CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa --- The 2017 All-Iowa Conference Football Team as voted by the league's head coaches: 

 

2017 All-Iowa Conference Football
Offensive MVP – Matt Sacia, Jr., QB, Wartburg College
Defensive MVP – Michael Joseph, Sr., DB, University of Dubuque
Coach of the Year – Rick Willis, Wartburg College
First Team - Defense	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown / High School
Michael Joseph ! $	Dubuque	Senior	DB	Oswego, Ill./Oswego
Brendan Holmes	Simpson	Sophomore	DB	Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic
JoJo McNair	Wartburg	Freshman	DB	Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central
Robbie Peters !	Coe	Senior	DL	Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon
Drew Heitland !	Coe	Senior	DL	Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy
Mitch Van Epps	Luther	Senior	DL	Wild Rose, Wis./Wild Rose
Jake Stearns @	Simpson	Senior	DL	Knoxville, Iowa/Knoxville
Dillon Radamaker	Wartburg	Senior	DL	Greene, Iowa/North Butler
Tyler Olson	Central	Senior	LB	Mapleton, Minn./Maple River
Sam Norgaard @	Central	Senior	LB	Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley
Rob Rottler	Wartburg	Senior	LB	Greene, Iowa/North Butler
Tony Anstoetter !	Wartburg	Senior	LB	Farley, Iowa/Beckman
First Team - Offense	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Cal Smith	Central	Senior	OL	Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg
Jacob Langenberg -h1	Coe	Senior	OL	Maquoketa, Iowa/Maquoketa
Dalton Kuehl ! -h2	Coe	Junior	OL	Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson
Tanner Venteicher	Simpson	Senior	OL	Glidden, Iowa/Glidden-Ralston
Derek Schipper	Wartburg	Senior	OL	Ackley, Iowa/AGWSR
Matt Sacia @	Wartburg	Junior	QB	Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott
D. Allen Jr.	Dubuque	Sophomore	RB	Hampshire, Ill./St. Edward
Shaka Taylor	Nebraska Wesleyan	Junior	RB	Norfolk, Neb./Lutheran High Northeast
Kyle Gritsch	Central	Senior	TE	Brooklyn, Iowa/BGM
TJ Lint	Buena Vista	Senior	WR	Perry, Iowa/Greene County
Sam Markham ! $ -h3	Central	Senior	WR	Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic
Riley Brockway @	Wartburg	Senior	WR	Postville, Iowa/Postville
First Team - Specialist	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Walter Ollie -h1	Loras	Junior	RS	Pearl City, Ill./Eastland-Pearl City
Jon Alberts	Central	Sophomore	PK	Huntley, Ill./Huntley
Tyler Bryant	Central	Junior	P	Donnellson, Iowa/Central Lee
Second Team - Defense	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Walter Ollie -h1	Loras	Junior	DB	Pearl City, Ill./Eastland-Pearl City
Dante Joseph	Luther	Junior	DB	Layton, Utah/Northridge
Dakota Buss	Nebraska Wesleyan	Senior	DB	Beatrice, Neb./Beatrice
Ryan Lehr -h1	Simpson	Sophomore	DB	Indianola, Iowa/Indianola
Peyton Imhoff	Wartburg	Junior	DB	Dubuque, Iowa/Dubuque Hempstead
Gary Weaver	Buena Visa	Sophomore	DL	Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View
Doug Gates	Dubuque	Junior	DL	Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton
Tyler Sorensen @	Nebraska Wesleyan	Senior	DL	Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Northeast
Troy Heick	Wartburg	Senior	DL	West Liberty, Iowa/West Liberty
Brady Illg	Buena Vista	Senior	LB	Spencer, Iowa/Spencer
Le'Devin Smith @	Dubuque	Senior	LB	Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South
Ryan Sarver -h1	Simpson	Junior	LB	Albia, Iowa/Albia
Second Team - Offense	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Josh Brunk -h1	Central	Senior	OL	West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley
Zak Ranshaw @	Coe	Senior	OL	Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City West
Collin Stefanowski	Dubuque	Junior	OL	Lake Villa, Ill./Grant Community
Jacob LaMarche	Nebraska Wesleyan	Junior	OL	Ralston, Neb./Ralston
Hudson Johnston	Wartburg	Senior	OL	Maynard, Iowa/West Central
Cole Miller	Buena Vista	Junior	QB	Dumont, Iowa/Hampton-Dumont
Jonathan Curti	Nebraska Wesleyan	Sophomore	QB	Colorado Springs, Colo./Palmer
Cam Bunting	Simpson	Junior	RB	Indianola, Iowa/Indianola
Dylan Binion	Wartburg	Sophomore	RB	Albany, Ill./Erie
Braden Meints	Simpson	Senior	TE	Garner, Iowa/Garner-Hayfield
Demetrius Harper	Coe	Senior	WR	Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie
Jackson Redmond	Simpson	Senior	WR	Kansas City, Mo./Liberty
Second Team - Specialists	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Nick Slavens	Luther	Senior	RS	Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Mason Quigley	Loras	Senior	PK	Washington, Iowa/Washington
Jake Pisarik !	Wartburg	Senior	P	Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon
Honorable Mention	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Joe Thraen	Buena Vista	Senior	OL	Irwin, Iowa/IKM-Manning
Tyler Obbereuter	Buena Vista	Senior	TE	Battle Creek, Iowa/OA-BCIG
Eric Pacheco	Buena Vista	Freshman	RS	Kearney, Neb./Kearney Catholic
Justin Dilks	Central	Senior	DL	Mount Pleasant, Iowa/Mount Pleasant
Josh Scheible	Central	Senior	LB	Kansas City, Mo./Liberty
Blaine Hawkins	Central	Freshman	QB	Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny
Dalton Shadle	Coe	Senior	LB	Morning Sun, Iowa/Mediapolis
BJ Weepie -h1	Coe	Senior	OL	Fairbank, Iowa/Wapsie Valley
Derek Trotter @	Dubuque	Senior	DB	Tripoli, Iowa/Wapsie Valley
Bob Brophy	Loras	Senior	LB	Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel
Greg Cybulski	Loras	Senior	OL	Joliet, Ill./Plainfield Central
Mason Quigley	Loras	Senior	P	Washington, Iowa/Washington
Damon Stroup	Luther	Senior	DB	Tracy, Calif./Tracy
Nick Slavens	Luther	Senior	RB	Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Cory Wirth -h2	Luther	Senior	P	Maquoketa, Iowa/Maquoketa
Brady Letney -h1	Luther	Senior	QB	Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley
Caleb Conway	Nebraska Wesleyan	Junior	TE	Omaha, Neb./Millard West
Michael Connor	Simpson	Junior	LB	Woodward, Iowa/Woodward-Granger
Drew Jensen -h2 -h3	Simpson	Senior	PK	Indianola, Iowa/Indianola
Sam Sasso	Simpson	Senior	QB	Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton
Chris McNutt	Wartburg	Senior	DB	Solon, Iowa/Solon
Tyler Schager	Wartburg	Junior	OL	Kasson, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville
Tom Schiffer	Wartburg	Senior	OL	Mason City, Iowa/Mason City
Griffin Brennecke	Wartburg	Senior	WR	Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar
JoJo McNair	Wartburg	Freshman	RS	Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central
Previous Honors
! - 2016 First Team All-Conference
@ - 2016 Second Team All-Conference
-h1 - 2016 Honorable Mention
$ - 2015 First Team All-Conference
% - 2015 Second Team All-Conference
-h2 - 2015 Honorable Mention
& - 2014 First-Team All-Conference
#- 2014 Second Team All-Conference
-h3- 2014 Honorable Mention

