Griz announce final 2009 awards
4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Senior wide receiver/returner Marc Mariani and junior running back Chase Reynolds have been selected the co-recipients of the 2009 University of Montana???s Steve Carlson Award (Most Valuable Player).
The other annual football award that UM did not choose until recently was the Special Teams Player of the Year, which was shared by wide receiver/quarterback/holder Jeff Larson and Mariani.
All three players were instrumental in leading the Grizzlies to a 14-1 regular-season record en route to a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision title game. Montana was a perfect 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference last year and have gone 31-1 in league games the past four seasons.
A 6-0, 185-pounder from Havre, Mariani had a team-high 80 receptions for 13 touchdowns and a school-record 1,479 receiving yards last season. He was ranked fifth in the FCS a year ago, averaging 98.6 receiving yards a game. Mariani set career records with 3,018 receiving yards for 29 touchdowns.
Reynolds is a 6-0, 195-pounder from Drummond, who broke his own UM records last season by scoring 24 total touchdowns and scoring 144 points. He rushed for 1,502 yards and 22 TDs in 2009, and was ranked 11th in the FCS averaging 100.13 rush yards a game. Reynolds is ranked third in Montana history with 3,085 yards rushing in two seasons.
Larson, a 6-4, 210-pound junior from Cut Bank, was on several special teams, and was UM???s holder for PATs and field goals. He had 14 tackles on special teams, and also had a key 14-yard first down carry on a fake field goal at Sacramento State last season.
Mariani was ranked fifth in the nation in punt returns, averaging 15.84 yards on 32 attempts and an 82-yarder for a score against Eastern Washington. He also had five kickoff returns for a 39.8-yard average, including a 98-yarder for a crucial TD and UM???s dramatic 61-48 come-from-behind win against South Dakota State in the FCS playoffs.
