Dec. 26, 2006

WESTMONT, Ill. -

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Buck Buchanan Award winner Chris Gocong from Cal Poly along with record-setting teammate, Kyle Shotwell, and Peyton Award winner, Erik Meyer from Eastern Washington, headline a talented 2005 Don Hansen's Football Gazette NCAA I-AA Northwest All-Region team.

Northern Iowa's, Mark Farley, who led the Panthers to the NCAA Division I-AA national championship game, including an 11-4 record, was named Regional Coach of the Year.

Meyer earned Offensive Back of the Year while Gocong claimed the Defensive Lineman of the Year Award and Shotwell is the Linebacker of the Year. Senior Laurent Robinson from Illinois State University earned Offensive Receiver of the Year honors, while Jeff Bolton from Montana State claimed Offensive Lineman of the Year honors. Northern Colorado's Reed Doughty is the Defensive Back of the year and Special Teams Player of the Year honors go to Jaret Johnson from Idaho State.

Gocong, a senior, from Santa Barbara, California, is the 2005 Great West Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Chris Gocong is the winner of the 2005 Buck Buchanan Award presented by The Sports Network to the nation's defensive player of the year in Division I-AA. This season, Gocong finished first in the nation in sacks per game (1.81), second in tackles for lost yardage (2.35 per game) and 23rd in forced fumbles (.31). He recorded 98 total tackles (46 solo), including a school-record 23.5 sacks and 31.0 tackles for lost yardage, leading the Mustangs to a 9-4 record, a second straight Great West Football Conference championship and the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. He recovered a Montana State fumble in the end zone on Sept. 17 for his first career Mustang touchdown.

Shotwell, a junior, from Goleta, California, Shotwell (6-1, 235, Goleta, CA) raised the school record for total tackles in a season to 158, breaking the old mark of 135 established by Jordan Beck in 2004. Shotwell finished second in the Great West and fourth in the nation in total tackles per game and also finished fifth in the nation in solo tackles with 6.46 per contest. He has four career interceptions and has played in all 35 games in his Mustang career, including starts in his last 22 games. Shotwell's career high for tackles in a game is 20 set in the quarterfinal-round playoff loss to Texas State on Dec. 3. For the 2005 season he had 71 solo hits, 13.5 tackles for loss (-63 yards), including five sacks (-43 yards), two forced fumble, three pass breakups and two interceptions (+5 yards). First-team Great West Football Conference linebacker.

Doughty, a senior, from Johnstown, Colorado, capped a stellar career by leading all of I-AA in tackles in 2005, registering 159 stops (14.45/game) during the season, including a season-high 19 against 2005 NCAA Playoff participant Cal Poly. Doughty had double-digit tackles in 10 of 11 games during the year and ranked in the top-10 in the Great West Football Conference in forced fumbles (3), fumbles recovered (3), passes defended (8) and interceptions (4). He capped his career by ranking third in school history in career tackles (466), fifth in career interceptions (14) and eighth in career fumbles recoveries (6). The epitome of a student-athlete, Doughty compiled a perfect 4.0 GPA, was the top vote-getter on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American team in 2005.

North Dakota State defensive tackle Justin Frick and punter Mike Dragosavich, and Cal Poly defensive back Kenny Chicoine joined Gocong, Shotwell and Doughty on the first-team defense. North Dakota State tight end AJ Cooper and Cal Poly running back James Noble were named to the first-team offense.

All-region second team selections included Northern Colorado wide receiver Andy Birkel; UC Davis wide receiver Tony Kays, defensive end James Amos, defensive tackle John Faletoese and defensive back Nevan Bergan; North Dakota State offensive tackle Tim Popowski and linebacker Joe Mays; South Dakota State place-kicker Parker Douglass; Cal Poly offensive guard Beau Finato, and Southern Utah linebacker Steve Smith.

North Dakota State running back Kyle Steffes and return specialist Shamen Washington; South Dakota State offensive lineman Mitch Erickson; UC Davis defensive back Jonathan Barsi, and Cal Poly defensive back Courtney Brown were all-region third team picks.