2009 FOOTBALL
Roster
| # | Name | Height | Weight | Position | Year | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Charles Milton | 6-2 | 200 | RB | SO | Fort Worth, Texas |
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Played in 8 games for the Defenders last season. Had 226 rushing yards and gained 210 yards on 13 kick returns, the second highest totals on the team in both categories. Also had 7 assisted tackles, and 2 solo tackles in spot duty on defense. |
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| 3 | Ryan Campbell | 6-2 | 195 | WR | SR | Fort Worth, Texas |
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Played in all 11 games last season. Second on the team in receiving yards with 102 while catching 16 passes. Attended Baylor University (Texas) for two years and was on the Bears football team. He was named the Baylor scout team offensive threat of the week three times. Had experience in high school at both wide receiver and quarterback. Campbell is a graduate of Southwest Christian (Texas). |
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| 5 | Joey Vander Schaaf | 6-2 | 185 | WR | SO | Escalon, California |
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Played 10 of 11 games for the Defenders last season. Had 123 yards rushing, and caught 28 passes for 370 yards receiving. He completed two of three attempted passes for 57 yards. Played running back and wide receiver at Ripon Christian (California) while earning Mountain Valley all-conference honors in 2007. Played in the 33rd annual Lions All-Star Football Classic. |
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| 6 | Josh Nollmeyer | 5-10 | 165 | DB | SO | Savage, Montana |
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Had six solo tackles and two assisted tackles in five games played last season. Earned all-state second-team honors on special teams, running back and defensive back while playing for Savage (Montana) and was a first-team all-conference pick in 2007 as well. Was an all-conference honoree in 2005 and 2006 at defensive back and earned honorable mention at quarterback in 2006. Nollmeyer also claimed first-team all-conference honors in basketball at Savage in 2008. |
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| 7 | Garrett Milton | 6-0 | 190 | QB | SO | Fort Worth, Texas |
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A three-year letterwinner at Southwest Christian (Texas). Threw for 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns during his prep career . A two-time all-district selection who earned all-state honors as a senior. Was named the offensive MVP of the Tom Hillary East-West All-Star game. Guided Southwest Christian to a regional and bi-district title. |
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| 9 | Daniel Finley | 6-1 | 185 | DB | SO | Winchester, Kansas |
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Played in 7 games last season, making 3 solo tackles and 6 assisted tackles. Led Jefferson County North (Kansas) in tackles as a junior and senior with 77 and 68 respectively and had four career interceptions. Second-team all-Delaware Valley League pick as a senior and earned honorable mention honors as a junior. |
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| 10 | Will McClain | 5-11 | 190 | DB | SO | Miller, South Dakota |
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Had two solo tackles in three games played last season. A safety and quarterback at Sunshine Bible Academy (South Dakota), McClain made 133 tackles with five interceptions on defense and completed 155-285 passes for 2,205 yards for 25 touchdowns and rushed for 1,594 yards on 489 carries with 19 touchdowns on the ground. Earned academic all-state honors and was a FirstTeam All-281 Conference honoree as a senior and earned honorable mention from the 281 Conference in 2006. Was the team captain in 2007. |
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| 11 | Bradley Trimm | 6-0 | 190 | QB | SO | Cicero, New York |
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Quarterbacked at Bishop Grimes High School (New York). In 2007 he had 195 completions in nine games played for 2,444 yards, 21 touchdowns and a 272 passing yards per game average. Trimm led the state of New York in total yardage, yards per game and total completions and was selected to participate in the Section 3 John Arcaro All-Star Game. He was a first-team all-league, Class D selection and he earned the US Army Reserve National Scholar-Athlete Award at the conclusion of the 2007-2008 school year. |
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| 12 | Justin Knot | 6-2 | 180 | QB | SO | Hudsonville, Michigan |
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Suffered a season ending injury in the first game of the 2008 season. Quarterbacked at Unity Christian (Michigan) and was his team’s captain while passing for 700 yards in 11 games. Had seven touchdown passes in leading Unity to their first ever winning season and playoff appearance. |
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| 13 | Ben Dixon | 5-11 | 180 | QB | SO | Kingman, Kansas |
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Played quarterback for Kingman (Kansas) and earned all-Ark Valley Chisolm Trail League (AVCTL) Division IV honors in 2007. Passed for 1,650 yards and had 10 touchdown passes with two running touchdowns during his senior campaign. |
