Prior to the meal, a special surprise occurred as Wininger noted that Tim and Sharon Smulling
needed to be recognized for their many years of dedicated service to the Booster Club. Tim has served around 12 years as president and Sharon has been an officer and board member for an equal time. It was noted that Rick Janssen
would be the new president, but the Smullings would still remain active and on the board. But, then the biggest surprise for the Smullings occurred as almost the entire immediate family surprised them by being in attendance. Those in attendance were Josh (played football at PSC) and Danielle Smulling and sons Conner and Carsen with Cecilia on the way; Sarah Smulling and Travis Martensen (played football at PSC); and daughter Samantha Varley (was a Bobcat Cheerleader) and son Treaden. Sam's husband, Trevor, was a Bobcat baseball player and could not attend due to coaching commitments at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. The Smullings were presented with a gift from the Booster Club which was a stay at the Hermann Hill Inn & Vineyard Bed and Breakfast in Hermann, Mo. In addition, the Smullings were made “Honorary Life Members” of the PSC Football Booster Club.
gave the invocation, which was then followed by an excellent buffet meal prepared by the Peru Dining Services with the Bobcat cheerleaders serving as the wait staff.
Following the meal, Wininger introduced the guest speaker, Brad Smith. Smith is a 1989 alumnus who played both football and basketball while at Peru State. While playing for the Bobcats, Smith was a very successful offensive lineman and earned NAIA Division II Second Team honors in 1987 and came back to earn First Team recognition in 1988. Smith was named Peru State's Male Athlete of the Year and also earned the Swenson Award in 1989. Following graduation from Peru State, Smith played one year of professional football in the Arena League for the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The Gladiators finished as runner-ups in 1989 while Smith was on the team.
Smith has had a successful business career following his short pro stint and he shared some stories of his time at PSC and in the business world. Presently Smith is the Manager for INSPRO Benefits Division and boiled his career down to a couple of different points to share with those in attendance. As to football or any team or group, you have to find the right people to lead and you need to get rid of the cancers. Everyone's attitude is important and it needs to be used for the right things. Smith told the football players that athletics and their schooling is very important. It will help them to get on the right career path. Smith encouraged the players to find what motivates them and to use it to their advantage.
Prior to his talk, Smith noted his father had played basketball in the late 50's, his brother Jeff played basketball in the 80's, his sister-in-law played volleyball in the 80's, and now his nephew Connor is a Bobcat basketball player.
Football letters were awarded by Bobcat head coach Terry Clark to the following:
Mike Lewis (Lincoln), Jake Mertens
(Hastings), Trey Rigby (Oak Grove, Mo.), Mitchell Boshart (Wood River), Wade Halvorsen
(Ravenna), Joel Woodhead (North Platte), Gerald Bristol (Jennings, Fla.), Jacob Kelley (Beggs, Okla.), Quentin Edelman
(Sabetha, Kan.), Zach Gewinner
(Weeping Water), Tyler Francis (Lincoln), Garret Campbell (Santee, Calif.), JD Faxon (Odell), Brandon Dinslage (Clarkson), Curtis Larsen (Plattsmouth), Sydney Shepler
(DeWitt), Jacob Grobe (Oakland), Cole Gottula
(Franklin), Preston Bruss (Bennet), Adrian Lawson (Lincoln), Ethan Bray (Liberal, Mo.), Cameron Adams (Pensacola, Fla.), TJ Bickford (
Weeping Water), Daniel Herbeth
(Bonifay, Fla.), Brian Hand (Lincoln), Antonio Turner (Jasper Fla.), Tony Traynor (Waterloo), Will Jackson
(Omaha), Tony Bland
(Bellevue), Justin Vyhlidal (Fremont), Colby Tucker
(Caldwell, Tex.), Chris Meredith (Nebraska City), Joe Preston
(Lockwood, Mo.), Chase Bloomquist (Wausa), Ryan Ludlow (Plattsmouth), Michael Gude (Lincoln), Tyler Chamness (Grand Island), Levi Cockle (Lincoln), John Duis (Diller), Tyler Nutsch (Beatrice), Cody Sullivan (Firth), Levi Likens (Swanton), Alex Wessels (Weeping Water), Matt Buckley (Corona, Calif.), Shane Lloyd (Ridge Crest, Calif.), Troy Nelson
(Valentine), Logan Geiler
(Pleasant Dale), Bryan Adams ( Lincoln), Caleb Lempka (Wilber), Beau Godwin (Cottonwood, Ariz.), Dayton Graf (Lincoln), Jake Long (Kansas City, Mo.), Jon Kolman (Beatrice), Rhett Hardy (Winslow, Ariz.), Jeremy Crump, Chris Kelly (Bellevue), Dan Mettler
(Lincoln), Andrew Diehl
(Superior),
Tyler Ford (Lincoln),
LA Adams (Beatrice),
Matt Miners (Blair), Matt Carroll
(Dorchester),
Gage Latscha (Cincinnati) Lance Steffen (Murdock),
Ryan Twehous (Central City), Andrew Conn
(Wausa),
Taylor Landwehr (Lincoln),
Brendan Whitted (St. Louis),
Gabe Ricket (Thornton, Colo.),
Jeromy Hand (Valentine),
Josh West-Lesher (Diller),
Zach Lempka (Sterling),
Tim Oehring (Lincoln),
Kory Klover (Hebron),
Neil Bowman,
Shawon Nixon (Lincoln),
Austin Barnes (Murdock), and
Hayden Kusy (Papillion).
