Eleven Warriors receive NAC Football honors

Shaw named Co-Freshman of the Year

Dominique Johnson was one of two Warriors named to the All-NAC First Team

WAUKESHA, Wis. – Eleven student-athletes on the Wisconsin Lutheran College football team have received postseason honors from the Northern Athletics Conference, as the awards for the 2009 season were announced Friday.

Highlighting WLC's school-record tying list of all-conference selections was freshman quarterback Zach Shaw (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township), who shared NAC Co-Freshman of the Year honors with Benedictine running back John Alessi. Shaw threw for 1,141 yards and 16 touchdowns in his rookie season for the NAC's third-best passing efficiency at 116.2.

Junior running back Larry Hairl (Chicago, Ill./Clemente) and senior wide receiver Dominique Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis./Vincent) were each named to the All-NAC First Team Offense. Hairl, the Warriors' top rusher, finished third in the NAC with 754 yards rushing and tied for second with six rushing touchdowns. Johnson hauled in of 39 pass receptions for 588 yards and a school-record 10 touchdowns, good for a second among all NAC receivers.

Juniors Kaylan Gaines (Lake Worth, Fla./American Heritage) and Josh McCormick (Fond du Lac, Wis./Winnebago Lutheran) both were selected to the All-NAC First Team Defense. Gaines, a defensive end, led the conference with nine sacks. He finished fourth on the team with 43 total tackles after recording a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss. McCormick, a linebacker, finished fourth in the NAC with a team-high 76 tackles. He tallied 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Senior defensive lineman Justin Cromas (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield) and junior linebacker Nate Rosenberg (Hortonville, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) each garnered All-NAC Second Team Defense honors. Cromas, who finished third on the team with 56 tackles, registered eight tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries and 1.5 sacks on the season. Rosenberg's 67 tackles placed him second on the team and 10th overall in the conference.

Freshman kicker Philip Chaltis (Bradenton, Fla./Manatee) and junior punter Shem Biebert (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) were All-NAC Second Team Special Teams selections. Chaltis, who was third in the NAC in scoring, connected on 26 of 28 extra points tries and was 5-for-8 on field goal attempts. Biebert tied for the top spot in the NAC with a 34.8 yard per punt average. He placed 13 of his kicks inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

Cody Harms (Blair, Wis./Blair-Taylor), a senior offensive lineman, was named to the NAC Honorable Mention Team. Harms helped lead Wisconsin Lutheran to a conference-best 138.6 yards rushing per game average.

Junior safety Alex Allister (Lake Mills, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) was selected to the NAC's eight-member All-Sportsmanship Team for exemplifying positive sportsmanship throughout the season. Allister totaled 34 tackles, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble on the season.

Wisconsin Lutheran finished its 10th season of intercollegiate football competition by tying a program best with a 5-5 overall record, including a 4-3 finish for fifth place in the NAC. 

2009 All-NAC Football Awards