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| 14 | Nate DeSantiago | 5-11 | 185 | QB | FR | Phoenix, Arizona |
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Quarterbacked for Phoenix Christian (Arizona) where he passed for 1,950 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2008 and had 73 carries for 930 yards. He also threw 17 touchdown passes during his junior season. Led Phoenix Christian to a state runner-up finish this past fall and was named second-team all-state and first-team all-region. He also claimed all-region honors in 2006 and 2007. Plans to play baseball for the Defenders in the spring. |
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| 15 | Darrin Beekman | 6-3 | 190 | WR | SO | Coon Rapids, Minnesota |
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Played 6 games for the Defenders last season and made one catch for 6 yards receiving. Was used at defensive back and wide receiver in 2007 for Concordia Academy (Minnesota) and earned all conference honors as both a junior and senior. Was four-year starter and a team captain in 2007 while helping them to a Section 4AAA second place finish in 2007. Made 56 catches in 2007 for 693 yards—a 12.4 yards per catch average and scored nine touchdowns. In 29 career games Beekman made 95 catches for 1,262 yards and 14 touchdowns. On defense Beekman was in on 109 tackles in 2007 with four interceptions and one blocked punt. He was credited with 267 tackles in 38 games on defense and made 10 interceptions with three fumble recoveries. |
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| 16 | Adam Shirley | 6-1 | 190 | QB | SR | Waterloo, Iowa |
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Played 8 games for the Defenders last season. Quarterbacked at Waterloo West (Iowa) and was on the North Iowa Area Community College football team in 2006. |
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| 17 | Joel Gesink | 6-1 | 185 | DB | FR | Sioux Center, Iowa |
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Totaled 79 tackles with 781 receiving yards while earning all-district notice three time at Western Christian (Iowa). Played both defensive back and wide receiver for the Wolfpack in 2006 and 2007 and played quarterback for the Wolfpack in 2008. |
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| 18 | Jon Luetchens | 6-0 | 160 | DB | FR | Murdock, Nebraska |
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Lined up at quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner during his career at Elmwood-Murdock (Nebraska) and rushed for 984 yards in 144 attempts last season while completing 89-145 passes for 1373 yards. He passed for 15 touchdowns and rushed for another 15 and averaged nine yards per punt return and had two interceptions.Luetchens helped Elmwood-Murdock to their ninth straight district championship and guided them to a state playoff berth and a spot in the Class C-2 state semifinals. He earned all-district and all-conference honors as a senior and was a Class C-2 All-State Honorary Captain in 2008. Luetchens was a two-time academic all-state selection and earned all-conference and all-district honorable mention honors in 2007. |
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| 19 | Anthony Hallum | 5-8 | 170 | DB | FR | Visalia, California |
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Played cornerback during his two varsity seasons at El Diamante High School (California) and had 87 tackles, three interceptions and broke up 13 passes. He was a part of 2007 Valley, City and WYL champion teams. Hallum was a first-team all-league pick in 2007 while also earning all-county and all-Valley honors. |
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| 20 | James Rowenhorst | 6-1 | 180 | DB | SO | Orange City, Iowa |
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Played in all 11 games last season, intercepting 2 passes for 62 return yards. Earned All-GPAC honorable mention in 2008. Had three interceptions for the Unity Christian (Iowa) defense in 2007 and was a first-team all-district pick in 2007 after taking second-team honors in 2006. |
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| 21 | Alex Brabon | 6-2 | 175 | WR | SO | Colleyville, Texas |
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Made 33 catches during his senior season at Covenant Christian (Texas) for 564 yards with seven touchdowns and was named Covenant Christian's most valuable player while also claiming first team all-district offense and second team all-district defense where he played both safety and wide receiver. Also earned second team all-state honors on defense with 27 solo tackles, 48 assisted tackles and returned five interceptions for 160 yards and a touchdown. Brabon earned honorable mention all-district honors that season in 2006. |
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| 22 | Caleb Miles | 5-8 | 160 | DB | FR | Thedford, Nebraska |
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Miles was a four-time, first-team, all-district defensive player at Thedford High School (Nebraska) and is the school’s career tackle leader. He earned all-state honorable mention as a sophomore and junior. Miles played running back, wide receiver, safety and linebacker. |
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| 23 | Matt Postmus | 6-1 | 200 | LB | SO | Kalamazoo, Michigan |
