Matador Football ranked 2nd in NJCAA Preseason Poll
Team earns highest national ranking in Minnick Era
Yuma, Arizona – August 1, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that for the second straight year, the Matadors’ football team is ranked in the NJCAA Preseason Football Poll.However, after beginning the 2009 season ranked 24th in the NJCAA Preseason Poll and spending the entire season climbing the rankings to as high as 5th in the nation, the 2010 Matadors will begin their season just below the very top of the poll with a #2 national ranking in the NJCAA Preseason Top 25 Poll.This comes just two weeks after the Matadors earned the #1 spot in the other nationally recognized junior college football preseason poll, the JCGridiron.com’s ‘Dirty 30’ poll.The announcement comes just two days before the 2010 Matadors take the practice field for the first time in preparation of their August 28th season opener.
It has now been 25 months since Tom Minnick brought his knack for cultivating winning football programs from Joliet Junior College in Illinois to an AWC Football program that finished with a 2-8 record the year before he arrived.Since then, it’s been a steady climb in the Western States Football League standings and a steady rise in the amount of national respect the program has gained.A 5-5 record in 2008 was followed by a heavy recruiting off-season by Minnick and his coaches so that by the time the first game of 2009 rolled around, there was a quiet confidence exuding from the team.That confidence skyrocketed after their season-opening win last September against 4-time defending Region I Champion Snow College in Utah-the Badgers’ first regular season home loss in five years.From there, the Matadors would lose only one regular season game the rest of the way en route to a dramatic come-from-behind victory against Snow to end the regular season and win their first WSFL Championship (and their first league title since 1981).That earned them their postseason bowl appearance since 1998, and a strong performance in a close loss to East Mississippi Community College last December in the Mississippi Bowl gave the Matadors a final national ranking of 7th.
Despite posting the Matadors’ best football season since 1972, the Matadors’ coaching staff has again spent the last several months feverishly recruiting new talent to join talented ’09 returners such as ’09 WSFL Offensive Player of the Year Reggie Bullock, 1st Team All-Region defensive lineman Jesse Williams, Mats’ ’09 receiving yardage leader and 2nd Team All-Region I wideout Ge’shun (gee-SHAWN) Harris and fellow All-Region I 2nd Teamer and linebacker Maurice Alexander.In addition to AWC, WSFL foes Snow (8th) and Eastern Arizona College (16th) also made the NJCAA Preseason Top 25.The Matadors will face both of those teams at home as part of an 11-game regular season schedule that begins Saturday night, August 28th at Cal Jones Field on the campus of Central Union High School in El Centro, California.The Mats will break the seal on the season that night as they’ll host Monterrey Tech College from Mexico in a game that will see two former Central Spartans’ football stars-quarterback Jonathan ‘J.T.’ Adams and fullback/linebacker Cody Johnson-make their collegiate debuts on their former home field wearing the cardinal and gold of AWC.
Matador Soccer ranked 13th in NJCAA Preseason Soccer Poll
’09 Region I Runners-up earn preseason national ranking for the first time ever
Yuma, Arizona – August 5, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the AWC Matadors’ Soccer team is officially ranked in the NJCAA’s Men’s Soccer Division I Preseason Poll. The Matadors are ranked 13th in the poll, and are one of only two ACCAC teams to be part of the nation’s top 15, following defending Region I Champion Yavapai, who is ranked 5th. It’s the first time in the AWC Soccer program’s history that they’ve begun a season with a preseason national ranking, and the honor follows a 2009 season that saw the Matador Soccer team earn their first national rankings in over a decade. The announcement comes just hours after the 2010 Matador Soccer team took to the AWC Soccer Field for the first time to commence with their preseason practice schedule.
The ranking is just another shining example of the local, regional and national respect that the Matador Soccer program has earned during Kenny Dale’s 5-year tenure as head coach. That fateful day that Dale was hired as the school’s first-ever full-time men’s head soccer coach in 2005 signaled the beginning of an era of success that the program has never seen before. Dale’s first two teams-the 2005 and 2006 squads-both hosted a postseason game, marking the first time the program had ever done that in back-to-back years. Since Dale’s arrival, only the ’07 team missed the playoffs, and having four Region I Playoff teams in a 5-year span is the most playoff teams in that short a span in the history of the program. All of that, though, couldn’t have prepared Matador Soccer fans for what the program achieved in 2009, since they shattered school records for most overall wins (16) and most conference wins (12) in a season; earned a spot in the NJCAA Poll for the first time in over a decade, earning a #15 national ranking on October 21st and then rising to 10th a week later; and not only recorded their first-ever playoff win (over Scottsdale in the Region I Quarterfinals at the AWC Soccer Field), but also beat Phoenix College in thrilling fashion on the road in the Region I Semifinals before falling to Yavapai in their first-ever appearance in the Region I Finals in Prescott. The team was led by sophomore forward Yussif ‘Bello’ Alhassan, who became the first Matador Soccer player in decades to be named the ACCAC Men’s Soccer Player of the Year, and was later named NJCAA 1st Team All-American.The ’09 Mats finished the season with an overall mark of 16 wins, 4 losses and 2 ties. Just as prestigious is the academic advancements that the program has achieved in the last 5 years, since seven AWC Soccer alums participated in AWC Commencement ceremonies this past May, and five successfully transferred this summer to four-year insititutions, including Alhassan, who is about to begin preseason drills as a member of the men’s soccer team at the University of California-Irvine.
