ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Seven Tusculum College student-athletes have been named to the 2011 All-South Atlantic Conference Football Team announced league officials Tuesday.

Deonte Gist garnered All-SAC First Team honors both as a wide receiver and return specialist, while Skylar West-Newport was named the First Team long snapper for a third consecutive season. Rashaad Carter, Josh Stone, Pat Aiken, Terrence Smith and Andy Rosetti garnered All-SAC Second Team accolades.

Gist, a 5-9, 175-pound senior from Wellford, S.C., returns to the All-SAC First Team, after leading the league in receptions for a second straight year, averaging 8.1 catches per contest, which are currently second in the nation (NCAA Division II). The 2010 consensus All-American capped his outstanding career with 81 receptions for 900 yards and four touchdowns this season. His 81 catches are tied for the fourth most in school history, while his 900 yards are eighth-best in TC history and 31st in the country. His 90 receiving yards per game average is also 24th in DII.

Gist also shined on Tusculum's special teams, where he led the SAC in kickoff return average at 29.43 yards per return, which is eighth in the country. Of his 21 returns, two were for touchdowns, including a 94-yarder against Brevard earlier this season. He also returned a 92-yarder at Newberry, for his school-record fourth career kickoff return for touchdown.

Gist becomes only the third player in Tusculum history to earn All-SAC First Team recognition at two different positions in the same year. Paul Czerniak earned honors at both punter and placekicker in 2000 and again in 2001. Ricardo Colclough achieved the double-double at defensive back and return specialist during the 2003 season.

Gist ends his Tusculum career as the program's all-time leader in all-purpose yards (4,374) and kickoff returns yards (1,593). His 2,540 career receiving yards are second in TC history, while his 12 career games with 100 receiving yards are a Tusculum-best. He also posted 20 outings with 100 all-purpose yards, including eight straight games in 2011. His 1,642 all-purpose yards in 2011 are the third-most in school history, while his 164.2 yards per game average is second in the league and 12th in the country.

West, a 6-5, 220-pound junior from Oneida, Tenn., becomes only the second long-snapper in Tusculum history to earn All-SAC First Team honors three times joining three-time All-Conference standout Robby Kelly, who achieved the feat in 2005, 2006 & 2007.

Carter, the program's all-time leader in receiving yards, earns All-SAC recognition for the first time in his stellar career. The 6-3, 205-pound senior from Stone Mountain, Ga. led the Pioneers with 1,056 receiving yards, the third-best single-season tally in school history. Carter becomes the first player in Tusculum history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in multiple seasons, following last year's 1,004-yard effort.

This past fall, Carter made 70 receptions (T6th in TC history), while averaging 96 receiving yards per game, which were second in the conference 14th in the nation. His eight touchdown catches this year are tied for sixth in Tusculum history, while his 23 career touchdown catches are second in school history.

Carter's 2,928 receiving yards are a school record and the seventh-most in SAC history, while his 210 career receptions are second-most at Tusculum and fourth in the league record books. He is tied with Gist for the most career games with 100 receiving yards (12), including six times in 2011.

Carter and Gist established a NCAA II record this year for the most career receptions by two players from the same team. Carter (210) and Gist (207) combined for 417 catches between them from 2008-2011.

The senior duo of Pat Aiken and Josh Stone garnered All-SAC Second Team accolades for the Pioneers on the offensive line, marking the first All-Conference honors for both. Aiken, a 6-1, 290-pound product of Greenwood, S.C., has started in all 42 games he has played in at Tusculum, where he has seen action both at the guard and center positions. Stone, a 6-1, 290-pound product of Smithville, Tenn., has started in 40 of his 41 career outings, including all 11 contests in 2011 where he allowed only one sack for the country's seventh-ranked passing offense.

Smith is named to the All-SAC defensive line for a second consecutive year. The 6-6, 240-pound defensive end from College Park, Ga., leads the conference with 10 sacks, which are the second-most in school history and currently 23rd most in the nation. The 2010 All-Region selection has been named the SAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performances in the last two games of the regular season. He recorded a school single-game record four sacks in Tusculum's 38-20 win over Wingate. He preceded that with a career-best 17 tackles against Carson-Newman for the seventh-best defensive performance in TC history. His 19 career sacks are tied for the second-most ever by a Pioneer, while his 42 tackles for loss are fifth in the Tusculum record books.

Rosetti rounds out the All-SAC Team after finishing third in the league in punting average. The Kenneth City, Fla. product averaged 40.12 yards per punt which is the eighth-best single-season tally in school history and currently 25th in the country. Of his 50 punt attempts, 17 were inside the opponent's 20-yard line, while a dozen were fair-caught with only three touchbacks. In just two seasons, Rosetti is already fifth all-time in punt attempts (93), punting yards (3,485) and seventh in career punting average (37.47).