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Had 20 solo tackles and 14 assisted tackles in 8 games played last season. A 2007 Kalamazoo Christian (Michigan) graduate, Postmus played linebacker, punter, punt returner, wide receiver and running back for the Comets and was a two-way starter for three seasons. Postmus recorded 60 tackles and had six pass interceptions at outside linebacker and served as team captain in 2007 while spearheading a defense that gave up just 52 points. Rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground. Postmus had five punt and kick returns for touchdowns in his three seasons of varsity play. Was an all-conference honoree as a junior and senior and was a member of the all-area team in 2007. |
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| 24 | Lee Gonzales | 5-9 | 160 | K | FR | Jordan, Minnesota |
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Played Jordan High School (Minnesota) and earned Minnesota River Conference Special Teams Player of the Year Honors. Was an all-conference honorable mention pick. Claimed all-state honorable mention honors and was an all-metro third-team pick. He holds school records for made points-after in a game with eight and in a season with 43. |
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| 25 | Eric Torgerson | 6-1 | 230 | DE | SO | Blackfoot, Idaho |
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Played all 11 games for the Defenders last season. Had 19 solo tackles, 23 assisted tackles, shared a sack for four yards, and recovered a fumble. In 2007, he was a defensive end, tight end and fullback for Blackfoot High School (Idaho) while earning first-team all-state honors at defensive end and was named the High Country Conference Defensive Player of the Year after making 92 tackles and accumulating 18 quarterback sacks in 2007. Claimed second-team all-state honors in 2006 and earned all-conference first-team honors at defensive end in 2006 and 2007 and was a honorable mention selection as a fullback (2007) and a second-team all-conference pick in 2006 at tight end. Torgerson also plays baseball for the Defenders in the spring. |
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| 26 | Phillip Sears | 6-2 | 210 | DB | SO | McKinney, Texas |
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Played all 11 games for the Defenders last season. Had 39 solo tackles and 37 assisted tackles, one assisted sack, two interceptions, and two recovered fumbles. He also returned 8 punts for 50 yards, and 19 kicks for 320 yards. Earned all-conference honorable mention honors in 2008. Signed with Dordt College out of McKinney Boyd (Texas) where he made 70 solo tackles, four interceptions and forced two fumbles. Played on special teams where he accounted for four blocked field goals and one blocked punt for the Broncos in 2007. Sears was a major component in McKinney Boyd’s turnaround from 0-10 in 2006 to 7-3 and a berth in the Texas 4A playoffs in 2007. Sears earned All-McKinney, all-district and all-county first-team (4A/5A) honors in 2007 along with being named to the Elite 11 City Team. |
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| 27 | Henry Byl | 6-0 | 200 | DB | FR | Sioux Center, Iowa |
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Recorded 5.3 tackles per game during his junior and senior seasons at Unity Christian (Iowa). Intercepted two passes in 2006 and three in 2007 and earned three varsity letters. Plans to play baseball in the spring for Dordt. |
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| 28 | Kameron Gradert | 5-11 | 175 | WR | FR | Ireton, Iowa |
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Played running back, defensive back and returned kicks for three years at Unity Christian (Iowa) High School. He averaged 16 yards per punt return and 32 yards per kick return and tallied over 750 total return yards. Gradert was named Unity’s most valuable special teams player. Gradert rushed for 400 yards and averaged nine yards per carry. he earned first-team all-district honors at running back. Gradert had 38 tackles and three interceptions on defense. |
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| 29 | Aaron Floen | 6-0 | 185 | RB | FR | Sioux Center, Iowa |
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Carried the football 194 times for 1478 yards—a 7.6 yards per carry average in 2008. Caught seven passes for 165 yards and scored 20 touchdowns while earning All-District at Unity Christian (Iowa) honors for the second year in a row. Credited with 57 tackles and intercepted two passes. Floen also handled the punting and kicking chores and had a 34.1 yards per punt average in 28 attempts. Will run track for the Defenders. |
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| 30 | David Griess | 6-0 | 180 | RB | FR | Lynden, Washington |
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Gained 450 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns and had three interceptions for Lynden Christian (Washington) while earning all-Northwest Conference Class 1A first-team honors for his play on both offense and defense. |
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| 31 | Morgan Halpert | 6-0 | 205 | LB | SO | Southlake, Texas |