The 2010 Matadors have plenty of talented experience coming back from a year ago, including 2nd Team All-ACCAC goalkeeper Dejan Milosevic (DAY-yahn mee-LOH-seh-VITCH) and forward Auston Smyth (rhymes with ‘Blythe’). They’ll spend the next two weeks preparing for their first preseason scrimmage August 20th against SOKA University in Aliso Viejo. They’ll then host their final preseason scrimmage against Grand Canyon University on Wednesday, August 25th at the AWC Soccer Field on the AWC campus (2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma) before commencing the 2010 regular season schedule on the road on Saturday night, August 28th, against the Scottsdale Artichokes. The Matadors’ 2010 home opener will be against Paradise Valley Community College four nights later on Wednesday, September 1st. Kickoff is scheduled for 6PM at the AWC Soccer Field, and admission to all regular season Matador Soccer home games is FREE.
4 Days of Matador Volleyball... For Your Kid
Arizona Western Matador Volleyball Camp kicks off July 26th at ‘The House’
Yuma, Arizona – June 17, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the 2nd Annual Arizona Western Matador Volleyball Camp will be held Monday through Thursday, July 26th through the 29th at 'The House' on the AWC campus. All campers will receive quality instruction from AWC Head Volleyball Coach Jason Smith, Assistant Coach Jon Killingbeck as well as several current and former AWC Matadors’ volleyball players.
Campers will learn the fundamental skills of passing, serving, hitting, setting and blocking as well as learn about different offensive and defensive systems of play. The four-day camp is for boys and girls entering grades 7 through 12, and will run from 9AM to 4PM each day. The morning session will be from 9AM-Noon, and then there will be an hour break for lunch (campers should bring their lunch or money to buy food from the Eatery). The afternoon session will be from 1-4PM, and campers should be picked up promptly at 4PM.
The cost of the camp is $125 ($115 if paid by July 1st). Available spots in the camp are on a first-come, first-served basis, and a camp flyer and registration form can be obtained by going to the AWC Athletics website (www.azwestern.edu/athletics), clicking on the Volleyball page, and then clicking on the flyer itself; or by contacting Coach Smith and/or Coach Killingbeck either by phone at (928) 344-7606 or by e-mailing them at jason.smith@azwestern.edu or jonathan.killingbeck@azwestern.edu. All proceeds raised by the camp will benefit the Matador Athletic Association.
Matador Football grabs #1 spot in "Dirty 30"
JCGridiron.com’s national preseason football poll puts AWC as tops in nation
Yuma, Arizona – July 15, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that for the first time ever, the Matadors’ football team is ranked first in JCGridiron.com’s national poll. The Matadors own the top spot in the 2010 ‘Dirty 30’ Preseason Rankings, and are one of only three Western States Football League teams to be mentioned in the poll. It’s the second time in as many years that the Matadors have earned a spot in a preseason national football poll, having been ranked 24th in the NJCAA Preseason Poll last year. The announcement comes just three weeks before the 2010 Matadors take the practice field for the first time in preparation of their August 28th season opener.
With the Matadors winning last year’s WSFL Championship Game, making their first postseason appearance in 11 years and finishing 7th in the NJCAA Final Poll last December, AWC Head Football Coach Tom Minnick fully expected that his 2010 squad would garner plenty of respect from the national polls. However, a #1 ranking even surprised the reigning WSFL/Region I Coach of the Year a bit, especially considering that unlike the NJCAA Preseason Poll, the JCGridiron.com poll also includes the strong base of talent from the California community colleges (who don’t belong to the NJCAA). Traditionally, the California schools fare very well in the ‘Dirty 30” poll and many times grab the top spot, but the Matadors jumped in front of California powers like El Camino (ranked 3rd), San Francisco (5th), Mt. San Antonio (7th) and Fullerton (9th) to grab the top spot for the first time since the poll came into existence five years ago. The Matadors also leapfrogged Texas power and defending national champion Blinn College, who placed 2nd in the poll; and the team that narrowly defeated AWC in the 2009 Mississippi Bowl, East Mississippi Community College, who are ranked 4th. The national preseason rankings are based on the combination of a program’s finishing mark from the year before, current recruiting class and number of experienced returners. The Matadors finished 2009 with a 9-2 record, the top spot in the WSFL and a #7 national ranking. They also have a total of 16 players who were part of the Matadors’ starting lineups in 2009 return for their sophomore campaigns, including ’09 WSFL Offensive Player of the Year Reggie Bullock, 1st Team All-Region defensive lineman Jesse Williams, Mats’ ’09 receiving yardage leader and 2nd Team All-Region I wideout Ge’shun (gee-SHAWN) Harris and fellow All-Region I 2nd Teamer and linebacker Maurice Alexander. Meanwhile, Minnick and his coaching staff are ecstatic about what they consider to be their best recruiting class yet since Minnick took over the reins of the Matador Football program in 2008.
