Five Pioneers named to Don Hansen's Football Gazette North All-Region Team

Jan. 17, 2007
NORTH AURORA, Illinois — First team honoree Clay Ream (Burbank/Northwesten), a junior nose tackle, highlighted Marietta College football's five selections to the 2006 Don Hansen's Football Gazette NCAA Division III North All-Region team, released Tuesday (Jan. 16) evening.

In addition to Ream, junior linebacker Brian Hahn (Upper Sandusky) was named to the second team, while senior quarterback Jason Vrable (South Park, Pa.), senior wide out Jason Curry (Akron/Springfield) and junior wide receiver Chad McDaniel (Wooster/Triway) earned honorable mention.

Ream, a 2006 All-OAC first team and 2005 All-OAC second team selection, anchored a veteran defensive line from the middle this season. Ream finished tied for sixth in total tackles (46) and led the squad in tackles for loss (11) and forced fumbles (2). He also added three quarterback hurries, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Since 1996, Marietta has had 13 players earn All-North Region honors. The last Pioneer to earn the award was Chris Sidick '05 , who took home first team honors in 2004.

Hahn, the heart of the defense at middle linebacker, also received All-OAC honorable mention for the second straight year. Hahn led the squad in total tackles (83), which ranked sixth in the OAC. 48 of those stops were solo hits. He also added 10.5 tackles for loss, four pass break ups, three sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 2006.

Vrable, a second team All-OAC honoree, closed out his career by moving into sixth place on the OAC's single-season passing attempts list (375) and ninth on its single-season passing yards list (2,845). Vrable, the single-season and career record holder in every Pioneer passing category, went 202-of-375 (.539) and threw for 2,845 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions this season. He led the league and was fourth in the nation in both passing yards per game (284.5) and total offense per game (312.3). In his career, Vrable completed 495-of-902 passes for 6,102 yards and 41 touchdowns.

McDaniel, the grandson of longtime Head Coach Joe McDaniel, finished second on the team in receptions (49), receiving yards (741) and touchdown catches (5). He ranked fifth in the OAC in both receptions per game (4.9) and receiving yards per game (74.1). McDaniel, who also earned second team All-OAC, had a career day against Otterbein on Sept. 23, tying the single-game record for receptions (14) and setting a new mark for receiving yards (210).

The Pioneers (6-4, 5-4 OAC) set five single-season team records in 2006 and finished in at three-way tie for fourth place in the OAC. Marietta set a new passing standard for attempts (380), completions (203), yards (2845), touchdowns (20) and first downs (119).