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Had 11 solo tackles and 6 assisted tackles in 8 games last sesason. Also played baseball in the spring for Dordt. Multi-sport standout at Covenant Christian (Texas) where he took first-team all-state honors while making 25 catches for 344 yards and compiling 43 carries for 247 yards. He also completed 33-61 passes for 992 yards. Halpert recorded 43 tackles at defensive back in high school. |
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| 32 | Ben Robbins | 5-10 | 200 | RB | JR | Floyd, Iowa |
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Played all 11 games for the Defenders last season. Led the team with 279 rushing yards, and scored a touchdown. Played a year of football for North Iowa Area Community College, appearing in 10 games. Piled up 1,133 yards of rushing in his senior season at Charles City (Iowa) where he earned all-district first-team honors twice and all-area honors once. |
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| 33 | Zach Dierks | 5-10 | 245 | DT | SO | Colleyville, Texas |
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Had 7 solo tackles and 9 assisted tackles in 7 games last season, and had one sack. Was an honorable mention all-district performer in 2006 for Colleyville Heritage (Texas) while making 49 tackles and three quarterback sacks for a team that won bi-district, area and regional championships. |
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| 34 | Ryan Lapadula | 6-0 | 220 | DE | FR | Visalia, California |
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Earned second-team all-league honors from the West Yosemite league in 2007 and compiled 48 tackles, had six quarterback sacks and forced two fumbles while playing for El Diamante High School (California). Lined up at linebacker, defensive tackle and defensive end in his four years with the Miners and helped them to a league title, the Visalia All-City Championship and San Joaquin Valley Championship in 2007. |
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| 35 | Tyler Jacobsma | 5-10 | 160 | DB | SO | Orange City, Iowa |
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Was an all-district academic performer for Unity Christian (Iowa) while helping the Knights to a 5-4 2007 record. |
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| 36 | Kenneth Hite | 5-8 | 235 | RB | FR | The Colony, Texas |
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Multi-sport standout at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas. Played fullback, linebacker and nose guard for the Lions and gained 8.14 yards per carry in 2007 at fullback. Earned all-district honors twice as a defensive lineman. Hite also won a wrestling state championship and was a national tournament qualifier. |
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| 37 | Gerrit VanLeeuwen | 6-3 | 230 | DE | SO | Hanford, California |
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Played in four games for the Defenders in 2008 after making three solo and ten assisted tackles for Dordt College in 2007. Played on two Valley championship teams at Central Valley Christian (California) where he was a three-year starter. |
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| 38 | Andy Mitchell | 6-1 | 200 | LB/WR | FR | Southlake, Texas |
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Finished the year with 25 tackles on defense and 23 pass catches for 348 yards after missing the first half of the 2008 season with an injury. Played for Covenant Christian Academy (Texas). |
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| 39 | Josh Van Kempen | 5-11 | 185 | RB | FR | Jenison, Michigan |
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Was a running back and cornerback for Unity Christian (Michigan) where he had 102 carries for 1,255 yards last season with 19 touchdowns while helping Unity to 7-2 regular season record and a berth in the playoffs. Ran for 199 yards on 17 carries and scored three touchdowns in a playoff loss. His per carry average was 12.3 yards and he had four punt returns for 73 yards and he had 10 kickoff returns for 222 yards. Also played corner back and had three career interceptions and 56 tackles. He rushed for 27 touchdowns during his three-year career and had 2,162 yards on the ground and caught passes for 305 yards. Van Kempen was named to the all-conference team in 2008 and earned all-state honorable mention and was a member of the all-area west first-team on offense. |
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| 40 | Ethan Hageness | 6-1 | 195 | LB/WR | FR | Glendale, Arizona |
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Played a variety of positions for Phoenix Christian (Arizona) including linebacker, wide receiver, punter and punt returner. Hageness piled up 104 tackles in 2008 along with five quarterback sacks. He also had two blocked punts and made three pass interceptions. Hageness scored nine touchdowns and had 35 catches for 481 yards and punted 22 times for a 34 yards per punt average. He scored 22 touchdowns during his career and gained over 1000 yards of total offense. Hageness was named first-team all-state at linebacker and wide receiver and served as a team captain with his team earning state playoff runner-up. |
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| 41 | Trace Bozarth | 5-9 | 220 | LB | FR | Claresholm, Alberta |
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Had ten quarterback sacks in 2008 for Willow Creek Composite (Alberta) and was chosen as a league all-star last fall. Served as his team’s captain in 2007 and 2008. He also earned team most valuable player honors in 2007. |
