Scots' new 4-2-5 scheme this fall, ranks first in the conference in tackles with 104, including 6.0 for losses. The hard-hitting junior is among the NCAC leaders in forced fumbles as well with three, helping Wooster to 28 takeaways as a team, two shy of the school record in that category, and contributed four pass breakups. Czerniak had double-digit tackles in six games, including a career-high 16 against "Old Red Lantern" rival Denison University on Oct. 26.

James, a junior safety, is tied atop the league with five interceptions and also rates among the top-five in tackles with 88, 6.5 of which went for losses. Of the five picks, he returned one 17 yards for a game-clinching touchdown at Kenyon College Nov. 9, and he broke up three other passes. James, who returned both kicks and punts the last three games, recorded 10 or more tackles twice, a career-high 14 coming in the opener against Washington & Jefferson College.

McKinney, after not seeing any varsity action as a freshman, authored a breakthrough season at defensive end. In addition to leading Wooster's d-line with 43 tackles, he made splash plays with 6.0 sacks and three fumble recoveries, tying for ninth and third in the conference in those respective categories. McKinney also forced one fumble and totaled 10.5 tackles for losses of 65 yards.

Owens was one of the top newcomers in the NCAC, as the speedy freshman finished with 29 catches for 714 yards and eight touchdowns. His average reception went for an NCAC-leading and school-record 24.6 yards, and he also was top-five in the league in total receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Owens's season highlight was a Scot single-game record of 230 yards receiving on just four catches, all in the first half, against Denison.

Rice, another integral part of the passing game, was on pace for career highs before a knee injury in the Denison game cut his season short (seven games). He started out with a nose for the end zone, with five of his first seven receptions going for touchdowns, and he went on to register 26 receptions, 277 yards, and the five scores. Rice's season-best eight catches and 69 yards came against nationally-ranked Wabash.

Wooster put together a remarkable turnaround in 2013, posting a 7-3 record and third-place NCAC finish (7-2) a year after going 2-8 overall and tying for eighth in the conference. The Scots were one of five teams across NCAA Div. III to improve their win total by five or more, and their six-win improvement in league games was the most from one season to the next in the 30-year history of the NCAC.