January 25, 2008

Bernard Payton, LaRoi Johnson Named To Victory Sports Network's All-America Team

The Victory Sports Network recently announced its sixth annual All-America Team and among those recognized for their outstanding performances in 2007 were a pair of Malone College football players.  Senior running back Bernard Payton of Pomona, California (Valley View H.S.) was selected as a VSN First Team All-American while senior tight end LaRoi Johnson of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Peabody H.S.) was recognized by VSN as an Honorable Mention All-American. 
 
Payton, who also collected VSN Second Team All-America accolades as a junior in 2006, put together a truly remarkable senior season, rushing for 1637 yards on 327 carries in addition to catching 57 passes for 569 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns (19 rushing, five receiving).  He was previously honored as a 2007 All-MSFA Mideast First Team selection after leading the 16-team MSFA in rushing yards per game (136.4), all-purpose yards per game (183.8) and scoring per game (12.2 points).  Payton rushed for 100 or more yards in 10 of the Pioneers’ 12 contests this season (including each of the last eight games) and set an incredible 13 new individual offensive records including rushes in a season, rushing yards in a season, touchdowns scored in a season, average rushing yards per game for a season (136.4), and average rushing yards per game for a career (112.7).
 
Johnson was also a major contributor to Malone’s success this year as he tallied 39 catches for 417 yards and one touchdown.  Like Payton, Johnson was also voted to the All-MSFA Mideast First Team following the completion of the Pioneers’ 2007 campaign.
 
Malone finished the regular season with a 7-4 overall record and a 4-3 mark in MSFA Mideast League (fourth-place finish).  The Pioneers narrowly missed out on a berth in the NAIA playoffs but instead received an invitation to face NCAA Division III Geneva (PA) College in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Victory Bowl.  Malone, which also participated in the 2006 Victory Bowl, rolled to a convincing 45-17 win in the NCCAA’s annual postseason event, ending the year with an 8-4 record.
 
Click HERE to view the Victory Sports Network's All-American Team press release and a complete list of honorees (PDF file).
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