Four Titans Receive All-West Region Football Accolades
First team selections Derrick Jennings Jr. and Alex Wendorf highlight four UW-Oshkosh seniors named to the 2018 D3football.com All-West Region Team.
Jennings Jr. was selected as an all-region first team linebacker for the second straight season while Wendorf, a guard, garnered all-region second team recognition a year ago.
UW-Oshkosh's AJ Plewa and Cole Yoder were chosen to the All-West Region Second Team at cornerback and safety, respectively. Yoder was an all-region third team selection last season. Plewa received all-region honors for the first time.
A total of 42 Titans have combined for 52 all-region accolades from D3football.com. Jennings Jr., Wendorf and Yoder are among UW-Oshkosh's 10 two-time all-region players since the awards were first presented in 2005. Jennings Jr. joins running back Cole Myhra (2012, 2013) and punter Nate Ray (2013, 2014) as two-time first team honorees for the Titans.
Jennings Jr., a 2017 D3football.com First Team All-American, led the WIAC with three blocked kicks during the regular season while ranking second in the league with four interceptions, third with 13 tackles for loss and ninth with four sacks. He also broke up four passes and forced a pair of fumbles.
Jennings Jr. finished the year with 62 tackles, including a team-leading 37 solo. He tallied a career-high 10 tackles against UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 27 and made nine stops against both UW-Platteville on Oct. 13 and UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 3. Jennings Jr., a two-time All-WIAC first team selection, intercepted three passes and recorded 1.5 sacks against Carthage College on Sept. 1 before blocking a pair of kicks against Lincoln University of Missouri on Sept. 15.
Wendorf, an All-WIAC first team award winner the past two years, played a key role for a UW-Oshkosh offensive line that paved the way this season for 14 Titans to combine for 1,247 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. With Wendorf anchoring the line, the UW-Oshkosh offense ranked third in the conference with 23 sacks allowed.
Plewa registered two interceptions and paced the team with nine pass breakups. He made a season-best six tackles on three occasions, recording two for a loss against Carthage College.
Plewa had an interception and two pass breakups against UW-River Falls on Sept. 29 and recorded an interception against UW-Stout on Nov. 10. He received All-WIAC first team accolades this season after collecting second team honors in 2017.
Yoder paced the Titans with 71 tackles this year. He ranked second in the conference with four interceptions, sixth with 10 passes defensed and 10th with 7.1 tackles per game.
Yoder produced a career-high 16 tackles, including seven solo, against UW-Eau Claire and made 10 stops against Davenport University (Mich.) on Sept. 8. He also intercepted two passes against UW-River Falls. Chosen to the All-WIAC first team the past two seasons, Yoder capped his four-year career tied for third in program history with 16 interceptions.
The All-West Region Team was selected in balloting by West Region sports information directors and D3football.com staff. A total of 78 players were chosen to the three All-West Region Teams based on their performances during the regular season.
Saint John's University (Minn.) quarterback Jackson Erdmann was voted as the West Region Offensive Player of the Year while UW-Whitewater defensive end Harry Henschler was named the region's Defensive Player of the Year. Gary Fasching of Saint John's University earned West Region Coach of the Year honors.
UW-Oshkosh concluded the 2018 season with a 6-4 overall record and a third-place 4-3 mark in the WIAC. The Titans have compiled a 69-16 record and four NCAA Division III postseason appearances since 2012. Winner of three of the last seven WIAC titles, UW-Oshkosh advanced to the Division III title game in 2016, the national semifinal round in 2012 and 2017, and the quarterfinals in 2015.