ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Nov. 19) – After a standout season when he finished among the nation's best in both sacks and tackles for loss, Central Washington defensive end Tovar Sanchez has been named the 2014 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year, in conjunction with the annual all-conference football awards, which were announced Wednesday.
 
Sanchez ended the year tied for eighth nationally in both sacks, with 12, and tackles for loss, 22.5.
 
"Individually, I had some good success," said Sanchez, understating his achievements. "I'm honored and I'm happy. But I'm looking forward to trying to do even better things in the coming year as an individual player and a member of our team as a whole."
 
First-year CWU head coach Ian Shoemaker called Sanchez's 2014 season "pretty amazing."
 
"It culminated in that play against Lincoln [University]—the strip sack that set us up for the game-winning field goal," recounted Shoemaker.
 
The Wildcats won the game with the Blue Tigers at Tomlinson Stadium 17-14 on Sean McDonald's 41-yard field goal as time expired. It was set-up by the Sanchez-caused turnover, which was recovered by linebacker Mitch Haldane. McDonald and Haldane also received 2014 all-conference honors.
 
Sanchez was quick to give credit to Shoemaker, CWU defensive coordinator Payam Saadat and his defensive teammates—saying the Wildcats' new defensive system put him in alignments where he could succeed.
 
"I was able to focus more on the pass rush," Sanchez explains. "I was able to do what I was meant to do, which is get to the quarterback. The system definitely allowed me to be a little more successful."
 
Sanchez (6-4, 230, Seattle), a junior, who is majoring in interdisciplinary studies at CWU, will likely shatter the school record in both sacks and tackles for loss before his Wildcat career is over. He says he would be honored to set new standards in both of those categories.
 
"It'll come [the records] as we all play better as a unit," Sanchez added. "But I would sacrifice the records for our team to go to the national playoffs."
 
Also earning first team all-conference honors were defensive backs Cedrique Chaney (6-0, 195, Jr., Kelso, WA) and Isaiah Davis (5-10, 185, Jr., Bremerton, WA), who have now both been named all-conference for three consecutive years. Chaney recorded 10 pass breakups and had two interceptions, while blocking three kicks, forcing two fumbles and returning a blocked point after touchdown attempt for a two-point conversion. Davis, who led the GNAC in interceptions in 2013, was tied for the conference lead this season with five picks, tying fellow first team all-conference performer, CWU middle linebacker Kevin Haynes (6-1, 235, Fr., Battle Ground, WA), who was also second in the conference in tackles with 99.
 
Additional first team CWU all-conference picks were offensive guard Calvin Hoohuli (6-2, 290, Sr., Pahoa, HI), who started all 11 games at right guard in 2014; and kick returner Jesse Zalk (5-8, 160, So., Battle Ground, WA), who average 29.1 yards on kick returns, which was No. 13 in the country. Zalk also returned one of only two kickoff for touchdowns in the GNAC this season. Davis was also named first team as a punt returner after averaging 14.9 yards per return, 14th best in the country, and leading the conference with 431 punt return yards.
 
Second team CWU selections were running back Jordan Todd (5-6, 180, Jr., Bellevue, WA), who rushed for 738 yards and scored 14 touchdowns, which was No. 2 in the GNAC; wide receiver Greg Logan (5-10, 180, Sr., Graham, WA), who was tied for third in the conference in receptions (63) for 917 yards, fourth best in the GNAC; tight end Kyle Self (6-5, 235, Fr., Vaughn, WA), who caught 15 passes for 193 yards; and McDonald (6-0, 158, So., Sammamish, WA), who connected on 48 of 49 point after touchdown attempts and eight of 15 field goals, including his game winner against Lincoln, to end the year second in the GNAC in kick scoring. 
 
Honorable mention GNAC honors went to Haldane (6-0, 220, Jr., Mount Lake Terrace, WA), who, despite starting just three games this year, was seventh in the conference in tackles (85), fellow linebacker J.B. Torsy (5-11, 205, Sr., Mission Viejo, CA), who was also named all-conference in 2013; and center Marshall Green (6-7, 315, Sr., Tumwater, WA), who started all 11-games this season and 22 straight contests over two years.
 
"We had great representation, especially on defense and special teams," Shoemaker notes. "As the year went along, we leaned on special teams—our returners and our [kick] block team. Defensively, we had some pretty talented guys. We would have loved to have a lot more representation from the offensive side, but that just shows where we need to grow a little bit more."
 
Visit the GNAC website for a complete list of all of the 2014 football honorees.
 
Since most of CWU's all-conference players are underclassmen, many could be up for similar accolades in 2015.
 
"The group of players we having coming back next year is pretty special," Shoemaker acknowledged of his all-conference performers.