Five Demon Deacons Earn All-ACC Football Honors
11/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 24, 2003
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Five Wake Forest players have been named to the 2003 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Football teams, as announced by the league office on Monday. Offensive guard Tyson Clabo, cornerback Eric King and punter Ryan Plackemeier were selected to the first team, while running back Chris Barclay and offensive tackle Mark Moroz picked up second-team honors.
Wake's three first-team selections are the most since four Demon Deacons were named first-team All-ACC in 1992. The school's five total selections this season equal the number of Deacs honored in 2001, which included one first-team selection and four second-teamers.
ACC champion Florida State led the way with five first-team selections. Georgia Tech, Maryland and NC State each had four honorees, followed by Wake's three picks. Clemson and Duke had two selections each while Virginia had one.
Clabo, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn. has been the key cog of the Deacon offensive line this season, seeing action at every position but center and starting at left tackle, left guard and right tackle as needed. He's consistently graded out among the highest on the team, and owns a season grade of 87 percent with an average of nine knockdowns a game. Rated one of the nation's top guards entering the season, Clabo has already accepted an invitation to participate in the East-West Shrine Game in January. Clabo's All-ACC selection marks the third straight year a Deacon guard has been named to the first team.
King, from Woodstock, Md., is the first Demon Deacon defensive back to earn first-team honors since A.J. Greene in 1987. The junior has leads the league in passes defended (17) and pass break-ups (14) while ranking tied for second in fumbles recovered (2), fourth in interceptions (3) and fifth in forced fumbles (3).
Plackemeier, who hails from Bonsall, Calif., received 56 first-team votes out of 63 ballots. He becomes the first Demon Deacon to be named first-team All-ACC as a sophomore since John Henry Mills received the first of his three consecutive first-team selections in 1990. Plackemeier, who has led the league all season (currently with a 45.8 punting average), becomes the fourth Wake Forest punter -- and first since 1988 -- to be tabbed all-conference.
Barclay, a second-team running back, led the ACC in rushing this season in conference games only, averaging 116.4 yards against league opponents. The sophomore from Louisville, Ky. has also scored nine touchdowns and ranks ninth among ACC all-purpose leaders. He becomes the third Deacon running back in four years to earn second-team All-ACC honors.
Moroz, an honorable-mention All-ACC pick last season, was named to the second-team and was the third-leading vote-getter at offensive tackle. The senior from Welland, Ontario, returned to action earlier than expected from a preseason knee injury and recorded some of his best games against ACC opponents. He was named ACC Player of the Week after recording a 90 percent grade with 18.5 knockdowns against Clemson.
Clabo, King and Plackemeier, along with the rest of the All-ACC first team, will be honored at the ACC Football Banquet on Monday, Dec. 1 in Atlanta, Ga.