2004 Football All-Conference Teams Announced
Amherst's Ladd,
Trinity's Goldstein Named Players of the Year
HADLEY, Mass. - Running back
Fletcher Ladd of Amherst College and Trinity defensive back Aaron
Goldstein were honored as the 2004 NESCAC Offensive and Defensive
Players of the Year respectively in a vote by the conference
coaches. Trinity captured the NESCAC title with a second perfect
8-0 season while Amherst tied for second place with Colby and
Williams with a mark of 6-2. Trinity head coach Chuck Priore
garnered his second consecutive Coach of the Year honors. The
Bantams have not lost since week two of the 2002 campaign and hold
the longest winning streak in NCAA football at 22 games.
Ladd, a three-time first team
all-NESCAC selection, led the conference in rushing with a league
high 1137 yards and finished second in the conference in rushing,
averaging 111.8 yards/game to pace Amherst’s second ranked
rushing offense.
Goldstein, a first team selection a
season ago, anchored a Trinity defense which led the nation in
scoring defense allowing just 6.5 points per game and led the
NESCAC in rushing defense yielding just 95 yards per game on the
ground. Goldstein finished second on the team with 50 tackles
including three for loss, had an interception and returned a fumble
for a touchdown.
Bates College quarterback Brandon
Colon was honored as NESCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year and Tufts
University linebacker Adam Arsenault was awarded NESCAC Defensive
Rookie of the Year honors. Colon ranked third among NESCAC
quarterbacks averaging 173 yards per game with a 99.6 pass
efficiency rating. Arsenault made 52 total tackles for the Jumbos
including 6.5 tackles for loss.
Leading the first team offense is
Middlebury senior quarterback Mike Keenan. Keenan, making his
second consecutive first team, finished the season with 155
completions (fifth most in conference history) in 290 attempts for
a league-leading 215.8 yards per game. The senior threw for 13
touchdowns with 10 interceptions to finish with a pass efficiency
rating of 111.3. Keenan, and favorite target Tom Cleaver, led
Middlebury to the second rated passing offense in the conference.
Senior running backs Drew Finkeldey
of Trinity and Tim Crawley of Williams join Ladd as first-team
selections in the backfield. Crawley rushed for over 1,000 yards on
the year averaging 134.6 yards per game with 11 touchdowns.
Finkeldey, who averaged almost 112 yards per game, was the primary
rusher for a team which ranked ninth in the country in rushing
offense.
Cleaver and Amherst’s Jay
Wagstaff were both repeat selections on the first-team at wide
receiver. Middlebury’s Cleaver led the conference in
receptions with 62 and five touchdowns. The senior’s caught
balls for 943 yards, placing him third all-time in league history.
Wagstaff, who added 25 catches for 359 yards and three touchdowns,
was also a first-team all-league selection as return specialist.
The senior led the league in punt return average with 13.7 yards
per return including a 65-yard return for a touchdown week four
against Colby.
The receiving corps is rounded out
by Tufts senior wide receiver Kevin Holland and Williams senior
tight end Jonathan Siff. Holland made 56 receptions for 571 yards
and a touchdown as a Jumbo. Siff was Williams’ third leading
receiver totaling 154 yards on 14 receptions.
Trinity senior Chris Balestrino, a
second team selection a year ago, leads a trio of seniors selected
as all-NESCAC on the offensive line. Bowdoin’s Greg Berry, a
second team selection in 2002, and Colby’s Dave Hatch join
juniors Daniel Oliphant of Colby and Eric Ludwig of Williams as
first team honorees.
Heading the all-NESCAC defensive
honorees is Trinity junior lineman Michael Blair. Blair led the
league with seven quarterback sacks and finished with 11 solo
tackles for loss. Blair is joined on the first team by fellow
junior L.J. Spinnato of Amherst and senior linemen Caleb Bliss of
Williams, Tufts’ Chris Lawrence and Peter Sherman of Colby.
