-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Taylor Schaefer of Iowa Central sacks Independence Nathan Neal

Taylor Schaefer made an immediate impact on the Iowa Central defense upon his arrival.

Schaefer, who has committed to Wisconsin, was named the ICCAC Defensive Player of the Year.

The Tritons, who capped another strong season by defeating Snow in the Game One Bowl, placed eight players on the all-ICCAC teams, the league announced.

Joining Schaefer on defense were Christian Barney and Ahmad Grayer, as Marcellus Chandler was named the return specialist.

From the Iowa Central offense, Jacob Kania, Kamare Williams, Alan Pond and Jordan Jensen were tabbed.

Schaefer, a sophomore from Brussels, Wis., recorded 97 tackles with five sacks and an interception, helping the defense allow under 21 points per game this past fall. In his two-year Triton career, he tallied 146 tackles with seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

Barney, also a sophomore linebacker like Schaefer, had 77 tackles with six for loss. He picked off three passes, forced three fumbles and recovered a fumble.

Grayer, a freshman defensive back, recorded 58 tackles with four interceptions and four passes broken up.

Chandler had two touchdowns on kickoff returns, averaging almost 29 yards per return as a sophomore.

Kania led Iowa Central with 38 receptions, covering 482 yards and scoring a team-best eight touchdowns. The sophomore also handled some punting duties, recording an average of 36 yards on 26 attempts.

Williams, a freshman, had 27 catches for 513 yards and five touchdowns, as the Louisville transfer averaged 19 yards per catch.

Pond and Jensen were both starters along an offensive line that produced 445 yards of total offense and nearly 40 points per game.