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today its major football awards and the 54-member All-Iowa Conference team for the 2017 season. Wartburg College junior quarterback Matt Sacia (Jr., Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott) has been selected as the IIAC Football Offensive Most Valuable Player. On the defensive side of the ball, University of Dubuque defensive back Michael Joseph (Sr., Oswego, Ill./Oswego) has been named the IIAC Football Defensive Most Valuable Player. Wartburg College head coach Rick Willis earned the honor of IIAC Football Coach of the Year and the Iowa Conference Championship at 8-0 in league play.

Sacia was a consistent force on offense for the Knights this season, compiling a league-best 181.3 passer efficiency rating. The North Scott prep threw for 1,995 yards and 24 touchdowns in conference play. He completed 129-204 passes while only throwing three interceptions. His overall season completion percentage of .669 ranks 12th in NCAA Division III and his 175.1 passing efficiency rating ranks seventh. With 28 total touchdowns he ranks 16th in Division III and a 9.18 yards per completion ranks him 18th. Sacia becomes the 10th Wartburg player to earn MVP honors, joining Murray McMurray (1968), Connie Hellerich (1969), Mike Ward (1982), Scott Fritz (1983), Gary Walljasper (1984), Vince Penningroth (1995), Matt Wheeler (1999), Spencer Capitani (Defensive MVP 2014) and Logan Schrader (2014, 2015). 
 