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| 41 | Sonny Ray | 6-2 | 195 | LB | FR | Avondale, Arizona |
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Accumulated 64 tackles with a quarterback sack while playing for Phoenix Christian (Arizona). Forced two fumbles and had a fumble recovery during his senior season. |
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| 44 | Lucas Kurtzleben | 6-2 | 210 | LB | SO | Orange City, Iowa |
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Totaled 82 solo tackles in two varsity seasons at Unity Christian with 59 assisted tackles while accounting for 6.5 quarterback sacks, an interception and two fumble recoveries. He also had 68 rushing attempts for 337 net yards and 23 pass catches for 434 yards. Kurtzleben knocked 5-9 field goal attempts through in high school and was 25-32 on extra point attempts while holding a 34.6 punting average on 77 total attempts in two seasons. Spent one season at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. |
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| 45 | Austin Bosma | 6-3 | 190 | DB | SO | Hospers, Iowa |
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Had 5 solo tackles and 14 assisted tackles in 8 games played last season. In 2007, he spent time at wide receiver and defensive back for Unity Christian (Iowa) and earned all-district honors in Class 2A District One. Bosma had seven catches for 124 yards and was credited with 27 solo and 13 assisted tackles during his senior season. Bosma also had nine tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks and six pass breakups. |
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| 47 | Will Heersink | 5-11 | 180 | WR/DB | FR | Modesto, California |
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Ran for 1028 yards and caught passes for 422 yards for Ripon Christian (California) receiving for a 7.97 yards per carry average and 23.44 yards per catch average. Scored 21 touchdowns and had two interceptions for a team that was 6-4 last season. Earned first-team all-league and all-area honors as a running back and was voted his team’s most valuable player and captain. |
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| 48 | Cameron Caro | 6-0 | 210 | LB | FR | Highlands Ranch, Colorado |
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Played multiple positions for Denver Christian (Colorado) during his career including running back and linebacker. Caro piled up 275 tackles in three seasons at Denver Christian and rushed for over 1200 yards during his career. He earned second-team all-conference honors at linebacker and honorable mention honors at running back. |
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| 49 | Thomas Blankenship | 5-7 | 155 | K | SO | Aubrey, Texas |
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Was a first-team all-state pick in 2006 and 2007 and was a second-team all-state pick in 2005 for American Heritage Academy (Texas). Connected on 201-220 extra points and was 10-13 on field goals through his career for 231 total points. Helped American Heritage Academy to a 2005 Texas State Championship. |
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| 50 | David Harrold | 6-5 | 255 | OL | SO | Edmond, Oklahoma |
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Earned academic all-state honors in 2004 and 2007 at Oklahoma Christian High School and was an all-city first-team selection on the offensive line while also being a Class A All-District 2 offensive line pick. |
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| 51 | Seth Denton | 6-3 | 260 | OL | SO | Plattsmouth, Nebraska |
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Had one solo tackle in 5 games played last season. Had 56 tackles—fifteen of them solo, with three fumble recoveries for Bryan High School (Nebraska) in 2006. Was a first-team all-district honoree while also taking honorable mention accolades at the all-metro level in Omaha. Played in the King Kamehameha Pigskin classic in Honolulu, Hawaii and was a team captain at Bryan for four years. |
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| 52 | Jayson Spitzer | 5-9 | 220 | LB | FR | Lakewood, Colorado |
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Played linebacker for Faith Christian High School (Colorado). Earned all-state honorable mention in 2008 and first-team all-league honors in 2008. He had 72 solo and 49 assisted tackles with one sack and two interceptions. He totaled five sacks in 2007 and had 56 solo and 38 assisted stops. Faith Christian earned a state semifinal berth in 2008 and a state championship in 2006. |
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| 53 | Greg Jones | 6-1 | 250 | OL | FR | Visalia, California |
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Was a three year varsity football performer at El Diamante and earned all-West Yosemite League honors in 2007 and 2008. Helped his team to a West Yosemite League and City Championship in 2007 and 2008 and they won a Valley Championship in 2007. |
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| 54 | Patrick Visscher | 6-3 | 255 | OL | FR | Sioux Center, Iowa |