KNCY Player of the Week honors were presented by Wininger and his color commentator, Daryl Obermeyer, to:
Preston Bruss – Baker,
Levi Cockle – Culver Stockton,
Zach Lempka – Benedictine, Jake Mertens – Graceland, Quentin Edelman – Trinity,
Adrian Lawson – Evangel,
Curtis Larsen – Central Methodist, Wade Halvorsen – Missouri Valley,
Trey Rigby – Mid America Nazarene,
Antonio Turner – Avila.
Preston Bruss was the only Bobcat named to the
Omaha World Herald NAIA All Nebraska First Team. Other Bobcats earning
Omaha World Herald NAIA All Nebraska Honorable Mention recognition were
Garret Campbell, Cole Gottula,
Zach Lempka, and Jake Mertens.
Student-athletes were recognized for having a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on the College's 4.0 grade scale. Those honored were: Cole Gottula, Mitch Boshart, Andrew Conn,
Joel Woodhead,
Tyler Nutsch,
Tim Oehring, Jake Mertens,
Garret Campbell, Catlin Rice
(Cambridge),
Matt Buckley,
Jon Kolman,
Zach Lempka,
Austin Barnes,
Tyler Ford,
Alex Wessels, Will Jackson, Troy Nelson,
Maurice Berry (Long Beach, Calif.),
Trey Rigby,
John Duis,
Lance Steffen, Anthony Bland,
Tyler Chamness,
Dean Wood (Gretna), Wade Halvorsen,
Ryan Ludlow,
Hayden Kusy,
Burke Brown (Palmyra), Dan Mettler,
Jeromy Hand, Quentin Edelman, Sydney Shepler,
Levi Cockle,
Jake Long, Matt Carroll, and
Jacob Kelley.
Six Bobcats were honored for being named as Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Student-athletes must have a cumulative gpa of 3.5 and be a junior in academic standing. Those recognized were Andrew Conn, Cole Gottula, Jacob Mertens,
Tim Oehring,
Trey Rigby, and
Joel Woodhead.
Bobcats earning HAAC Football All-Conference Honors were
Preston Bruss, Cole Gottula,
Garret Campbell, Quentin Edelman,
Lance Steffen,
Tyler Ford, Matt Carroll,
Levi Cockle,
Zach Lempka,
Neil Bowman, Jake Mertens,
Adrian Lawson,
Trey Rigby, and Sydney Shepler. Bruss was named to the First Team Defense. Gottula earned Second Team Offense recognition. Campbell was named to the Second Team Defense. Edelman, Steffen, Ford, Carroll, and Cockle earned Honorable Mention on the offensive side of the ball. Lempka, Bowman, Mertens, Lawson, Rigby, and Shepler earned Defensive Honorable Mention.
All of the Bobcat seniors were recognized and were presented a personalized blanket and a watch. Those recognized were: Jake Mertens, Wade Halvorsen, Quentin Edelman, Sydney Shepler, Cole Gottula, Will Jackson, Tony Bland, Colby Tucker, Troy Nelson, Matt Carroll, Andrew Conn, and Andrew Diehl.
Wininger concluded the program by thanking the parents, grandparents, family members, PSC staff, and others for making the Bobcat football program a success.
