Five Pioneers earn All-OAC honors in football
Wagner, Ream and Curry all award second team recognition

Nov. 21, 2005
TWINSBURG, Ohio — The 2005 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) football special awards, as voted on by the league coaches, were released Monday (Nov. 21) morning. Five of head coach Todd Glaser’s Marietta College players earned All-OAC recognition, including one multiple-award recipient.

The Pioneers (5-5, 4-5 OAC) had three second team All-OAC honorees — senior running back Steven Wagner (Harwick, Pa./Fox Chapel), sophomore nose tackle Clay Ream (Burbank/Northwestern), as well as junior punter and return specialist Jason Curry (Akron/Springfield).

For Wagner, it is his second straight season earning league recognition, having been selected first team All-OAC in 2004. Despite battling injuries for much of the year, the running back accumulated 677 yards on the ground with four touchdowns in 2005. He closed his career as only the sixth Pioneer player to rush for over 3,000 yards, finishing with 3,012 yards, which ranks sixth all-time at MC. Wagner also added 19 receptions for 159 yards and one score.

Ream was once again the leader of Marietta’s defensive line as a sophomore. The nose tackle finished third on the squad in tackles with 66. He led the Pioneers in tackles for loss with 11.0 for 44 yards and was second in sacks with 3.5 for 23 yards. Ream also forced and recovered one fumble this season.

Curry played an integral role in the success of the Pioneers’ special teams and earned second team honors as both a punter and return specialist in 2005. The junior led the OAC in kick returns, averaging 25.1 yards per return. Overall, he returned 18 kicks for 451 yards, including a long of 93 yards. Curry also finished second in the league in punting, averaging 38.0 yards per kick. He set a new single-season record for punt yardage (2,505) and tied the mark for punts (66). Curry had 20 punts stop inside the 20-yard line and forced eight fair catches this season.

Marietta also had two student-athletes earn honorable mention All-OAC in 2005. Sophomore linebacker Brian Hahn (Upper Sandusky) and sophomore offensive lineman Lance Parrish (Mansfield/Loudonville) each picked up the honor for their efforts this season.

Hahn led the Pioneers in tackles (98) and sacks (4.0 for 40 yards), while finishing second in tackles for loss (10.0 for 55 yards). His 98 tackles ranked sixth in the league, while his 62 solo ranked second.

For Parrish, it is the second straight season that he was given honorable mention. Parrish anchored an offensive line that helped Marietta rush for 1,293 yards and provided solid protection during its three-game winning streak late in the season.

Overall, Marietta finished 2005 with a record of 5-5 overall, 4-5 in the OAC. It was the second straight non losing season, a feat not accomplished since 1994-96, when the Pioneers had three .500 or better seasons.