ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Six Tusculum College student-athletes have been named to the 2015 All-South Atlantic Conference Football Team announced league officials Wednesday. The All-SAC team is selected by a vote of the league's eight head football coaches.

Justin Houston, Brandyn Bartlett and Will Tommie have been named to the All-Conference first team, while Ken Funnye, Billy Munker and Cameron Thomas received second team recognition.

Houston, a 5-8, 170-pound senior from Cleveland, Tennessee, earns All-SAC first team accolades for a third straight season after leading the league in receptions for a third consecutive year, averaging 9.6 per game, which are ranked third nationally. He finished the year with 106 receptions for 799 yards and tied a school single-season record with nine touchdowns. His 106 catches are the second-most in TC history, four shy of the school record 110 grabs he made in his 2013 campaign. He joins former TC All-American Ryan Tallent as the only Pioneer receivers to garner All-SAC first team accolades three times.

Houston, a 2013 All-American and All-Region standout, finished his career with a school and South Atlantic Conference record 322 receptions, which are the fourth-most in NCAA Division II history. Houston also finished with a school-record 3,182 receiving yards, which are sixth in the SAC record book. He is also the program's all-time leader for kickoff returns (68) and all-purpose yardage (4,622). Houston also recorded 13 games with 100 or more receiving yards, the most in program history.

Bartlett, a 6-1, 225-pound junior linebacker from Dacula, Georgia, led the Pioneers in tackling this season with 94 stops, while his 8.5 tackles per game average is second in the league. He also tallied two tackles for loss and a pass break-up. Bartlett also forced a team-high three fumbles, which are second in the SAC and 36th in the country. He posted double-digit tackles on five occasions this year, including a season-high 13 stops against 23rd-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University. In that game, he forced two fumbles and recovered another. During his 22-game career, he has already amassed 169 career tackles and his five forced fumbles are tied for ninth in program history.

Tommie, a 5-10, 145-pound product from Greenwood, South Carolina, becomes the first freshman placekicker in program history to earn a spot on the All-SAC first team. He made 11 of his 14 field goal attempts this season and his .786 kicking percentage is the best in the conference and 22nd in NCAA II. He made his first four field goal attempts to start the season and made seven in a row to end the year, including a season-long 46-yarder against eventual SAC champion Catawba College.

Tommie led the team in scoring with 66 points, which are tied for the fifth most in a seson by a TC kicker. His 8.5 points per game average is currently ninth in the league for all players. He scored a season-high 11 points in TC's 47-28 win at the University of Virginia's College at Wise with five extra points and two field goals. His 11-point performance in that game is tied for eighth-most by Pioneer kickers.

Tommie also recorded 31 touchbacks on his 62 kickoffs in 2015. Prior to his arrival this season, TC kickers combined for 11 touchbacks over the last three years (33 games).

Funnye, 6-1, 170-pound junior wideout from Georgetown, South Carolina, finished second in the league in receiving yards, averaging 84.4 yards per game (35th in NCAA Division II). Funnye opened the season with a school single-game record 232 yards and two touchdowns at Virginia-Wise. Two weeks later, he posted 182 yards on 13 receptions with a pair of TD scores. He answered that performance with 162 yards on just four catches with two TDs.

Funnye was also a threat on special teams where he averaged 24.2 yards per kickoff return, including a career-best 94-yarder for a touchdown at 25th-ranked Carson-Newman University in the season-finale.

He wraps up his career eighth all-time with 1,978 receiving yards on 180 receptions (6th in TC history). His 23.1 kickoff return averaged is ninth in school history, while his 2,994 career all-purpose yards is ranked ninth in the Tusculum record book.

Munker, a 6-4, 305-pound senior tackle from West Palm Beach, Florida, earned a spot on the All-SAC second team offensive line. Munker anchored the offensive front which boasted the top passing offensive in the league (292 ypg - 21st in NCAA II), while allowing 12 sacks in 478 pass attempts. TC allowed 1.09 sacks per game, which was third in the league and 18th fewest in the country.

Thomas, a 6-0, 195-pound junior defensive back from Nicholasville, Kentucky rounds out the TC honorees on the All-SAC Team. Thomas led the South Atlantic Conference with this 15 passes defended (23rd in NCAA II), including a league-best five interceptions (23rd in NCAA II). He tallied 52 tackles, including three for loss and forced a fumble.

Thomas opened the season with an interception and three pass break-ups at Virginia-Wise. He followed with eight tackles and an interception against Virginia State University and made nine tackles with two behind the line of scrimmage against No. 23 Lenoir-Rhyne. In TC's road game at North Greenville University, Thomas returned an interception for a 54-yard touchdown. He later added nine tackles at Limestone College and seven more against Catawba.

For his career, Thomas has amassed 23 passes defended, which are sixth in the TC record book. His eight career interceptions are the third-most by a Pioneer.

As a team, Tusculum was declared SAC Statsitical Champions for passing offense (292.0 ypg - 21st in NCAA II) and pass defense (141.6 ypg - 4th in NCAA II). Five Pioneers earned individual SAC honors as Statistical Champions. Houston earned the league stat title for receptoins per game for a third-straight year (9.6 rpg - 3rd in NCAA II). Sophomore quarterback Luke Lancaster led the conference in passing yards per game (287.9 ypg - 16th in NCAA II) and total offense per game (293.3 ypg - 24th in NCAA II). Tommie was the stat champion for field goal percentage (.786 - 22nd in NCAA II) while Cameron Thomas and Martez Thompkins shared the interceptions crown at 0.5 per contest (T23rd in NCAA II).

