SIAC Football: Coaches select Albany State, Tuskegee as top teams in 2013

ATLANTA, Georgia  --  The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its Preseason All-Conference Team and Predicted Order of Finish this afternoon at the 2013 SIAC Kickoff luncheon held at the Holiday Inn Perimeter.

The SIAC Football Coaches Association unanimously voted Tuskegee University as the top team in the West Division, as well as favorite to win the 2013 SIAC Football Championship.  The Golden Tigers received 5 out of 6 first place votes in front of 2011 SIAC Champion Miles College, selected to finish second, followed by third place Stillman College. Lane College was selected as the fourth place team, followed by Kentucky State University and SIAC newcomer Central State University.

Led by senior running back and 2012 SIAC Player of the Year Derrick Washington, Tuskegee went 10-2, with the only blemish resulting from a 28-13 loss to Elizabeth City State University in the Pioneer Bowl. The Golden Tigers return 16 starters, including 13 All-SIAC Preseason selections, from a team that finished 7-0 against conference opponents in route to claiming the program's 29th SIAC Championship.

In the East Division, Albany State was selected to finished as the top team, followed by last year's East Division Champion Fort Valley State University. After the coaches picked Morehouse College to finish third, Benedict and Clark Atlanta, were voted to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.

Headlining the All-Conference team is Miles redshirt-senior quarterback David Thomas, who threw for over 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, to lead the program to its first Division II playoff appearance in school history. His teammate running back Floyd Graves, the SIAC's top returning rusher, and Kentucky State's Justin Williams were picked as the top running backs. Another Golden Bears player Antonio Pitts and Albany State's Jessie Atkins were selected at receiver, while Zach Thomas, a sophomore from Central State University, who put up big numbers as a freshman was named to the team at tight end. Tuskegee's Devonte Jones and Christopher Tolbert, paired with Morehouse's Drew Wilkins and Richard Washington are the first team offensive linemen.

On defense, SIAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American LeRon Furr from Fort Valley State highlights the group of first team linebackers. Joining Furr, is Tuskegee's top tackler Quavon Taylor and Clark Atlanta's Bernard Williams. Stillman's Peter Dele, Morehouse's Clarence Christian, Benedict's Devin Gainer, and Bernard Little, also from Fort Valley State were named as first team players. The Fort Valley State trio of Duron Furr, Thomas "Trey" Wolfe, and Tracey White, in addition to Albany State All-American, Dexter Moody headline the heralded group of defensive backs.

On special teams Benedict's Eduardo Hernandez and Morehouse punter Temitayo Agoro were the first team selections, while the always dangerous Thomas Williams of Morehouse and Stillman's Dondre Purnell were voted as first team return specialist. Overall, Tuskegee led the conference with 13 preseason selections, followed by Miles with nine players.

The 2013 SIAC Preseason All-Conference Team and Predicted Order of Finish can be seen below.

2013 SIAC Predicted Order of Finish

                East Division                                                       West Division
1. Albany State University (3)                                     1. Tuskegee University (4)
2. Fort Valley State University (2)                               2. Miles College (2)
3. Morehouse College                                                  3. Stillman College
4. Benedict College                                                      4. Kentucky State
5. Clark Atlanta University                                          5. Lane College
                                                                                      6. Central State University

East Division Champion: Albany State       West Division Champion: Tuskegee

Overall SIAC Champion: Tuskegee (7)
Note: Number of first place votes in parenthesis



First Team Offense
Position Name No. School Class HT. WT. Hometown
QB David Thomas 16 Miles Senior 6-2 206 Opelika, AL
RB Floyd Graves 7 Miles Senior 5-8 180 Newton, MS
RB Justin Williams 6 Kentucky State Junior 5-11 185 Pompano Beach, FL
OL Devonte Jones 73 Tuskegee Senior 6-1 330 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
OL Christopher Tolbert 74 Tuskegee Senior 6-7 320 Birmingham, AL
OL Drew Wilkins 78 Morehouse Junior 6-4 315 Elkins Park, PA
OL Richard Washington 74 Morehouse Junior 6-9 345 Washington, DC
OL Terrance Owens 73 Miles Soph 6-1 292 Greenville, AL
WR Antonio Pitts 12 Miles Junior 5-10 174 Montgomery, AL
WR Jessie Atkins 4 Albany State Junior 5-10 180 Camilla, GA
TE Zach Thomas 85 Central State Soph 6-4 215 Columbus, OH
K Eduardo Hernandez 11 Benedict Soph 5-10 180 Miami, FL
KR Thomas Williams 21 Morehouse R-Senior 5-11 175 Knightindale, NC

