Lawrence suffers injury in Toreros’ season-ending win
- Updated: November 22, 2015
2015 4-YEAR COLLEGE FOOTBALL STANDOUTS
By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-21-15) — An otherwise spectacular season for University of San Diego quarterback ANTHONY LAWRENCE ended on a sour note Saturday (Nov. 21) in the Pioneer Football League finale.
Despite the fact that the Toreros edged the Butler Bulldogs of Indianapolis, Ind., 28-27, USD still fell a point short of qualifying for the FCS Football Playoffs. Thus, the Toreros conclude the campaign 7-1 in the PFL and 9-2 overall.
The frustration dug deeper into the USD huddle as standout freshman quarterback Lawrence suffered a broken leg in the game. He did so after passing for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns, completing 8 of 13 aerials.
Lawrence, a Grossmont High alum, completed 188 of 295 passes for 2292 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also rushed for one score.
— On the plus side for USD, kicker DANIEL McMANUS, a product of West Hills High, was a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs, and that played a significant role in the outcome against Butler.
— Sophomore defensive tackle WILLIAM MILO (Helix) of Colorado Mesa University earned first team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors. The 5-foot-10, 290-pound lineman chalked up 61 tackles, including 10 for losses and 2 sacks.
— Meanwhile Milo’s CMU Mavericks teammate, sophomore wide receiver VIRNEL MOON (El Cajon Valley) earned Honorable Mention All-RMAC after catching 35 passes for 682 yards and 7 touchdowns this season.
— Former Valhalla-Grossmont College 6-foot-5, 205-pound redshirt junior NICK KURTZ caught 4 passes for 41 yards for BYU in the Cougars 52-10 blowout of Fresno State. Kurtz has 34 receptions for 509 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Cougars 8-3.
— Helix standout KENDAL KEYS is making an impact at the University of Las Vegas. In his homecoming Saturday (Nov. 21) against San Diego State at Qualcomm Stadium, the 6-4, 200 pound sophomore reeled in 8 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 52-14 loss to the Aztecs. SDSU (8-4, 7-1) captured its first conference title since 1986.
— Former Valhalla-Grossmont College corner KWEISHI BROWN notched 2 solo tackles and broke up a pass as the Sun Devils beat Arizona 52-37 in Tempe.
— Six-foot-3, 250-pound hard-nosed defensive lineman IAN SEAU, a product of Grossmont College, chalked up 3 tackles, one solo and 2 for losses, forced a fumble and broke up a pass as the Nevada WolfPack fell to Utah State 31-27.
— Five-foot-11, 185 pound senior MARQUISE DEADWILER, a product of Helix and Southwestern College, grabbed 9 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown as Humboldt State beat Augustana, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 45-31. Deadwiler earned Honorable Mention in the Great Northwest Conference.
— In the same game, senior defensive back RONNIE HICKS (Mount Miguel) intercepted his second pass of the season for Humboldt State.
— Western New Mexico senior JOSH McINTIRE (West Hills) has booted himself into a highly successful season. The Mustangs’ kicker completed 6 of 10 field goal attempts, 42-45 PATs, and averaged 42.0 on 56 punts to finish third in scoring. He was selected the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Kicker of the Year. As a punter his average ranked 12th nationally. McIntire was chosen RMAC Athlete of the Week and also earned All-RMAC honors.
— Helix graduate JIMMY PRUITT is rated one of the top corners in the Western Athletic Conference. He had a decent game for San Jose State in the Spartans 42-23 victory over the Rainbow Warriors in the Hawaiian Islands. Pruitt had 4 tackles, 3 of them solos, and also delivered a vicious hit on the quarterback.
— Teammate HANSSELL WILSON (Valhalla), a Spartan senior, caught one pass for a 36-yard touchdown in the victory.
— Senior receiver KEVIN MILLS (Valhalla-Grossmont College) has completed a successful jaunt as a receiver at South Dakota Mines, gobbling up 27 passes for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns.
— Redshirt sophomore receiver LAWRENCE DICKENS (Steele Canyon) generated season totals of 26 receptions, 378 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had 2 catches for 16 yards in Marist College’s loss to Morehead State. For the year he also returned 21 kickoffs for 499 yards, including a 100-yard TD.
— Redshirt sophomore returning starter at safety, SPENCER HAVIRD is an athletic, hard-nosed tackler who has a penchant for finding the football. He has notched 117 tackles in 23 games.
— Junior defensive back RAYVON OWENS (Christian High) racked up 37 tackles, 20 of them solo, while playing in six games for the Willamette University Bearcats.
— Former Helix wide receiver CAMERON LEE caught 28 passes for 370 yards for the Upper Iowa University Peacocks (6-5).
— Santana alum BRAD CORNISH of Sacramento State was 3-for-3 on PATs but it was not enough in a 35-21 loss to UC-Davis. For the season he was 18-for-18 on PATs and 9 of 18 on field goals.
