RMC's Arruza, W&L's Westfal Named Best Coach, Rookie

SALEM, Va. --- Catholic University took home three of the top five awards in the annual all-conference voting of the league's football coaches on Monday afternoon.  Cardinal quarterback Keith Ricca was named the ODAC Offensive Player of the Year while CUA defensive back Nick Olivero was named the ODAC Defensive Player of the Year as well as the ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete.  Randolph-Macon College head coach, Pedro Arruza, earned his first ODAC Coach of the Year award, and Washington and Lee University quarterback, Charlie Westfall, was tabbed as the ODAC Rookie of the Year.

Ricca finished the season as the ODAC's top-rated passer with a 153.7 rating.  He also led the league in touchdown passes (34) while only throwing 10 interceptions in 389 attempts.  He was second in the league in completion percentage (59.9%), and posted the conference's highest mark for total offense in a game this season with 546 yards (16 rushing and 530 passing) in a win over Guilford.  He is the only quarterback in the ODAC to pass for 500 yards or better this season, having also thrown for five touchdowns in a game three different times and registered four 300-plus yard passing games.  Ricca finishes his career as the owner of all the major passing records at Catholic including completions (915), yards (11,403), touchdowns (97) and attempts (1,623).  He is second in the ODAC record book in each of those career categories.

Olivero is as much a star in the classroom as he is on the field.  The Cardinals' senior maintains a 3.79 grade point average as a sociology major.  On the field, he led Catholic and the ODAC with 95 tackles this season, 48 solo.  He tied for the team lead with four interceptions, having also broken up four passes.  He doubled as the team's return man, posting a 24.2 kick-off return average and a 6.7 yard-per-return clip on punts.  Olivero made 285 total tackles in his career, and is second all-time at Catholic with 18 career interceptions.  Those 18 interceptions also tie him for third in the ODAC history book.

Arruza enjoys his first ODAC top coaching honor having just completed his fifth season at Randolph-Macon in 2008.  Following a 1-2 start to the Yellow Jackets' conference schedule, Arruza regrouped his squad and led them to four straight wins down the stretch, including three ODAC victories.  The run helped clinch a tie for first place in the conference standings at 4-2, and R-MC's success against the other three tied teams propelled the Jackets into the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time since 1984.  This year marked the second straight strong season for R-MC football under Arruza as the program experienced the biggest turnaround in the nation in 2007, finishing with an 8-2 overall record and a school-best five conference victories.

Westfal played in all 10 games in his rookie season, starting the final nine contests behind center for the Generals.  He rushed for 511 yards and three touchdowns and completed 55.2 percent of his passes for 1,310 yards and 10 touchdowns with eight interceptions.  He finished fifth in the ODAC in total offense and was eighth in rushing yards.  Westfal's best passing day was against Hampden-Sydney in which he threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns.  He rushed for 87 yards against Randolph-Macon and 95 yards against Catholic to account for his top running efforts.

Listed below are all of the 2008 ODAC Football All-Conference Teams.  For more information on ODAC football, visit any of the participating schools' websites, or go to the ODAC's Internet home at www.odaconline.com.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Keith Ricca, QB, Catholic

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Nick Olivero, DB, Catholic

COACH OF THE YEAR
Pedro Arruza, Randolph-Macon

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Charlie Westfal, QB, Washington and Lee

ODAC/FARM BUREAU SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
Nick Olivero, DB, Catholic

ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Keith Ricca, QB, Catholic
Caleb Jennings, RB, Emory & Henry
Josh Simpson, RB, Hampden-Sydney
Zak Thornton, RB, Randolph-Macon
Miles Sabrick, WR, Catholic
Kevin Vaughn, WR, Guilford
Stuart Sitterson, A-P Back, Washington and Lee
Charlie Craigle, OL, Washington and Lee
Jim Gehringer, OL, Catholic
Chris Mickno, OL, Emory & Henry
Ben Rogers, OL, Hampden-Sydney
Kevin Wagner, OL, Randolph-Macon

DEFENSE
Matt Baldwin, DL, Emory & Henry
Dean Petrone, DL, Catholic
Dustin Rexrode, DL, Emory & Henry
Scott Russell, DL, Washington and Lee
Bill Gross, LB, Catholic
Josh Miller, LB, Hampden-Sydney
Kevin Worley, LB, Emory & Henry
Joey Daniels, DB, Emory & Henry
Chris Killian, DB, Bridgewater
Nick Olivero, DB, Catholic
Chris Prugar, DB, Washington and Lee

SPECIALISTS
Luke Hawk, K, Emory & Henry
T.J. Breslin, P, Catholic


ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Corey Sedlar, QB, Hampden-Sydney
Greg Brown, RB, Catholic
Andrew Buis, WR, Catholic
Adam Gillette, WR, Hampden-Sydney
Alex Ramirez, A-P Back, Randolph-Macon
Stuart May, TE, Randolph-Macon
Ryan McManus, TE, Catholic
Rich Brennan, OL, Catholic
Morgan Cross, OL, Randolph-Macon
Drew Kirkner, OL, Bridgewater
Greg Kurkis, OL, Washington and Lee
Brad Lester, OL, Emory & Henry

DEFENSE
Markas Brunson, DL, Guilford
Austin Icaza, DL, Bridgewater
Sam Rosten, DL, Hampden-Sydney
David Woo, DL, Catholic
Matt Cassilly, LB, Washington and Lee
T.J. Montague, LB, Bridgewater
Christian Stahl, LB, Randolph-Macon
Scott Ahonen, DB, Randolph-Macon
Eric Dardozzi, DB, Randolph-Macon
Billy Doody, DB, Hampden-Sydney
Bryan Furr, DB, Emory & Henry

SPECIALISTS
T.C. Stevens, K, Hampden-Sydney
T.J. Frazier, P, Emory & Henry


ALL-ODAC HONORABLE MENTION
Tyler Beiler, WR, Bridgewater
Andrew Giordani, DL, Emory & Henry
Sean Green, DL, Catholic
Kenneth Hyman, DB, Guilford
Gabe Jones, DB, Randolph-Macon
Jeremy Keene, TE, Emory & Henry
Ben Keyser, P, Randolph-Macon
Tommy Matteo, DL, Washington and Lee
Chris McNicholas, OL, Catholic
Brandon Mitchell, DB, Bridgewater
Billy Murray, WR, Washington and Lee
Justin Park, RB, Guilford
Andrew Sellers, LB, Hampden-Sydney
Travis Wertz, WR, Hampden-Sydney