WILLIAMSBURG (Va.) - Montana Howlers rookie guard Paul Shepherd (German Shepherd, PG, MON) received the 2010 FBA Rookie of the Year award. Vera La Tiérra (Red Vixen, PG, WIL) came in second place in the voting.

Her teammates seemed less than enthused about the result.

"It's a [dang] travesty, that's what it is," said Alan Murphy (Kangaroo, SF, WIL). "I played against her. I played with her. These people are telling me she's not Rookie of the Year? Crikey."

Murphy played with the Pittsburgh Keystones to start the season and spent the last 10 games of the season with the Minutemen. He played 12 games with them in the playoffs.

His rookie teammate, Damien Nathaniel (Hyena, SF, WIL), agreed.

"I don't know what the voters were thinking. Vera's the most amazing talent I've ever seen. Paul's good, but he didn't do anything that I didn't see Vera do," he said.

Leonard Mack (Fox, PF, WIL), one of Vera's veteran teammates, said his jaw dropped when he heard the news.

"I couldn't believe my ears," the fox said. "People left her off their ballots completely as well. Why? It's inconceivable to me," he said.

The red vixen seemed to not be affected by the result of the voting.

"I think that Paul is very deserving of the award and I offer him my congratulations," she said.

The Montana Howlers finished in second place in the Midwest Division with a 52-28 regular season record. They were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Alaska Arctics. The Williamsburg Minutemen finished 40-40 in the regular season and upset the Plymouth Taproots in six games in the first round of the playoffs. They fell to the Newark Pride in the second round in six games.