Host of Bulldogs earn All-IEL football honors
SANDPOINT — Call them the Dirty Dozen, as 12 Sandpoint football players earned a spot on the All-Inland Empire League football team, as voted on by the league’s coaches.
Leading the way was junior quarterback Nate Loutzenhiser, who posted a top five season all time for Sandpoint signal callers, connecting on 103 of 187 passes for 1,565 yards, including 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Senior receivers Chase Rodriguez, who caught 37 passes for 640 yards and seven scores in essentially six games, and Thomas Edwards, who hauled in 34 grabs for 510 yards and three scores, were Loutzenhiser’s top targets.
Senior tackle Josh Travers, senior guard Nate Lunde and junior guard Billy Webber rounded out the Bulldogs to earn offensive honors.
Senior Eric Paull, who had an impact in all three facets of the game, and senior Devyn Fairbanks earned defensive back selections, senior Isaac Johnson and junior Quinn Pearlstein made the team as linebackers, and seniors Jarvis Abbott and Talon Egbers rounded out the selections as defensive ends.
Sandpoint head coach Satini Puailoa on what each player did to earn a spot on the all-league team:
• Loutzenhiser: Only his second year playing quarterback. Last year he earned the starting spot, and this year he took on all comers. He’s a blue collar, nose-to-the-grindstone player. He just kept getting better.
• Rodriguez: He’s 6-6, good speed, and really strong, a good blocker. He’s tough to match up with because of his size and speed.
• Edwards: Only his second year of playing football. He’s very athletic and smart to pick up as many nuances as he did.
• Travers: He had such good balance and leverage, really a natural offensive player. Smart, athletic and tall.
• Lunde: He was quick, with good size and good agility. He did a lot of pulling, and that was key in our system.
• Webber: Strong, agile, with size. He just loves to play football.
• Paull: He was able to contribute in all three phases, and did just about everything. We didn’t miss a beat when he went to running back. He was on special teams, and played well at corner.
• Fairbanks: The most improved guy we had. He got better every week at corner, our best cover guy. He got better because he had to cover Chase and Thomas every day in practice.
• Johnson: His best strength was covering the run. He’d make the right read and made a lot of solo tackles. He really became a technician in the running game.
• Pearlstein: As the mike linebacker, he made all the defensive calls, and played the run and pass really well. He was never outmatched. Next year he’ll be a dominating player.
• Egbers: A guy that just makes plays. He caused fumbles, tipped balls, had sacks. Surprisingly strong and agile. He’s just a football player.
• Abbott: Really a technician at his position. Always in the right spot and made a lot of key plays down the stretch.
2013 4A All-Inland Empire League football team
Coach of the Year — Tim Kiefer, LL.
Offensive MVP — Brett Webb, LL.
Defensive MVP — Tyler Finlay, LL.
Offensive Newcomer of the Year — Tyrel Derrick, LL.
Defensive Newcomer of the Year — Nick Ellison, Mos.
Special Teams Player of the Year — Cade Coffey, LL.
OFFENSE — Nate Loutzenhiser, QB, Spt; Dakota Tate, RB, LL; Chase Rodriguez, WR, Spt; Thomas Edwards, WR, Spt; Jack Akey, WR, Mos; Brian Howell, TE, LL; Josh Travers, OL, Spt; T.J. Lewis, OL, Mos; Joel Ledbetter, OL, LL; Nate Lunde, OL, Spt; Billy Webber, OL, Spt.
DEFENSE — Carson Paull, DB, Spt; Devyn Fairbanks, DB, Spt; Chase Harrison, DB, LL; Ken Cooper, DB, LL; Alex Lewis, LB, Mos; Isaac Johnson, LB, Spt; Quinn Pearlstein, LB, Spt; Colton Butcher, LB, Spt; Chris Washburn, DL, LL; Talon Egbers, DL, Spt; Jarvis Abbott, DL, Spt.