Tusculum posted a 4-7 overall record and finished seventh in the SAC standings.

- TC -

2015 All-South Atlantic Conference Football Team
First Team Offense
QB - De'Andre Thomas, Carson-Newman
RB - Damian Baker, Carson-Newman
RB - Romelo Doctor, Newberry
RB - Lawrence Pittman, Wingate
WR - Keshaun Taylor, Mars Hill
WR - Gilbert Johnson, Mars Hill
WR - Justin Houston, Tusculum
TE - Marquez Williams, Mars Hill
OL - Derek Evans, Carson-Newman
OL - Lewis McCormick, Catawba
OL - Joe Ray, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL - Landon Martin, Newberry
OL - Mathu Gibson, Wingate
PK - Will Tommie, Tusculum
RS - Kristaan Ivory, Lenoir-Rhyne

First Team Defense
DL - C.J. Barksdale, Catawba
DL - Alstevis Squirewell, Newberry
DL - Jalen Hunter, Newberry
DL - Andre Foulks, Wingate
LB - Kyle Kitchens, Catawba
LB - Taylor McDonnell, Newberry
LB - Brandyn Bartlett, Tusculum
LB - Eric Mapoles, Wingate
DB - Xavier McFadden, Carson-Newman
DB - Case Woodard, Catawba
DB - Chris Shaffer, Lenoir-Rhyne
DB - Tay Otis, Wingate
P - Kyle Clark, Newberry
LS - Andrew Smith, Newberry
LS - Dusty Nance, Carson-Newman

Second Team Offense
QB - Raleigh Yeldell, Newberry
RB - Cary Littlejohn, Catawba
RB - Kristaan Ivory, Lenoir-Rhyne
RB - Shaikel Davis, Mars Hill
WR - TraShaun Ward, Carson-Newman
WR - Ken Funnye, Tusculum
WR - Jordan Berry, Wingate
TE - Zach Edmunds, Newberry
OL - Josh Turner, Brevard
OL - Dan Gallman, Carson-Newman
OL - Joe Hillin, Mars Hill
OL - Hayden Wilks, Newberry
OL - Billy Munker, Tusculum
PK - Carson Wise, Carson-Newman
RS - TraShaun Ward, Carson-Newman

Second Team Defense
DL - Phalen Booker, Carson-Newman
DL - Jonathan Jean, Catawba
DL - Placid Ajoku, Lenoir-Rhyne
DL - Johnny Maxey, Mars Hill
LB - Sha'Heem Stupart, Carson-Newman
LB - Jamal Lackey, Catawba
LB - Jordan Forney, Lenoir-Rhyne
LB - Carl Mattox, Mars Hill
DB - Mike McDaniel, Catawba
DB - Trey Clark, Mars Hill
DB - Arnez Gray, Newberry
DB - Cameron Thomas, Tusculum
P - Michael DeStephens, Lenoir-Rhyne

SAC Offensive Player of the Year: Damian Baker, Carson-Newman
SAC Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Kitchens, Catawba
SAC Offensive Freshman of the Year: Gilbert Johnson, Mars Hill
SAC Defensive Freshman of the Year: Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne
Jacobs Blocking Trophy: Joe Ray, Lenoir-Rhyne
SAC Coach of the Year: Curtis Walker, Catawba

2015 Football Statistical Champions
Rushing Yards Per Game - Damian Baker, Carson-Newman (122.6)
Passing Yards Per Game - Luke Lancaster, Tusculum (287.9)
Total Offense Per Game - Luke Lancaster, Tusculum (293.3)
Receptions Per Game - Justin Houston, Tusculum (9.6)
Receiving Yards Per Game - Keshaun Taylor, Mars Hill (107.5)
All-Purpose Yards Per Game - Kristaan Ivory, Lenoir-Rhyne (158.3)
Passing Efficiency Rating - Matt Layman, Mars Hill (134.4)
Punt Return Average - Cole Watson, Newberry (10.9)
Kick Return Average - Kristaan Ivory, Lenoir-Rhyne (25.9)
Punting Average - Kyle Clark, Newberry (42.6)
Scoring Average (TDs) - Damian Baker, Carson-Newman (9.8)
Scoring Average (Kicking) - Carson Wise, Carson-Newman (8.5)
Field Goals Per Game - Carson Wise, Carson-Newman (1.09)
Field Goal Percentage - Will Tommie, Tusculum (0.786)
Tackles Per Game - Trey Clark, Mars Hill (8.8)
Sacks Per Game - Kyle Kitchens, Catawba (0.91)
Tackles For Loss Per Game - Kyle Kitchens, Catawba (1.9)
Interceptions Per Game - Cameron Thomas, Tusculum; Martez Thompkins, Tusculum; Case Woodard, Catawba (0.5)
Team Scoring Offense - Carson-Newman (41.8)
Team Scoring Defense - Catawba (14.8)
Team Passing Offense - Tusculum (292)
Team Passing Defense - Tusculum (141.6)
Team Rushing Offense - Lenoir-Rhyne (386.7)
Team Rushing Defense - Newberry (153.5)
Team Total Offense - Carson-Newman (479.8)
Team Total Defense - Newberry (302.5)