2011 CCIW All-Conference Football Team

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - After finishing the 2011 season with a 6-4 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, nine members of the Elmhurst College football team have earned all-conference honors.

Scottie Williams, Charlie Homoky, and Peter Stamos all received first-team all-conference accolades while Jon Janus, Pete Alfano, Wayne Tuckson, Rodney Payton, Griffin Gibson, and Brett Virgil all earned second-team honors.

Williams, a junior from Downers Grove South High School, earned the third all-conference honor of his career and his second consecutive first-team nod at running back. He closed out the 2011 season by breaking his own single-season rushing record at Elmhurst, carrying 224 times for 1,374 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the CCIW in rushing by totaling 1,152 yards in conference games, becoming the league's first 1,000-yard rusher since the 2004 season. Williams moved into third place on Elmhurst's career rushing list with 3,157 yards and finished the regular season as the nation's 11th-ranked rusher.

Homoky, a junior from West Boca High School in Florida, and Stamos, a senior from Portage Northern High School in Michigan, both earned first-team all-conference honors as offensive linemen. Stamos, who earned second-team all-CCIW recognition in 2010, started every game at right guard while Homoky was the Bluejays' starting left tackle. The offensive line helped the Bluejays roll up over 4,500 yards of total offense for the season and rank 22nd in the nation in total offense.

Janus, a senior from Lake Zurich High School, closed out his career as a four-time all-conference honoree. He earned second-team honors at safety for the third time of his career (first-team selection in 2010). He ranked third on the team in total tackles with 56 and second on the squad in unassisted tackles with 36. He recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 quarterback sacks. He also led the team in quarterback hurries, broke up four passes, and forced a pair of fumbles.

Tuckson, a junior from Dupont Manual High School in Kentucky, earned second-team honors at linebacker. Tuckson paced the Bluejays' defense in 2011, posting team-highs in tackles (93), solo tackles (43), assisted tackles (50), tackles for loss (12) and quarterback sacks (four). He ranked third in the CCIW in total tackles, recording 66 stops in conference contests.

Alfano, a senior from Carl Sandburg High School, earned the first all-conference honor of his career at defensive line. Alfano started every game at defensive tackle and amassed 39 tackles for the season. He ranked fifth on the team in tackles for loss (six) while also ranking third on the team in quarterback sacks (three).

Payton, a junior from Nazareth Academy, received the second consecutive second-team accolade of his career at wide receiver. Payton was the Bluejays' top target this season, catching 39 passes for 614 yards and five touchdowns. He led the squad in receptions, receiving yardage, and receiving touchdowns. In conference contests, he ranked sixth in the league in receiving yardage per game. He currently ranks seventh in school history in career receptions (105) and receiving yardage (1,554).

Gibson, a senior from Lakeshore High School in Michigan, earned the first all-conference honor of his career at tight end. After spending the past three seasons as a running back, Gibson moved to tight end prior to the start of the 2011 season and ranked fifth on the team in receptions, catching 19 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. He ranked third on the squad in receiving yardage while tying for second on the squad in touchdown receptions.

Virgil, a senior from St. Joseph High School in Michigan, was a second-team selection as an offensive lineman. Virgil started all 10 games this season at left guard. He helped the Bluejays rank second in the CCIW in total offense, generating over 445 yards of offense against conference opponents.