The Matadors now wait to see how they’ll fare in the NJCAA Preseason Poll, which is expected to be released within the next two weeks. Besides AWC, the team that AWC bested to win the WSFL Championship, Snow College, is ranked 16th in the ‘Dirty 30’ poll, and Glendale Community College is one of ten teams that don’t own an official ranking but are listed in the ‘Others on the Bubble’ category. The Matadors will face both of those squads at the friendly confines of Veterans Memorial Stadium-the Mats’ home field-in 2010. The Glendale Gauchos will be the Matadors’ third opponent of the season as they come to Yuma on Saturday, September 18th; and the Snow Badgers will actually close out the home side of the Matadors’ schedule for an October 23rd rematch of last year’s WSFL title game.
Smith Named ACCAC President & Region I Women's Director
AWC Athletic Director begins 2-year tenure as head of Matadors’ home conference
Yuma, Arizona – July 1, 2010 – Arizona Western College is proud to announce that AWC Athletic Director Jerry Smith has officially been named the president of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference as well as the Women’s Director for the NJCAA’s Region I. The announcement was made on the same day that community colleges in the region officially begin their 2010-11 academic and athletic seasons.
After a career that has seen him hold numerous high-ranking positions in community college administration, academics, fundraising and athletics for nearly 40 years, there are few around that are more qualified than Smith to oversee the affairs of a 15-team athletic conference and Arizona’s eight women’s community college sports all at the same time. Smith has spent the last six years of his storied career at AWC as athletic director, and has represented the school four times per year at the ACCAC Meetings during each of those six years. He’s also been the ACCAC President-Elect for the past two years and been the head of the ACCAC’s Officiating Committee and Rules & Ethics Committee since 2006 while also serving on numerous other committees including the ACCAC Executive Committee. Meanwhile, Smith has also served as the Region I’s Assistant Women’s Director since 2005; was the Region II Men’s Director from 2001-2005; was appointed the NJCAA Division II National Baseball Committee Chairman from 2002-2005; and has attended the NJCAA National Meetings for over 10 years.
Smith’s strong leadership has been evident in everything that Matador Athletics has accomplished since he took over in January of 2005. Under Smith’s direction, Matador Athletics’ teams have won seven Region I Championships, two national tournament appearances, appeared in a football bowl game, and every sport has made it to the postseason no less than twice. Smith-a native of Red Oak, Oklahoma-spent the first three decades of his collegiate administrative career in the Sooner State. After earning his Associate's degree at Eastern Oklahoma State College and both his Bachelor of Science degree and Master's in Education degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Smith ascended from six-year high school coach to head baseball coach and assistant basketball coach at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma for one season. He then began a 30-year career in several different capacities at EOSC. He was the Mountaineers' men's head basketball coach for nine seasons over two different coaching stints, winning two conference championships. Smith was not only head basketball coach but also longtime athletic director, Alumni Association Director, Vice President of Student Services and the Director of Development during his three-decade tenure at EOSC. The choice of Smith as head of the ACCAC Officiating Committee was no accident, since was also one of the top officials in Oklahoma while working at EOSC, officiating high school and college football games, and was the coordinator of officials for the Oklahoma Secondary School Activity Association in the Southeast part of Oklahoma. Since arriving at AWC, Smith has helped increase the awareness of the Matador Athletic Association several times over throughout the Yuma community.
Smith will preside over his first set of meetings when the ACCAC Fall Meetings convene September 7th and 8th in Prescott, Arizona. Smith succeeds Cochise College Athletic Director James ‘Bo’ Hall, who has served as ACCAC President since 2008; and ex-South Mountain Community College Athletic Director Chris Haines, who has served as Region I Women’s Director since 2002, and is now serving as Interim Dean of Students at Scottsdale Community College.
Zazueta Signs With Orioles
Matadors’ 2-year starting shortstop heads to Orioles’ rookie-league team in Bluefield
Yuma, Arizona – June 30, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that Matadors’ shortstop/pitcher Vinny Zazueta (sah-SWEH-tuh) has signed a professional baseball contract with the team that drafted him three weeks ago, the Baltimore Orioles, and has reported to the team’s Bluefield affiliate, a rookie-league level team in the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia and Bluefield, Virginia. Zazueta was the third pick of the 25th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on June 8th, and the 748th pick overall in the three-day event. Zazueta was one of two Matador Baseball players drafted that day, with Matadors’ first baseman Karsten Strieby being drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 910th pick of the draft in Round 30.
