Five Crusader gridders named to Football Gazette All-North Region Squad

Wheaton, Ill. (12/9)

- Five Wheaton College football players have been named to the 1999 Football Gazette

Division III North Team. Wheaton finished the season 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the

CCIW for second-place in the conference. Three of the Wheaton players were from

the Crusader defense that finished the season ranked 20th in Division III in total

defense holding opponents to 256.1 yards per game. Placekicker Chris Baughman

(Fort Morgan, Colo./Fort Morgan) was named to the North Region First Team. This

season Baughman set the CCIW (league games only) record for field goals in a season

with 12. He also set the Crusader school-record for field goals in a season with

12 by going 12 of 13 on field goal attempts this season. Baughman is second among

Division III kickers in field goals per game with 1.33 field goals a game. Baughman

was 25-33 on extra point attempts with 61 total points for second on the team

in scoring. In CCIW games he was the league's leading scorer with 51 points in

league action.

Senior offensive lineman

Chris Lagioia (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) was named as a third-team selection.

Lagioia was a standout right guard on a Crusader offense that amassed 3148 yards

of total offense. Lagioia and the Wheaton line only allowed 22 sacks in nine

games this season.

Senior defensive lineman

Drew Pearson (Wheaton, Ill./North), a Crusader team captain, was named

to North Region Third Team. Pearson posted 26 total tackles this season, 19

of which were behind the line of scrimmage. The 6-3, 240-pound lineman also

led the team in quarterback hurries with 11 and had at least one tackle for

lost yardage in every game this season.

Senior defensive back John

Peays (Austin, Texas/Westlake) also was a Third Team selection. John Peays

led Wheaton in interceptions with five picks and was second on the team in total

tackles with 84 (57 solo). Peays also led the team in passes broken up with

seven and added two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks.

Wheaton's final North Region

honoree is junior linebacker Greg McMillin (Nampa, Idaho/Nampa Senior)

who was a Third Team selection. led Wheaton in total tackles with 116, including

78 solo tackles. McMillin also had seven quarterback sacks (-41 yards) and 11

tackles for lost yardage (-48 yards). On three occasions this season McMillin

posted 21 total tackles in a game and seven times led Wheaton in total tackles.

PICTURED:

(L-R) High school teammates John Peays, Ben Peays and Jeremy Amos earned First

Team All-CCIW honors this season as seleceted by league coaches. Wheaton posted

a league-best 13 players on the all-conference team.