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Earned first-team all-district honors in 2008 and was a team captain for the Unity Knights as they earned a berth in the Iowa State High School Playoffs and a district runner-up finish in their third year of varsity football. Visscher also claimed academic all-district honors in 2008. |
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| 55 | Mitch Byl | 5-11 | 180 | LB | FR | Rock Valley, Iowa |
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Accumulated 111 tackles for Western Christian (Iowa) with two quarterback sacks, an interception and two fumble recoveries as Western advanced to the Iowa High School post-season for the first time in school history. Byl was a first-team all-district selection and is the school’s career tackle leader. |
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| 56 | Brice Kroeze | 6-3 | 270 | DT | SO | Orange City, Iowa |
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Played 10 of 11 games for the Defenders last season. Had 8 solo tackles and 13 assisted tackles. In 2007, he played linebacker and offensive guard for the Unity Christian (Iowa) Knights. Garnered first-team all-district honors in Class 2A District One on defense and earned academic all-district honors in 2007 as well. Kroeze was named Unity’s defensive most valuable player in helping the Knights to a 5-4 record in their second year of varsity football. Had an interception and a blocked kick in 2007. |
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| 57 | Jordan Huisman | 6-1 | 215 | LB | FR | Orange City, Iowa |
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Earned all-district honors in 2008 and was a three-year letter winner at Unity Christian (Iowa). He helped the fledgling program to an 8-1 regular season record and a berth in the Iowa High School post-season. He was voted the team’s defensive most valuable player and captain while accumulating 13 solo and 17 assisted tackles in 2007 and 16 solo and 66 assisted stops in 2008. He also made 4.5 tackles for loss during his senior season and snagged two interceptions. Huisman claimed academic all-district and all-state honors during his career. |
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| 58 | Matt Smolders | 5-8 | 240 | DT | FR | Sioux Center, Iowa |
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Recorded 78 tackles with three quarterback sacks and forced two fumbles last season for Sioux Center High School. He earned first-team all-district honors in 2008 and was an honorable mention selection in 2007. Smolders played nose guard, offensive guard and kicker. |
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| 59 | Brandon Huisman | 6-4 | 240 | TE | SO | Orange City, Iowa |
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Played in 8 games last season at tight end. Earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors in 2008--Dordt's first player so honored. Was a part of Unity Christian’s (Iowa) first football team. |
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| 60 | Ryan Schroeder | 6-0 | 230 | DE | FR | Le Mars, Iowa |
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Accumulated nearly 300 tackles during his career at Remsen-Union High School (Iowa) where he helped his team to the 2008 8-Man District Championship and a berth in the Iowa High School post-season. Schroeder had 54 tackles and 12 sacks in 2006; 126 tackles with 12 sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2007 and 118 tackles with 19 for loss and two fumble recoveries in 2008. Earned first-team all-district honors in 2007 and 2008. He earned Iowa Newspaper Association first-team all-state honors in 2008 and was a Des Moines Register first-team pick as well. He claimed third team honors from the Iowa Newspaper Association in 2007. |
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| 61 | Chris Walker | 6-1 | 235 | DT | SO | Boone, Iowa |
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Lettered twice at Colo-Nesco High School (Iowa) while playing defensive end and defensive tackle. He had 26 tackles and 14 assisted stops during 2006. |
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| 62 | Stephan Regnerus | 6-1 | 260 | OL | SO | Doon, Iowa |
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Played two years on the offensive line for the Western Christian (Iowa) Wolfpack in 2006 and 2007. |
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| 64 | Brendan Lyle | 6-1 | 250 | OL | SO | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
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After an injury plagued 2007 Lyle appeared in six games for the Defenders in 2008. Was voted Bishop Kelley’s (Oklahoma) lineman of the year in 2006. |
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| 65 | Todd Green | 6-2 | 265 | OL | SO | Edmond, Oklahoma |
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Had 4 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle on special teams in 2008. Moved to center midway through the 2007 club season and played in all eight games on the offensive line. Was an all-GPAC honorable mention pick in 2008. Earned all-state, all-conference, all-district and all-city honors while playing for Edmond Memorial (Oklahoma). |
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| 66 | Jack Brundell | 6-0 | 190 | LB | SO | Shoreview, Minnesota |
