Kasper, Todarello, Cerroni Headline Titans' All-WIAC Football Selections
Offensive Player of the Year Brett Kasper, Special Teams Player of the Year Dom Todarello and Coach of the Year Pat Cerroni headline UW-Oshkosh's 22 selections to the 2017 All-WIAC Football Team.
Kasper, who was also named the 2015 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, becomes the sixth two-time winner of the league's top offensive award while Cerroni earned the conference's coaching honor for the third time in the past six seasons. Todarello received his first Player of the Year honor.
Outright WIAC champion UW-Oshkosh had seven players on the All-WIAC First Team Offense, two on the First Team Defense and three on the First Team Special Teams.
The Titans had four players selected to the All-WIAC Second Team Defense and one to the Second Team Special Teams. UW-Oshkosh also had four players receive honorable mention recognition.
Collecting All-WIAC First Team Offense laurels for the Titans were Kasper at quarterback, Dylan Hecker at running back, Sam Mentkowski at wide receiver, Todarello at all-purpose back, and offensive linemen Tyler Powers, Ty Summers and Alex Wendorf.
Titans named to the All-WIAC First Team Defense were linebacker Derrick Jennings Jr. and defensive back Cole Yoder.
Joining return specialist Todarello on the All-WIAC First Team Special Teams were placekicker Turner Geisthardt and special teams player Derek Polkowski.
The UW-Oshkosh offense leads the conference in per-game scoring (39.7), scrimmage yards (472.6) and rushing yards (239.6). The Titans also boast a league-leading 184.6 passing efficiency rating, 10 sacks allowed, 10 turnovers, and conversion rates of .861 in the red zone and .455 on third down.
Kasper paces the conference with 21 passing touchdowns, 226 passing yards per game, 16.27 yards per completion, 10.65 yards per pass attempt, a .654 completion percentage and a 187.0 passing efficiency rating. He ranks third in the NCAA Division III in yards per pass attempt and passing efficiency rating while listing sixth nationally in yards per completion.
Kasper has completed 125 of 191 passes for 2,034 yards with 21 scores and four interceptions this season. He threw for four touchdowns twice this year to go along with three games with three scores through the air. Kasper, an honorable mention all-league pick last season, ranks second in school history with 76 career touchdown passes and 8,795 passing yards.
Todarello, the only Division III player to return a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown this season, earned the league's Special Teams Player of the Year award by averaging a conference-leading 26.1 yards on 22 kickoff returns. He is also averaging 14.1 yards on eight punt returns.
Todarello returned a kickoff a school-record 98 yards for a score against UW-River Falls. He returned a punt 61 yards to the end zone against Virginia University of Lynchburg.
Todarello was also selected to the All-WIAC First Team as an all-purpose back after catching 19 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns while adding 29 carries for 198 yards.
Cerroni has compiled an 86-34 record in his 11 seasons at the helm of the UW-Oshkosh football program. He has guided the Titans to each of their four NCAA Division III postseason appearances, including a trip to the national title game last season. Cerroni also received the WIAC's coaching award in 2012 and 2015.
This season Cerroni has led the Titans to their third consecutive Division III Championship appearance after completing the sixth perfect WIAC season in school history. UW-Oshkosh, which won each of its seven WIAC contests this season, enters the 2017 national tournament ranked third in the country.
Hecker was named to the All-WIAC First Team for the third consecutive season after earning Second Team honors as a freshman in 2014.
Hecker leads the Titans this season with 118 carries for 664 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is the school's all-time leader with 55 career rushing touchdowns and 336 points. Hecker's rushing touchdown total ranks second in WIAC history.
Mentkowski was named to the WIAC's top team for the first time. He leads the team with 44 catches for 984 yards and eight touchdowns. Mentkowski's 22.36 yards per reception ranks 16th in the nation while his 109.3 receiving yards per game list 20th.
Powers, Summers and Wendorf each were selected to the All-WIAC First Team for the first time. Powers and Summers were honorable mention all-league picks in 2016 and 2015, respectively.
The UW-Oshkosh first-team lineman trio have helped pave the way for 14 Titans to average 5.3 yards per rush with 24 scores on the ground.
UW-Oshkosh's defense paces the conference with 16 interceptions and ranks second in the league by allowing 15 points per game.
Jennings Jr. leads the Titans with four interceptions and one fumble recovery while ranking fourth on the squad with 44 tackles.
Yoder has added three interceptions and 37 tackles, including 28 solo.
Both Jennings Jr. and Yoder earned their first All-WIAC accolades.
Geisthardt has connected on 6 of 8 field goals, including a long of 43 yards, and 37 of 38 extra points. His .974 conversion rate on extra points leads the conference.
Polkowski was named to the all-conference team for the first time after making eight special teams tackles, including seven solo.
Geisthardt was also voted to the All-WIAC Second Team as a punter for the second straight year. This season Geisthardt is averaging 41.4 yards on 29 punts, including a long of 55 yards and 12 inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Joining Geisthardt on the All-WIAC Second Team were defensive lineman Brady Heimer, defensive back AJ Plewa, and linebackers Scott Skornicka and Jon Kallas.
Heimer and Plewa have 26 tackles apiece. Heimer has recorded a pair of sacks while Plewa has one interception.
Kallas and Skornicka lead UW-Oshkosh with 56 and 55 tackles, respectively. Kallas has added two interceptions, and Skornicka has a team-high five sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Rounding out the Titans all-conference players were honorable mention selections in special teams player Beau Ash, tight end Cody Moon, defensive back Taylor Ripplinger and offensive lineman Austin Summers.
Ash has made nine tackles, including six solo, while Moon and Summers have been major contributors on a Titan offensive line that has allowed just 10 sacks in nine games. Moon has also caught four passes for 37 yards.
Ripplinger has contributed 35 tackles, including 23 solo, and two interceptions.
UW-Oshkosh won its third WIAC title in six years and its 10th overall. The Titans were followed in the league standings by second-place UW-Whitewater (7-3, 6-1 WIAC), third-place UW-La Crosse (8-2, 5-2), fourth-place UW-Platteville (7-3, 4-3), fifth-place UW-Stout (5-4, 3-4), sixth-place UW-River Falls (4-6, 2-5), seventh-place UW-Stevens Point (4-6, 1-6) and eighth-place UW-Eau Claire (1-9, 0-7).
UW-River Falls defensive lineman Nick Jacobsen was named WIAC Defensive Player of the Year.
UW-Oshkosh earned the WIAC's automatic berth to the 32-team NCAA Division III Championship. The Titans (9-0) host Lakeland University (8-2) in the first round of the national tournament at noon Saturday (Nov. 18) at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.