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EPHRAIM, Utah—November 14, 2006—The Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl announced today that Snow College, ranked third in the NJCAA, will meet Coffeyville College, 13th in the NJCAA, in the third annual Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl. The game will be played at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, December 2 in Rice-Eccles Stadium located on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City.
"The Kansas and Western States Football Leagues are perennially among the top in the NJCAA and Coffeyville and Snow are perennially at the top of those leagues," said Kevin White, chairman of the Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl Committee. "But our bowl isn't just about tradition - both of these teams deserve to be here based on their performances on the field this season." Snow
Both Snow and Coffeyville began the season ranked in the NJCAA Top 10. The Badgers proceeded to win eight in a row (including road wins over highly ranked Glendale and Scottsdale) en route to the number one ranking in the NJCAA and JC Gridwire polls. Snow fell in a close one at Eastern Arizona in week nine, dropped in the rankings and then climbed to third after winning their final two games.
Snow leads the nation in offense - averaging 463 yards and 39 points per game. Cade Cooper, a sophomore from Timpview High, leads the nation in passing having completed 210 passes of 311 for 2,901 yards, 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Matt Asiata, a sophomore from Hunter High, is the fifth leading rusher in the NJCAA averaging 136.5 yards per game for 15 touchdowns. Snow also fields the 12th and 13th ranked receivers - Alex Richards with 41 catches for 525 yards and six touchdowns and Devin Frischknecht with 45 catches for 656 yards and six touchdowns.
Snow's defense is fourteenth in the NJCAA - giving up 99 yards rushing and 103 yards passing or 202 yards per game. Snow's defensive leaders include lineman Junior Tea and Thor Pili, linebackers Jamison Fitt and J.D. Folsom and safety Aric Hutchinson. Coffeyville
Coffeyville narrowly lost their opener to Blinn College - the number one team in the NJCAA at season's end. The Red Ravens then went on a four-game winning streak including a 24-6 defeat of Fort Scott on the road and climbed back into the NJCAA Top 10. A narrow loss to Butler was followed by three more wins to clinch a second place regular season finish. Coffeyville then fell in a rematch with Fort Scott 21-6 in the semifinals of the Kansas league championship.
The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference selected eight Red Ravens to the post season first team - four on offense and four on defense. On offense, Nate Guillory leads Coffeyville with 972 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was the 12th best running back in the NJCAA. Guillory was a first team selection, along with Nate Morris at fullback, Deon Murphy at wide receiver and Joe Blaes at offensive guard. Coffeyville averaged 307 yards per game - 189 rushing and 118 passing.
Coffeyville's defense gives up just 227 yards per game - 124 rushing and 103 passing. They're led by All Conference linebacker, Larry Asante who had 76 tackles - 11 for a loss. He is joined on the first team by linemen, Troy Epps and Charwell Brown and defensive back, Gary Chandler. Epps finished the season with 63 tackles, 16 for a loss including five sacks, three blocked kicks and three forced fumbles
