AZUSA, Calif. -- The NAIA national office and Azusa Pacific released their respective postseason honors for the 2003 season, a campaign in which the Cougars went 8-2 and returned to the NAIA playoffs, their fourth appearance in the past 6 years.

For the first time since its 1998 NAIA championship season and only the fourth time in program history, Azusa Pacific has placed 2 players on the NAIA All-America first team list. Senior defensive tackle Nick Tavaglione, who tallied 63 tackles on the season, including 18 for loss which takes into count a team-high 11 quarterback sacks, was accorded first team honors after receiving second-team recognition last year. Senior wide receiver Nate Farris, who led the nation in punt returns by averaging a whopping 26.8 yards, was named to the first team as a punt return specialist, the first-ever Cougar to be so honored in that category.

The 6-foot, 260-pound Tavaglione out of Riverside’s Poly High, is Azusa Pacific’s first repeat NAIA All-American since Jack Williams in 1998 and 1999. For his 2-year career, Tavaglione registered 109 tackles, which included 21 sacks. He had 4 multiple-sack games this past season, including what may have been his best effort ever, a 9-tackle effort at Rocky Mountain, which included 3 tackles for loss along with 2 sacks. He led a Cougar defense that was third in the nation in scoring defense (12.5 avg.) and third in rushing defense (87.9 avg.). Azusa Pacific held 7 of its 10 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing in the game this year, including Gustavus Adolphus, which managed just 17 yards on 33 carries in the Cougars’ 23-10 victory in Minnesota.

Farris, who earlier last year became in NAIA champion in track & field’s indoor 600 meters, displayed his speed on a regular basis during the football season. Of his 16 punt returns this season, Farris returned 6 of them 35 yards or more in length, including 2 for touchdowns in length of 76 (vs. Pacific Lutheran) and 79 yards (vs. Chapman). Additionally, as a wide receiver Farris caught 15 passes for 355 yards (23.3 avg.) and scored 3 touchdowns, all over 50 yards in length (56, 58 and 77).

Farris, who prepped at Brethren Christian High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and transferred from Long Beach City College, finishes his 3-year career at Azusa Pacific with 14 touchdowns, 12 of which covered more than 40 yards.

Senior linebacker Anthony Diggs was named NAIA All-American second team after recording 53 tackles on the season, including a team-high 20 for loss. In the aforementioned game with Gustavus Adolphus, Diggs had 7 tackles that included 3 for loss along with 2 sacks. He concludes his 2-year career with 100 tackles, 32 of which were behind the line of scrimmage.

Fellow defender Brian Rocheleau, a senior cornerback out of Yucca Valley (Calif.) High School who tallied 41 tackles and a team-high 9 pass deflections, was given honorable mention along with sophomore running back Ben Buys, a Denver (Colo.) Christian High alum, who rushed for a team-high 996 yards and 12 touchdowns in 7 games before having his season cut short with torn ankle ligaments. Junior offensive guard Rene Arguelles, who prepped at nearby Charter Oak High School in Glendora, Calif., also received honorable mention among the NAIA All-America team.

Linebacker Jed Thurner, often termed by his coaches as the best reserve player in the NAIA, became the 25th Cougar to be given recognition as an NAIA All-American Scholar athlete. The 5-foot-11, 240-pound Thurner, who hails from Kaahumanu High School in Paia, Hawaii, is a junior communications studies major. He was sixth on the team in tackles this past season with 40 despite not starting a game. He finished with 4 sacks.

As a team, the Cougar players named Tavaglione and Diggs as the team defensive most valuable players for the 2003 campaign. Buys, who had 6 100-yard rushing games on the season, was named offensive and team MVP. The players also voted senior wide out David Canales as the most inspirational player. Canales, who has battled injuries since his 1999 arrival from Carson (Calif.) High, put together his first complete season, collecting 19 receptions, second-best on the team, for 208 yards and a touchdown.

Fellow seniors Louis Jamison and Dave Wilford were named team captains along with Tavaglione and Canales.

Click here to view the entire list of the 2003 NAIA Football All-America Scholar-Athletes and here for the 2003 NAIA All-American teams.