SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State junior Zach Schrader was named the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year and was one of 10 Hornets to earn all-conference honors it was announced today.

 

Schrader is just the second Sacramento State player to earn the Newcomer award, joining Ryan Mole, who was one of three recipients in 2004. A native of Issaquah, Wash., Schrader started all 11 games at safety in his first year for the Hornets and also earned second team all-conference honors. Schrader finished the season with a team-high 103 total tackles and also led the team with four interceptions and four forced fumbles. He was the only player in the Big Sky to rank among the top five in each of those categories. After spending his first two collegiate seasons at Western Washington, Schrader came to Sacramento State after WWU discontinued football last winter.

 

Joining Schrader on the defensive second team was Christian Clark. The defensive tackle, who was an honorable mention selection last season, led all Hornet defensive linemen with 44 total tackles. That total included a team-best 15.5 tackles-for-loss and 10.0 sacks. His sack total makes him just the seventh Sacramento State player since 1981 to reach double digits in a single season.

 

Offensively, Brandyn Reed and Matt Lemley were also voted to the second team. Reed led Sacramento State with 46 receptions for 731 yards and seven touchdowns. The transfer from Santa Rosa JC came on strong at the end of the season, catching a touchdown in the final four games of the year. In the season finale against UC Davis, he had seven grabs for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns — including the game winner with 20 seconds remaining.

 

Lemley earned all-Big Sky honors in each of his three years with the Hornets. After being an honorable mention selection the previous two seasons, he was one of two guards named to the second team. He started all 11 games during his career and ended his Hornet tenure with 33 total starts.

 

Punter Augie Heath completed the second team honorees. Heath, who was a two-time Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week in 2009, averaged 39.0 yards per punt and pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line on 15 of his 53 attempts. He also had three kicks of at least 50 yards, including a season-best 57-yarder.

 

Five other Sacramento State players were named honorable mention. Dylan Lane and Peter Lenz represented the offense, Kevin Moore the defense and Chris Diniz and Johnny Feaster on special teams.

 

Lane nearly doubled his previous two-year total of 43 receptions by catching 40 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns. His receptions and touchdown totals ranked second on the team while his yardage total placed him third.

 

Lenz was a two-year starter for the team at guard and earned all-league recognition for the first time. The Pleasanton, Calif., native helped pave the way for a rushing attack which compiled 1,341 yards despite having five different starters during the season.

 

Moore completed his senior season with 33 tackles. The El Dorado Hills, Calif., native ranked second on the team with 7.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks. He also recovered a team-leading three fumbles, including one late in the Causeway Classic which sealed the Sacramento State victory.

 

Diniz recorded one of the best seasons by a kicker in school history. The junior set the school accuracy record by converting 12 of his 13 attempts. That total included a 52-yarder at Montana State which tied him for the second longest in program history. Diniz also made 30 extra points and led the team with 66 total points.

 

Feaster was honored for his play on special teams. The Vacaville, Calif., native recorded all 13 of his tackles on kick coverage, including seven solo stops.

 

Eastern Washington quarterback Matt Nichols was the Offensive MVP and Montana State’s Dane Fletcher was the Defensive MVP. Other notables included Weber State’s Trevyn Smith who became the third player in league history to earn four first team selections in his career.