Anderson, Retzlaff Named to First Team
Five Named to 2005 All-WIAC Football Teams

Nathan Anderson (So., Marinette, Wis.), Aaron Retzlaff (Sr., Shawano, Wis.), Jeff Cassellius (Sr., Glenwood City, Wis.), Nate Cook (Sr., Rice Lake, Wis.) and Matt Jordan (Jr., Thorp, Wis.) have all been named to 2005 All-WIAC football teams.

Anderson was named to the first offensive team and Retzlaff to the first defensive unit. Cassellius was named to the second defensive team, Cook earned honorable mention to the offensive team and Jordan earned honorable mention to the defensive unit.

Anderson, a 5-10, 220 pound fullback, led the Falcons in rushing and was third in the WIAC with 1,265 yards. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns. He tied a UWRF record with 44 carries against Eau Claire in 2005. He started all 10 games for the Falcons and he rushed for more than 200 yards twice and for more than 100 yards in three other games. His best game was against Eau Claire when he rushed for 230 yards. He now has 10 career 100+ rushing games. His long run of the year was 36 yards against Eau Claire. He also caught three passes for 36 yards and one touchdown. Anderson was named the WIAC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against Pacific Lutheran. He was named the team's Player of the Week four times - against Stout, Eau Claire, Pacific Lutheran and Con.-St. Paul.

Retzlaff, a 6-1, 300 pound defensive lineman, was a key leader for the Falcon defense. A solid run stopper in the middle of the line, he was named to the first All-WIAC team in 2004. He started all 10 games and had 21 solo and 36 total tackles in 2005. He had 3.5 tackles for loss, including one sack. He showed his agility when he dropped off the line of scrimmage and intercepted a pass and returned it four yards against Pacific Lutheran. He recovered one fumble, against Stevens Point. He also forced one fumble, against Oshkosh. He twice finished with six tackles in a game; against Pacific Lutheran (4-2) and Oshkosh (4-2). He had two quarterback hurries and broke up a pass. He was named the WIAC Defensive Player of the Week for his game against Pacific Lutheran.

Cassellius, a 6-5, 225 pound defensive end, was one of the team's top pass rushers. He started and played in nine games and finished the year with 17 solo and 30 total tackles. He tied for the team lead in sacks with 3.5 and tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with six. He was second for the Falcons in passes broken up (3) and he led the Falcons in quarterback hurries (9). Cassellius twice had six tackles in a game - against Pacific Lutheran (4-2) and Platteville (3-3). He had three quarterback hurries against Platteville. He was named the team's Defensive Player of the Week for his game against Bemidji.

Cook, a 6-4, 274 pound offensive tackle, started all 10 games for the Falcons in 2005. He was one of the team's senior leads in the line and helped the Falcons average 282.3 yards a game. The Falcons were consistently ranked in the Top 10 in the NCAA Div. III team rushing category throughout the season. The Falcons led the WIAC in rushing and were ranked No. 7 in the country as of Nov. 15. Cook was named the team's Offensive Player of the Week for his game against Oshkosh when the Falcons earned a 13-10 overtime win and finish with 291 yards of total offense.

Jordan, a 5-8, 170 pound cornerback, was one of the top cover corners in the WIAC. He started and played in all 10 games and was often assigned to cover the opponent's top receiver. He finished seventh on the team in tackles with 36 solo and 57 total stops. He led the team with four pass break ups, four blocked kicks and three fumble recoveries. He finished tied for first in the WIAC with three recoveries. Jordan had two tackles for loss and he intercepted two passes. He also made an impact on special teams and was named the WIAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game against Con.-St. Paul. He was named the team's Defensive Player of the Week for his game against Eau Claire. Jordan finished with more than 10 tackles in three games - against Con.-St. Paul (6-4-10), Eau Claire (6-5-11) and Stevens Point (9-1-10). He blocked three kicks in two games; he had two against Con.-St. Paul and one against Bemidji. Against La Crosse he blocked an extra point that led to two points. Jordan returned 13 kickoffs and averaged a team high 20.2 yards per return. He also returned three punts and averaged 14.7 per return.

The Falcons finished the year with a record of 3-7 overall 2-5 WIAC records.