Four IUP football players have earned spots on the Daktronics All-Northeast Region team for the 2006 season as selected by region sports information directors.

Chosen to the first team and advancing to the national ballot for All-America consideration are senior left tackle Jason Capizzi and freshman kicker Nick Wallace.  Second team choices were senior tailback Chris Morgan and sophomore linebacker Rob Plowman.

Capizzi (Gibsonia/Pine-Richland) anchored the left side of the IUP offensive line that paved the way for Morgan and help the team average 171.7 rushing yards per game to rank 28th in the nation.  IUP surrendered only nine sacks on the year. 

Capizzi allowed only one sack in his IUP career and graded out at 98 percent against Shippensburg this season.  He was one of only 10 players in Division II named as a “pro hopeful” by D2Football.com and has been scouted by all 32 NFL teams, earning a draftable grade. 

He is one of a small number of Division II players selected to play in the Magnolia Bowl, a predominantly Division I/I-AA all-star game, and was nominated for the Gene Upshaw Lineman of the Year award.

Wallace (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) took over the kicking duties this season and was the top performer at his position in the PSAC.  He made 11 of 13 field goal attempts and ranked first in the conference and 11th nationally with an average of 1.10 per game.  Wallace’s 11 field goals are the fourth highest single season figure in school history, and he was 30 of 33 in extra points.

Wallace converted his final 10 field goal tries of the season, including four against Clarion that tied the IUP single game record.  He also had three against Edinboro and Lock Haven.  In the win over the Fighting Scots, Wallace kicked a 25-yard field goal on the last play of regulation to force overtime and connected from 37 yards out in the first extra period to give IUP the win.

Morgan (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills) rushed for 1,318 yards, the sixth highest single season total in school history, and his average of 131.8 per game ranked second in the PSAC and eighth in the nation.  Morgan scored 15 touchdowns, including one through the air, to place 13th in the country in scoring at 9.0 points per game.

A Harlon Hill Northeast Region finalist, Morgan rushed for over 100 yards in eight of 10 games and broke his own IUP single game record with 286 against East Stroudsburg.  He previously had a 266-yard game against Lock Haven in 2004.  He eclipsed the century mark in 22 of 28 games as the starting tailback over the past four seasons.

Although he started his IUP career as a free safety in 2003, Morgan finished as the second leading rusher in school history with 3,817 yards while also ranking second in rushing touchdowns (34) and attempts (680), fourth in total touchdowns scored (36) and sixth in scoring (216).

Plowman (Apollo/Kiski Area) had nine sacks on the year and was first in the PSAC and tied for 12th nationally with an average of 0.9 per game.  He also placed seventh in the conference with 1.50 tackles for loss per contest.

Plowman had a season-high eight tackles and 2.5 sacks against reigning Harlon Hill winner Jimmy Terwilliger in a win over East Stroudsburg.  He also had two sacks against Edinboro and 1.5 against Shippensburg while adding seven tackles against California in the season finale.  He finished the year with 44 tackles and forced two fumbles.

<back to top>