January 7, 2010

Carson-Newman’s Wakefield, Strickland to Play in 2010 Valero Cactus Bowl on Friday

KINGSVILLE, Texas — Carson-Newman running back Buck Wakefield (Drummonds, Tenn.) and defensive end Donte Strickland (Louisburg, N.C.) will play in the 2010 Valero Cactus Bowl on Friday night at Javalina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas.

Kickoff is set for 6:35 p.m. CST. The game will be televised on Fox College Sports and will also be webcast at www.cactusbowl.org.

Wakefield and Strickland both played key roles in leading the Eagles to their 21st South Atlantic Conference title and their first national semifinal appearance in a decade. C-N finished the season at 11-3.

Wakefield earned second team Daktronics All-American, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 2 and first team All-SAC honors this season after rushing for 1,515 yards and 21 touchdowns, both of which were the second-most in a single season in school history. He averaged a C-N record 137.7 rushing yards per game, which ranked sixth nationally, and also had 14 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

Wakefield became the first Eagle to eclipse the 300-yard mark in a single game, doing so in back-to-back games. He rushed for 302 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries in C-N’s 45-7 win over Wingate in late October and piled up 332 yards on 31 carries in C-N’s 70-35 win over rival Tusculum a week later. He also rushed for a school-record five touchdowns in the Tusculum win.

Strickland was an anchor on the Eagle defensive line this season and helped lead C-N to the top rushing defense in the conference (114.6 yards per game). He finished the year second on the team in tackles among defensive linemen with 39 and recorded five tackles for loss and one sack. Strickland also forced three fumbles.

The Cactus Bowl, which began in 1994 as the Snow Bowl in Fargo, N.D., will showcase 85 of the top Division II seniors from all across America.

This year’s Cactus Bowl features nine American Football Coaches Association All-Americans, 20 Daktronics All-Americans and Four Harlon Hill Trophy finalists.