With top end speed and range, Joseph made quarterbacks think twice before throwing his way this season. The senior from Oswego, Ill. tied for a league-high five interceptions and totaled eight INTs on the season. Averaging .8 interceptions per game ranks him third in NCAA Division III. In conference play Joseph broke up seven passes and totaled 46 tackles. In his final game as a Spartan, the versatile Joseph took his first career kickoff return 96 yards for a touchdown. Joseph follows Blaine Snitker in 2015 as the last Dubuque player to win the Defensive Player of the Year. He is the fifth Spartan to earn conference MVP honors, joining Rick Steil (1979), Michael Zweifel (Offensive MVP 2011), Wyatt Hanus (Offensive MVP 2012) and Snitker. 
 
Willis, voted as the league's Coach of the Year, led the Knights to a perfect 10-0 record and the programs 15th IIAC title. With the conference crown, Wartburg also earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs, where the will host Franklin College. Willis and his coaching staff guided the defensive unit to league-best in scoring defense (14.9pts/g), total defense (230.5yds/g), rushing defense (101.1yds/g) and redzone defense (50.0pct). On the offensive side of the ball the Knights were just as dangerous, racking up a conference-high, 40.1pts/g. Wartburg also took care of the ball offensively and created turnovers on defense as they led the league with a +7 turnover margin. In Willis' 19th year at the helm, this is his fifth Coach of the Year honor (1999, 2010, 2013, 2014). 
 
Central College also placed a conference-best, five, on first-team offense. Cal Smith (Sr., Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) was recognized as one of the best offensive linemen in the league, helping the Dutch to a league-high 476.1 yards of total offense per game. Central's rushing game averaged 244.0 yards per game to stand at third in the conference and their passing attack averaged 232.1 yards per game. Senior tight end Kyle Gritsch (Sr., Brooklyn, Iowa/BGM) was named to his first all-conference team. Gritsch totaled 512 yards receiving on 32 grabs in league action and scored four receiving touchdowns. Sam Markham (Sr., Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic), senior wide receiver for the Dutch is joining an elite group as a three-time first-team all-conference recipient. Markham was also named honorable mention all-conference as a freshman. Markham finished league play tied for first in receiving touchdowns (11), second in receiving yards (934) and receiving yards per game (116.8). Sophomore placekicker, Jon Alberts (So., Huntley, Ill./Huntley) and junior punter, Tyler Bryant (Jr., Donnellson, Iowa/Central Lee) were named first-team all-conference for the first time. Alberts led the conference in field goals made (10) and field goal percentage (83.3). He went 34 of 37 on PAT attempts for a 94.6 PAT percentage in conference play. Bryant averaged 40.9 yards per punt in eight conference contests, which was good for first in the league. He placed 12 punts inside the 20-yard line and boomed six for greater than 50 yards. 

Wartburg teammates Riley Brockway (Sr., Postville, Iowa/Postville) and Derek Schipper (Sr., Ackley, Iowa/AGWSR) join Sacia as first-team all-conference selections. Brockway, a senior wide receiver is earning his second all-conference honor after being selected second-team a year ago. In conference play, Brockway averaged 16.5 yards per catch over 50 receptions, to total 825 yards receiving. He was tied for a conference-leading 11 touchdown receptions. Schipper, an AGWSR prep, anchored an offensive line that helped rack up 463.6 yards per game in conference play. Schipper was a key cog in the Knights averaging 207.9 yards per game on the ground and 255.8 yards per game throw the air. 

Coe College earned two spots on the first-team offense. Offensive linemen Dalton Kuehl (Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson) and Jacob Langenberg (Sr., Maquoketa, Iowa/Maquoketa) led a unit that generated 427.6 yards of total offense per contest. Kuehl is now a two-time first-team all-conference selection after earning the honor a season ago. He was also honored as an honorable mention selection in 2015. Langenberg, an honorable mention selection a year ago, is named to first-team offense for the first time in his Kohawk career. 

The league's leading rusher, D. Allen Jr. (So., Hampshire, Ill./St. Edward) of Dubuque is a first-team selection for the first time in his young career. In seven conference games, Allen rushed the ball 129 times for 1,004 yards. He led the league with a 7.8 yards per carry average, for backs with more than 70 carries. While averaging 143.4 yards per game he found the endzone eight times.

Also a first-team running back selection was Nebraska Wesleyan's Shaka Taylor (Jr., Norfolk, Neb./Lutheran High Northeast). Taylor was a workhorse for the Prairie Wolves, rushing the ball 202 times in conference play for the second best rushing total, 975 yards. He averaged 121.9 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry. He scored three touchdowns on the ground and added another sic receiving TDs. Taylor was a dual threat back, racking up 613 yards receiving on 53 receptions. Taylor led the league in all-purpose yards with 1,588, and a per game average of 198.5. 

