FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brian Laubscher, Washington and Lee
(540) 458-8669
  
December 16, 2008


UVA-Wise’s Randy Hippeard Named College Division Football Player of the Year
CNU’s Kelchner Named Coach of the Year;
Va. State’s Hampton Tabbed Rookie of the Year

LEXINGTON, Va. – University of Virginia-Wise senior quarterback Randy Hippeard (Stafford, Va.) has been named the 2007 Virginia College Division Football Player of the Year in voting conducted by the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID).  Additionally, Christopher Newport’s Matt Kelchner was tabbed the Coach of the Year, while Virginia State freshman running back Taron Hampton (Powhatan, Va.) was named the Rookie of the Year.

2008 VaSID College Division Football All-State Team

Hippeard earned the Player of the Year award after completing 217-of-354 passes for a school-record 3,637 yards and a school-record 38 touchdowns (9 INT) during the 2008 season.  He led the NAIA in total offense per game (339.9) and passing yards per game (330.6) and second second in passing efficiency (177.9).  He also rushed for 102 yards and three more scores.  Hippeard was named the Mid-South Conference East Offensive Player of the Year and he finished his career holding nearly every school passing record, including passing yards (11,640) and passing touchdowns (111).

Kelchner led Christopher Newport to an 8-2 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in the USA South.  The 2008 USA South Coach of the Year also guided the Captains to their sixth NCAA Tournament berth in the program’s eight-year history.

Hampton was named the Rookie of the Year after he rushed for 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns in just nine games for Virginia State.  He averaged 5.7 yards per game and led the CIAA in rushing yards per game (119.6) and was second in all-purpose yards (1,137).  He was also a First Team All-CIAA selection during his freshman campaign.

Repeat selections to the first team included Hippeard, Emory & Henry senior defensive end Matt Baldwin (Jefferson, N.C.), Christopher Newport senior placekicker Jay Graham (Manassas, Va.) and Washington and Lee senior running back/return man Stuart Sitterson (Atlanta, Ga.).

Christopher Newport and Emory & Henry led all schools with eight selections to the first or second team, followed by Randolph-Macon with six and Washington and Lee and Virginia-Wise with five.  Ferrum claimed four selections, while Virginia Union and Virginia State both had three selections.

The Virginia College Division members for football include The Apprentice School, Averett University, Bridgewater College, Christopher Newport University, Emory & Henry College, Ferrum College, Hampden-Sydney College, Randolph-Macon College, Saint Paul’s College, Shenandoah University, Southern Virginia University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, The University of Virginia-Wise and Washington and Lee University.

All-State teams are selected by active members of the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association.  For more information, please visit the VaSID site at http://www.ferrum.edu/athletics/vasid.