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Somerset, NJ - Central Connecticut State came away from the Northeast Conference football awards program as the big winner.  Fresh off capturing their first-ever outright NEC title, the Blue Devils claimed three major honors and a league-high 10 all-conference selections.  CCSU senior running back James Mallory (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) garnered NEC Offensive Player of the Year accolades, Central’s freshman linebacker Lawton Arnold (Simsbury, CT/Simsbury) secured the NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year honor, and the Blue Devils’ Jeff McInerney took the NEC Coach of the Year award.  Monmouth linebacker Jose Gumbs (Queens, NY/Hebron Academy) earned the NEC Defensive Player of the Year accolade, his second major award in his two seasons of collegiate football.  The NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year award went to Wagner’s freshman quarterback Nick Doscher (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic).

 

The Northeast Conference announced the honorees, which were chosen through a vote of the league’s nine head coaches, to kick off Gridiron Classic week Monday.  Central Connecticut State prepares to visit Pioneer League champion Butler in the fourth annual postseason Gridiron Classic on December 5.

 

UAlbany, which saw its record run of 18 consecutive NEC wins and a quest for a third straight title come to a halt in 2009, tied CCSU by placing 10 representatives on the All-Northeast Conference First and Second Teams.  After seeing its hopes for a first-ever NEC crown dashed on the regular season’s final day, Wagner earned seven (7) all-league selections.  Monmouth saw six (6) of its own earn accolades followed by Robert Morris and Saint Francis (PA) with five (5) apiece.  NEC newcomer Bryant garnered four (4) all-NEC accolades while Sacred Heart rounds out the selections with three (3).

 

Mallory was the offensive catalyst for a team that enjoyed its best season in nearly four full decades.  He’ll have the opportunity to carry the Blue Devils to a 10^th win, while also solidifying his place as CCSU’s all-time leading rusher in the upcoming Gridiron Classic.  His 3,136 career rushing yards and 33 career touchdowns (200 pts.) both rank second in CCSU’s program history.  After amassing 1,520 yards on the ground as a junior, Mallory has rushed for 1,243 yards to rank second amongst NEC ball carriers in 2009.  After totaling 539 rushing yards over the final four games of CCSU’s title chase, Mallory is averaging 113.0 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry on the season.  Mallory, who has 15 rushing touchdowns in each of the past two seasons, has eclipsed the 100-yard mark on 15 occasions during his career.  He is one of 20 national finalists for the 2009 Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top player in Division I FCS.

 

Gumbs became only the second man in Northeast Conference history, joining former UA linebacker Colin Disch, to turn a NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year selection into the Player of the Year award the very next season.  His selection also marks the second consecutive season that a Monmouth Hawk has been tabbed the league’s top defender, following in the footsteps of former All-American Kevin Walsh. The conditions were certainly not ideal, but they did not prevent Gumbs from thriving during his second collegiate season on the gridiron.  Gumbs battled both injury and a position change, but still managed to make a team-high 95 tackles over nine games.  He started the season’s first two games at free safety before missing the finals two weeks in September due to injury.  Gumbs returned to his free safety spot for the Hawks’ first three games in October prior to making his debut at outside linebacker on Halloween.  His first game at the new position yielded a game-high 11 tackles as the Hawks limited Bryant to 255 yards of total offense in a 10-6 victory.  Although a bit undersized, the 5-foot-11 Hawk made 47 tackles in four games following his position change.  Known for his punishing hits, Gumbs added 3.0 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one blocked kick on the season.

 

Wagner’s surge up the Northeast Conference standings coincides with Doscher establishing himself as an effective full-time starter.  The first-year signal caller totaled 2,099 yards of offense and was responsible for 21 touchdowns (13 rushing, 8 passing) while leading the Seahawks to their highest NEC win total (5) since 2000.  He rushed for 769 yards on 161 attempts (4.8 ypc) while going 103-of-178 passing (57.9%) for 1,330 yards, all despite starting only nine of 11 games.  The five-time NEC Rookie of the Week flashed his abilities by totaling 242 yards of offense and three rushing touchdowns in the conference opener, a three-overtime win over Saint Francis (PA).  Doscher’s second NEC start produced only 69 yards in a 6-2 setback to Bryant, but the 6-foot-1 freshman was about to explode.  His 315 yards and three touchdowns sparked the Seahawks to a road win at Monmouth, their first of four consecutive victories.  He exceeded 300 yards of total offense twice more during the win streak, including the 304 yards and five TDs (3 pass, 2 rush) that allowed Wagner to deal CCSU its only NEC loss.