First Team Defense
Position Name No. School Class HT. WT. Hometown
DL Bernard Little 90 Fort Valley State Junior 6-4 290 Eatonton, GA
DL Clarence Christian 97 Morehouse Senior 6-3 255 Atlanta, GA
DL Devin Gainer 92 Benedict Senior 6-0 285 St. Petersburg, FL
DL Peter Dele 45 Stillman Junior 5-9 213 Fresno, TX
LB Bernard Williams 49 Clark Atlanta Junior 5-11 225 Omega, GA
LB LeRon Furr 33 Fort Valley State Senior 6-3 235 Columbus, GA
LB Quavon Taylor 1 Tuskegee Junior 6-1 210 Miami, FL
DB Carlos Wilson 20 Stillman Senior 5-10 175 Mobile, AL
DB Joe Beckham 20 Miles R-Soph 5-11 180 Daleville, AL
DB Dexter Moody 3 Albany State Senior 6-3 200 Twin City, GA
DB Jack Howard 21 Lane Senior 5-11 175 Miami, FL
P Temitayo Agoro 44 Morehouse Soph. 5-11 190 Fort Worth, TX
PR Dondre Purnell 7 Stillman Junior 5-10 175 Smyrna, GA

Second Team Offense
Position Name No. School Class HT. WT. Hometown
QB Justin Nared 17 Tuskegee Junior 6-1 200 Evergreen, AL
RB Devonta Parker-Johnson 27 Miles Soph 5-9 174 Milry, AL
RB Michael J. Thornton 38 Tuskegee Junior 6-2 230 Thomasville, AL
OL Michael D. Thornton 72 Tuskegee Junior 6-0 305 Miami, FL
OL Marquis Franklin 52 Fort Valley State Senior 6-8 330 Tyler, TX
OL Aderus Hood 60 Miles Junior 6-3 292 Mt. Hebron, AL
OL Derrick Miles 63 Stillman Senior 6-3 270 Tuscaloosa, AL
OL Matt Reese 63 Tuskegee Junior 6-3 310 Birmingham, AL
WR Marquel Franklin 25 Tuskegee Junior 6-3 210 Prichard, AL
WR DJ Fife 15 Miles Junior 5-11 185 Cherokee Co., AL
TE Stephen Clements 87 Tuskegee Senior 6-0 225 Birmingham, AL
K Cade Berryman 1 Kentucky State Soph. 5-9 151 Irvine, KY
KR Dondre Purnell 7 Stillman Junior 5-10 175 Smyrna, GA

Second Team Defense
Position Name No. School Class HT. WT. Hometown
DL Jordan Paige 7 Central State Junior 6-5 225 Osceola, FL
DL Kevdrick Blue 92 Tuskegee R-Soph 6-0 225 Millbrook, AL
DL Reginald Woods 55 Tuskegee Senior 6-3 240 Compton, CA
DL Kenneth Townsend 94 Kentucky State Senior 6-3 263 Louisville, KY
LB El-Malik Chinn 33 Tuskegee Junior 5-11 215 Northport, AL
LB Marcavius Dudley Albany State Senior 5-10 230 Brunswick, GA
LB Reginald Virges 58 Miles Senior 5-10 220 Alpine, AL
DB Thomas "Trey" Wolfe 9 Fort Valley State Senior 6-1 185 Marietta, GA
DB Duron Furr 17 Fort Valley State Senior 6-3 205 Columbus, GA
DB Tracey White 29 Fort Valley State Junior 5-11 190 Dunwoody, GA
DB Joseph Blount 15 Central State Junior 5-10 185 St. Louis, MO
P Brian Currey 35 Benedict Soph 6-1 170 Prattville, AL
PR Desmond Reese 83 Tuskegee Soph 5-10 170 Valley, AL

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