Football Team Closes 2008 Season With Banquet
January 13, 2009 | Football
Jan. 13, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. - After one of the most successful campaigns in East Carolina football program history, the 2008 season came to a close on Saturday, Jan. 10, as the team, parents, coaches, athletic staff and Pirate Club members gathered for the annual awards banquet held at the Greenville Convention Center.
In all, 69 players earned a varsity letter with Pierre Bell, Leon Best, Marcus Hands, Jerek Hewett, Fred Hicks, J.J. Milbrook, Wilson Raynor and Zack Slate all receiving fourth-year honors. Fourteen Pirates earned third-year letters, 23 received second-year and 24 got their first letters.
Individually, for the second consecutive year, junior Van Eskridge took home the Blackbeard Award for great plays on the defensive side of the ball. Eskridge finished the season tied for the team lead in interceptions with four and third in tackles with 97, including a team-best 59 solo stops. Senior Davon Drew (offense) and junior Matt Dodge (special teams) also received the Blackbeard Award. Drew led the team in receiving yards with 695 and was tied for first on the squad with three touchdown receptions. Dodge ended the 2008 season ranked 14th nationally in punting, averaging 43.9 yards per boot.
Head Coach Skip Holtz also recognized players who made a number of big hits throughout the year with a Crunch Award. Junior Doug Palmer took home the honor for the offense while junior Nick Johnson, who led the team with 102 tackles, was the defensive recipient. Junior Chris Mattocks earned the nod from the special teams.
Sophomore Dwayne Harris was named the offensive recipient of the Effort Award, while Zack Slate and T.J. Lee earned the honor for their roles on defense and the special teams squad, respectively.
The Rick Bankston Memorial Award, given to outstanding scout team players, went to freshman Kemory Mann on offense, senior Kurtis von Bargen on defense and freshman Leonard Paulk on special teams. Von Bargen is a two-time winner as he was the 2007 recipient for his performance on special teams.
Drew earned another honor as he received the Janet Overton Decal Award as the offensive player who collected the most helmet decals throughout the course of the season with 52. Sophomore Cory Dowless received the decal award for offensive linemen, totaling 41. On the defensive side, Johnson (74 decals) and junior lineman C.J. Wilson (52 decals) recorded the most in 2008 with Raynor leading the special teams with 27.
Contributions to the program off the field were also recognized as senior Leon Best earned the Heart of the Pirate Award, given out by the strength and conditioning staff for dedication and hard work in the weight room. Senior Joe Sloan received the Jerry T. Brooks Award for academic achievement for the second year in a row.
Rounding out the awards were the Pirates who earned inclusion into the Victors Club. To get into the exclusive club, players had to meet position-specific grades and tasks each week. For the offense, junior Sean Allen, junior Terence Campbell, Dowless, Drew, Harris, senior J.R. Kraemer, Palmer, senior Brandon Simmons and junior Alex Taylor all received Victors Club awards. Defensively, Best, Bell, junior Jeremy Chambliss, freshman Emanuel Davis, Eskridge, Johnson, sophomore Linval Joseph, Mattocks, sophomore Dekota Marshall, Milbrook, junior Jay Ross, sophomore Travis Simmons, Slate and Wilson were all honored. Rounding out the Victors Club honorees were special teams members Raynor and Sloan.
East Carolina University 2008 Football Awards
Blackbeard Award (Great Plays)
Davon Drew, Offense
Van Eskridge, Defense
Matt Dodge, Special Teams
Rick Bankston Memorial Award (Outstanding Scout Team Players)
Kemory Mann, Offense
Kurtis von Bargen, Defense
Leonard Paulk, Special Teams
Jerry T. Brooks Award (Academic Achievement)
Joe Sloan
Crunch Award (Big Hit)
Doug Palmer, Offense
Nick Johnson, Defense
Chris Mattocks, Special Teams
Heart Of The Pirate Award (Strength and Conditioning)
Leon Best
Effort Award
Dwayne Harris, Offense
Zack Slate, Defense
T.J. Lee, Special Teams
Janet Overton Decal Awards
Davon Drew, Offense
Cory Dowless, Offensive Line
Nick Johnson, Defense
C.J. Wilson, Defensive Line
Wilson Raynor, Special Teams
Victors Club
Sean Allen, Offense
Terence Campbell, Offense
Cory Dowless, Offense
Davon Drew, Offense
Dwayne Harris, Offense
J.R. Kraemer, Offense
Doug Palmer, Offense
Brandon Simmons, Offense
Alex Taylor, Offense
Pierre Bell, Defense
Leon Best, Defense
Jeremy Chambliss, Defense
Emanuel Davis, Defense
Van Eskridge, Defense
Nick Johnson, Defense
Linval Joseph, Defense
Chris Mattocks, Defense
Dekota marshall, Defense
J.J. Milbrook, Defense
Jay Ross, Defense
Travis Simmons, Defense
Zack Slate, Defense
C.J. Wilson, Defense
Wilson Raynor, Special Teams
Joe Sloan, Special Teams
Team Captains
Pierre Bell
Patrick Pinkney
Zack Slate
