Wheaton places 15 on the 2021 All-CCIW Football Team; Dallas McRae repeats as Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year

Wheaton, Ill. –The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) announced its All-Conference football team on Tuesday. Wheaton was well represented with 15 All-CCIW selections. Defensive lineman Dallas McRae was named the Don Larson Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year for the second-consecutive season.

McRae was named as the Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year and picked up First Team All-CCIW honors. It is McRae's third All-Conference selection, earning Second Team honors in 2018 and First Team in 2019 and 2021. McRae's recognition marks the 14th time Wheaton a student-athlete has received the Don Larson Defensive Player of the Year Award. His selection marks the sixth time in seven years that a Wheaton player has won the Award. He is the seventh player since the award started in 1977 to win it twice, joining fellow former Wheaton standouts Chad Thorson (1988 & 1989) and Adam Dansdill (2013 & 2014) on the exclusive list. McRae is second on the Thunder defense with 42 total tackles, including 30 solo stops. He is tied for the team lead in total sacks with nine (-59), for a Wheaton defense that leads Division III in total sacks (45). His 18 tackles for loss (-86 yards) leads the CCIW and is 16th in Division III.

McRae is joined on the All-CCIW Team by fellow defensive linemen Jake Holaday and River Shindledecker. Holaday is a First Team honoree this year and Shindledecker is a Second Team pick. Both are repeat All-CCIW honorees as they each earned Second Team honors in 2019. Holaday is third on the Thunder defense with 40 total tackles (24 solo). He is tied with McRae for the team lead in sacks at nine (-53 yards) and is second in tackles for loss with 12-1/2 (-61 yards). Holaday is tied with McRae for second in the CCIW in sacks and is fourth in the conference in tackles for loss. River Shindledecker has 38 tackles this year. He has 10 tackles for loss (-59 yards), including 6-1/2 sacks (-31 yards).

A trio of Thunder linebackers earned All-CCIW honors as Ryan Schwartz earned a spot on the First Team for the second time. Wyatt Lee is a Second Team honoree for the second season and Daniel Herber is a Second Team honoree. Schwartz leads the Wheaton defense this year with 76 total tackles, including 55 solo stops. He has recorded 9-1/2 tackles for loss (-17 yards), including one sack (-1 yard). He also has two interceptions, three quarterback hurries, two passes broken-up, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Lee has 37 total tackles (26 solo) this season. He has 10 tackles for loss (-44 yards), including six sacks (-38 yards). Herber has 37 total tackles this fall, including 27 solo stops. He has five tackles for loss (-20 yards), including 2-1/2 sacks (-16 yards). Herber also has an interception, three passes broken-up, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Senior Caleb Egbert represents the Wheaton defensive backfield as a First Team selection this year. Egbert has made 31 total tackles this season, including 25 solo stops. He leads the Thunder defense with four interceptions, tying for the CCIW lead in the category. He returned three of his picks this season for a touchdown.

Wheaton placed two special teams players on the First Team All-CCIW squad as punter John Bickle and kicker Tommy Gallagher each earned the honor. Bickle has averaged 45.0 yards per punt on 24 punts this season. His season average is the best among CCIW punters this year. He landed 10 of his 24 kicks inside the 20-yard line and had eight kicks of 50 or more yards. Gallagher is tied for the CCIW lead with nine field goals this season. His 52-yarder against Augustana was the longest in CCIW play this season. His four field goals against Illinois Wesleyan is tied for the most in a game in CCIW play this season and his 18 points in that contest against the Titans is the most by a CCIW kicker this fall.

Three Thunder offensive linemen earned All-CCIW honors. Jake Hibben and Gabriel McGill earned First Team honors for the second time in their careers, and junior Trevor Gabriele is a Second Team honoree this year. The trio is a key part of a Thunder offense that is second in total offense (483.9 YPG), second in rushing offense (248.3 YPG), and second in scoring offense (48.8 PPG).

Junior running back Giovanni Weeks is a First Team All-CCIW selection for the first time in his career. Weeks has run for league-best 1,191 yards in nine games this season, averaging 132.3 yards per game. He is averaging 8.3 yards per carry and tied the school single-season record with 19 rushing touchdowns. He is third on the team in receptions with 25 catches for 394 yards, averaging 15.8 yards per catch. Weeks is the CCIW leader in all-purpose yards with 1,591 total yards, averaging 176.8 yards per game. He is ranked second in Division III in yards per carry, fifth in the nation in all-purpose yards, sixth in rushing touchdowns, and sixth in scoring, eighth in Division III in total points, and ninth in rushing yards per game (134.6 YPG).

A pair of pass catchers picked up All-CCIW accolades as Spencer Peterson was a First Team pick at tight end and Adam Terrini earned Second Team honors at wide receiver. Peterson has 25 catches this season for 426 yards. He is averaging 17.0 yards per catch with 10 touchdown receptions among his 25 catches. Terrini is a two-time All-CCIW honoree with First Team honors in 2019 and Second Team recognition this season. Terrini leads the Thunder with 40 catches for 550 yards. He is averaging 13.8 yards per catch, with eight touchdowns.

Originally published by Wheaton College Athletics: /news/2021/11/16/wheaton-places-17-on-the-2019-all-cciw-football-team-mike-swider-and-dallas-mcrae-earn-special-recognition.aspx