two from cciw selected to play in d3 senior classic all-star game

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Two College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) football players have been selected to compete in the 2009 D3 Senior Classic All-Star Game this Saturday in Salem, Va.

Carthage wide receiver Nick Merchut and North Central quarterback Aaron Fanthorpe were chosen to participate in the event.

The game, organized by the Collegiate Development Football League, features 90 participants chosen from the 238 football-playing institutions in Division III, with a North team playing against a South team. Both Merchut and Fanthorpe were selected as part of the 45-man South roster.

Merchut, a senior from Bartlett, Ill., and Bartlett High School, was a first-team all-conference selection this season after catching 66 passes for 1,006 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

Fanthorpe, a senior from Naperville, Ill., and Naperville North High School, was named the CCIW Art Keller Offensive Player of the Year for the third straight season. He passed for 2,096 yards and 28 touchdown passes while also rushing for 330 yards on 66 carries and seven rushing touchdowns.

The D3 Senior Classic will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday at Salem Stadium. For more information, please visit the D3 Senior Classic website.