Tech Football announces team awards

Courtesy of MTU Athletics

The 2012 Michigan Tech football team, which became just the second in school history to win a GLIAC title, recently handed out its team awards. Quarterback Tyler Scarlett <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/scarlett%20tyler00.html> earned the Alan Bovard Award as the team’s most valuable player.

The Huskies finished their 90th season of football with a 7-3 record and share of the GLIAC North Division Championship.

Tech opened the year by sweeping the three GLIAC South Division foes on its schedule—Tiffin, Walsh and Findlay—in the opening three weeks.

With a fellow undefeated team Grand Valley State coming to Houghton Sept. 29 for just the second night game in school history, the Huskies pushed to draw a record crowd to Sherman Field. Not only was the crowd of 4,684 a Sherman Field record, it was a record crowd for any home Tech athletics event.

The Huskies raced back from a 37-7 halftime deficit to within a score before falling to the Lakers 51-43. Senior wide receiver Matt Curtin <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/curtin%20matt00.html> set a school record with four touchdown catches in GVSU game. He had 11 total receptions for 190 yards in the contest to start one of the most impressive stretches in school history. Curtin, who would later earn All-GLIAC First Team, posted 34 catches for 637 yards and 11 touchdowns over a four week span.

Tech won the 11th annual Miner’s Cup game 41-17 over Northern Michigan in Marquette Oct. 6 before returning home for Homecoming. The Huskies trailed Northwood 21-7 at half and 21-13 midway through the fourth quarter before dominating play down the stretch. Bryan LaChapelle <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/lachapelle%20bryan00.html> had a 53-yard touchdown catch and run for the game-winning points with 2:37 to play.

With a 5-1 record, Tech sat in first in the GLIAC North Division before tough road losses at Ferris State (56-49) and Saginaw Valley State (34-23) in back-to-back games.

Michigan Tech bounced back in a big way during its final home game Nov. 3 by thumping Hillsdale 42-14. Scarlett hooked up with senior tight Bryan LaChapelle for three touchdowns in the first 22 minutes of the game. Scarlett passed for 247 yards in the contest to eclipse his own school record for passing yardage in a season.

The Huskies needed a win in its season finale and a loss by Grand Valley State to clinch a share of the GLIAC North Division and that’s exactly what happened. Tech defeated Wayne State 35-13 and GVSU fell to SVSU 55-52.

The conference title was the ninth in school history but just the second as a member of the GLIAC (the other was in 2004). Tech GVSU, SVSU and Hillsdale finished in a four-way tie for the division title at 7-3.

Scarlett, who earned the team’s Outstanding Offensive Player Award in addition to MVP, reset his own school record for passing yards in a season with 2,596. He also broke Dave Walter’s 1986 record for total offense with 2,889.

Curtin was the recipient of 47 of Scarlett’s passes for 838 yards in less than eight games of work. The senior suffered a season-ending injury halfway through the Oct. 27 game at Saginaw Valley. He was named the team’s Offensive Back of the Year.

Senior linebacker Justin Armstrong <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/armstrong%20justin00.html> earned the Fred Baird Memorial Award as the team’s outstanding defensive player. The Las Vegas, Nev., native and All-GLIAC First Team selection posted 80 tackles including seven for loss during the season.

Akeem Cason <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/cason%20akeem00.html>, an All-GLIAC Second Team pick who averaged 26.5 yards per kickoff return, was named the Daniel Dopp Memorial Award winner as the team’s top special teams player. Cason set a new Michigan Tech record for career kickoff return average at 26.9.

LaChapelle earned the team’s Offensive Lineman of the Year Award after leading the team in receptions with 55.

Safety Emmett Bjorn <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/bjorn%20emmett00.html> was selected as the team’s Defensive Back of the Year after recording 63 tackles—second-most on the team.

Justin Blake <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/blake%20justin00.html>, who posted 38 tackles including five for loss and two sacks, was the team’s Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Rookie Paul Kuoppala <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/kuoppala%20paul00.html> took home the Freshman of the Year Award. The middle linebacker registered 27 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown during the season.

Senior defensive tackle Jacob Clark <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/clark%20jacob00.html> earned both the Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award and the Omer LaJeunesse Scholastic Achievement Award. The two-time Academic-All-America First Team pick made 32 tackles during the season and held a 3.93 grade point average in civil engineering.

The Ted Kearly Award, which was first awarded in 2009 for the Husky that played and practiced with passion, pride and integrity, went to senior running back Josh Hauswirth <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/hauswirth%20josh00.html>.

Fullback Cole Welch <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/welch%20cole00.html> gained the Iron Man Award for his work in training sessions.

Linebacker Ben Tauchen <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/tauchen%20ben00.html> and quarterback Isaiah Hackney <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/fball/2012-13/bios/hackney%20isaiah%20wft0> were named the Defensive and Offensive Scout Team Players of the Year, respectively.

Michigan Tech will lose 18 seniors from its 2012 squad. The Huskies have posted a 22-6 record over the last three years and a 44-29 slate in seven seasons under coach Tom Kearly.