Sherman forced six fumbles this season to lead the conference.
First team linebackers Wes Connors
of Williams and Wayne Harrington of Colby led the league in fumble
recoveries with three apiece. Harrington led the 6-2 Mules with 79
tackles including 13 for loss while Connors paced the Ephs with 43
solo tackles (62 total) including 4.5 sacks. Senior Rich Decembrele
of Middlebury, a second team selection last season, and junior Avon
Morgan of Trinity, who led the Bantams with 55 tackles, round out
the linebacker selections.
Joining Goldstein in the defensive
backfield are Trinity junior teammate Kevin Quinn and seniors Rob
Walsh of Amherst and Mike Horan of Bates. Horan, a two-time first
team selection, led Bates with seven pass break-ups and 7.5 tackles
for loss. Walsh led the league with 14 passes defended including
six interceptions.
A pair of junior kickers earned
first team all-conference special team honors. Colby place kicker
Jon Goss led the conference with 44 points including nine field
goals. Trinity punter Tim Coughlin averaged 37.1 yards per punt for
the Bantams.
NESCAC all-conference selections
are determined by the conference coaches. Additional players
honored are due to ties in the voting.
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2004 NESCAC FOOTBALL
ALL-CONFERENCE
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| First Team Offense
|
|
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|
| QB
| Mike Keenan
| Middlebury
| Sr.
| Rutland, Vt.
|
| RB
| Tim Crawley
| Williams
| Sr.
| Cottage Grove, Ore.
|
| RB
| Drew Finkeldey
| Trinity
| Sr.
| Ivoryton, Conn.
|
| RB
| Fletcher Ladd
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Amherst, N.H.
|
| OL
| Chris Balestrino
| Trinity
| Sr.
| New Canaan, Conn.
|
| OL
| Greg Berry
| Bowdoin
| Sr.
| Portsmouth, N.H.
|
| OL
| Dave Hatch
| Tufts
| Sr.
| Norwood, Mass.
|
| OL
| Eric Ludwig
| Williams
| Jr.
| Belmont, Vt.
|
| OL
| Daniel Oliphant
| Colby
| Jr.
| Chatham, N.J.
|
| WR
| Tom Cleaver
| Middlebury
| Sr.
| Severna Park, Md.
|
| WR
| Kevin Holland
| Tufts
| Sr.
| Williamstown, Mass.
|
| WR
| Jay Wagstaff
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Tewksbury, Mass.
|
| TE
| Jonathan Siff
| Williams
| Sr.
| Concord, N.H.
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| First Team Defense
|
|
|
|
| DL
| Mike Blair
| Trinity
| Jr.
| Plymouth, N.H.
|
| DL
| Caleb Bliss
| Williams
| Sr.
| Berkeley, Mass.
|
| DL
| Chris Lawrence
| Tufts
| Sr.
| Falmouth, Mass.
|
| DL
| L.J. Spinnato
| Amherst
| Jr.
| Madison, Conn.
|
| DL
| Peter Sherman
| Colby
| Sr.
| Larchmont, N.Y.
|
| LB
| Wes Connors
| Williams
| Sr.
| Pacific Grove, Calif.
|
| LB
| Rich Decembrele
| Middlebury
| Sr.
| Walpole, Mass.
|
| LB
| Wayne Harrington
| Colby
| Sr.
| Rockland, Mass.
|
| LB
| Avon Morgan
| Trinity
| Jr.
| Ridgewood, N.J.
|
| DB
| Aaron Goldstein
| Trinity
| Sr.
| Edina, Md.
|
| DB
| Mike Horan
| Bates
| Sr.
| Stoughton, Mass.
|
| DB
| Kevin Quinn
| Trinity
| Jr.
| Chicago, Ill.
|
| DB
| Rob Walsh
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Fair Lawn, N.J.