 

Arnold became a defensive leader for the Blue Devils despite not making his collegiate debut until the team’s fourth game.  His 48 tackles, of which 6.5 were for a loss, came over an eight-game sample.  Showing a knack for key plays, he added two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two quarterback hurries.   After playing sparingly in the NEC opener against cross-state rival Sacred Heart, he more than made his presence felt the following week against Robert Morris.  Arnold broke through by making five solo tackles and forced a fumble in a 21-21 win over the Colonials.  Although the NEC coaches billed him the league’s top defensive rookie, Arnold, who plays what has historically been one of the NEC’s deepest positions in terms of talent, was unable to secure one of the six all-NEC linebacker selections.

 

McInerney has guided the Blue Devils to a winning season in each of his four years at helm, but none have proven more fruitful than the current campaign.  Coaching CCSU’s version of the “Cardiac Kids”  to second-half comebacks in seven of their nine victories, McInerney has his team one step away from setting the single-season program record for wins.  The fourth-year head coach earned his first-ever triumphs over perennial NEC title contenders Albany and Monmouth in 2009 on the way to securing CCSU’s first NEC title since it shared the league crown in 2004 & 2005.  The Blue Devils have won 30 games over a four-year span, which began with McInerney’s hiring in 2006, in achieving yet another program first.

 

The man who sits in third, one spot ahead of Mallory, on the 2009 Division I FCS rushing leader board joins the CCSU senior in the all-NEC first team backfield.  Monmouth senior David Sinisi (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove), a Walter Payton Award candidate for the second year in a row, is the Northeast Conference’s  all-time leading rusher (5,049 yards) and scorer (432 pts.).  Both totals also rank first amongst all active student-athletes in Division I FCS. On his way to a fourth consecutive all-NEC selection, and second on the First Team, Sinisi carried a NEC-high 300 times for a conference-best 1,437 yards and 13 touchdowns.  Always a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield, Sinisi made 20 receptions for 249 yards and another four touchdowns.  The scoring machine also tossed two TD passes on halfback option plays.  Although they left him short of a 26^th career 100-yard performance, Sinisi’s 65 yards in Monmouth’s season finale allowed the New Jersey native to become the first NEC rusher to break the 5,000-yard barrier.

 

The all-NEC first team receiving corps consists of the same two men for the second consecutive season.  Sacred Heart senior Steve Tedesco (Mission Viejo, CA/Trabuco Hills) and Albany senior Tim Bush (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) finished first and second, respectively, amongst NEC leaders in both receiving yards and receptions. 

 

Earning his third straight selection to the First Team, Tedesco made a NEC-high 67 receptions for a league-best 865 yards.  His 11 receiving touchdowns moved him past former SHU running back Ed Priccolo (33) and into the top spot on the program’s all-time touchdowns list (37).  His single-game program-record 12 receptions, 144 yards, and four scores in SHU’s season finale accounted for his 11^th career 100-yard receiving day and cemented his place in the Northeast Conference record book.  His 229 receptions rank second in the league’s history and his 2,848 receiving yards are fourth-best.

 

Bush was granted a fifth year of eligibility during the offseason, and the 5-foot-9 receiver made the most of it.  Finishing second to Tedesco in both receptions and receiving yards for the second straight season, Bush caught 63 passes for 861 yards.  His 147 career receptions make him UAlbany’s all-time leader while his 1,880 yards are third-most by a Great Dane.

 

Bryant junior Matt Tracey (Littleton, CO/Heritage) occupies the post that current Miami Dolphin John Nalbone held for the past two years.  The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Tracey was the was the Bulldogs’ leader in receptions (35) and yards (476), numbers that ranked tops amongst NEC tight ends, during their first season playing a full league schedule.  His six receiving touchdowns tied him for second amongst Northeast Conference pass-catchers.  Tracey scored at least once in three of Bryant’s five wins, including three touchdowns over the final two games that saw the Bulldogs defeat Western Pennsylvanian rivals Saint Francis (PA) and Duquesne.

