Eastern’s Peach receives nod on AP’s FCS team

NEW YORK – Eastern Washington University defensive end Greg Peach added to his accolades Wednesday when he was named to the Associated Press FCS All-American Team.

Peach, who led the nation with 18 sacks, is a leading contender for the Buchanan Award, given the best FCS defensive player.

Last week Peach was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation FCS All-America team.

Peach, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior from Vancouver, Wash., was also the Big Sky defensive MVP after leading FCS with averages of 1.64 sacks and 2.1 tackles for loss per game. Peach set school records at Eastern for season sacks, season tackles for loss (28), career sacks (351/2) and career tackles for loss (63).

Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards, along with fellow Walter Payton Award finalist Herb Donaldson of Western Illinois, headline the team.

Edwards, a junior from Greenwood S.C., had his best passing season yet, throwing for 2,902 yards and 30 touchdowns despite missing a game with a hip injury and playing the final three games with a right knee injury that might need surgery.

Edwards also had 941 yards on the ground.

Edwards had run for 2,741 yards in his first two seasons, leading the Mountaineers to two of their three straight national titles and a victory at Michigan to start the 2007 season.

Donaldson leads the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) with 162 yards rushing per game.

The Payton Award, which goes to the nation’s best FCS player, will be handed out tonight in Chattanooga, Tenn. The other finalist is James Madison quarterback Rodney Landers, who was a second-team All-America selection.

Montana, which plays Richmond for the national championship in Chattanooga on Friday night, had two first-teamers: offensive lineman Colin Dow and safety Colt Anderson.

Joining Edwards and Donaldson in the All-America backfield is Liberty’s Rashad Jennings, who ran for 1,500 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.

The receivers are San Diego’s John Matthews and Ramses Barden of Cal Poly.

The tight end was Scott Sicko from New Hampshire.

On the line with Dow was Joel Bell from Furman, Cornelius Lewis from Tennessee State, Scott Lemn from James Madison and Stephen Field from Cal Poly.

Southern Illinois running back Larry Warner was selected as an all-purpose player. He averaged 187 total yards per game.

Andrew Wilcox of Elon was the kicker and Brett Arnold of Massachusetts the punter.

Central Arkansas’ Larry Hart, Maine’s Jovan Belcher and UC Davis’ John Faletoese were all Buchanan finalists.