Zazueta-a native of Surprise, Arizona-was drafted by the O’s as a middle infielder, but his versatility this season was one of the reasons that major league scouts came calling. Zazueta has been the unquestioned spiritual leader of the Matadors’ infield ever since he first stepped onto the AWC campus in August of 2008. As a freshman, he played in all but 2 of the Matadors’ 52 games, and was the team’s starting shortstop all season long. Zazueta batted over .300 nearly the entire 2009 campaign, and his finishing average of .296 was bested by only two other players. Zazueta led the team in hits (48) and at-bats (162), while contributing 7 doubles and 12 runs batted in. However, ‘Zaz’ gave a foreshadowing of what was to come toward the end of his freshman campaign with his speed (team-leading 9 stolen bases) and pitching (2-1 mark and a 2.76 earned run average and 2 saves in 13 innings of relief). By the time he first took the field this spring as a sophomore, scouts saw a stronger and faster Zazueta, and his on-field maturity had progressed well. Zazueta became one of the ACCAC’s most potent stolen-base threats, stealing 26 bases in just 27 attempts (3rd-best in the ACCAC). Zazueta hit .270 in 48 games, with a home run and 16 RBI, and he was 3rd on the team in both hits (48) and runs scored (27). He also became one of the league’s top closers on the hill, posting team-leading marks in saves (7, T-5th ACCAC) and earned run average (1.23) in a dozen relief appearances. He finished his sophomore campaign with a perfect 3-0 record, striking out 17 while walking only 4 in 14 2/3 innings of work. It was a difficult decision for Zazueta to turn pro, since he had to walk away from the official letter of intent he signed back in February to attend and play baseball for New Mexico State University.
Zazueta has already participated in 5 games for Bluefield, recording his first hit and scoring his first run in his 2nd game as a pro June 24th. Zazueta and the Bluefield Orioles will play 68 games between now and the end of the Appalachian League’s 2010 season on August 31st. Bluefield holds the distinction of holding the longest continuous affiliation with the same major-league franchise, having been an Orioles’ affiliate since 1958. Zazueta and Strieby are the Matadors’ first MLB draftees since 2007.
Stratton's Ready For Some "Honkbal"
ACCAC’s longest-tenured baseball coach heads to The Netherlands as assistant on NJCAA All-Star Team
Yuma, Arizona – June 30, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that AWC Head Baseball Coach John Stratton has been selected as an assistant baseball coach for this year’s NJCAA Baseball All-Star Team. Stratton and the team will head to Haarlem, The Netherlands next week to represent the United States at the 2010 Honkbal Baseball Tournament, which runs July 9th through the 18th.
Stratton-who is now seven wins away from an astounding 800 career NJCAA victories-is one of just three coaches selected to be part of the prestigious staff. Stratton and the head coach of defending NJCAA Division I Champion Iowa Western Community College, Marc Rardin, will be the assistants to the All-Star Team’s head coach, recently crowned DII National Champion, Louisiana State University-Eunice Head Baseball Coach Jeff Willis. The three coaches (along with the All-Star Team’s administrators, former 30-year Glendale Community College Head Baseball Coach (and current Gauchos’ Athletic Director) Dave Grant and 12-year South Florida Community College Head Baseball Coach (and Athletic Director) Rick Hitt) have worked for the past four months to pick out a star-studded selection of current community college baseball players from around the country. The contingent that will head overseas includes five players that were selected earlier this month in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft; five NJCAA All-Americans and six players from AWC’s home conference, the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference. The selection process was especially arduous in the past month, since several players that were drafted by major league teams in early June ended their amateur status by signing with the pro teams immediately, and therefore had to be replaced on the All-Star squad. “We went through several choices before we were able to finalize the roster, but with the vast amount of top-level talent we had to choose from, we’re all elated about the roster we have now,” remarked Stratton. “We have the (2010 NJCAA ABCA Division II) Player of the Year, Raphe Rhymes (LSU-Eunice), at least 6 guys that can play different positions, and a fantastic pitching staff. This should be an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone involved.” Stratton’s main focus for player selection was in catchers, first basemen and designated hitters, but the other coaches also leaned on Stratton’s 27 years of coaching experience to get extensive input from him about the team’s pitching staff and players on the west coast.
Stratton will leave Yuma this weekend and join the team in Tampa, Florida for several days of practice before heading to The Netherlands on July 8th. The NJCAA All-Stars will officially commence tournament play against Chinese Taipei on July 9th. Fans can follow along with the team’s progress and get other tournament information at www.njcaausabaseball.wordpress.com as well as www.honkbalweek.nl. The full All-Star roster can be found at http://www.njcaa.org/newsArticle.cfm?articleId=11814. Stratton and the team will enter play as the defending champions of the event, having beaten Cuba in 2008. The tournament has run every other year since 1960, and this year is the 25th anniversary of the event.
Matadors' 2010 Soccer Schedule Released
Region I runners-up open 2010 schedule against ’09 playoff foe Scottsdale August 28th
Yuma, Arizona – June 22, 2010 -- Arizona Western College has announced that the 2010 AWC Soccer schedule has been released. The Matadors-who came within one win of their first-ever Region I Championship in 2009-will host ten Matador home games and travel to ten road contests as part of the 20-game regular season schedule. The schedule was released just seven weeks before the start of preseason soccer camp.
