Rock Hill, S.C.----The Wingate University football team earned seven spots on the pre-season All-South Atlantic Conference team, league officials announced this afternoon. The Bulldogs had four student-athletes earn offensive honors, while three players received defensive laurels. In the pre-season coaches’ poll, Wingate is picked to finish second. The Bulldogs received two first-place votes.

First team pre-season All-American return specialist Perry Floyd (Gastonia, N.C.) is a pre-season All-SAC first team pick. Consensus Draft Services (CDS) honored the Bulldog redshirt senior speedster with a spot on its pre-season All-American squad in June. Wingate redshirt sophomore safety Robert Fletcher (Lancaster, S.C.) and redshirt senior cornerback Terrence Stephens (Queen Creek, Ariz.) are second team defensive picks.

On offense, two players earn first team laurels. Junior running back Vince Jordan (Mt. Gilead, N.C.) and redshirt senior Delric Ellington (Charlotte, N.C.) represent the Bulldogs on the first team. Bulldog redshirt junior quarterback Cody Haffly (Locust Grove, Ga.) and redshirt junior offensive lineman Mike Arndt (Matthews, N.C.) are second team selections.

In February, Perry Floyd was named to the 2009 NCAA Division II All-American second team by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette. Earlier, Floyd was named to the All-Super Region 2 first team by the same publication.

A first team All-South Atlantic Conference performer as a return specialist, Floyd averaged 30.4 yards per kick return and 15.1 yards per punt return in 2009. He led the league in both categories. The Forestview High School product was third on the NCAA Division II charts in kick returns and ninth in punt returns.

Floyd finished the year with 1,105 all-purpose yards. As a receiver, he had 32 receptions for 389 yards. Floyd contributed 289 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns (one kick return and two receiving) at Lenoir-Rhyne University on Oct. 10, 2009. Thanks to Floyd’s heroics, the Bulldogs posted a 50-49 come-from-behind victory over the LRU Bears.

Robert Fletcher was second in the SAC with 83 tackles last season. He had three defensive touchdowns (two fumble recoveries, one interception) as the Bulldogs led the SAC in turnover margin (plus-15) in 2009. Fletcher had two interceptions, four pass break-ups, five fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles last year.

A graduate of Lancaster High School, Fletcher had 11 solo tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble return for a touchdown in Wingate’s wild road victory over Lenoir-Rhyne. In his first game as a Bulldog, Fletcher set a school-record with a 98-yard interception return for a score as Wingate rallied for a 38-17 home victory over West Georgia. He was honored as SAC Defensive Player of the Week following Wingate’s victories over LRU and West Georgia.

Terrence Stephens was second on the Wingate team charts with 62 tackles last year. He added two tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and six pass break-ups. Stephens had seven stops (six solo tackles) in Wingate’s 56-35 road victory over Mars Hill College on Nov. 7, 2009. He recorded eight tackles in Wingate’s 42-31 nationally-televised triumph over Tusculum College on Sept. 24, 2009.

Vince Jordan compiled 967 yards rushing yards and 12 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. A first team All-SAC selection, the West Montgomery High graduate averaged 6.2 yards per carry. In Wingate’s opener, Jordan rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over West Georgia.

Jordan rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-17 SAC road victory over Catawba College. In the Mars Hill contest, he posted 123 yards and two scores in a season-ending triumph. Jordan had 1,068 all-purpose yards in 2009.

Delric Ellington was a member of the All-SAC second team in 2009. He topped the Wingate receiving charts with 47 receptions for 558 yards. Ellington ended the season with five catches for 114 yards and one TD in the season finale at Mars Hill.

The Vance High School graduate posted three 100-yard receiving games. Ellington caught five passes for 103 yards and two scores in the Tusculum contest. He posted six catches for 104 yards and one TD against Newberry. Ellington was fourth in the SAC with 4.7 receptions per game.

Cody Haffly ended his first season as Wingate’s starter in a big way, completing 18-of-30 passes for 293 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes as the Bulldogs picked up road victory at Mars Hill 56-35. He also rushed for one TD against the Lions.

