Williams among 5 Bears named to A-10 first team

Marcus Williams, the University of Maine’s all-time leading rusher, headed up a list of five Black Bears selected to the Atlantic 10’s All-Conference football team.

The Bears also placed two players apiece on the second and third teams.

Joining Williams on the first team were junior center Ben Lazarski, senior strong safety Brandon McGowan, senior punter Mike Mellow and sophomore kick returner Arel Gordon.

The second-team picks were junior tight end Josh Radulski and junior linebacker Jermaine Walker and the third-team selections were senior wide receiver Christian Pereira and senior guard Mike Leconte of South Portland.

Williams, a repeat first-team choice, ran for 1,077 yards this past season, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and was second in the league with an average of 97.9 yards per game. He concluded his career with 3,940 yards. His 35 touchdowns, including 14 this fall, were also a school record.

“In my opinion, Marcus is the best tailback to ever play at Maine because of his ability to run the ball and his ability to protect the passer,” said Maine associate head coach and offensive coordinator Bobby Wilder. “This year was the first time we ever threw to him.”

Williams had a career-high 22 receptions for 194 yards.

Lazarski missed the 2003 season with a shoulder injury but rebounded with an exceptional year in which he never missed a play.

“He was the best lineman in the conference this year,” said Wilder. “There was nobody better than him. He made us go. He made all the calls up front. He’s as good a lineman as I’ve ever coached at Maine.”

McGowan, a second-team pick two years ago, led the Bears with 101 tackles including 71/2 for a loss and 31/2 sacks. He also had three interceptions, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick. His 12 tackles and 11/2 sacks spearheaded Maine’s dramatic 9-7 win at Division I-A Mississippi State.

“He had an excellent year for us,” said Wilder. “He was in the running for the defensive player of the year and if we had a better year in terms of wins and losses (5-6), he had a chance to win that award. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better defensive player in the conference.”

Mellow led the A-10 with his 43.1 yards-per-punt average that is fifth in the nation. He had 21 punts that pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line and his 76-yard punt against Northeastern was a school record. His 9,795 punting yards is a career best at Maine.

“At the start of the year, we just wanted him to just do our place-kicking. But he was too good of a punter. We had to have him in there. He did a tremendous job for us,” said Wilder.

Gordon was third in the A-10 in kickoff returns with a 26.5-yard average and he returned two for touchdowns, which set a school record. His 768 return yards also represents a Maine single-season mark.

“He is as electrifying a player as there was in the league this year. Any time he touched the ball, it was a big play waiting to happen. He was very deserving of that award,” said Wilder.

Radulski hauled in a career-high 39 passes for 271 yards and five touchdowns and Walker finished second on the team in tackles with 98. He also had two interceptions and a sack.

Pereira, a third-teamer last year, had a team-high and career-high 58 catches for 818 yards and 10 touchdowns and Leconte, a second-team pick in 2003, helped Lazarski anchor a productive offensive line.

William & Mary quarterback Lang Campbell was the A-10 Offensive Player of the Year; UMass defensive back Shannon James was the Defensive Player of the Year; William & Mary’s Greg Kuehn was the Special Teams Player of the Year; James Madison safety Tony LeZotte and New Hampshire QB Ricky Santos were chosen the Rookies of the Year and New Hampshire’s Sean McDonnell was the Coach of the Year.