Football All-Conference Teams Released
Foote and Haynes Earn Player of
the Year Awards After Dynamic Seasons
HADLEY, Mass. – Junior quarterback
McCallum Foote of Middlebury and senior
safety Rae Haynes of Trinity have been
selected by the conference coaches as the NESCAC Offensive and
Defensive Players of the Year. Foote is the first Panther to earn
the league’s top offensive award since 2009, when former
quarterback Donald McKillop was recognized. Meanwhile, Haynes
became the seventh Bantam defender in the last nine years to be
honored. He follows former linebacker Walter Fallas, who was
recognized in each of the last two seasons.
In just his second season under center for the Panthers,
Foote was a nightmare for opposing defenses
in 2012. The junior finished the year with NESCAC and program
records for passing yards (2,897) and touchdowns (31) while
completing 63.7% (256-402) of his throws. He averaged an
eye-popping 362.1 yards per game (3rd nationally), posted an
efficiency rating of 145.7 and also chipped in with a pair of
rushing touchdowns. In eight games started, he was picked off just
eight times.
Foote was named NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week on three
occasions this year. He also earned the prestigious Gold Helmet
Award for the second time in his career after completing 40 of 58
passes for 456 yards and five touchdowns in Middlebury’s
50-21 win at Hamilton on November 3. Over the course of the season,
he piled up 400 or more yards through the air three times and
tossed five touchdown passes on four occasions for the 7-1
Panthers. Foote was placed on the All-NESCAC First Team for the
second straight season.
In addition to being named Defensive Player of the Year, Haynes
also received All-NESCAC First Team recognition for the second year
in a row. The free safety led the league’s top ranked defense
with four interceptions while also piling up 44 tackles and five
pass breakups. He was at his best in his team’s 32-20 triumph
over Amherst on November 3. After breaking up a pass at his own
goal line to hold the Lord Jeffs to a field goal in the first
quarter, the senior scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 40-yard
interception return in the fourth quarter. From there, the Bantams
added one more score to close out their 47th straight home
victory.
Haynes (pictured right) capped off his collegiate
career with nine tackles and another interception in
Trinity’s dramatic 30-24 overtime win at Wesleyan on
Saturday. In the process, he helped the Bantams put the finishing
touches a perfect 8-0 season and their sixth NESCAC title. As a
team, they surrendered just 13.9 points and 254.8 yards per
game.
Trinity running back Evan Bunker was named
to the All-Conference First Team for the second year in a row after
a dominant junior season. The 2010 Rookie of the Year headed up the
league’s best rushing offense with 1,275 yards on the ground
and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 106.6 yards per game and 6.2 yards
per carry. Bunker went over the century mark in all eight games,
including a 215-yard performance against Amherst.
He was joined on the First Team by teammate Mike
Budness, who caught 14 balls out of the backfield for 176
yards and three scores. The sophomore also added 146 yards and
three touchdowns on the ground.
Hamilton’s James Stanell earned First
Team honors after amassing a league-best 195.0 all purpose yards
per game. Though the junior did the majority of his damage on the
ground, running 191 times for 756 yards and five touchdowns, he
also made 19 receptions for 194 yards. Stanell ran a kick back 94
yards for a touchdown in the Continentals’ season opener at
Amherst on September 22.
Amherst senior offensive lineman John
Ceccio was named to the All-NESCAC First Team for the
third year in a row. Meanwhile, teammate Rob
Wasielewski returned for the second straight year
along with Trinity senior Mike Valenti and
Wesleyan junior Jacob Scheffer. This year’s
First Team also featured Middlebury senior Ryan
Moores. With Ceccio and Wasielewski paving the way,
Amherst’s rushing attack ranked third in the league with
191.0 yards per game. Valenti’s Bantams racked up a
league-high 281 yards on the ground, while Scheffer’s
Cardinals led the conference in time of possession. With Moores
leading the way, Middlebury surrendered just five sacks in
2012.