Unlike the 2009 season, when the Matadors practically spent one month on the road and then the next month at home, the 2010 schedule is much more balanced. The ’09 Region I Runner-up Matadors will kick off their ’10 campaign in Scottsdale on Saturday night, August 28th, as they take on the team that they began their storied ’09 playoff run against, the Scottsdale Artichokes. After facing the team they defeated in the Region I Quarterfinals a year ago, the Matadors then will kick off the home side of their schedule on Wednesday, September 1st against the Paradise Valley Pumas at 6PM. The Mats will host six opponents at the AWC Soccer Field in the month of September, including all three of the teams they faced in the playoffs a year ago: Region I Champion Yavapai College (September 4th), Region I Semifinalist Phoenix College (September 13th), and the return match against Scottsdale (September 27th). The Scottsdale home match will end a three-match homestand that will also feature games against Gateway Community College (September 22nd) and Mesa Community College (September 24th). Road matches in the month of September will take the Mats to Glendale (September 6th), Pima (September 11th), Chandler-Gilbert (September 15th), South Mountain (September 18th) and Paradise Valley (September 29th).
The month of October will feature 4 home games and 4 road games for the Mats as they steel themselves for another playoff run. They commence with a rematch of the ’09 Region I Finals in Prescott on October 2nd against Yavapai, then will host 4 of their next 5 matches: Glendale (October 4th), Pima (October 9th), Chandler-Gilbert (October 13th) and their home regular season finale against South Mountain (October 15th). The final three road matches of the regular season will all be in the Phoenix area against Phoenix College (October 11th), Gateway (October 20th) and Mesa (October 22nd).
All Matador Soccer home games will kick off at 6PM at the AWC Soccer Field (2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma), and admission to all regular season home soccer games is FREE. The Matadors will shoot for their 5th appearance in the last 6 years in the Region I Playoffs, which will begin on Monday night, October 25th.
Making The Best Soccer Players In The Area- From Beginner To Experienced
5-day Matador Soccer Camp kicks off July 19th at AWC
Yuma, Arizona – June 22, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the 2010 Matador Soccer Camp will be held Monday through Friday, July 19th through the 23rd at the AWC Soccer Field on the AWC Campus.AWC Head Soccer Coach Kenny Dale and Assistant Coach Jay VanWassenhoven-along with several current and former AWC Matadors’ soccer players-will provide expert instruction to young soccer players of all skill levels.The five-day camp is for boys and girls ages 6-14, and will run from 8:30AM to 1PM each day.Dale and his camp coaches have designed an environment in which players can develop their skills and improve their soccer games while enjoying the game itself.The camp will emphasize learning of the basic rules, techniques and skills essential to improving each soccer player’s game.The cost of the camp is $100, and each camper will also receive a camp soccer ball, T-shirt, certificate and other prizes for participating in the camp.
Available spots in the camp are on a first-come, first-served basis, and a camp flyer and registration form can be obtained by going to the AWC Athletics website (www.azwestern.edu/athletics), clicking on the Soccer page, and then clicking on the flyer itself; or by contacting Coach Dale either by phone at (928) 317-7600 or by e-mailing him at Kenny.dale@azwestern.edu. Campers should come dressed in proper soccer camp attire (shorts, T-shirt, indoor/tennis shoes (bring cleats as well) and shin guards), and are advised to also bring sunscreen, water and water bottle and healthy snack foods and beverages.All proceeds raised by the camp will benefit the Matador Athletic Association.Those wanting more information should call Dale at (928) 317-7600 or e-mail him at Kenny.dale@azwestern.edu.
Jason Smith, Part Deux
UNLV Assistant VB Coach returns to helm of Matadors’ Volleyball program
Yuma, Arizona – June 17, 2010 – Arizona Western College is proud to announce that Jason Smith has returned to AWC to become the Matadors’ Head Volleyball Coach for the second time. The announcement was made this afternoon at a press conference on the AWC Campus. The announcement comes just a little over two years after Smith departed the program to become an assistant coach at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Smith takes over for the coach who succeeded him at AWC, Karen Glover, who left last month to become an assistant coach at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
AWC officials can only hope that Smith’s second stint as the Matadors’ Head Volleyball Coach is as successful as the first time around. Smith has spent the last two seasons as the lead assistant for the Lady Rebels’ Volleyball team, helping lead the Lady Rebs to a 16-win season during his first year there. It’s the second time that Smith has left an NCAA Division I (and Mountain West Conference) program to come to the winning volleyball tradition at AWC, since he first came to AWC four years ago after spending three seasons in Salt Lake City, Utah as the recruiting coordinator and assistant volleyball coach at the University of Utah. When Smith arrived for his first head coaching stint at AWC in 2006, he inherited a very successful Matadors’ program-but one that needed a boost in the level of talent. Smith worked his numerous contacts to bring in a bumper crop of future stars, including ’07 ACCAC Player of the Year and NJCAA All-American Patty Paniagua, While still slightly undermanned, Smith’s 2006 Lady Matadors rang up their 7th consecutive Region I title and a berth in the District A Finals against top-10 national power Salt Lake Community College. Despite the initial success, Smith didn’t relax at all in the off-season, importing a pair of hugely talented Brazilians, eventual two-time All-Region I and All-ACCAC selection Luci Toazzi and All-ACCAC outside hitter Ana Bauer; as well as Utah product and eventual All-ACCAC setter Kimee Clark. The combination of Paniagua, Toazzi, Bauer and Clark was a powerful one, and led the Matadors to their first ACCAC Volleyball regular season title since 2004 and their 8th straight Region I Championship in November of 2007. The Lady Matadors’ quest for their first NJCAA Tournament berth fell just short in the District A Championship Game against the top team in the nation, Salt Lake, but their 26-9 overall mark was their best record since 2004. Smith’s overall coaching record at AWC is an extremely impressive mark of 46 wins and 27 losses, with a 27-9 record in conference play. Smith’s attention to detail was even more emphasized off the court, since both of his volleyball squads were named to the NJCAA Fall Academic Team of the Year lists, earning the honor by having a cumulative 3.0 grade point average or higher. “We’re extremely pleased to welcome Jason back into the Arizona Western College family,” remarked AWC Athletic Director Jerry Smith. “He represents all of the attributes that we pride ourselves in as an institution, including academic, athletic and social success.”