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Had 8 solo tackles and 11 assisted tackles in four games played last season. Made 101 career tackles with three quarterback sacks and one blocked punt for the Mounds View (Minnesota) Mustangs. He was a team captain for the 2007 Mounds View team that was 6-2 in regular season play and won their sectional in post-season play and qualified for the state quarterfinals. |
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| 67 | Tyler Te Grotenhuis | 6-4 | 220 | DE | JR | Orange City, Iowa |
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Had 6 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle in 6 games played last season. A 2007 MOC Floyd Valley (Iowa) graduate, Te Grotenhuis earned all-district honors in Class 3A District 1 as a junior and senior in 2005 and 2006 while playing defensive line and center. |
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| 69 | Casey Burke | 6-4 | 295 | OL | SO | Coburg, Oregon |
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Played in two games for the Defenders last season. Slotted at offensive guard and defensive tackle for Henry D. Sheldon (Oregon) where he earned all-conference honors at defensive tackle in 2007 and was a part of a Oregon 6A State Championship team. Served as team captain and earned four letters in his football career. Burke made 50 tackles in 2007—nine for loss with four sacks, two fumble recoveries and forced 12 quarterback hurries. Plans to throw the shot for the Dordt track team in the spring. |
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| 70 | Owen Reinalda | 6-1 | 235 | TE | FR | Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania |
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Played offensive and defensive line for Dallastown Area High School (Pennsylvania) and was picked for the York County East/West All-Stars. Was awarded the Character Counts Sportsmanship Award for 2008. |
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| 72 | Daniel Rosas | 6-0 | 280 | OL | FR | Grand Prairie, Texas |
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Team captain and a two-time all-district second-team selection for Grand Prairie (Texas). Was an academic all-district pick. |
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| 73 | Taylor Bockelman | 6-2 | 240 | DT | FR | Napoleon, Ohio |
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Was named his teams’ defensive player of the year and is a native of Napoleon, Ohio. |
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| 74 | Shane Souza | 6-4 | 285 | OL | FR | Visalia, California |
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Played offensive and defensive line for an El Diamante (California) high school team that suffered just three losses in the last two football seasons. Souza was a first-team all-county, all-league and all-Valley pick and was a part of a 2007 Central Section Championship and two City Champion teams in 2007 and 2008. |
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| 75 | John Brown | 5-11 | 260 | DT | FR | Houston, Texas |
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Earned first-team all-district honors in 2008 and was named the Outstanding Offensive Lineman at Cypress Christian (Texas) last season. Cypress Christian was the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Division Four Runner-Up in 2008 and the team qualified for the 2008 TAPPS state playoffs. |
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| 76 | Jason Buxcel | 6-3 | 285 | DT | SO | Hutchinson, Minnesota |
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Third season with the Defenders, he appeared in five games on the offensive line last season. Played tackle and guard for a Mayer Lutheran (Minnesota) football team that was 4-5 in 2006. |
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| 77 | Jared May | 6-6 | 330 | OL | FR | Aledo, Texas |
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Earned first team all-district honors pick in 2008 while also earning academic all-district honors at Aledo High School (Texas). The 2006 and 2007 teams he was on qualified for the state semifinals while the 2008 team was undefeated in district play and was an area finalist. |
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| 79 | Jeff Dornberg | 6-4 | 320 | OL | FR | Phoenix, Arizona |
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Dornberg lettered in baseball, football and basketball while at Phoenix Christian (Arizona) and was a member of the football Regional Championship team in 2008 that went on to claim state champion runner-up honors. |
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| 80 | Alex Henderson | 5-10 | 165 | WR | SO | Mesquite, Texas |
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Played in 10 of 11 games for the Defenders last season. He caught 15 passes for 190 receiving yards. Earned first-team all-district honors at cornerback for the Parish Episcopal Panthers (Texas) after making 21 solo tackles and assisting on 33 with nine pass breakups. Henderson also earned 2nd team all-district honors at wide receiver where he made 17 catches for 388 yards—a 22.8 yards per game average with nine touchdown catches. Henderson claimed honorable mention all-state honors and played in the Tom Hillary Classic. Henderson runs track for Dordt in the spring. |
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| 81 | Curtis Van Grouw | 6-8 | 230 | TE | FR | Rock Valley, Iowa |
