UIF All-Stars selected
July 18, 2007 - United Indoor Football Association (UIF) News Release
Omaha, NE - United Indoor Football (UIF) announced today the selections for the first UIF All-Star game Saturday, August 18 in Bloomington, IL. UIF has made All-Star selections in the past with first and second team selections but this year votes were cast for Eastern Conference All-Stars and Western Conference All-Stars to create 25-man rosters for both squads. While coaches and media have voted in the past, this year fan balloting was added to the mix.
More than 3,400 fan ballots were e-mailed July 6. When the fan balloting finished Monday, July 16, more than 1,400 had been received. UIF Communications Director, Dave Holly, was impressed with the fan balloting. "We were very pleased with the number of ballots cast by the fans and how in-tune with the coaches and media the fans are. They voted the same two quarterbacks in the Western Conference in the same order-Sioux Falls' Terrance Bryant and Billings' Chris Dixon. They also voted for the same two quarterbacks in the Eastern Conference, but had Dusty Burk ahead of Ben Sankey." Coaches put Rock River's Sankey ahead of Bloomington's Burk.
Sioux City linebacker Spetlar Tonga was the overall fan favorite, receiving a total of 554 votes. Burk was the top vote getter in the Eastern Conference with 352 ahead of Sankey's 319. Sioux Falls defensive lineman Nate Fluit had the second highest Western Conference vote tally with 348-third highest overall.
Ten players are two-time UIF All-Stars and four players receive the honors for the third straight year-Omaha offensive lineman Dan Potsmesil, Sioux Falls defensive lineman Leif Murphy, Sioux Falls linebacker Mark Blackburn and Lexington defensive back William Mulder. Those picking up the honors for the second time include Lexington wide receiver Harry Lewis, Lexington offensive lineman Mike Madrazo, Sioux Falls' Fluit, Sioux Falls quarterback Terrance Bryant, Sioux Falls running back Marques Smith and Evansville linebacker John Winchester.
Rock River and Sioux Falls lead the way with eight All-Stars each. Billings had seven selected, Colorado six, Lexington five, RiverCity and Bloomington four each, Evansville three, Omaha and Sioux City two each and Ohio Valley one.
Here are the 2007 UIF All-Star selections:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Quarterback
Ben Sankey Rock River Raptors
Dusty Burk Bloomington Extreme
Running Back
Muhammad Abdulqaadir RiverCity Rage
Rayshawn Askew Lexington Horsemen
Wide Receiver
Lawrence Bady Rock River Raptors
Harry Lewis Lexington Horsemen
James Walton Bloomington Extreme
Offensive Linemen
Barry Brueggeman RiverCity Rage
Craig Howard Rock River Raptors
Michael Madrazo Lexington Horsemen
Chad Walker Bloomington Extreme
Defensive Linemen
Deion Holts Evansville BlueCats
Darius Jones Rock River Raptors
Anthony Harris Rock River Raptors
Terrell Washington RiverCity Rage
Linebackers
Maurice Simpkins Rock River Raptors
John Winchester Evansville BlueCats
Defensive Backs
AJ Bryant Evansville BlueCats
William Mulder Lexington Horsemen
Terrill Mayberry Bloomington Extreme
Blue Aldridge Rock River Raptors
J.T. Haskins Lexington Horsemen
Kicker
Doug Daniel Rock River Raptors
Kick Returner
Hurtis Chinn RiverCity Rage
Special Teams Specialist
Demetrius Wilbert Ohio Valley Greyhounds
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Quarterback
Terrance Bryant Sioux Falls Storm
Chris Dixon Billings Outlaws
Running Back
Marques Smith Sioux Falls Storm
Eugene Reed Colorado Ice
Wide Receiver
Johnnie Ostermeyer Sioux City Bandits
Robert Reed Billings Outlaws
Leon Hall Jr. Sioux Falls Storm
Offensive Linemen
Paul Keizer Sioux Falls Storm
Dan Potsmesil Omaha Beef
Gary Moore Colorado Ice
Artavious Williams Billings Outlaws
Defensive Linemen
Nate Fluit Sioux Falls Storm
Leif Murphy Sioux Falls Storm
Eugene Phillips Billings Outlaws
Steve Frye Colorado Ice
Linebackers
Mark Blackburn Sioux Falls Storm
Spetlar Tonga Sioux City Bandits
Defensive Backs
Justin Landis Sioux Falls Storm
Travis Garcia Colorado Ice
Jacquwan Brackenridge Billings Outlaws
Brent Hafford Omaha Beef
Ernest James Billings Outlaws
Kicker
Deric Yaussi Colorado Ice
Kick Returner
Anthony Candler Billings Outlaws
Special Teams Specialist
Ryan Palmer Colorado Ice
The Casey's All-Star Classic will be three days of exciting events for players, coaches and fans in Bloomington, August 16-18. The All-Star game will be played at U.S. Cellular Coliseum Saturday, August 18. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m. CDT. Tickets are available through the U.S. Cellular Coliseum box office at (309) 434-2679.
• Discuss this story on the United Indoor Football Association message board...
United Indoor Football Association Stories from July 18, 2007
- Extreme to Offer Second Bus to Rockford for Saturday's Playoff Game - UIF
- Storm Playoff Games to Be Televised - UIF
- Extreme offering second bus to playoff game - Bloomington Extreme
- Raptors Lead East with Eight All-Star Selections - Rock River Raptors
- Extreme lands four on UIF all-star team - Bloomington Extreme
- Holts, Winchester, Bryant Selected to 2007 All-Star Team - Evansville BlueCats
- UIF final Players of the Week announced - UIF
- UIF All-Stars selected - UIF
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
