Stevenson, Fick, Andersen Receive Honorable Mention All-NWC Recognition
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University football players Alec Stevenson (Sr., LB, Malibu, CA/Calabasas HS), Matthew Fick (Jr., OT, Chandler, AZ/Corona Del Sol HS) and Max Andersen (So./Fy., WR, Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley HS/Butte College) have been named Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference for the 2019 season in voting by the NWC head coaches. Stevenson received All-NWC honors for the third year in a row after earning Second Team All-NWC recognition in 2017 and 2018.
A total of 83 players were selected to the 2019 All-Northwest Conference Football Team with 28 players receiving First Team honors, 29 players chosen for the Second Team, and 26 players named to the Honorable Mention list. Quarterback Wyatt Smith, a junior from Linfield College, was selected NWC Offensive Player of the Year. Senior linebacker Daniel Campos of George Fox University was named NWC Defensive Player of the Year. Linfield wide receiver Colton Smith was chosen NWC Freshman of the Year, and Linfield Head Coach Joseph SMith was voted NWC Coach of the Year.
The Bearcats averaged 341.6 total yards per game this season, including 268.2 passing yards per contest. On defense, Willamette registered 16 sacks for 104 yards in losses and also recorded 47 tackles for loss totaling 185 yards.
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference
Alec Stevenson (Sr., ILB) was chosen Honorable Mention All-NWC after receiving Second Team All-NWC recognition as a sophomore and a junior. This season, he led the Bearcats and ranked second in the NWC with 91 total tackles (10.1 avg.), while playing in all nine NCAA Division III games. He contributed 55 unassisted tackles and 36 assists to go along with 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks. He also forced a fumble, recovered one fumble and was credited with a quarterback hurry.
A year ago, Stevenson registered 76 total tackles, while earning 53 unassisted tackles and 23 assists. He tied for fourth in the NWC with 8.4 total tackles per game. He earned 6.0 tackles for loss, including 3.5 quarterback sacks. He forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble.
In 2017, he topped Willamette with a career-best 99 total tackles, including 56 unassisted tackles and 43 assists. He was second in the NWC in both total tackles and tackles per game (11.0). He recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks, plus one pass break-up and one quarterback hurry. He achieved a career-high 17 tackles against Pacific University on Nov. 4, 2017.
Stevenson's career totals include 168 unassisted tackles, 104 assists and 272 total tackles. He has accumulated 20.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 quarterback sacks. He played in 36 of 37 games.
Matthew Fick (Sr., OT) was named Honorable Mention All-NWC for the first time. He started all nine Division III games this season and contributed to Willamette's overall offensive totals of 2,414 passing yards and 3,074 total yards. Fick and other WU lineman helped the Bearcats gain a total of 160 first downs, including 90 first downs on passing plays. In addition, Fick caught a deflected pass for a 4-yard gain. The Bearcats averaged a solid 29:33 in average time of possession. Willamette scored 18.8 points per game.
In three seasons with the Bearcats, Fick has played in 26 games with 25 starts. His blocking played a key part in Willamette gaining 3,022 total yards in 2017 and 2,521 total yards in 2018. During his career, WU has gained 8,617 yards of offense, including 6,045 passing yards, while scoring 66 offensive touchdowns.
Max Andersen (So./Fy., WR) was voted to the Honorable Mention All-NWC list in his first season of competition. He led Willamette with 47 catches for 852 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 18.1 yards per catch.
Along the way, Andersen gained more than 125 yards in four different games. He set a Willamette single game record with 16 catches versus the University of Puget Sound on Nov. 9. He tied the previous record two weeks earlier with 14 catches for a school record 247 receiving yards against Lewis & Clark College on Oct. 26.
Andersen caught a 95-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mathew Castaneda (Sr., QB, Salinas, CA/Salinas HS) against Pacific Lutheran University on Nov. 16 for the longest pass completion in Willamette football history. The previous record was set 31 years ago on a 94-yard pass from Todde Greenough to David Shirley versus Whitworth University on Oct. 8, 1988.