The 2013 All-Midwest Conference football teams were released on Thursday and Lake Forest College was well-represented with 11 players on the lists, including First Team selections John Dillon, Ed Dobernig, Michael Garetto-Balmer, John Preston, and Jake Rotkvich.
Dobernig, a senior cornerback, and Rotkvich, a senior defensive end, were named to the First Team for the second straight season. Dobernig led the league with 15 passes defensed, including three interceptions he returned a total of 60 yards. He also recovered a fumble and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown. His 50 tackles on the season ranked fourth on the team and 41st in the conference. Dobernig's 12 career interceptions are tied for fourth in program history. Rotkvich led the MWC with 8.0 sacks and his team-high 12.5 tackles for loss were tied for fourth in the conference. He finished the season with 47 tackles overall and also forced and recovered a fumble. His 19.0 career sacks and 30.0 tackles for loss rank fifth and seventh in team history, respectively. Dobernig and Rotkvich combined for exactly 300 tackles over the last four years.
Dillon, a linebacker, and Garetto-Balmer, a defensive tackle, made the First Team after earning Second Team honors as juniors in 2012. Dillon was third on the team and 19th in the conference with 68 total tackles and ranked fourth on the squad and tied-for-16th in the league with 9.5 tackles for loss. He also intercepted a pass, forced two fumbles, and made one fumble recovery. Dillon finished his career with 182 tackles, including 25.0 tackles for loss. Garetto-Balmer ranked third in the league with 7.0 sacks and tied-for-12th with 10.0 tackles for loss. He racked up 41 tackles on the season and 112 in his career.
Preston, a junior linebacker, made his first appearance on the all-conference lists. He was second on the team with 72 tackles and his 8.0 tackles per game led the squad and tied for ninth in the league. Preston also intercepted a team-high four passes, just one shy of the conference lead. He will enter his senior season with 193 career tackles, including 15.0 tackles for loss.
The Forester defense, which allowed the fewest yards of any MWC team this season, also had three players earn Second Team All-MWC honors. Senior linebacker Jordan Cruz, a First Team selection in 2012, led the team with 75 tackles and tied for 14th in the league in tackles per game. He finished his career with 274 stops, which ranks seventh in team annals. Senior defensive lineman Taylor Holzmeyer was fourth in the conference with 6.0 sacks and tied-for 10th with 11.0 tackles for loss. He made 34 tackles on the year and added his first career interception. Holzmeyer finished his career tied for sixth in program history with 17.0 sacks and ranked ninth with 28.5 tackles for loss. Senior cornerback Nick Waters was also a first-time all-conference honoree after making 39 tackles, picking off three pases, and added five pass breakups. He finished his career with 125 tackles and four interceptions.
A pair of Lake Forest seniors on the offensive side of the ball were also named Second Team All-MWC after being Honorable Mention selections in 2012. Tight end Greg Alonso caught 15 passes for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the season and finished his career with 26 receptions for 302 yards. Mitchell started every game at center, extending his streak of starts in his career to 38 games.
Sophomore Jon Gurchak earned Second Team All-MWC honors as a punter and was an Honorable Mention selection at kicker. He averaged exactly 35 yards per punt and Lake Forest ranked third in the conference in net punting with a 32.0 yard average. Nineteen of his 62 punts were fair caught and 11 ended up inside the 20-yardline. Gurchak made all 24 of his extra point attempts on the season and added six field goals, including a career-long 47-yarder. His average kickoff was fielded at the 6-yardline and he had eight touchbacks.
Lake Forest went 8-2 overall this year and tied for second in the conference standings with a league mark of 7-2. The Foresters won each of their five home games for the second straight season.