Returning to the All-NESCAC First Team at wide receiver for the
third year in a row was senior standout Darren
Hartwell of Williams. Hartwell was among the league
leaders with 34 receptions for 445 yards and five touchdowns. He
finished his career as the Ephs’ all-time leader in touchdown
grabs with 21. Hartwell was also honored as the return specialist
on the First Team for the second year in a row. The senior led the
league with a kick return average of 25.4 yards and returned 28
punts for 244 yards. Hartwell ran back the opening kickoff 90 yards
for a touchdown in his team’s 34-26 win at Hamilton on
October 27.
Fellow senior Zach Driscoll was voted to the
First Team after a record-breaking year for Middlebury. The wide
receiver established new NESCAC records for receptions (83) and
touchdown catches (15) in a season, while coming up just three
yards short of the yardage mark (1,134). Driscoll ended his career
as the Panthers’ all-time leader in receptions (172), yards
(2,257) and touchdowns (29). After racking up four touchdowns
in a 42-13 win at Colby on September 29, he exploded for 250 yards
and three scores in a 30-13 triumph at Williams two weeks later.
Driscoll had 10 catches or more in six of Middlebury’s eight
games this year.
Fellow Panther Billy Chapman repeated as the
First Team selection at tight end. Another one of Foote’s
favorite targets, he added 61 receptions, 693 yards and eight
touchdowns to his already impressive career totals. The senior went
over 100 yards four times, collecting two touchdowns in wins over
Bowdoin (September 22), Amherst (October 6) and Bates (October
20).
Rounding out the First Team offensive unit was Amherst junior
Jake O’Malley. The wide receiver caught 34
balls for 380 yards and two touchdowns for the Lord Jeffs. His 4.86
receptions per game were good for third in the league.
After two straight years of earning Second Team honors, Colby
senior Ryan Veillette was promoted to the
All-NESCAC First Team this season. The defensive lineman was the
league leader with 7.5 sacks this year to bring his career total to
20.5. Eleven of his 30 tackles went for a loss, and he also chipped
in with an interception and a forced fumble. Though Veillette
starred on the defensive side of the ball, his biggest play of the
year may have come on offense. On a trick play in overtime, he
threw a three-yard halfback pass for a touchdown to lift the Mules
to a dramatic 21-14 victory at Tufts on November 3.
Joining Veillette as First Team defensive linemen were Wesleyan
sophomore Nik Powers, Amherst senior
Travis Dickenson and Trinity senior
D.L. McDonald.
Powers was a terror for opposing offenses in just his second
season with the Cardinals, piling up 7.0 sacks. He was at his best
in a 24-22 win at Bates, when he posted a pair of sacks and four
tackles for loss. Nine of his 35 tackles this year went for a
loss.
Dickenson was equally impressive for the Lord Jeffs, amassing a
league-high 13 tackles for loss in 2012. He was among his team
leaders in tackles (55), sacks (2.5) and forced fumbles (2).
McDonald also enjoyed a solid senior season for the Bantams,
recording 23 tackles and a sack.
Williams linebacker Chris Cameron returned
to the All-NESCAC First Team after an outstanding senior campaign.
The 2009 Rookie of the Year led the Ephs with 65 tackles (50 solo)
while also posting two sacks, two interceptions and 7.5 tackles for
loss.
Fellow linebackers Griffin Cardew of
Bowdoin, Mike MacDonald of Hamilton and
Brett Cde Baca were also voted to the First
Team.
Cardew enjoyed a dominant junior season for the Polar Bears,
racking up a conference-best 97 tackles (53 solo) over eight games.
He registered two sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and
an interception. Cardew had 10 or more tackles six times this year,
and his 17 against Bates on November 3 tied a program.
MacDonald was elevated to the First Team after earning Second Team
honors last fall. The senior ranked third in the NESCAC with 82
tackles (50 solo) to bring his career total to 301. In the process,
he became just the second Continental to reach 300 tackle mark.
MacDonald tallied five tackles for loss and two fumble
recoveries. He finished with 13 tackles in a 14-13 triumph over
Bowdoin on October 13.