Buena Vista University wide receiver, TJ Lint (Sr., Perry, Iowa/Greene County), racked up 888 yards of receiving in conference play on his way to a first-team all-conference selection. Lint hauled in eight receiving touchdowns during IIAC contests. He averaged 111.0 yards per game and 14.3 yards per reception. 

Ranner Venteicher (Sr., Glidden, Iowa/Glidden-Ralston), Simpson College offensive lineman is making his first all-conference team. Venteicher was part of an offensive unit that averaged 442.6 yards of total offense per game. The Storm offense averaged 282.0 yards through the air and 160.6 yards on the ground. 
 
The other first-team specialist in addition to Central's Alberts and Bryant was Loras' Walter Ollie (Jr., Pearl City, Ill./Eastland-Pearl City). Ollie, named the league's top return specialst was named honorable mention a season ago. The Easland-Pearl City prep totaled 668 kickoff return yards for an average of 25.7 yards per return. Ollie put his name in the Iowa Conference record book this season, taking a kickoff return 100 yards for score. Ollie joins Trevor Shannon (Wartburg, 1996) and Greg Ortberg (Dubuque, 1999) as the IIAC record holders for longest kickoff return. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Wartburg placed a conference-best four players on first-team. Tony Anstoetter, linebacker (Sr., Farley, Iowa/Beckman), is earning his second first-team all-conference honor. Anstoetter totaled 70 tackles, 8.8 per game in conference play. He also had 2.5 quarterback sacks, six tackles for a loss and one interception. Fellow linebacker Rob Rottler (Sr., Greene, Iowa/North Butler) is a first time all-conference selection. Rottler averaged 9.0 tackles per game for a conference total of 72. He sacked the quarterback 3.5 times and tallied 5.5 tackles for a loss. On the defensive line for the Knights, Dillon Radamker (Sr., Greene, Iowa/North Butler) is now a first-team all-conference selection for the first time in his career. Radamaker's 9.5 tackles for a loss ranked third in the league, as does his five quarterback sacks. He compiled 43 tackles for a 5.4 tackles per game average. The Knight's fourth first-team defensive selection is defensive back JoJo McNair (Fr., Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central). The Joliet Central prep snagged three interceptions in conference play and added six pass breakups. He also tallied 44 tackles. 

Kohawk defensive linemen Robbie Peters (Sr., Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) and Drew Heitland (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) are repeat first-team defensive selections for Coe College. Peters led the conference in tackles for a loss (11.5) and sacks (8). He racked up 53 total tackles in conference contests. Heitalnd ranked third in the league with five sacks and fourth with 8.5 tackles for a loss. 

Central College placed two players on the first-team defense in Sam Norgaard (Sr., Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and Tyler Olson (Sr., Mapleton, Minn./Maple River). Norgaard, now a two-time all-conference selection at linebacker, was named second-team a season ago. Norgaard averaged a conference-best 14.3 tackles per game and totaled 86 in only six conference games. Fellow linebacker, Olson, grabbed three interceptions and had the second ranked tackles per game average at 11.4. His 91 total tackles were a conference best. 

Simpson College had two first-team defensive selections. Jake Stearns, defensive lineman, (Sr., Knoxville, Iowa/Knoxville) is earning his second all-conference honor after being named second-team last year. Stearns averaged 7.0 tackles per game and totaled 56. He ranked second in the conference with 11.0 tackles for a loss and tied for third with 5.0 sacks.  Defensive back, Brendan Holmes (So., Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic) racked up 70 tackles in conference play for an 8.8 tackles per game average. He tied for a league-high five interceptions and added three pass breakups. 

Luther's Mitch Van Epps (Sr., Wild Rose, Wis./Wild Rose) rounds out the first-team all-conference defensive selections. The senior defensive lineman tallied 7.5 tackles for a loss to rank sixth in the league. The Wild Rose prep also added 2.5 sacks in conference play. 
 
The 54-member team includes 14 earning at least their second all-conference honor (first/second-team), including Central wide receiver Sam Markham, who becomes a three-time first-team honoree (First Team: 2017, 2016, 2015). Dubuque senior, Michael Joseph is also earning his third first-team all-conference award (First Team: 2017, 2016, 2015).
 
Undefeated Conference Champion Wartburg led the team totals with 12 selections – seven on first-team and five on second-team. The Knights placed six on offense, five on defense, and one on special teams. Central and Simpson each finished with eight all-conference selections. The Dutch had seven of their eight selections earn first-team. The Storm had three players named first-team and five selected second-team. Coe was fourth with six selections, just ahead of Dubuque and Nebraska Wesleyan who each had five honorees. Buena Vista came in at seventh with four all-conference players. To round out the 2017 team, Loras earned three all-conference spots and Luther two.
 

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