Smith now inherits a program that already has many of the building blocks for 2010 in place, thanks to the recruiting work of Glover and new assistant coach Jon Killingbeck. However, expect Smith to be working the phones and contacts for a player or two to enhance the talented squad that’s been assembled, which includes ‘09 Glover’s Lady Matadors just narrowly missed clinching their 12th straight Region I Playoff appearance last October.
Matadors' 2010 Volleyball Schedule Released
Lady Mats open season August 27th at home vs. South Mountain
Yuma, Arizona – June 17, 2010 -- Arizona Western College has announced that the 2010 AWC Volleyball schedule has been released. The release of the schedule happens a little over a month before the 2010 Lady Matadors hit the volleyball court for their first preseason practices of the season, and just over 2 months before Jason Smith’s return to the Matador sideline as Matadors’ Head Volleyball Coach for the team’s first regular season game.
Smith’s official return to the helm will happen Friday night, August 27th, at a place he became very comfortable with during his first stint as head coach: ‘The House’ on the AWC campus in Yuma. In fact, Smith’s 2007 Lady Matador squad finished a perfect 10-0 at home, and he and the new-look 2010 Lady Matadors will try to extend that winning streak to 11 when they host the Lady Cougars of South Mountain Community College that Friday night. It will also be the first time since Smith’s final season that the Lady Mats will actually open up the regular season campaign at home. However, once that match is completed, the Lady Mats won’t see their home floor for 3 weeks as they embark on a road trip that will take them to face a pair of conference foes: last year’s top Region I DII Playoff seed, the Scottsdale Lady Artichokes, on September 1st, and the Chandler-Gilbert Lady Coyotes on September 8th; plus a pair of tough non-conference tournaments: the Salt Lake Tournament in Utah over Labor Day Weekend; and the Scottsdale Volleyball Classic at Scottsdale Community College one weekend later.
From then on, it’s conference play and matches every Wednesday and Friday for the rest of the regular season (with a pair of Saturday matches sprinkled in). With the ACCAC returning to its original format of teams facing every other conference opponent twice (once at home and once on the road), the Mats’ conference schedule expands this year to a total of 18 matches (up from 11 a year ago). The Lady Mats will face off against defending Region I Division I Champion Eastern Arizona on the 22nd of the month in both September (in Thatcher) and October (in Yuma); and will face their other DI rival, Yavapai, at home on September 15th, then in Prescott on Saturday, October 2nd. Region I DII Champion Glendale will finish out the months of September and October facing the Mats, hosting AWC on September 29th before finishing out the 2010 regular season at ‘The House’ on October 29th. Other home matches for the Lady Matadors in 2010 include ’09 Region I DII Playoff participant Phoenix College (September 17th), Pima Community College (September 24th), Scottsdale (October 6th), Chandler-Gilbert (October 13th) and Mesa Community College (October 23rd). The October 6th match will also be the selected 2010 AWC Volleyball match that will be broadcast LIVE on the Matador Sports Network. Pre-game coverage of the match between AWC and Scottsdale will begin at 6:30PM that night on radio (SportsRadio 560 KBLU) and internet (azwestern.edu/athletics and kblu.com), with AWC TV (Time-Warner Cable Channel 74) beginning its coverage shortly before the 7PM first serve. All Lady Mats’ home games will be at ‘The House’-AWC’s home gymnasium (2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma)-and will start at 7PM.
The Lady Matadors will be shooting for their 11th appearance in the last 12 years in the Region I Division Championship Game, which will be played Friday, November 5th, at a site and time to be determined.
