LaRon Council couldn't help but feel touched when he was informed that he was named the MIAA's Offensive Player of the Year.

"Just as a senior, it's an amazing feeling to win that award," said Council, who also was a unanimous first-team selection at running back. "It's kind of hard to explain, but when you're a senior you know your career's coming to an end, so everything's just a lot more sentimental to you."

Council is the third straight conference offensive player of the year to come from Northwest. Running back Xavier Omon won the award in 2007 and quarterback Joel Osborn won it in 2008. But after two injury-prone years early in his career, it clearly became Council's turn.

"He's very deserving of it," said Northwest coach Mel Tjeerdsma, who in the voting by conference coaches earned his fourth straight MIAA Coach of the Year nod and his 11th in 16 years at the helm.

Tjeerdsma noted that Council likely performed better this season than last, even though his numbers were down.

"It wasn't because of him; it was because we were just so inexperienced," the coach said. "As we've gotten more experienced through the year, his production's gone up. I really felt good that (the MIAA coaches) recognized that."

Council was an integral part of a conference-leading offense that boasted a productive quarterback in Blake Bolles (3,200 yards, 35 touchdowns) and a record-setting wide receiver in Jake Soy. Soy has 61 receptions for 1,116 yards. His 22 touchdown catches are tied for sixth most in Division II history.

"Quite honestly, I think we had the three best candidates," Tjeerdsma said.

Council, a 210-pound senior from Kansas City, rushed for 1,202 yard on 212 carries, scoring 16 touchdowns during the regular season. He also caught 33 passes for 271 yards and competed his lone pass attempt of the season for 3 yards.

Council was among Northwest's nine first-team honorees. The Bearcats had two others on the second team and five others earning honorable mention.

Northwest senior safety Myles Burnsides, last year's MIAA and national defensive player of the year, repeated as a first-team selection, while Soy, a sophomore, was a unanimous pick at receiver. Bolles, junior offensive linemen Brett Grozinger and Jason Wiseman, sophomore linebacker Chad Kilgore and junior cornerback Ryan Jones rounded out Northwest's first-team selections.

Senior nose guard Shayne Shade and senior defensive end Sean Paddock were second-team selections for the Bearcats.

Tjeerdsma, as before, downplayed his dominance of the coach of the year category.

"They should make that award staff of the year," Tjeerdsma said. "In football it just takes a lot of people, and I think our coaching staff did an exceptional job this year."

Washburn senior linebacker Zach Watkins was named defensive player of the year, and running back Levi Terrell of Nebraska-Omaha was named freshman of the year.