FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gary Holden, Sports Information Director
(540) 365-4306
 
November 20, 2002
 
 
Ferrum Football Players Earn All-Dixie Honors
Venable Named Dixie Defensive Dixie Player of the Year
 
Ferrum, Va. – The Ferrum College football team had 10 players named to the Dixie Conference's All-Conference team this afternoon in a vote of the league's sports information directors. Highlighting Ferrum's selections was sophomore defensive back Darren Venable (Covington, Va./Covington), who was named Defensive Player of the Year.
 
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Venable, pictured at right, registered a team-high 99 tackles this season, including seven for loss, one sack, four interceptions, two blocked kicks and a safety. He was the league's top vote-getter at defensive back, earning All-Conference first team honors.
 
Joining Venable on the All-Conference first team on defense were senior linebacker Kelvin Fuller (Norfolk, Va./Fork Union), senior defensive back Rod Thomas (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot), junior defensive lineman Brett Griffin (Jupiter, Fla./William T. Dwyer), and junior linebacker Antonio McClenny (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes).
 
Fuller made 96 tackles, including 40 solos, six tackles for loss, a sack and a blocked kick. He was the league's top vote-getter at linebacker. Fuller set a new school record for with 175 career unassisted tackles, and closed his career with 358 total tackles.
 
Thomas made 32 tackles, including one for loss, two interceptions, and a team-high eight pass breakups. Griffin had 44 tackles, including nine for loss, four sacks and a pass breakup. McClenny had 72 tackles this year, including four for loss, and had one pass breakup.
 
Four players were named to the All-Conference team on offense as well. Senior offensive lineman Brian Ames (Herndon, Va./Herndon), junior fullback Moncrief Holmes (Yorktown, Va./York), and junior wide receiver Gary Buchanan (St. Charles, Va./Lee) were first team selections, while sophomore offensive lineman George Masten (Sunrise, Fla./Plantation) was a second team pick.
 
Holmes was the top vote-getter at fullback. He carried 82 times for 509 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Holmes was the Dixie Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2001. Buchanan made 29 receptions this season for 515 yards and three TDs, averaging 17.8 yards per reception. Ames and Masten anchored the Ferrum offensive line, helping the team average 163.7 rushing yards per game.
 
Rounding out Ferrum's All-Conference honorees was sophomore placekicker Bobby Corn (Cumming, Ga./Forsyth Central), who was named to the first team. Corn, pictured at left, made 8-of-13 field goals this season, and was successful on 13-of-17 PAT conversions. He led the team in scoring this season with 37 points on eight field goals and 13 PATs.
 
Ferrum closed out its season at 5-5 overall, and 5-1 in the Dixie Conference. The Panthers shared the 2002 Dixie football title with Christopher Newport University, which claimed the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs with a win over Ferrum Nov. 16 in Newport News.  The entire 2002 Dixie All-Conference Football Team is posted on the league's official web site.  For more information, please contact the Ferrum sports information office at (540) 365-4306.
 
 
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