In 10 games, Haffly completed 179-of-314 passes for 2281 yards and 21 touchdowns. He had only six interceptions on the season. Haffly had three games with three touchdowns passes and three games with two TD strikes. In 2009, the Luella High School product was third in the SAC in pass efficiency (136.3).

Mike Arndt is a two-year starter (right tackle) for the high-octane Bulldog offense. In 2009, Wingate was second in the SAC in scoring offense (33.6 points per game) and passing offense (241.1 yards per game). Wingate averaged 395.3 total offense yards per game last year.

In 2008, Arndt helped Wingate place second in the SAC (and ninth in the NCAA) in passing offense with 238.4 yards per game. Arndt and his offensive line mates helped redshirt senior running back Nelson Woods (Charlotte, N.C.) rush for 1238 yards on 248 carries in 2008. 

In 2009, Wingate was 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the rugged South Atlantic Conference. The Bulldogs start the 2010 season by playing at the University of West Georgia on Saturday, August 28 (7 p.m. kick-off).

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers 34 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past four years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 36 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 45 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

2010 Preseason All-SAC Football Team

OFFENSE
First Team
QB – Bo Cordell, Tusculum
RB – Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill
RB – Vince Jordan, Wingate
RB – Nate Inman, Carson-Newman
WR – Delric Ellington, Wingate
WR – Brandon Bunn, Catawba
WR – Brandon Bostick, Newberry
TE – Devan Pointer, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL – Michael Tribue, Carson-Newman
OL – Hannibal Ruiz, Tusculum
OL – Matt Holmes, Newberry
OL – Kevin Day, Carson-Newman
OL – Chandler Rearden, Lenoir-Rhyne
PK – Gareth Rowlands, Tusculum
LS – Skylar West, Tusculum

DEFENSE
First Team
DL – Zeke Andrews, Carson-Newman
DL – Maurice Harris, Mars Hill
DL – Brandon Sutton, Catawba
DL – Marzarius Samon, Mars Hill
LB – Cory Johnson, Catawba
LB – Prince Simunyu, Brevard
LB – Josh Baker, Mars Hill
LB – Lakeem Perry, Catawba
DB –Ron Parker, Newberry
DB – Mario Russell, Carson-Newman
DB – Marcus Shuford, Lenoir-Rhyne
DB – Michael Gist, Brevard
P – Chris Jones, Carson-Newman
RS – Perry Floyd, Wingate

OFFENSE
Second Team
QB – Cody Haffly, Wingate
RB –Byron Darby, Lenoir-Rhyne
RB – Neville Bryce, Brevard
RB – Andrew Courman, Lenoir-Rhyne
WR – Calvin Britt, Tusculum
WR – Rashaad Carter, Tusculum
WR – David Pressley, Newberry
WR – Doug Belk, Carson-Newman
TE – Grayson Downs, Catawba
OL – Darrell Neely, Brevard
OL – Zane Gibson, Catawba
OL – Ben Inabinet, Newberry
OL – Chase Gamble, Newberry
OL – Mike Arndt, Wingate
PK – Carlos Lopez, Carson-Newman
LS – D.J. Davis, Catawba

DEFENSE
Second Team
DL – Qua Jackson, Carson-Newman
DL – Nelson Bullard, Lenoir-Rhyne
DL – Derrell Kinard, Newberry
DL – Jermaine Jennings, Tusculum
LB – Richard Walker, Lenoir-Rhyne
LB – R.J. Reeder, Newberry
LB – Josh Williams, Newberry
LB – Zachary Norman, Tusculum
DB – Kamaal McIlwain, Newberry
DB – Jumal Rolle, Catawba
DB – Carl Brooks, Lenoir-Rhyne
DB –Robert Fletcher, Wingate
DB – Terrence Stephens, Wingate
P – Eric Watts, Brevard
RS – Deonte’ Gist, Tusculum

2010 SAC Football
Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Carson-Newman (5) 58
2. Wingate (2) 51
3. Mars Hill 44
4. Newberry 42
5. Tusculum 33
6. Lenoir-Rhyne (1) 28
7. Catawba 17
8. Brevard 15
(First-place votes in parenthesis)