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| First Team Specialists
|
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| PK
| John Goss
| Colby
| Jr.
| Shrewsbury, Mass.
|
| P
| Tim Coughlin
| Trinity
| Jr.
| Basking Ridge, N.J.
|
| RS
| Jay Wagstaff
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Tewksbury, Mass.
|
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| Second Team Offense
|
|
|
|
| QB
| Brandon Holtslag
| Hamilton
| Jr.
| Whitesboro, N.Y.
|
| RB
| Gennaro Leo
| Trinity
| So.
| Everett, Mass.
|
| RB
| Rob Patchett
| Bowdoin
| Sr.
| Pembroke, Mass.
|
| OL
| Brian Dubiel
| Trinity
| Jr.
| Avon, Conn.
|
| OL
| Bryan Lodigiani
| Middlebury
| Sr.
| St. Petersburg, Fla.
|
| OL
| Devin Malay
| Trinity
| Sr.
| Reading, Mass.
|
| OL
| Greg Polin
| Wesleyan
| Sr.
| Westwood, Mass.
|
| OL
| Matt Schiffman
| Trinity
| Sr.
| Potomac, Md.
|
| WR
| Brian Durant
| Bowdoin
| Sr.
| Dorchester, Mass.
|
| WR
| Sam Fletcher
| Wesleyan
| Gr.
| Darien, Conn.
|
| WR
| Matt Orlando
| Bates
| Sr.
| South Portland, Maine
|
| TE
| Ryan Sykes
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Charleston, S.C.
|
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| Second Team Defense
|
|
|
|
| DL
| Shem Johnston-Bloom
| Wesleyan
| Jr.
| Middlebury, Vt.
|
| DL
| Christian McNamara
| Trinity
| Sr.
| Dallas, Texas
|
| DL
| Mike Poplaski
| Colby
| So.
| North Reading, Mass.
|
| DL
| Kevin Ryan
| Middlebury
| So.
| Shelton, Conn.
|
| DL
| Mike Stratton
| Bowdoin
| Sr.
| Weston, Mass.
|
| LB
| Adam Arsenault
| Tufts
| Fr.
| Everett, Mass.
|
| LB
| Chris Decembrele
| Tufts
| So.
| Walpole, Mass.
|
| LB
| Coleman Hutzler
| Middlebury
| Jr.
| Las Vegas, Nev.
|
| LB
| Shaun Kezer
| Bowdoin
| Jr.
| Mansfield, Mass.
|
| LB
| Mike Salvatore
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Greenwich, Conn.
|
| DB
| Mike Civitello
| Colby
| Sr.
| Hamden, Conn.
|
| DB
| Elliot Moffie
| Williams
| So.
| Wallingford, Conn.
|
| DB
| Jonathan O'Hanlon
| Williams
| Jr.
| Darien, Conn.
|
| DB
| Duane Tyler
| Trinity
| Sr.
| Mitchellville, Md.
|
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| Second Team Specialists
|
|
|
|
| PK
| Steve Hauschka
| Middlebury
| So.
| Needham, Mass.
|
| P
| Steve Hauschka
| Middlebury
| So.
| Needham, Mass.
|
| RS
| Rob Patchett
| Bowdoin
| Sr.
| Pembroke, Mass.
|
|
|
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|
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| Offensive Player of the Year
|
|
|
|
| RB
| Fletcher Ladd
| Amherst
| Sr.
| Amherst, N.H.
|
|
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| Offensive Rookie of the Year
|
|
|
|
| QB
| Brandon Colon
| Bates
| Fr.
| Manchester, N.H.
|
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| Defensive Player of the Year
|
|
|
|
| DB
| Aaron Goldstein
| Trinity
| Sr.
| Edina, Md.
|
|
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| Defensive Rookie of the Year
|
|
|
|
| LB
| Adam Arsenault
| Tufts
| Fr.
| Everett, Mass.
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| Coach of the Year
|
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| Chuck Priore
| Trinity
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