 

All five first team offensive linemen are veterans, and four of the five were members of the 2009 All-NEC Preseason Team.  CCSU senior Anthony Pineiro (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) was the selection who did not receive the preseason billing.  His seamless transition from guard, where he earned second team honors in 2007, to center helped strengthened an offense that went on to average 25.2 points and 388.0 yards per contest.

 

Upperclassmen Kevin Sterling (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) and Shawn Wright (Fort Washington, MD/DeMatha), who comprised the right side of Monmouth’s line, make their second consecutive appearance on the First Team.  The former started in each of Monmouth’s 11 games at right tackle, marking the third straight season during which he did not miss a start.  Meanwhile, Wright started the season’s first 10 games before missing the finale due to injury.  The two intimidating blockers paved the way for Sinisi’s record-shattering career.

 

Saint Francis (PA) senior Cody Kekipi (Waimanalo, HI/Punahou) and Albany senior Kevin Richards (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) run the number of centers on the first team offensive line to three.  It’s the second straight first team selection for the former while the latter made his move up from the 2008 Second Team.

 

Central Connecticut State (3) and UAlbany (4), the top two teams inn the 2009 NEC standings, combined to place seven representatives on the All-NEC First Team Defense.

 

CCSU senior Ray Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Oxon Hill), who recorded 44 total tackles and two pass break-ups, stands as the lone two-time selection to the first team defensive line.  The elusive defensive end registered team-high 10.0 tackles for loss, including four sacks that cost the opponent a total of 48 yards.

 

Bryant senior defensive end Don Smith (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) registered 6.0 sacks to rank second amongst NEC leaders.  Standing at 6’4” and 255 pounds, Smith totaled 37 tackles, including 22 solo, and two fumble recoveries.

 

In a season during which he made 10.5 tackles for loss, Saint Francis (PA) senior Russel Fisher (Kailua, HI/Mid Pac Institute) was named one of ten senior finalists for the ARA Sportsmanship Award (previous winners of the award since its inception in 2005 include Brian Leonard [Rutgers] and DeAngelo Williams [Memphis]).  The native of Hawaii tallied 54 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

 

Albany’s Trevor Anderson (Warnersville, NY/Cobleskill-Richmondville), the only junior of the group, helped solidify the Great Danes’ defensive front that lost former first team Tom Pandolf to graduation.  He made 36 tackles, 5.5 of which resulted in a loss, and three sacks.

 

Joining Gumbs in as all-NEC first team linebackers are a pair of senior Great Danes from the State of New Jersey.  UA’s Dave Nicomini (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny Regional) was an all-conference honoree at defensive back in 2007 before losing all of his 2008 campaign due to a leg injury.  Returning at outside linebacker for his final season of eligibility, Nicomini made a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss.  In addition to 73 total tackles, the 6-foot-3 Garden State native recorded six pass break-ups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Inside linebacker Justin Brancaccio (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) accounted for a second consecutive campaign worthy of first team accolades.  The team captain led Albany in total tackles (94) and broke up three passes.

 

Albany senior Dave Casale (Troy, NY/Troy) and CCSU junior Alondre Rush (Middletown, CT/Xavier) return to the first team defensive backfield for the second consecutive season.  The former made 77 tackles, including a team-high 40 solo stops, in helping Albany to its fourth straight winning season.  Casale, a 6-foot-2 free safety, recorded two interceptions and six pass break-ups on the way to a team-high eight passes defended (8^th in NEC).

 

Rush, a strong safety, also led his club in solo tackles (36).  The 6-foot, 190-pound Connecticut native totaled 71 stops, including 4.5 for a loss.  Wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks, Rush made two sacks, secured two interceptions, and broke up three passes.

