Wooster Collects Seven All-NCAC Football Honors

All-NCAC Football Release

Senior Sebestyen Balassy earned All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors at two positions to lead The College of Wooster's football selections. The first-team punter and third-team tight end was joined on the all-conference team by first-team wide receiver Brazos Gadler, second-team return specialist Carter Warstler, third-team wide receiver Andrew Hammer, third-team offensive lineman Bryce Kamphues, and third-team defensive back Louie Lindsay.

Balassy averaged 40.9 yards over 34 punts in his first season as Wooster's punter. The fifth-year senior led the NCAC in punting average, had a conference-leading six punts of at least 50 yards, and booted a long of 69 yards. Balassy's average ranks as the sixth-highest in single-season program history. He is the sixth punter in program history to earn first-team All-NCAC honors and the first since Dana Obery in 2012. At tight end, Balassy ranked third on the team with 316 receiving yards and 31 receptions. His four touchdowns were second on the team, and he had a three-game run of touchdowns, starting with one against Denison University. The two-year starter ranked in the top-20 in the NCAC in receiving yards.

Gadler turned in one of the best seasons by a Wooster wide receiver, logging 926 yards and 12 touchdowns on 57 receptions. His 926 yards are the fourth-most in single-season program history, while the touchdowns are the third-most. Gadler became the sixth Fighting Scot to have at least 57 receptions in a season this fall. He ranks second in the NCAC in yards and third in touchdowns. The two-time All-NCAC receiver had the 24th-most receiving touchdowns in Div. III during the regular season and was ranked in the top-45 nationally for yards. Gadler tied the program's single-game record with four receiving touchdowns in the career finale against Wittenberg University. In that game, Gadler had a career-high 169 yards on six catches. He had five 100-yard games this fall and three with multiple touchdown receptions.

Warstler was one of Div. III's most dynamic kickoff returners before a season-ending injury. He averaged 29.5 yards over 20 kickoff returns, headlined by running the opening kickoff of the season back 90 yards against Wilmington College. The two-time All-NCAC return specialist had the 33rd-most return yards in the Div. III regular season despite only playing five games. Warstler had a 60-yard return at Kenyon College and a 42-yard one against Wabash College. He helped Wooster to a No. 12 national ranking in kickoff returns during the regular season, with the team averaging 25 per runback.

Hammer ranked second on the team with 460 yards and 37 receptions. His lone touchdown of the year came against Wilmington in the season opener. Hammer's signature game came against Hiram College, where he had 108 yards on four receptions. Hammer had at least four receptions in six games. The senior had the ninth-most yards and the eighth-most receptions within the NCAC.

Kamphues, a two-time All-NCAC standout, capped his career with 40 starts, plus two exhibition ones in the 2021 COVID spring season. The three-year starting center anchored an offensive line that allowed just eight sacks all fall, which was good for a top-20 national ranking in the regular season. Kamphues helped Wooster rank third in the NCAC with 379.9 yards per game and blocked for the first 200-yard rushing game by an individual in a decade. Kamphues helped Wooster average just shy of 30 points per game.

Lindsay started all 10 games in the defensive backfield and was one of Wooster's most versatile players on that side of the ball. The junior ranked third on the team with 54 tackles and tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Lindsay's high of seven tackles came against The University of Olivet and Denison, while his picks were against Wilmington and Olivet. The junior added six solo tackles at NCAC champion DePauw University.