Football All-Conference Teams Released
Milano, Warren and Bussani Earn Player of the Year
Awards
HADLEY, Mass. – Junior quarterback
Matt Milano (New Canaan, Conn.) of Middlebury and
senior quarterback Jesse Warren (Chicopee, Mass.)
of Wesleyan have been selected by the conference coaches as the
NESCAC Co-Offensive Players of the Year. Wesleyan defensive back
Jake Bussani (Pleasanton, Calif.) was chosen as
the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. Milano is the fourth
player in Middlebury history to earn the league’s top
offensive award, joining Bryan Sanchez (2000), Donald McKillop
(2009) and McCallum Foote (2012, 2013). Meanwhile, Warren and
Bussani became the first players in Cardinal history to receive
either of the conference’s year-end awards.
Milano turned in a solid campaign in his first season as the
starting quarterback for Middlebury. He paced the NESCAC in passing
yards (2,004) and touchdowns (24) while throwing just three
interceptions and completing 61.9 percent (179-289) of his throws.
His 24 touchdown passes were third-most in a single season at
Middlebury.
Milano was named NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week on three
occasions this year with his best performance coming in a 48-13
victory over Tufts in the season finale. He accounted for all seven
touchdowns as he threw six touchdown passes in the game, including
scoring strikes of 57 and 72 yards. Milano also rushed for a
touchdown as he threw for a career-high 442 yards on 29-43 passing
with no interceptions.
Warren earns First Team recognition for the first time in his
career after being named to the Second Team in 2011 as a punter.
The senior quarterback guided the top scoring offense in the
NESCAC, as Wesleyan averaged 28.0 points per game. He paced the
conference in passing efficiency (152.6) and completion percentage
(65.8). He was second in the league in passing yards (1,513) and
touchdowns (15) while throwing a conference-low two interceptions.
Warren threw for five touchdowns in a 35-0 win versus Bowdoin on
October 25, a week after throwing for 305 yards against
Amherst.
Bussani, a graduate student, adds NESCAC Defensive Player of the
Year to his list of postseason accolades, which include being a
four-time First Team All-NESCAC selection. The defensive back led
all conference players with seven interceptions, two of which were
returned for touchdowns in back-to-back weeks against Hamilton and
Colby. He also filled up the stats sheet with 30 tackles, including
24 solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a recovered
fumble and five broken-up passes. Bussani is now Wesleyan’s
all-time interception leader with 18 career picks.
A pair of first-time all-conference selections were recognized
at running back. Trinity senior Chudi Iregbulem
(Torrance, Calif.) was named to the All-Conference First Team after
pacing the league’s top rushing offense with 654 yards and
led all NESCAC players with ten touchdowns in seven games. The
two-time NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week pick averaged 93.4
yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. Iregbulem’s best
performance of the season came on October 11 when he rushed for 184
yards on 28 carries and scored four touchdowns in a 35-14 win over
Tufts. Sophomore Lou Stevens (North Wales, Pa.) of
Wesleyan helped the Cardinals post the second-best rushing attack
in the conference, contributing 517 rushing yards on 116 carries to
average 4.5 yards per touch. He rushed for more than 100 yards in
two games, including his 191-yard, one-touchdown performance in
Wesleyan’s 22-0 win at Williams on November 1.
Iregbulem was joined on the First Team in the backfield by
teammate Mike Budness (Belchertown, Mass,), who
served primarily as a blocking back for Trinity, which averaged
208.6 yards on the ground per game. The senior was previously named
to the First Team in 2012 and the Second Team in 2013.
The offensive line selections featured two previous honorees and
a trio of first-time all-conference picks. Trinity senior
Joe Magardino (Chappaqua, N.Y.) was named to the
All-NESCAC First Team for the second year in a row, while Wesleyan
senior Pat DiMase (Wood-Ridge, N.J.) moved up to
the First Team after receiving Second Team recognition in 2013.
Newcomers to the all-conference squad included senior Dan
Finta (Miller Place, N.Y.) of Middlebury, senior
Scott Mergner (Bethesda, Md.) of Amherst and
senior Nick Noonan (East Milton, Mass.) of
Hamilton. Magardino paved the way for Trinity’s rushing game
that averaged a league-best 208.6 yards per game and scored 16
rushing touchdowns. For the third straight year, DiMase helped the
Cardinals lead the NESCAC in time of possession (33:38) while
ranking second in rushing (153.0 yards per game). Mergner anchored
a line that helped produce the third-best rushing offense (144.0
yards per game) and surrendered 12 sacks in eight games. Minta was
one of the players who allowed Middlebury to throw for a
NESCAC-best 265.0 yards per contest. Noonan is the first
Continental offensive lineman to receive all-conference recognition
since 2003 when Carlos Mercedes landed on the Second Team.
Returning to the All-NESCAC First Team at wide receiver for the
second year in a row was Middlebury junior Matthew
Minno (Tallahasse, Fla.). Minno was among the league
leaders with 26 receptions for 456 yards and a conference-high nine
receiving touchdowns. His best performance of the season came in a
37-9 victory at Hamilton on November 1 when he caught five passes
for 107 yards and three touchdowns.
