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Bridgewater, NJ — Central Connecticut ran it back as the top dawg in NEC football and so did one of the league’s most destructive offensive weapons.
Covering more than 1,000 yards of gridiron in another banner-raising season for the Blue Devils, elusive running back Elijah Howard (Knoxville, TN/The Baylor School (Virginia Tech)) ran to his second NEC Offensive Player of the Year award in as many seasons.
In doing so, he became the first NEC baller to repeat as the league’s top offensive player since UAlbany rusher Gary Jones nabbed the distinction in consecutive seasons in 2002 and 2003, and just the third in league history.
Howard wasn’t the only Blue Devil to run away with a major award. Nudging Duquesne’s seven titles to take over as the most storied team in NEC annals with eight conference crowns, Central Connecticut added two more major award winners to its count.
Big-time playmaker Jack Stoll (Lafayette, NJ/Pope John XXII) walked away with NEC Defensive Player of the Year distinction while third-year head coach Adam Lechtenberg was pegged the NEC Coach of the Year by his peers for the second-straight year.
The Dukes, who were in the conversation for the league’s FCS Playoffs AQ and a share of the title headed into the final game of the year, also got in on the major awards haul, sweeping each of the rookie honors. The future looks bright for the team from the Steel City, as rookie wide receiver Ryan Petras (Bethal Park, PA/Bethal Park) and sophomore defensive back Caleb Jones (Ravenna, OH/Archbishop Hoban) were named NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year and NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively.
With Petras’ and Jones’ sweep of the league’s two top rookie awards, Duquesne became the first program since Central Connecticut in 2005 to pull off the NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year and the NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year double.
Howard leaves his mark as one of the most explosive and clutch rushers the league has produced in recent history with his consistency and big performances. The 5-foot-10 defined versatility in 2025. Rushing for 1,078 yards to the tune of a league-best 98.0 yards per game, Howard, who finished the season strong with three-straight 100-yard outings and six touchdowns in the final three weeks of the campaign, added 296 receiving yards to top the NEC charts with 1,374 all-purpose yards and 124.9 per contest. He reached the end zone a league-leading 15 occasions, 11 times on the rush and four times on the catch.
Howard enters Central Connecticut’s postseason matchup at Rhode Island ranked 13th in the nation in rushing yards and rushing yards per game, while his 11 rushing scores are good for 24th among all FCS running backs.
Finishing as the league’s runner-up in rushing yards in each of the past two seasons, the senior put an exclamation point on the NEC’s first 1,000-yard rushing campaign since NFL baller Julius Chestnut surpassed the mark in 2023 with an eruptive outing in last Saturday’s pivotal regular season finale against Mercyhurst. He delivered 188 all-purpose yards on 163 rush yards and three touchdowns — including the go-ahead score on an eight-yard catch in the fourth quarter — to seal the deal on another postseason berth for the Blue Devils.
That was not the first time that the Tennessee native delivered with the game on the line. In overtime against Sacred Heart, he hauled in a 25-yarder in the end zone to propel the Blue Devils past their Nutmeg State foe.
In his three seasons at Central Connecticut, Howard has accumulated 3,002 rushing yards for an average of 91.0 per game. In addition, he has 24 career touchdowns. Among active career FCS leaders, he is sixth in rushing yards, third in rushing yards per game, fifth in all-purpose yards (3,908), third in all-purpose yards per game (118.42) and 18th in rushing touchdowns.
It's also an NEC Defensive Player of the Year repeat for the Blue Devils in 2025 as Stoll duplicated the efforts of former linemate Kimal Clark. The Garden State product quietly transformed into the cornerstone of a stingy Central Connecticut unit that was second on the circuit in scoring defense at 22.6 points per game. In 12 games, the senior racked up 50 solo and 36 assisted stops to lead the Blue Devils and rank third in the conference with 86 tackles. In addition, his team-leading 15.5 tackles-for-loss are second-best among NEC tacklers.
Stoll’s combination of tackling and discipline, along with his knack for making big plays, are all contributing factors to another championship for the Blue Devils. His season highlight was arguably one of the most pivotal moments of the 2025 NEC slate. With the game-tying field goal lined up for LIU in the game’s closing seconds on Nov. 1, Stoll ultimately saved Central Connecticut’s season in the defensive slugfest when he hurdled over the line and blocked the potential game-tying score. He finished with season-best totals of 12 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss in the 10-7 win, which preserved the Blue Devils undefeated record.
The Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award finalist also added another feather to his cap with a second-straight All-NEC First Team nod. He is the third NEC Defensive Player of the Year honoree in Blue Devil history.
Thanks to Petras, the NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year award remains in Pittsburgh, as he follows in the footsteps of teammate Shawn Solomon, Jr. The local product from Bethal Park, PA settled in and hit his stride during a dominant four-game stretch against league foes that resulted in the Dukes topping the opposition by a whopping average of 31.5 points. In that span, Petras, who reached the end zone on his first career catch and his first career rush, was twice named the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Rookie of the Week, with his first career distinction coming after he more than tripled his season yardage and caught two touchdowns in a 34-14 triumph over Stonehill on Oct. 4. On the season, he tallied 249 receiving yards while five of his 13 catches were marked as touchdowns.
Jones, a Buckeye State native, seamlessly transitioned from the offensive side of the gridiron to steadily emerge as a key defensive back for Duquesne this season. Providing reliable coverage on the regular, he provided a key foundation for a Dukes’ secondary that helped stymie NEC offenses to the tune of 17.7 points per contest. Jones delivered at least one tackle in each of his team’s 12 games and had multiple stops in two-thirds of those appearances. He did not back down against stiff competition, as two of his season-best marks — a six-tackle effort and a five-stop performance — came against FBS opponent Pittsburgh and FCS power Lehigh. Jones became the second Duke in program history to earn NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year distinction, joining Nathan Stone, who pocketed the award in 2014.
It's been nothing but an upward trajectory of success for Central Connecticut since Lechtenberg took the reins for the 2023 campaign. Under his direction, the Blue Devils are returning to the postseason for a second-straight season, marking the first time ever that the program makes consecutive trips to the NCAA FCS Playoffs as the NEC’s AQ. Inheriting a squad that went 2-5 prior to his arrival, it took just two short years for Lechtenberg to steer the Blue Devils back to the mountaintop of the NEC in 2024, and that position has not been relinquished since.Central Connecticut defeated Mercyhurst by a 35–28 final this past Saturday to clinch the regular-season crown outright. The win lifted the program’s title count to a league-best eight as the Blue Devils finished with a 6–1 record against league foes. Most impressively, during its current NEC title run, Central Connecticut has gone 11-2 against conference competitors, a mark that is good for an .846 win percentage that has not been matched by any other team in recent history.
For the second-straight season, Lechtenberg also made the cut as one of 15 finalists for Stats Perform Eddie Robinson Award.
The Blue Devils will look to score the program’s first-ever postseason victory on Saturday when they head to the Ocean State to take on ninth-seeded Rhode Island in a rematch of last year’s first round NCAA FCS Playoffs game.
AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS
- Central Connecticut and Duquesne each produced 15 All-NEC selections, but it was the Blue Devils who held the upperhand with a league-leading 10 first team members.
- Duquesne walked away with six All-NEC First Team awards, while LIU had five players earn the distinction.
- Ten ballers cemented their names among an elite group of NEC greats by repeating as All-NEC first teamers.
- A league-leading four Blue Devils maintained their All-NEC First Team status from a year ago. Joining Howard as a repeat first team honoree is a key component to a Central Connecticut offensive line that paved the rusher’s path to 1,000 yards in senior Isaiah DeLoatch (Shelton, CT/Shelton).
- Howard’s second career first team nod marked his third All-NEC honor, a mark that leads all honorees this season.
- Defensively, Stoll inked his name on the list of All-NEC First Team repeat honorees from Central Connecticut alongside senior linebacker Malachi Wright (West Haven, CT/West Haven/Choate Rosemary Hall) and sophomore defensive back Chris Jean (Rochester, NY/Rochester).
- No stranger to the NEC circuit but a newcomer to Central Connecticut, graduate student Donovan Wadley (Newark, NJ/Weequahic (Merrimack)) occupied two all-conference spots in his return to the NEC. Slotted as an All-NEC Second Team wide receiver in 2025, the 2023 NEC Offensive Player of the Year saw his All-NEC First Team count balloon to three after he earned a spot on the league’s top squad as a return specialist this year.
- Registering 2,821 yards through the air while sporting a 134.7 pass efficiency rating, senior Brady Olson (Bellingham, MA/Milford (UMass)) solidified his spot as the All-NEC First Team quarterback with his league-leading touchdown-to-interception ratio that featured 23 scores and seven picks.