Cde Baca was among the league leaders with 8.0 tackles for loss.
Over the course of his season, the junior collected 35 tackles and
a sack.
Haynes was joined on this year’s All-NESCAC First Team by
classmate Julian Brown and three other
defensive backs. Brown did a little bit of everything for the
Bantams, totaling 41 tackles (26 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, two
interceptions, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and a sack. The
safety came up with seven tackles, one interception and a forced
fumble in Trinity’s 27-10 win at Bowdoin on October 20.
Wesleyan junior Jake Bussani repeated as a
First Team honoree after picking off five passes this fall. He was
among the league leaders with eight pass breakups and also chipped
in with 25 tackles. Bussani earned NESCAC Defensive Player of the
Week honors twice this season. After intercepting two pases in the
Cardinals’ 35-14 triumph over Tufts on September 22, he added
two more picks and a fumble recovery in their 34-14 victory over
Bowdoin on October 27.
Bates was represented on the First Team by junior Andrew
Kukesh, who finished in a tie for the league lead with six
interceptions. As a team, the Bobcats led the conference with 32
turnovers while giving the ball away just 14 times. Kukesh was at
the center of the action, posting 55 tackles (43 solo), 4.5 tackles
for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The 2010 Second
Teamer had interceptions in all but two games this year.
Amherst senior Mike Aldo rounded out this
year’s First Team defensive back unit. In addition to picking
off passes in three consecutive games, he also broke up five
passes, forced two fumbles and collected 33 tackles (21 solo).
Williams placekicker Joe Mallock was voted
to the First Team after connecting on a league-best 11 field goals
this year. The junior was also 15 for 17 on point after attempts to
finish fourth in the conference with 48 points. Mallock was named
NESCAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice this fall. He
converted a pair of 43-yard field goals and also made a
42-yarder.
Trinity punter Kyle Pulek also made the
First Team after an outstanding rookie season. The first year led
the conference with an average of 38.3 yards per punt and pinned
opponents inside the 20 on 13 occasions. He boomed a 57-yarder in a
27-10 win at Bowdoin on October 20.
Middlebury linebacker Tim Patricia joined
McKillop (2007) as the second player in program history to earn
NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors. The first year made an immediate
impact for the Panthers with 10 or more tackles in six games. His
85 stops (48 solo) were the second most in the league, and he also
added five tackles for loss and an interception. Patricia
(pictured right) amassed 12 tackles four times this
year.
Jeff Devanney of Trinity and Mark
Harriman of Bates earned a share of NESCAC Coach of the
Year honors.
Devanney garnered the award for the second time (2008) after
leading the Bantams to their 10th undefeated season. His team
won by an average of 21.2 points and led the league in both scoring
offense (35.1) and scoring defense (13.9). In Devanney’s
seven seasons at the helm, Trinity has captured two NESCAC titles
finished as runner-up five times. His winning percentage of .875
(49-7) is the best in program history.
Harriman’s Bobcats closed out the year with three straight
wins to finish in a tie for fourth place with Wesleyan at 5-3. It
was the program’s first winning season since posting a 6-2
mark in 1981. Bates finished third in the league with 27.1 points
per game due in large part to a +18 advantage in turnover margin.
Harriman now has 31 wins in 14 seasons at the helm.
