Wittenberg Football Standout Jacob Thomas Selected To Participate In 2005 Aztec Bowl

Wittenberg Football Standout Jacob Thomas
Selected To Participate In 2005 Aztec Bowl

Jacob Thomas

WACO, Texas - Wittenberg University punter Jacob Thomas has been selected to play for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III All-Star team that will represent the United States against a Mexican National All-Star Team in the 2005 Aztec Bowl at 1 p.m. (CST) Saturday, Dec. 17, in Toluca, Mexico.

Thomas, a 6-2, 205-pound punter who also handled kick-off duties for the Tigers in 2004 and 2005, averaged more than 41 yards per punt this season, tops in the North Coast Athletic Conference and among the best in all of NCAA Division III. That followed a record-breaking 2004 season in which Thomas posted a school and NCAC-record breaking 42.3 yards per punt, which would have placed him second in the nation if he had met the minimum statistical requirements of the NCAA. He finished with 29 punts on the season, but he needed 30 (3.0 per game is the minimum standard).

In 2005, Wittenberg ranked first in the nation in net punting going into the final game of the season at Allegheny before dropping to third with an average of 37.2. Thomas was a first-team All-NCAC honoree in 2004 and 2005.

Thomas is one of 46 NCAA Division III seniors from around the country who will make up this year's team, which will be led by former Central (Iowa) College Head Coach Ron Schipper for the ninth consecutive year. Thomas becomes the sixth Wittenberg player to participate in the game in the nine years Division III players have represented the United States, following in the footsteps of defensive back Kenny Pope (1998), running back Casey Donaldson (2000), defensive back Jay Jackson (2001), safety John Hauser (2002) and offensive lineman Brad Kassner (2004).

The Aztec Bowl is the traditional season-ending game for Mexico's college football season. The game has been played 34 times since 1947, with the last eight contests featuring the United States-Mexico match-up. The United States is 7-1 in the series, including last year's 23-3 U.S. victory in Cancun.

Chitwood Sports Media of Jefferson, Texas will again provide a live webcast of the Aztec Bowl in 2005. Along with the game webcast on Dec. 17, announcers Charlie Chitwood and Ned Fratangelo will provide 90-minute preview shows on Dec. 14, 15 and 16. The preview shows will originate from the Team USA hotel and will begin each night at 6:30 p.m. CST.

The webcasts can be accessed via the AFCA's Web site or via the Aztec Bowl Web site. Postgame results will also be available at the AFCA Web site.

Wittenberg finished the 2005 season with a 5-5 overall record, including a mark of 5-2 in the NCAC, good for a third-place tie with Ohio Wesleyan. The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 10,000 members around the world, ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession and to provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football.