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Organization: College of the Canyons
Date: January 9, 2009
Cougar Football Collects More Post-Season Awards
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Five Cougars from the 2008 National Division, Northern Conference Champion College of the Canyons football team were honored with 2008 All-America awards, and seven were named All-State, including All-State Defensive Player of the Year for defensive lineman Marquis Jackson.
Sophomore wide receiver Hayo Carpenter, sophomore offensive lineman Joe Evinger, sophomore running back Fred Winborn, freshman defensive lineman Marquis Jackson and sophomore linebacker Eric Wells were named to the 2008 All-America team, which is voted on by the California Community College Football Coaches Association.
Along with the All-America honors, all five student-athletes were named All-State as well as sophomore quarterback Brad McClellan and sophomore offensive lineman Shawn Johnson. Jackson becomes the second All-State Defensive Player of the Year for College of the Canyons since the program was reinstated in 1998 and the first freshman to earn the honor.
Defensive lineman and now San Francisco 49er Isaac Sopoaga, earned the same award as a sophomore in 2000. The Birmingham graduate was the conference division defensive player of the year after completing his first season with 60 tackles, 39 solo, one interception, seven pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He is the only freshman on the 2008 COC football squad that earned All-State and All-America honors.
Carpenter, also the conference division Offensive Player of the Year, finished his career as a Cougar with 3,079 yards receiving on 173 catches and holds all but one Cougar receiving record. The University of Minnesota bound receiver was second in the state for receptions per game (7.9) and receiving yards per game (135.4) during the 10 games of the 2008 regular season.
Evinger, a Brazil, Ind., native, played a major role in helping the Cougars have the top total offensive yards per game (499.9), total yards per play (7.4), rushing yards per carry (6.1) and the most points scored per game (45.9) in the state during the regular season. Evinger was a second-team all-conference honoree his freshman year and was a unanimous first-team pick in 2008.
Perhaps the most prolific running back to ever play at College of the Canyons, Winborn holds every Canyons rushing record and partially or outright has every COC scoring record. The Grant High School alum was second in the state during the regular season in points scored per game (13.8) and rushing touchdowns (17). He led the team with 225 carries for 1,634 yards and 21 touchdowns during the 2008 season.
Wells, an Agoura Hills graduate, led the team in tackles with 83, 46 solo, and had 23 more tackles than the second-best tackler on the team. He also added five sacks for a loss of 25 yards and four pass breakups. The outside linebacker earned first-team all-conference honors this season.