Mars Hill, who won a share of the league championship, led the SAC with 10 honorees. Lenoir-Rhyne, who shared the SAC title with Mars Hill, was second with nine All-Conference selections, including a league-best six on the First Team. Tusculum was third with eight selections, followed by Brevard, Carson-Newman and Newberry, who had seven each. Wingate had six honorees, while Catawba had five.

Mars Hill running back Jonas Randolph was named the SAC Offensive Player of the Year, while Lenoir-Rhyne linebacker Demetrius Green was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year. MHC wide receiver Dimitri Holmes and Catawba defensive lineman CJ Barksdale were named the SAC Offensive and Defensive Freshmen of the Year.

Lenoir-Rhyne offensive lineman Chandler Rearden is the 2011 recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which recognizes the league's top offensive lineman or blocking back.

Mars Hill's Tim Clifton and Lenoir-Rhyne's Mike Houston were named the SAC Co-Coaches of the Year.

The South Atlantic Conference football awards are selected by the league's eight head football coaches.

- SAC -

2011 ALL-SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
First Team Offense
QB - Majon Herron, Lenoir-Rhyne
RB - Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill
RB - Nate Inman, Carson-Newman
RB - John Gadson, Newberry
WR - Deonte Gist, Tusculum
WR - Chris Bowden, Wingate
WR - Eric Watts, Brevard
TE - Brandon Ellington, Wingate
TE - Josh Crumpton, Mars Hill
OL - Chandler Reardon, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL - Caleb Campbell, Brevard
OL - Chase Gamble, Newberry
OL - Tyler Hodgson, Mars Hill
OL - Mike Arndt, Wingate
PK - Colin Corpe, Lenoir-Rhyne
RS - Deonte Gist, Tusculum

First Team Defense
DL - Zeke Andrews, Carson-Newman
DL - Brandon Martin, Lenoir-Rhyne
DL - Kevin Johnson, Mars Hill
DL - Anterio Arnold, Newberry
LB - Prince Simunyu, Brevard
LB - Apollo Stretch, Newberry
LB - Demetrius Green, Lenoir-Rhyne
LB - Larry Lumpkin, Carson-Newman
LB - Lakeem Perry, Catawba
DB - Michael Green, Lenoir-Rhyne
DB - Michael Gist, Brevard
DB - Marvin James, Mars Hill
DB - Jumal Rolle, Catawba
P - Eric Watts, Brevard
LS - Skylar West, Tusculum

*Note: There was a tie for TE so no second team. There was a tie for linebacker so 5 on 1st team and 3 on 2nd team.

Second Team Offense
QB - Cody Haffly, Wingate
RB - Isiah Whitaker, Lenoir-Rhyne
RB - Josh Wright, Catawba
RB - Patrick Park, Mars Hill
WR - Dimitri Holmes, Mars Hill
WR - Rashaad Carter, Tusculum
WR - Brandon Bostick, Newberry
OL - Kevin Day, Carson-Newman
OL - Josh Stone, Tusculum
OL - Nick Allison, Mars Hill
OL - Pat Aiken, Tusculum
OL - Alex Taylor, Carson-Newman
PK - Michael Pinkerton, Mars Hill
RS - Michael Green, Lenoir-Rhyne

Second Team Defense
DL -Terrence Smith, Tusculum
DL - Jack Taylor, Wingate
DL - CJ Barksdale, Catawba
DL - Christian Lumbu, Brevard
LB - Rudy Cabral, Mars Hill
LB - Jared Seate, Wingate
LB - Rufus Jenkins, Brevard
DB - David Davis, Newberry
DB - Oliver Davis, Carson-Newman
DB - Jamont Jones, Lenoir-Rhyne
DB - Tarvin Jones, Carson-Newman
P - JoJo Morris, Newberry
P - Andy Rosetti, Tusculum
LS - DJ Davis, Catawba

*Tie for 2nd Team punter

SAC Offensive Player of the Year: Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill
SAC Defensive Player of the Year: Demetrius Green, Lenoir-Rhyne
SAC Offensive Freshman of the Year: Dimitri Holmes, Mars Hill
SAC Defensive Freshman of the Year: CJ Barksdale, Catawba
Jacobs Blocking Trophy: Chandler Reardon, Lenoir-Rhyne
SAC Co-Coaches of the Year: Tim Clifton, Mars Hill and Mike Houston, Lenoir-Rhyne

*Tie for Coach of the Year