By Dan Messerschmidt

The Northern 10 Conference all-league selections came out earlier this week and as I perused them, I became aware of what I thought was an egregious omission.

Bucyrus’ Gram Dick, who led the N10 in receiving yards, was not on the first team. More than that, Dick was not even on the second team.

It’s true that the Redmen finished with a 2-8 record. But I was astonished that Dick fell all the way to honorable mention, which are named by the players’ own coaches.

The first-and-second teams are selected by all the league’s coaches voting for nominated players from every team but their own. So, it was not a case of the coaches voting for their own players and the good teams had more nominees.

“Why in the world did Gram Dick get hosed,” I thought to myself. He’s a senior, a good kid, a good student with no baggage. What’s the deal?

After some investigation, I discovered that Dick is not alone. In the four-year history of the N10, receivers have not gotten love from the coaches come all-league selection time.

In 2015, Brayden Walker of Seneca East finished second in the league in yards per game on an 8-3 Tigers’ playoff team. His reward was honorable mention. Ironically, in 2014, Walker was named to the second team after finishing sixth in the league on a 2-8 team.

Bucyrus’ Austin Williams led the N10 in 2014 and earned first-team recognition as the Redmen finished 7-3. Since then, no receiving leader has been voted to the first team. In 2016, there were six running backs on the first team. In 2015, there were four quarterbacks. This year, there were zero receivers.

It was suggested to me that the N10, in its brief existence, has been a run-first league. But should that penalize obvious results?

Granted, Bucyrus operates out of the spread offense and throws the ball frequently. However, Gram Dick set a league record of 822 yards on 66 catches (let that sink in). His omission from at least the second team, in my mind, calls into question the integrity of the all-league teams and the objectivity of the voters.

The good news for Dick is that the All-Northwest District teams were announced on Thursday and he was named to the second team, getting the recognition he deserves.

In this day of pass-happy NFL teams and college programs, the N10 needs to realize that receivers are people too.