Nov. 20, 2006
Complete 2006 All-Big Sky Team
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Pocatello, ID --- George Yarno, Pago Togafau, and Josh Barnett were named First Team All-Big Sky Conference in a vote of the league's head coaches, and the Bengals had seven players overall named to the squad as the All-Conference honors were announced by the league office.
Overall, the Bengals had three first team players and four second teamers to account for their seven. The Bengals also had nine players named Honorable Mention.
Jason Murietta, a leading candidate for the Payton Award as the I-AA Player of the Year, was named Offensive MVP, and Portland State Buck Buchanan candidate Adam Hayward was the Defensive MVP. NAU's Alex Henderson was the Newcomer of the Year.
Yarno started everygame at center for the Bengals, and keyed ISU's rushing attack, which featured Barnett, who finished second in the conference in rushing and finished third on the ISU single-season list with 1,117 yards. Togafau became the first Bengal to lead the team in tackles with three straight seasons of 100 or more tackles.
On the second team, the Bengals had two receivers in Akilah Lacey, who had 10 touchdowns, and Eddie Thompson, who missed the final four games with a torn ACL injury. Also making it on the second team was tight end Brandon Mennear, who set career-highs for receptions, 22, and yards, 203, and he finished third on the team in receptions.
Punter Dan Zeidman, fourth nationally with a 43.6 average, also was honored as a Second Team pick.
Honorable Mention accolades on offense went to Clifton Buckway (guard), Evan Dietrich-Smith and Sam Downs (tackles), and Matt Gutierrez (quarterback). On defense, honorees included Villami Akoteu (tackle), Joel Janke (end), Atelea Raass (linebacker), D.J. Clark (cornerback), and Clint Knickrehm (special teams).
