KINGSVILLE, Texas (Dec. 16) -- Central Washington University seniors
Garrett Rolsma (University Place/Curtis HS) and
Johnny Spevak (Edgewood/Puyallup HS) have both been selected to participate in the 2010 Valero Cactus Bowl on Jan. 8, 2010, at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas. Kickoff for the game will be at 6:35 p.m. Central Standard Time (4:35 p.m. Pacific).
Rolsma and Spevak are the top two scorers in Central Washington football history, finishing their illustrious careers with 330 and 326 points, respectively, and both are statistically the greatest players at their respective positions in the program's history.
Rolsma, the lone kicker listed on the West team roster, made 20 of 25 field goals and 40 of 42 extra points for an even 100 points as a senior. His 20 field goals were a single-season school record, surpassing his own previous record of 15 in 2008, and he finished his career by making 53 of 70 field goals (75.7 percent). The two-time first-team all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection, who also became the first CoSIDA/
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American (College Division) in the school's history earlier this fall, also handled punting and kickoff duties for the Wildcats for the past three seasons.
Spevak is one of six receivers listed on the West roster. Central's all-time record-holder for career receptions (318), receiving yards (4,426), touchdowns (54), and 100-yard receiving games (19), Spevak finished his senior season with 74 receptions for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his final three seasons, finished his career ranked second in NCAA Division II in total pass receptions, and has also been a multiple-time selection on the CoSIDA/
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII College Division and Academic All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams. Spevak is also one of the greatest two-sport student-athletes in modern CWU history, having started for four seasons in both basketball (2005-09) and football (2006-09) and participating in six of a possible eight NCAA Division II championship tournaments in the two sports combined.
With the selection of Rolsma and Spevak to this year's Cactus Bowl, the Wildcats have had at least one selection to the game in six of the last eight years, with 12 total players chosen to play in the game over that time span. And although CWU did not have any players participate in the Cactus Bowl last season, former Wildcats Mike Reilly and Jared Bronson both participated in the prestigious East-West Shrine Game -- a game typically reserved for Division I players.
The Cactus Bowl originated as the Snow Bowl in Fargo, N.D., in 1994 before moving to Kingsville in 2001. According to the Cactus Bowl web site (cactusbowl.org), the game will be played in an East/West format, with the teams are comprised entirely of the 'best of the best' NCAA Division II college seniors. The Cactus Bowl Committee, comprised completely of volunteers, is responsible for all aspects of organization for the contest and net profits from the Cactus Bowl are donated to Shriners Hospitals for Children.
ALL-TIME CACTUS BOWL SELECTIONS FROM CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
2002 season -- Lance Gibson (DL), Jeremy Jacobs (DB)
2003 season -- Moses Lewis (WR), Jake Roberts (WR), Joe Smith (P)
2004 season -- Dustin Hawkins (DL), Emilio Iniguez (RB)
2005 season -- Brian Potucek (WR)
2007 season -- Johnny Lopez (RB), Bret Stray (DL)
2009 season -- Garrett Rolsma (K), Johnny Spevak (WR)