Six Matador Football Players Sign With 4-Year Schools
Jim Howell
Feb. 3rd, 2010
2 NJCAA All-Americans, 5 All-Region I and/or All-WSFL honorees highlight list
Yuma, Arizona – February 3, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that six members of the AWC Football team have officially signed letters of intent to attend school and play football for 4-year universities this coming fall. Both defensive linemen Royce Culp and linebacker Zach Holmes have signed with the University of Sioux Falls; quarterback Brandon Gorsuch inked his LOI with the University of South Dakota; defensive lineman Ben Swarts is heading to the University of Idaho; offensive linemen Jason Weaver has the University of Southern Mississippi in his sights; and fellow offensive lineman Dennis Ziegler is bound for the California University of Pennsylvania. The announcements come just less than two months after the players made their final appearances in a Matador uniform at the 2009 Mississippi Bowl in Biloxi, Mississippi.
-For Royce Culp, it will be the second time that he’s been on the doorstep of heading to a 4-year university, and the first time that he’s taken the offer. The Imperial Valley native had Northern Arizona University very interested in him after winning the Desert Mountain League’s Defensive Player of the Year Award while at Imperial High School, but decided to take a year off to concentrate on his academics. He then decided to stay closer to home a year later and play for the Matadors. AWC fans were certainly happy that he did, since he spent 2008 working his way up the depth chart, and fought through injuries to record 2 ½ sacks as a freshman. AWC Head Football Coach Tom Minnick relied on Culp more heavily in 2009, and Culp responded with another pair of sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 25 overall tackles (5 solo), and he also forced a fumble.
-Speaking of those who continued to earn larger roles as they matured, very few Matadors showed more progress than Brandon Gorsuch over the past three years than the redshirt sophomore. After sitting out 2007, Gorsuch showed flashes of brilliance in his 7 starts last year while learning AWC Head Football Tom Minnick’s system. From the first snap this season, the native of Rapid City, South Dakota, has looked as poised and comfortable in the pocket as any signal-caller in the league. He had the highest completion percentage of any WSFL quarterback (118-for-183, 65.4%), and his 13 touchdowns ranked 3rd-best in the league. He also threw for 1892 yards, including 250 yards in the Mississippi Bowl. Gorsuch earned 2nd Team All-Region I honors at the end of the 2009 season.
-Zach Holmes will remain teammates for a 3rd straight year with Culp next season at USF, and once again, Holmes will quietly look to make a huge but unannounced contribution at linebacker, since he was certainly the most underappreciated member of the vaunted Matador defense. The Tucson, Arizona, native spent three years at AWC, redshirting in 2007, then lurking on the 2nd string through much of his 2008 season until getting his first in late October, and never relinquishing the starting spot. This season, he was the unquestioned leader of the defense, setting a precedent in Week 1 with a 3-sack, 11-tackle performance against Snow, and easily finishing the regular season as the team leader in overall tackles (89), solo tackles (34) and assisted tackles (55). He was also 3rd on the squad in sacks (5) and tackles for loss (12). During the season, Holmes earned the WSFL Defensive Player of the Week Award twice, and was named 1st Team All-Region I and 2nd Team All-WSFL honors at the conclusion of the season.
-For Ben Swarts, just playing one side of the ball wasn’t enough. The Tucson, Arizona, native was the only Matador to see time on both offense and defense in 2009, showing his old high school form (he was a fullback and tight end at Ironwood Ridge High School) in short-yardage and goal line situations for the Mats, running the ball 7 times for 13 yards and 2 touchdowns. But it was the defensive side of the ball that Swarts truly made his name, finishing 2nd on the team in sacks (5 ½), forced fumbles (3) and tackles for loss (15 ½) while racking up a total of 44 tackles-17 of them solo tackles. Swarts was one of only two Matadors that were named 1st Team on both the All-Region I and All-WSFL postseason squads and an NJCAA 1st Team All-American.
-Who was the other Matador that enjoyed that elite status? That would be Jason Weaver, who was the Matadors’ model of consistency ever since he first took his place at right tackle in the first game of the 2008 season. Weaver played in all of the 21 games the Matadors have participated in during his two-year tenure at AWC, and started all but one of them. The Matadors had two of the best rushing years in recent memory while Weaver was anchoring the line, and not just because he was blocking. The native of New Orleans, Louisiana, actually had a 9-yard run last Saturday against Snow College.
-Last but certainly not least, Dennis Ziegler will make his second tour of duty at an NCAA school as he heads to Cal-Pennsylvania next fall. Ziegler came to AWC after spending a year at Indiana University, and he earned immediate respect from opposing coaches as soon as he took his spot on the right side of the offensive line (next to Weaver). The Indianapolis, Indiana, native was a big reason for the Matadors’ rushing and passing success in 2009, playing in all of the Mats’ first 7 games of the season (and starting 6 of them), and despite suffering a season-ending knee injury October 24th, still showed enough prowess during those games to earn 1st Team All-Region I and 2nd Team All-WSFL honors in November.
Minnick With Ties To Both Super Bowl Squads
Jim Howell
Jan. 25th, 2010
WSFL Coach of the Year coached Colts’ starting DB, Saints’ backup DE
Yuma, Arizona – January 25, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that AWC Head Football Coach Tom Minnick has direct ties to both of the teams participating in Super Bowl XLIV as two of his former players are set to play in the game February 6th, in Miami, Florida. Indianapolis Colts’ starting cornerback Kelvin Hayden and New Orleans’ Saints’ defensive end Paul Spicer were both coached by Minnick while they played at the junior college level.
