Three Wildcats named all-region

Manning, Farrell named first team; Brown on second team

RICHARDSON - Three ACU defensive stalwarts have been selected to the NCAA II  Daktronics all-Southwest Region football team, which was voted on by the region's sports information directors and released Wednesday.

Senior defensive end Clayton Farrell and junior safety Danieal Manning were each voted to the first team defensive unit, while junior middle linebacker Marcus Brown was voted to the second team defensive unit.  Farrell and Manning, in fact, were the top vote-getters at their respective positions.  As first team selections, both Farrell and Manning will be candidates for the Daktronics all-America team, which will be released Dec. 14.

Earlier this month, all three Wildcats were named first team all-Lone Star Conference South Division with Farrell earning the division's Defensive Lineman of the Year award for the second straight season.

Farrell - who is a candidate for the Gene Upshaw Award, given to the best lineman in NCAA Division II football - was named to the team for the second straight season, but made the first team for the first time.  Farrell finished the season with 76 tackles (44 solo), including an LSC-best 22.5 tackles for loss.  He also led the LSC with 10.5 sacks, the most by an ACU player since 1997 when James Henderson recorded 15 quarterback sacks.

Farrell finished his career with 28.0 career sacks, the third-best career total in NCAA Division II history.  He is seventh all-time in sacks per game (0.72), third all-time in tackles for loss (61.0), and third all-time in tackles for loss per game (1.56).  Farrell, who was a 2004 all-America selection, was a 2005pre-season all-America pick by three different media outlets.

Manning is a first team all-region selection for the third straight season.  Manning led the Wildcats in interceptions with three and returned one for a 35-yard touchdown against Central Oklahoma.

The versatile Manning also returned 19 punts for 243 yards (12.8 yard average) and one touchdown, and returned 13 kickoffs for 349 yards (26.8 yard average) and one score.  He also ran the ball nine times for 20 yards and caught five passes for 28 yards.  Manning has now scored 10 touchdowns in his career, including a school-record five on special teams returns.  He has scored a touchdown via pass reception, kickoff return, punt, fumble return and interception return.

Manning finished the season with 49 tackles (33 solo), two tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three blocked kicks.  It was his blocked punt late in the fourth quarter against Northeastern State on Sept. 10 that led directly to a score that allowed the Wildcats to rally from a 14-0 deficit with less than eight minutes to play to beat the Redmen, 20-14, in overtime.

Brown led the Wildcats with 89 tackles (37 solo), which was good for seventh in the LSC.  He recorded 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.  ACU's middle linebacker was at the heart of a Wildcat defense that finished third in the LSC in total defense, allowing 354.5 yards per game.

Of the 50 players selected to the Daktronics team (13 on each offensive unit and 12 on each defensive unit), 23 came from the Lone Star Conference, including 15 first-team selections.  The Southwest Region comprises the Lone Star Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).