Colon McNeal picked for Cactus Bowl all-star game

Dec. 12, 2001

Washburn senior wide receiver Colon McNeal has been selected to participate in the 2002 Whataburger Cactus Bowl game Jan. 11 in Javelina Stadium. He is one of 40 players named to the West team.

McNeal was named to the second team all-MIAA squad after finishing fourth on the all-time reception chart with 113 catches and fifth on the receiving chart with 1,808 yards. He led this season’s squad with 732 yards receiving with 43 catches and eight touchdowns. McNeal also led the team with 1,080 all-purpose yards averaging 98.2 yards per game. McNeal was an honorable mention selection kick returner as a freshman and an honorable mention wide receiver following his sophomore and junior campaigns.

Marc Nardella, a wide receiver for the Ichabods, was the last Washburn player to take part in the Catus Bowl, then known as the Snow Bowl following the 1999 season.

The 2002 Whataburger Cactus Bowl game will have a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Jan. 11. The start time was set this week by Fox Sports Southwest, which will televise the game live for the second consecutive year. The NCAA Division II All-Star game was held in Javelina Stadium for the first time last winter and attracted a crowd of 12,500. It had been held in Fargo, N.D., prior to moving to Kingsville. Eighty players from NCAA Division II schools throughout the nation are selected to participate in the contest. Activities related to the game are held the week prior to the game.

This is the second year the game has been played in Kingsville and it will be the second time the contest has been televised. Fox Sports Southwest can be seen throughout the Southwest Region of the nation, and is also available for pickup in other areas through the Fox Sports network. It is also available nationally and internationally on satellite dishes.

Tune your Direct TV system to channel 643 and your Dish Network system to channel 416. The game features the top 80 players from NCAA Division II schools throughout the country. Last year’s game attracted a crowd of 12,000 to Javelina Stadium. More than 60 professional scouts were in Kingsville for the week of practices and the game. Numerous activities were scheduled for the participants and this program is expected to be expanded this year.