Football All Conference Teams
| First Team
Offense |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| QB |
McCallum Foote |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
Newton, Mass. |
| RB |
Evan Bunker |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Topsfield, Mass. |
| RB |
James Stanell |
Hamilton |
Jr. |
Coopersburg, Pa. |
| FB |
Mike Budness |
Trinity |
So. |
Belchertown, Mass. |
| OL |
Mike Valenti |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Bethel, Conn. |
| OL |
Jacob Sheffer |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
New Lenox, Ill. |
| OL |
John Ceccio |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Stony Point, N.Y. |
| OL |
Rob Wasielewski |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Winnetka, Ill. |
| OL |
Ryan Moores |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Manchester, Mass |
| WR |
Jake O’Malley |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Medfield, Mass. |
| WR |
Darren Hartwell |
Williams |
Sr. |
North Reading, Mass. |
| WR |
Zach Driscoll |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Concord, Mass. |
| TE |
Billy Chapman |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Greenwich, Conn. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| First Team
Specialists |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| PK |
Joe Mallock |
Williams |
Jr. |
West Orange, N.J. |
| P |
Kyle Pulek |
Trinity |
Fy. |
Cheshire, Conn. |
| RS |
Darren Hartwell |
Williams |
Sr. |
North Reading, Mass. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| First Team
Defense |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| DL |
Nik Powers |
Wesleyan |
So. |
New York, N.Y. |
| DL |
Travis Dickenson |
Amherst |
Sr. |
St. Johns, Mich. |
| DL |
Ryan Viellette |
Colby |
Sr. |
Westfield, Mass. |
| DL |
D.L. McDonald |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Avon, Conn. |
| LB |
Mike MacDonald |
Hamilton |
Sr. |
Glen Ridge, N.J. |
| LB |
Chris Cameron |
Williams |
Sr. |
Walpole, Mass. |
| LB |
Griffin Cardew |
Bowdoin |
Jr. |
Ipswich, Mass. |
| LB |
Brett Cde Baca |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Millbrae, Calif. |
| DB |
Rae Haynes |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Hartford, Conn. |
| DB |
Andrew Kukesh |
Bates |
Jr. |
Exeter, N.H. |
| DB |
Jake Bussani |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Pleasanton, Calif. |
| DB |
Mike Aldo |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Mansfield, Mass. |
| DB |
Julian Brown |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team
Offense |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| QB |
Trevor Smith |
Bates |
Sr. |
Malvern, Pa. |
| RB |
Ben Crick |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Middlebury, Conn. |
| RB |
Zach Donnarumma |
Bowdoin |
Jr. |
Ramsey, N.J. |
| FB |
Kevin Hughes |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Boxborough, Mass. |
| OL |
Liam O’Neil |
Bates |
Jr. |
Duxbury, Mass. |
| OL |
John Gilboy |
Colby |
Sr. |
Saco, Maine |
| OL |
Gino Arnold |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Ridgewood, N.J. |
| OL |
Andrew Rayner |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Needham, Mass. |
| OL |
Pete Christiani |
Williams |
Sr. |
Easton, Conn. |
| WR |
Drew Grombala |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
| WR |
Joe Jensen |
Hamilton |
So. |
W. Windsor, N.J. |
| WR |
Jay Fabien |
Wesleyan |
So. |
Edmonds, Wash. |
| TE |
Teddy Baker |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Longmeadow, Mass. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team
Specialists |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| PK |
Charlie Donahue |
Bates |
Jr. |
Plymouth, N.H. |
| P |
Marty Finnegan |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Oak Park, Ill. |
| RS |
James Durham |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Barre, Vt. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team
Defense |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| DL |
Tom Foote |
Williams |
Sr. |
Dunbarton, N.H. |
| DL |
Clarence Johnson |
Bowdoin |
So. |
Boston, Mass. |
| DL |
Matthew Sponheimer |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Orange, Conn. |
| DL |
Jimmy Tilson |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Basking Ridge, N.J. |
| LB |
Sam Clark |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Andover, Mass. |
| LB |
Danny Chun |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Monroe, N.Y. |
| LB |
Tom Szymanski |
Trinity |
So. |
Dracut, Mass. |
| LB |
Tim Patricia |
Middlebury |
Fy. |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
| DB |
Chris Kim |
Williams |
Jr. |
Mt. Vernon, N.Y. |
| DB |
Jason Buco |
Colby |
So. |
Methuen, Mass. |
| DB |
Austin Crittenden |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Deerfield, Ill. |
| DB |
Donnie Cimino |
Wesleyan |
So. |
Westwood, N.J. |
| DB |
Derrick Beasley |
Colby |
Sr. |
Andover, Mass. |
|
|