- Duquesne wideout Joey Isabella (Mayfield, OH/Mayfield) hauled in more balls in the end zone than any other player in the nation in 2025. Finishing the regular season as the FCS’ statistical leader with 13 touchdown catches, the grad student retained his spot on the first time and grabbed second team distinction after leading all punt returners with 211 yards.
- The Dukes saw three more players double their career All-NEC First Team totals: senior offensive lineman Brian Beidatsch, Jr. (Greenfield, WI/Marquette University HS), junior defensive lineman Jack Dunkley (Penndel, PA/Neshaminy) and redshirt senior defensive back Antonio Epps (Liberty Borough, PA/South Allegheny).
- The league’s leading tackler pocketed All-NEC first team honors as sophomore linebacker Geno Calgaro (Canonsburg, PA/Canon-McMillan) represented Saint Francis on the list after he eclipsed the century mark and averaged a conference-best 9.5 stops per contest.
- One year after it produced its first-ever All-NEC pick in its inaugural season as a league member, Mercyhurst hauled in three all-conference selections, including a pair of first teamers in junior running back Brian Trobel (Mentor, OH/Mentor (Edinboro)) and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Dylan Evans (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park (New Hampshire)). The duo accounted for all but one of the Lakers’ 16 touchdowns on the season, with Trobel’s 12 rushing scores leading all NEC running backs.
- LIU’s delivered a suffocating defense this year, limiting league foes to just nine touchdowns for a stout 11.4 points per game. As a result, five Sharks — two linemen, one linebacker and a pair of defensive backs — were rewarded with All-NEC accolades. Highlighting four first team members was sophomore defensive lineman Scoop Gardner Jr. (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Wood), a defensive lineman who racked up 15.5 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks to lead LIU in both categories.
- Wagner kicker Nicholas Romero (Pembroke Pines, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas) was the lone rookie to ink his name on an All-NEC squad (First Team). The Floridian had an impressive debut on Grymes Hill, drilling 13-of-14 field goals for a .929 conversion rate that ranked second among all FCS place kickers this season.
- In addition to the 10 repeat All-NEC first team honorees, four other players took home their second career All-NEC award this season.
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 45th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of ten institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.necsports.com) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.
2025 NEC Football Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year
RB Elijah Howard CCSU Sr 5-10 185 Knoxville, TN/Baylor School (Virginia Tech)
Defensive Player of the Year
LB Jack Stoll CCSU Sr 6-0 230 Lafayette, NJ/Pope John XXII
Offensive Rookie of the Year
WR Ryan Petras Duquesne Fr 5-9 180 Bethel Park, Pa/Bethel Park
Defensive Rookie of the Year
DB Caleb Jones Duquesne So 5-9 190 Ravenna, OH/Archbishop Hoban
Coach of the Year
Adam Lechtenberg CCSU Third Season
2025 NEC Football First Team All-Conference
Offense
Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School (Previous School)
QB Brady Olson CCSU Sr 6-4 205 Bellingham, MA/Milford (UMass)
RB Elijah Howard CCSU Sr 5-10 185 Knoxville, TN/Baylor School (Virginia Tech)
RB Brian Trobel Mercyhurst Jr 5-9 190 Mentor, OH/Mentor (Edinboro)
WR Joey Isabella Duquesne Gr 5-9 185 Mayfield, OH/Mayfield
WR Chaz Middleton Robert Morris R-Sr 6-5 210 Norristown, PA/Norristown
WR Dylan Evans Mercyhurst R-So 6-3 195 Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park (New Hampshire)
TE/HB Peter Cleary CCSU Sr 6-3 245 Groveland, MA/Pentucket