 

Senior cornerback Marcus Dorsey (Germantown, MD/Seneca Valley) gives the Blue Devils two first team defensive backs.  The Maryland native tied for first amongst NEC leaders in interceptions (5) and ranks third in passes defended (13).  He returned the five picks for 172 returns yards, 100 of which came on the one play in a NEC-TV Game of the Week (Oct. 3).  With intrastate rival Sacred Heart five yards away from the go-ahead score with fewer than 3:00 remaining in regulation, Dorsey intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it a NEC-record 100 yards for a game-sealing touchdown.

 

Junior Kendall Haley (Olney, MD/Good Counsel) was responsible for another memorable moment on NEC-TV when his 65-yard interception return provided the decisive touchdown in a 17-10 victory over Duquesne (Sept. 19).  It was one of Haley’s three picks on the season during which he also broke up four passes and forced a fumble.  With injuries thinning the Hawks’ linebacking corps, Haley stepped up to make a team-high 47 solo stops.  His 86 total tackles were second on the team to only Gumbs.

 

Wagner is home to two of three all-NEC first team specialists, all of whom are juniors.  Robert Morris placekicker, the only non-Seahawk of the group, Garrett Clawson (Duncansville, PA/Hollidaysburg) set the Colonials’ single-season record for field goals made (14).  Nine of his NEC-leading 14 makes came during RMU’s five-game win streak that erased the memory of an 0-6 season start.  Clawson converted at a 77.7% success rate and nailed a long of 46 yards.

 

Seahawks’ junior defensive back Frantz Placide (Miami, FL/Archbishop Curley) earned the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week award on four occasions, primarily a result of his return efforts.  The first team return specialist brought back 29 kickoffs for a conference-best 26.8 yards per return.  He returned kickoffs for touchdowns in both the season opener and finale.  Placide was also credited with two return touchdowns that followed punt blocks.

 

Seahawks’ junior punter Kyle Muir (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) wasn’t need often, but delivered when he was.  Muir, who averaged 39.9 yards per boot, successfully dropped 15 of his 37 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.  Never missing an opportunity to pin the opposition deep in its own end, Muir was only one of two NEC punters to avoid registering a single touchback the entire season.

 

Central Connecticut State’s five selections top the All-NEC Second Team, starting with senior quarterback Aubrey Norris (Staten Island, NY/Hargrave Military) and his favorite target junior Josue Paul (Delray Beach, FL/Pope John Paull II).

 

Norris came off the bench during the second quarter of CCSU’s comeback win over Columbia (Sept. 26), the NEC’s first-ever over a Ivy League member, and never looked back.  Engineering the Blue Devils’ offense to a program-record seven NEC wins, Norris posted a 67.0 completion percentage (77-for-115) and totaled 1,042 yards through the air.  Having always been a threat to tuck it and run, Norris accounted for 264 rush yards and two touchdowns over 74 attempts.

 

Paul, who burst onto the scene as an electrifying kick returner in 2007, proved to be both a reliable and explosive pass-catcher this season.  His 14.8 yards per catch average was tops amongst NEC receiving leaders while his 782 yards were third.  The 6-foot-1 Floridian made 53 receptions, none bigger than the 69-yard touchdown sprint that lifted CCSU past Monmouth in the waning minutes of Week 11.

 

Paul is opposite Saint Francis (PA) senior Antoine Rivera (Willingboro, NJ/Willingboro) on the second team receiving corps.  After losing the final nine games of his 2008 season due to a knee injury, Rivera bounced back one year later.  The 6-foot-4 target made 53 catches for 689 yards and four touchdowns while solidifying his spot in NEC history.  His six catches in the season finale upped his career total to 156 and moved him past current Dallas Cowboy Miles Austin (150) for seventh in all-time league annals.  His 2,441 receiving yards sit fifth.

 

Seniors David McCarty (Gansevoort, NY/LaSalle Institute) and Jerell Smith (Brooklyn, NY/St. Francis Prep) are the second team running backs.  Despite being bothered by a host of nagging ailments throughout the season, McCarty (4,287) managed to become only one of three rushers in conference history to eclipse 4,000 career yards.  One year after he set the NEC single-season rushing mark (1,852), McCarty totaled 934 rushing and nine touchdowns on the ground.  His 246 career points are an Albany record and rank fifth in league annals.

