KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – Seniors Mike Washington and Kennis Jones have been selected to participate in the 2009 Valero Cactus Bowl, an all-star game featuring NCAA Division II senior football players on January 9 at Javelina Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M-Kingsville.
The 2009 edition of the Cactus Bowl will feature 19 All-Americans and is headlined by five of the 24 Harlon Hill Trophy candidates; Ted Schlafke (Minnesota-Duluth), Brian McNeill (Nebraska-Omaha), Charly Martin (West Texas A&M), Corey Russell (Tusculum) and Mike Washington (West Chester).
Jones and Washington are two of 10 PSAC representatives heading down to Kingsville, Texas after the new year. East Stroudsburg has two representatives and Bloomsburg one to make up five players from the Eastern Division that were selected. California (Pa.) is sending two representatives from the West with Gannon, Edinboro and Indiana (Pa.) each sending one.
Washington holds 12 records on the national, conference and school levels and was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division offensive player of the year this fall as well as the Philadelphia Sports Writers’ Association amateur athlete of the year. He is a four-time, first team all-conference selection and an AFCA first team All-American.
Washington has enjoyed a stellar collegiate career as West Chester University’s favorite target over the past four years. The Philadelphia native ranks third all-time in Division II and sixth across all divisions of college football in career receiving yards (4,715) as well as third in Division II and sixth all-time across all divisions in career touchdown receptions (58). Washington is one of just three players to catch for 1,000 yards in all four years of his college career and the only one to do it at the Division II level or higher.
Jones played in and started all 13 games for West Chester University during the 2008 campaign. He anchors an offensive line that ranks 10th in the league in rushing (154.7 yds./gm). West Chester ranked second in the conference and tied for 16th nationally in fewest sacks allowed (12), only one of those allowed was his man. Jones is a three-time first team All-PSAC East performer, who has garnered considerable attention from professional scouts. West Chester’s passing offense, which topped the PSAC, ranked 21st nationally.
The Cactus Bowl was originally known as the Snow Bowl and was played in Fargo, North Dakota from 1994 through 2000. Starting in 2001, the Snow Bowl was renamed the Cactus Bowl and has been played in Kingsville, Texas. There have been over 100 players drafted into the NFL who played in the Cactus Bowl. All net profits from the Cactus Bowl are donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children.
