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Champion Whitworth dominates All-NWC football

Whitworth’s Chad Wilburg (2) was named 2018 Northwest Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year and Tyler Adamson (50) was a first-team offensive lineman. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
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Northwest Conference champion Whitworth University is well represented on the 2018 All-Northwest Conference football team, released Monday by the conference office.

Rod Sandberg is the 2018 NWC Coach of the Year, Chad Wilburg is the NWC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Colten Chelin is the league’s Freshman of the Year.

Seven Pirates earned First Team All-NWC recognition, three are on the second team and seven received honorable mention consideration.

Sandberg earned his first nod as NWC Coach of the Year in his fifth season at Whitworth as the Pirates posted the fifth unbeaten regular season in school history. Sandberg is 40-10 at Whitworth and already has the third-most victories of any coach in school history.

Kale Wong (Jr., LB) and Jaylen Gonzales (So., LB) join Wilburg on the first team defense. Leif Ericksen (Jr., QB), Garrett McKay (Sr., WR), Tyler Adamson (Sr., LT) and Jacob Hubbard (Sr., RT) are on the first team offense.

Wilburg led the NWC in sacks (11.5 for 69 yards) and ranked second in tackles for loss (16.5 for 79).

He shares the defensive award with Linfield’s Duke Mackle (Sr., DB).

Wong leads the Pirates in solo tackles (38), total tackles (59) and forced fumbles (3).