First Team Defense
DL: Josh McNary Army
Comments: As expected, McNary flourished in Coach Rich Ellerson’s double-eagle flex system. The honorable-mention All-American tormented offenses all season to the tune of a West Point record 12.5 sacks and mind-boggling 22.5 tackles for a loss. Unfortunately for Navy and Air Force, McNary is only a junior…yikes.
DL: Mike Gann Army
Comments: McNary and Victor Ugenyi get all the press, but senior Mike Gann is very much the unheralded and silent leader for the Cadet defense. His improvement from 2008 was significant as evidenced by his 11 combined tackles against Tulane and Rutgers.
DL: Ben Garland Air Force
Comments: All you have to do is watch a replay of the Navy game to see why Garland is on this team. The Falcons’ leader in sacks (4.5) and tackles for a loss (10.5), Garland reeked havoc on the Midshipmen and Cadets in their two meetings. He should have been a first-team all-MWC selection…somebody screwed that up.
DL: Jabaree Tuani Navy
Comments: Tuani’s workload increased before the season ever started when it was announced that Nate Frazier was dismissed from the school. Well, the sophomore responded in great fashion and seemed to play his best in the biggest of games. His sack against Notre Dame in the final minutes and his interception against Louisiana Tech were pivotal plays.
LB: Stephen Anderson Army
Comments: Even though he missed the final three games, he still was second on the team in tackles (83), tackles for a loss (9), and sacks (2.5). With surgery on his leg planned for this week, Army fans are cautiously optimistic that the heart and soul of the Cadets’ defense will be all set to go for next season. If he is, look out.
LB: Ross Pospisil Navy
Comments: The unquestioned leader of the Midshipmen defense, Pospisil leads the team in tackles (98) including an impressive 54 of the solo variety. His 14 tackles against Pitt were a season high, with 12 against Air Force being his next best effort. The senior captain also led the team in tackles for a loss with seven. He will be a tough act to follow for the Mids.
LB: John Falgout Air Force
Comments: When Ken Lamendola was lost to an MCL injury against Navy, Falgout stepped in and provided a major lift. The team leader in tackles, the senior had 27 combined tackles against his service academy rivals (13 versus Navy and 14 versus Army).
CB: Anthony Wright Air Force
Comments: The junior turned a lot of heads this season with his four interceptions and even more impressive, his 3 touchdowns (2 via INT, 1 via a punt return). One of his touchdowns came off an errant Ricky Dobbs pass in which he returned 67 yards. He also averaged 41.6 yards on three punt returns versus Army.
CB: Reggie Rembert Air Force
Comments: Rembert finally had the breakout season many had predicted for him last season. Air Force’s only first-team all-MWC selection had several great games including his 7 tackle, 2 INT, fumble recovery for at TD, and forced fumble effort against San Diego State. Best kick-returner of the service academies by a huge distance.
S: Donovan Travis Army
Comments: The junior followed up a solid sophomore campaign with an outstanding season as he led the Cadets with four interceptions and was third on the team in tackles with 71. With Travis, McNary and Anderson all returning next season, Army’s defense should be even better.
S: Wyatt Middleton Navy
Comments: To no surprise, Middleton had another stellar season. His performance against Air Force alone was almost enough to merit his spot on the first-team. It should be interesting to see if Buddy Green thinks about moving him to linebacker for his senior campaign.
Defense Most Valuable Player
Ben Garland Air Force
Josh McNary Army
Honorable Mention
LB: Tony Haberer Navy
CB: Blake Carter Navy
CB: Kevin Edwards Navy
LB: Justin Moore Air Force
S: Jon Davis Air Force
CB: Mario Hill Army
LB: Andrew Rodriguez Army
DL: Victor Ugenyi Army
First Team Specialists
K: Joe Buckley Navy
K: Alex Carlton Army
K: Erik Soderberg Air Force
P: Kyle Delahooke Navy
KR: Reggie Rembert Air Force
PR: Anthony Wright Air Force
Break-Out Players
Trent Steelman Army
Vince Murray Navy
Anthony Wright Air Force
*** A special thank you to the Times-Herald Record's Sal Interdonato and the Colorado Springs Gazette's Jake Schaller for their help in compiling Scout.com's third annual Service Academy football team.