 

Bryant’s step up in competition had no negative effect on Smith.  The Brooklyn native was one of the NEC’s four 1,000-yard rushers this season.  His 1,198 yards on 231 attempts ranked third in the conference.  Six of Smith’s team-leading seven touchdowns came against Northeast Conference foes.

 

Robert Morris sophomore tight end Shadrae King (Pittsburgh, PA/McKeesport) blossomed during NEC play.  The 6-foot-3 Colonial made 31 of his 34 receptions against league members.  King, who totaled 369 receiving yards, saved all four of his touchdowns for the conference portion of the Colonials’ schedule.

 

Three of the five all-NEC second team offensive linemen are Wagner Seahawks.  Juniors Joe Feriozzi (Margate, NJ/St. Augustine) and Cleveland Green (Hollywood, FL/McArthur) join senior line mate Matthew Martin (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken) in receiving honors following Wagner’s strong season on the offensive side of the ball.  The Seahawks led the NEC in scoring offense (30.7 ppg).  With Green occupying the center position, alongside Martin at right guard and Feriozzi at right tackle, Wagner rushed for a league-high 20 touchdown in eight NEC games.

 

The NEC’s Nutmeg State rivalry produces the other two offensive line selections.  Junior tackle Mike Allison (Marlboro, CT/RHAM), a true bookend at 6’6” and 300 pounds, started all 11 games during CCSU’s title run.  Sacred Heart senior Abel Malae (Pacifica, CA/Terra Nova) made 10 starts at left tackle, protecting quarterback Dale Fink’s blindside.

 

The second team all-NEC defensive line consists of four first-time honorees, each representing a different institution.  Albany’s Tony Sparano (Colleyville, TX/Grapevine), the son of current Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano, is part of the group that features four seniors.  Sparano made 33 tackles, tallied three sacks, and recovered two fumbles from his defensive end spot.  Monmouth’s defensive tackle David Kennedy (Fort Lee, NJ/Paterson Catholic) made 6.0 of his 33 tackles for a loss, including 3.5 sacks.  Nose tackle Joe Harkins (Washington, DC/St. John’s College HS) was Wagner’s defensive leader, registering 27 of his 40 tackles in NEC play.  The 6-foot-1 Harkins totaled 7.0 stops for a loss.  Sacred Heart’s Chansler Davis (Islip Terrace, NY/East Islip) accounted for 42 tackles, 2,5 sacks, and three pass break-ups.

 

Junior Jeff Marino’s (New Britain, CT/New Britain) selection gives CCSU a second team linebacker for the second consecutive season after graduate Mike Cooke claimed the honor in 2008. The 6-foot-1 Marino was the leading tackler (85) for a defense that allowed 298.1 yard per game.   Saint Francis (PA) junior Scott Lewis (South Fork, PA/Bishop McCort) and Matthew Parker (Darlington, PA/Blackhawk) combined to total 221 tackles last season and earn all-conference honors as a result.  The selection marks Lewis’ first to the Second Team after earning first team honors in each of his first two collegiate seasons.  Meanwhile, Parker picks up a second straight second team accolade.  Upping his career total to 386, Lewis became the Red Flash’s all-time leader in tackles and stands 61 shy of the all-time NEC mark.  Parker, who ranked third in the NEC with 103 total tackles, made a league-high 16.0 stops for a loss.

 

Two of Robert Morris’ five all-NEC selections are in the second team defensive backfield.  Senior safety Michael Landers (Springdale, PA/Springdale) has made his name well-known around NEC circles, earning spot on the Second Team after a first team selection a year ago.  Landers total 80 tackles, six pass break-ups, and one interception.  Third-year Colonial Rolf Bathold (Naples, FL/Lely), a cornerback, made three interceptions and broke up 12 passes on the way to leading the NEC in passes defended (15). CCSU junior Dominique Rose (Hartford, CT/Sports Sciences) is a second teamer for the second straight season after accounting for 30 tackles and seven passes defended (6 PBU + 1 INT).  Bryant’s senior strong safety Andre Whyte (Bennington, VT/Mount Anthony) rounds out the All-NEC Second Team Defense.  He recorded 55 tackles and eight pass break-ups.