OL Brady Anderson Wagner Sr 6-3 295 Sparta, NJ/Pope John XXIII
OL Brian Beidatsch, Jr. Duquesne Sr 6-4 285 Greenfield, WI/Marquette University HS
OL Isaiah DeLoatch CCSU Sr 6-5 335 Shelton, CT/Shelton
OL Precious Ekeh CCSU So 6-3 310 Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial
OL Cameron McLaurin Duquesne Gr 6-2 285 McKees Rocks, PA/Montour
Defense
Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School (Previous School)
DL Jack Dunkley Duquesne Jr 6-4 250 Penndel, PA/Neshaminy
DL Scoop Gardner Jr. LIU So 6-0 245 Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Wood
DL Kevin Kurzinger Duquesne Gr 6-2 275 State College, PA/State College Area
DL Gavin Taylor CCSU Sr 6-3 240 Yonkers, NY/Cardinal Hayes
LB Geno Calgaro Saint Francis So 5-10 215 Canonsburg, PA/Canon-McMillan
LB Norman Massey LIU Sr 6-2 200 Wichita, KS/Wichita East (East Texas A&M)
LB Jack Stoll CCSU Sr 6-0 230 Lafayette, NJ/Pope John XXII
LB Malachi Wright CCSU Sr 6-1 230 West Haven, CT/West Haven/Choate Rosemary Hall
DB Jalen Bell LIU So 6-1 195 Kissimmee, FL/Osceola
DB Antonio Epps Duquesne R-Sr 5-10 195 Liberty Borough, PA/South Allegheny
DB Chris Jean CCSU So 5-10 180 Rochester, NY/Rochester
DB Trey Watkins LIU R-Jr 6-0 185 Rahway, NJ/St. Joseph Regional (Lafayette)
Special Teams
Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School (Previous School)
K Nicholas Romero Wagner Fr 5-9 160 Pembroke Pines, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas
P Will Lynch LIU Sr 6-3 180 Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia/Somerset
RS Donovan Wadley CCSU Gr 5-8 180 Newark, NJ/Weequahic (Merrimack)
2025 NEC Football Second Team All-Conference
Offense
Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School (Previous School)
QB Tyler Riddell Duquesne Gr 6-1 190 Tampa , FL/Chamberlain (Gardner-Webb)
RB Ness Davis Duquesne R-So 5-11 200 Athens, GA/Athens Christian (Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
RB Taj Butts Duquesne R-Sr 5-11 205 St. Louis, MO/De Smet (Missouri)
WR Thomas Lee Robert Morris Sr 6-1 210 South Boston, VA/Halifax (Bluefield Univeristy)
WR Michael Trovarelli CCSU So 5-11 190 Stratford, CT/Bunnell
WR Donovan Wadley CCSU Gr 5-8 180 Newark, NJ/Weequahic (Merrimack)
TE/HB Richard Ransom Robert Morris Jr 6-5 215 Lawrenceville, GA/Collins Hill (Coffeyville JC)
OL Mofe Adewole Robert Morris Sr 6-4 270 Ellicott City, MD/Centennial
OL Blake Hoegler Mercyhurst Jr 6-4 325 Solon, OH/Solon
OL Yann Lekomo Robert Morris Sr 6-5 295 Germantown, MD/Northwest
OL Grayson Lewis LIU Gr 6-2 320 Harrisburg, NC/Hickory Ridge
OL Gary Satterwhite III Duquesne Gr 6-1 300 Farrell, PA/Farrell
Defense
Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School (Previous School)
DL A.J. Ackerman Duquesne Gr 6-5 300 Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward
DL Wayne Coleman CCSU So 6-1 260 Mount Vernon, NY/Archbishop Stepniac
DL Clifton Thompson CCSU Sr 6-1 355 Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack (AIC)
DL DQ Watkins LIU Gr 6-3 270 Oxford, MS/Lafayette (Northeast Mississippi CC)
LB Jordan Johnson Wagner Sr 6-3 225 Detroit, MI/St. Thomas Moore Prep (Independence CC)
LB Patrick McDonnell Robert Morris Sr 6-2 225 North Royalton, OH/North Royalton (Walsh)
LB Tyson Meiguez Duquesne Gr 6-2 220 Fairburn, CA/Creekside (Murray State)
LB Avery Morris Duquesne Gr 6-2 230 Humble, TX/Atascocita (Charlotte)
DB DJ Cerisier Duquesne R-So 6-0 190 Cheltenham, PA/Upper Dublin
DB Robert Dickerson Robert Morris Sr 6-0 195 Pittsburgh, PA/North Hills
DB Brayden Hall CCSU Jr 5-10 175 Chicago, IL/St. Rita’s
DB Sam Martin Wagner Sr 6-0 180 Staten Island, NY/Curtis (Temple)
Special Teams
Pos Name School Yr Ht Wt Hometown/High School (Previous School)
K Jayson Jenkins Robert Morris Gr 5-11 180 Monroeville, PA/Gateway
P Jayson Jenkins Robert Morris Gr 5-11 180 Monroeville, PA/Gateway
RS Joey Isabella Duquesne Gr 5-9 185 Mayfield, OH/Mayfield