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Was a 2008 First-Team All-district football selection while playing tight end and defensive end for the Western Christian (Iowa) Wolfpack in helping them to a berth in the Class 2A football post-season. Van Grouw totaled 12 solo and 13 assisted tackles with two tackles for loss last season. He also had 17 catches for 182 yards—a 10.7 yards per catch average. |
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| 82 | Sam Du Mez | 6-5 | 190 | WR | SO | Brookfield, Wisconsin |
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Played 5 games for the Defenders last season while fighting an injury. Had 9 catches for 97 yards. A wide receiver at Milwaukee Lutheran (Wisconsin), Du Mez had 28 receptions for 402 yards and 8 touchdowns during the 2007 season. He averaged 14.36 yards per catch and totaled 50 points and earned honorable mention honors in the North Shore Conference in 2007. |
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| 83 | Josh Clark | 6-2 | 230 | TE | FR | Phoenix, Arizona |
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2007 graduate of Cortez High School (Arizona). Played in three games for the Defenders in 2007 and caught six passes. Missed the 2008 season with an injury. Took first-team all-league honors at tight end in 2008 where he made five catches for 187 yards with two touchdowns. Also played defensive end in high school and recorded 20 tackles. |
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| 84 | Tyler Comella | 5-11 | 180 | WR | FR | Phoenix, Arizona |
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Played wide receiver for Bourgade Catholic (Arizona) and had 59 catches for 762 yards in 2008 and scored eight touchdowns. |
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| 85 | Dan Poel | 6-3 | 230 | LB | SO | Orange City, Iowa |
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Had two solo tackles and one assisted tackle in three games played last season. One of three Defenders who were a part of Unity’s first ever football team in 2004. |
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| 86 | Matt Griess | 5-10 | 170 | WR | FR | Lynden, Washington |
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Saw limited action in high school due to injury. |
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| 87 | Brent Zomer | 6-1 | 185 | WR/LB | FR | Inwood, Iowa |
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Attended the Netherlands Reformed Christian High School in Rock Valley, Iowa. |
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| 88 | Jason Hengeveld | 6-2 | 230 | TE | SO | Sheldon, Iowa |
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Played in all 11 games for the Defenders in 2008. Earned three letters for the Western Christian (Iowa) Wolfpack and earned all-district honors as a junior in 2006 and honorable mention accolades as a senior in 2007. |
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| 90 | David Laverman | 6-2 | 195 | LB | SO | Kellogg, Iowa |
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Was a linebacker at Pella Christian (Iowa) where he helped Pella Christian to a 7-2 record his senior season. Pella Christian fielded a varsity team for the first time during Laverman’s junior season. |
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| 91 | Orrin Burger | 6-1 | 230 | DE | FR | Nampa, Idaho |
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Was selected to play in the Idaho East-West Shriner’s All-Star game after piling up 42 tackles—eight of them for loss with three quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles and eight quarterback hurries while playing offensive and defensive line for Nampa Christian. Claimed first-team all-conference honors on both offense and defense and was a second-team all-state pick on both offense and defense as well. Burger was a member of the Idaho Press-Tribune All-Area team in 2008. |
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| 94 | Reuben Faber | 6-4 | 190 | K | SO | Escondido, California |
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Handled the kickoffs for the Defenders last season. Attended Calvin Christian (California). |
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| 96 | Ty Drewski | 6-2 | 195 | LB | FR | Southlake, Texas |
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Drewski was the 2008 defensive captain at Colleyville Covenant (Texas) and played defensive end, outside linebacker and offensive guard. He accumulated 76 tackles and 2.5 sacks while at Colleyville Covenant. Drewski was a part of a 2007 TAPPS D4 State Semifinal team and a 2008 D3 Regional Semifinal squad. |
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| 99 | Mike Bowman | 6-3 | 240 | OL | FR | Prescott, Arizona |
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Played for Prescott High School (Arizona) where he helped them to Regional Championships in 2007 and 2008. He earned first-team all-region honors in 2008 for his offensive line play. |
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Head Coach: John Heavner
Defensive Coordinator: Bill Bauer
Assistant Coach: Brant Steffey
Assistant Coach: Mike Garner
Assistants: Tyler Ross, Tyler Schneider, Gabe Eliserio, Kyle Van Wyk
Managers: Dana Hanenburg, Anna Pealez, Joey Kleinwolterink, Katie Wuollett, Ben De Groot, Jason Stuhrenberg, Debra Boersma, Matt Vanden Bosch
Athletic Trainer: Chris Fagerness
Athletic Director: Glenn Bouma
Sports Information Director: Mike Byker