Hayden has been one of the big reasons that the Colts are making their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in the last 4 seasons. Hayden got his first taste of championship bowl game experience while with Minnick at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois, and he did it on the offensive side of the ball. Minnick, who was the offensive coordinator at JJC at the time, saw the receiving potential of Hayden right away, and inserted him as a wide receiver for the Wolves in 2001. Hayden responded with over 500 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns during his freshman campaign. It was as a sophomore, though, that Hayden showed the rest of the world what he could do, flourishing in Minnick’s offensive scheme to the tune of 72 receptions for 1297 yards and 13 TD. Hayden became the first wide receiver ever to earn NJCAA National Offensive Player of the Year honors, and was the Most Valuable Player of the 2002 National Championship Game, which earned Hayden and Minnick their first-ever outright national championship. Hayden moved to the defensive side of the ball after transferring from Joliet to the University of Illinois, and was drafted by the Colts in 2005. Hayden got his first start as a DB in 2006 and moved into the starting lineup full-time a year later. This past season, Hayden has battled back from injuries to start 9 regular season games at left cornerback, recording 50 tackles and picking off one pass against St. Louis in October. He also started both of Indianapolis’s playoff games, forcing a fumble last week against the Baltimore Ravens, and then ensuring the Colts’ trip to Miami with an interception of a pass thrown by New York Jets’ quarterback Mark Sanchez with 2:05 remaining in the AFC Championship Game yesterday. Hayden will be playing in his 2nd Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, Spicer, a 10-year veteran of the National Football League (and also spent one season in the Canadian Football League) who first came to the Saints last spring, was an NJCAA All-American linebacker in 1995 at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where Minnick was one of the top assistant coaches for NJCAA Hall of Fame Head Coach Bob MacDougall. From DuPage, Spicer would go on to be the Conference Player of the Year while at Saginaw Valley State before signing with the Seattle Seahawks in 1998. Spicer has spent his NFL career with four teams, including the Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars before joining the Saints this season. Spicer will be playing in his first Super Bowl.
Jesse Williams
Williams Selected To Play In Team USA vs. The World Gootball Game
Jim Howell
Jan. 22nd, 2010
1st Team All-Region I DT to represent Matadors and Australia in nationally televised contest January 30th
Yuma, Arizona – January 22, 2010 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that AWC Football player Jesse Williams has been chosen to participate in USA Football’s ‘Team USA vs. The World’ football game on Saturday, January 30th, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Williams is one of 45 of the best players-ages 19 and under-born outside of the United States chosen to participate on The World’s squad. Williams is the lone native of Australia participating in the game that will encompass eight countries and four continents. The announcement comes just over a month after Williams started at defensive tackle for the Matadors at the 2009 Mississippi Bowl in Biloxi, Mississippi-AWC’s first postseason appearance in 11 years.
The selection of Williams continues to validate the potential he’s fulfilled since becoming one of the few Australian natives to be offered a football scholarship in the United States. Williams is used to an international stage, since it was his performance in a World Cup qualifying match two years ago that drew the attention of scouts in the States, and began Williams’ path from his native Brisbane to Yuma. A star rugby and basketball player much of his young life, Williams didn’t actually start playing American football until the age of 14, but was a quick study, and quickly became the talk of many Australian periodicals while attending Cavendish Road State High School and playing for the Bayside Ravens’ football team and the Queensland Sun Devils State team in Australia.
After earning Player of the Year honors for Bayside, Williams took AWC Head Football Coach Tom Minnick’s scholarship offer and made his way to Yuma this past August. Since then, Williams has been one of the most powerful and consistent forces on the Matador defensive line. The only defensive lineman to start all 11 games for the Matadors this past season, Williams had a nose for turnovers, forcing 3 fumbles while sacking the quarterback 3 ½ times. His 46 overall tackles and 34 assisted tackles were tops among Matador D-lineman, and he earned WSFL Special Teams Player of the Week honors after blocking a Glendale field goal and extra-point attempt within the span of just 14 seconds. Williams was an integral part of AWC’s run to their first league title since 1981, and their #7 final national ranking. Because of his work this season, Williams was honored by the league’s coaches with a 1st Team All-Region I selection and a 2nd Team All-Western States Football League selection. “Jesse’s been a stalwart for us all year long and a big reason for our success this past season,” remarked Minnick. “We’re proud that he will be able to represent his home country and Arizona Western College in this prestigious game.”
Williams is expected to head to Florida this weekend to begin final preparations for the January 30th matchup, which will pit the World team against USA Football’s 2010 Junior National Team, and is sanctioned by the International Federation of American Football. The game has been deemed an official NFL Pro Bowl Week event, and will be nationally televised live by the NFL Network starting at 10AM Arizona time, Saturday, January 30th. For more information about the game itself, log onto http://www.usavworld.com/2010/.
