Last week the Ohio Valley Conference announced their All-Conference teams, and Eastern had eight players named to the squad: three on the first team and five on the second team.

First team selections for the Panthers include defensive tackle Marcus Lorick, linebacker Jamarr Day and wide receiver Ryan Voss.

Lorick was named to the second team All OVC last season. This year the senior tackle was tied for second in total tackles on the team with 91 total. Lorick had 7.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks.

“He’s a guy you hope you can replace,” Eastern Defensive Line Coach Derrick Jackson said. “If we can find more guys like him, I think we’d have the best defensive line in the nation.”

Day started for the first time this season after previously playing a backup role to arguably the best linebacking trio Eastern ever had. Day led the team in tackles with 115 and was one tackle behind the OVC leader. Day also had 4.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks in his final year as a Panther.

“Day did his job in the system,” defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said. “If kids do their job (at linebacker) in this system they’ll have those results.”

Voss was only one of three players to make the All OVC first team. Voss had 43 receptions on the season, 784 yards and 7 touchdown receptions. Voss’ 71.3 receiving yards per game were second best in the conference and he averaged 17 yards a catch this season.

“(Eastern quarterback Matt) Schabert called and told me I made first team,” Voss said. “I thought he was joking around till I got on the Internet and checked it myself.”

Eastern players to make the second team for Eastern were quarterback Matt Schabert, corner back Ben Brown, defensive end Kory Lothe and linemen Steve Sobolewski and Pascal Matla.

Lothe is making his second appearance on the second team All OVC. The junior defensive end had 46 tackles, six sacks (best in the OVC), 9.5 tackles for a loss (fifth in the OVC) and five quarterback hurries.

Brown, a sophomore, was tied for fourth in the conference in interceptions (5), was first in pass breakups (16) and had 60 tackles. Brown was third in Division I-AA in total passes defended with 21 (interceptions plus pass breakups).

Schabert tied with Southeast Missouri’s Andrew Goodenough for voting for the second team All OVC. Schabert threw for 2153 yards in his 10 games this season. He threw15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and completed 61 percent of his passes on his way to 128.73 quarterback rating.

“It’s easy to catch the ball when it’s right there when you turn,” Voss said. “It was nice to have a quarterback who put the ball right on the money everytime.”

Sobolewski, offensive guard, and Matla, center, made the second team in a year when the each fought injury to stay in the lineup. Sobolewski played more snaps than any other linemen on the team Eastern offensive line coach Mark Hutson said.

“The leadership those two bring to the team is tremendous,” Hutson said. “I’m excited about the possibilities with those two returning.”