Wheaton places four on Football Gazette All-North Region squad; Swider named "Coach of the Year"

Wheaton,

Ill. (12/3) - Four members of the Wheaton College football

team have been named to the Football Gazette All-North Region Team and head

coach Mike Swider has been named the Football Gazette North Region "Coach

of the Year". Wheaton has posted the first 12-0 record in school history and

will play in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on Saturday

at defending National Champion Mount Union College. Wheaton place three players

on the All-Region First Team with one Second Team selection.

Mike Swider (PICTURED LEFT) earned his selection as North

Region Coach of the Year, after guiding his team to its second consecutive

College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship and the third

league title in four years. With Wheaton's CCIW Championship this fall Swider

led the program to its first back-to-back conference titles since the 1958-59

seasons. The Thunder was the first program to win an outright CCIW Championship

in back-to-back seasons since Augustana accomplished the feat in the 1986-87

campaigns. Swider has posted a 61-19 record in his eight seasons as the Wheaton

mentor. The 1977 Wheaton grad owns a 61-19 career record for a.763 winning

percentage. His 61 career wins ranks him third on Wheaton's all-time list

and he's first all-time in winning percentage with a 76.3% mark.

Senior offensive linemen James Hoxworth (Bridgeport,

Neb./Bridgeport) and Chris Dubos (Sumner, Wash./Sumner) both earned

First Team All-North Region honors. Dubos and Hoxworth block for a Thunder

offense that concluded the regular season ranked fifth in Division III in

total offense. Wheaton has put up 5,583 yards of offense this season, averaging

465.2 yards per game. Wheaton averages 221.6 rushing yards per game and 243.7

passing yards per game.

Junior Brad Musso (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) earned

First Team All-Region honors at wide receiver. Musso has made 65 catches,

averaging 19.3 yards per reception with 10 touchdown receptions this season.

Musso has 1,256 receiving yards this year to tie Wheaton's single season record

for receiving yards. He has returned 30 punts this season for an average of

14.9 yards per return, including two returns for touchdowns. He ended the

regular season ranked fourth in NCAA Division III in yards per punt return

and 19th in receiving yards per game.

Senior quarterback Chad Bradley (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton

North) was a Second Team All-Region honoree. Bradley, the CCIW "Offensive

Player of the Year" has thrown for 2,875 yards this season to place him in

fifth on the school's single-season passing list. He's thrown for 20 touchdowns

with a 61.0% (194-318) completion percentage that is just behind the school-record

of 62.9% (236-375) set by Keith Bishop in 1983. In his Wheaton career Bradley

has thrown for 5,361 yards for fifth place on the all-time passing list, just

57 yards shy of passing Dave McCarrell (1979-82) for fourth place.

His career completion percentage of 61.3% (365-595) on pace to shatter the

record of 59.5% (757-1272) held by current QB coach Keith Bishop (1983-85).

Wheaton has compiled a 20-2 record when Bradley starts at QB.