Junior Mark Riley (Needham, Mass.) of Bates was
voted to the First Team receiving corps after leading the league
with 572 receiving yards and finishing second in receptions (41) to
go along with four touchdowns. Against Tufts on September 27, he
hauled in nine passes for 142 yards with two touchdowns, including
a 54-yard grab. Joining Riley on the all-conference squad were
seniors Gene Garay (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) of
Amherst and Jay Fabien (Avenel, N.J.) of Wesleyan,
both of whom were elevated to the First Team after appearing on the
Second Team last year. Garay was third among NESCAC receivers with
39 catches, while ranking fifth with 441 receiving yards. Fabien
finished second with 518 receiving yards on 33 receptions while
scoring six touchdowns.
Cardinal teammate Jon Day (Gorham, Maine)
garnered his second All-NESCAC selection at tight end after being
named to the Second Team last year. He caught 14 passes for 169
yards, and was particularly effective in the red zone where he
caught three touchdowns.
Wesleyan senior Nik Powers (New York,
N.Y.) headlined the list of First Team defensive linemen as a
three-time First Team selection. Powers finished fourth on the
Cardinal squad with 36 tackles. He posted a team-high four sacks
and tied for team-best 5.5 tackles for loss. He also forced a
fumble.
Joining Powers as repeat First Team selections were senior
Mike De Percin (Albany, N.Y.) of Hamilton and
senior Max Lehrman (Washington, D.C.) of Amherst.
De Percin amassed a NESCAC-best 16.5 tackles for loss, while
registering 48 tackles. During the season, he also broke up a pass,
forced a fumble and blocked an extra point attempt. Meanwhile,
Lehrman ranked third in the NESCAC for the second consecutive year
with 4.5 sacks and added 23 tackles with seven resulting in lost
yardage. He also forced a fumble on a defense that allowed a
league-low 8.9 points per game.
Trinity’s Lyle Baker (Andover, Mass.)
rounded out the list of First Team defensive linemen as a
first-time selection. The junior was fourth on the team with 38
tackles, while pacing the Bantams with seven tackles for loss. He
also forced and recovered a fumble, broke up a pass and sacked the
opposing quarterback twice.
Linebacker Tom Szymanski (Dracut, Mass.) of
Trinity was promoted to the All-NESCAC First Team after being named
to the Second Team in 2012 and 2013. The senior notched a team-high
47 tackles, 37 of which were unassisted, while adding 3.5 tackles
for loss, 2.5 sacks, three broken-up passes and an interception. He
was joined by fellow senior Chris Tamasi (Canton,
Mass.) of Amherst, who was a first-team pick last season. Tamasi
spent a lot of time in the opposing backfield, as he tied for the
league-lead in sacks (5) and was second in tackles for loss (14).
He was second on the Jeff squad with 62 tackles to go along with
three forced fumbles, a recovered fumble, two broken-up passes and
a blocked extra point attempt.
Szymanski and Tamasi were joined by first-time honorees: Amherst
senior Ned Deane (Andover, Mass.), Trinity senior
Rob Gau (Westport, Conn.) and Bates sophomore
Mark Upton (Winthrop, Mass.). Deane was tied for
third among all conference players with 76 tackles, including 37
solo stops. He also contributed 4.5 tackles for loss, a pair of
sacks and two interceptions. Gau was second on the Bantams with 43
tackles, including three for loss, while breaking up two passes.
Upton had a breakout season, ranking second in the NESCAC with
total tackles (84) and third in tackles for loss (13). The Bobcat
also filled up the stats sheet with 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles,
a fumble recovered for a touchdown and four broken-up
passes.
Joining Bussani on the list of all-conference defensive backs
was classmate Donnie Cimino (Westwood, N.H.).
Ciminio, a 2012 Second Team and 2013 First Team selection, amassed
30 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, three broken-up passes and an
interception.
Middlebury senior Matthew Benedict (Eden, N.Y.)
and Williams senior Tom Cabarle (Long Valley,
N.J.) landed on the First Team for the first time after being named
to the 2013 Second Team. Benedict was fifth in the league with 41
solo tackles and eighth with 66 total stops. He also registered 3.5
tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and a pair of broken-up
passes. Cabarle finished fourth among conference players with five
interceptions. He ranked second on the Ephs’ squad with 45
tackles to go along with three tackles for loss, two recovered
fumbles, one forced fumble and a broken-up pass.
Junior Jaymie Spears (Haverhill, Mass.) of
Amherst rounded out this year’s First Team defensive back
unit. The first-time honoree was part of a Jeff defense that posted
a conference-high 17 interceptions, coming away with six picks of
his own. Spears tallied 39 tackles (28 solo), two of which were for
loss, a sack, two blocked kicks and tied for a NESCAC-high eight
broken-up passes.
On special teams, Amherst place-kicker Phillip
Nwosu (Derwood, Md.) was voted to the First Team for the
second straight season after connecting on seven field goals this
year. The senior was also 20 for 22 on point after attempts to
finish eighth in the conference with 41 points. Trinity punter
Kyle Pulek (Cheshire, Conn.) received his third
consecutive First Team nod. The junior led the conference with an
average of 41.2 yards per punt, including a season-best 62-yarder
against Middlebury on October 25. He pinned opponents inside the 20
on 16 occasions. Senior Zack Trause (Carlstadt,
N.J.) of Tufts garnered all-conference recognition as a return
specialist after logging a combined 510 kickoff and punt return
yards in eight games for the Jumbos. He averaged a league-high 32.1
yards per kickoff return and 19.6 yards per punt return. Trause was
the only NESCAC player to return a kickoff and a punt for a
touchdown this season, as he recorded both scores against Bates on
September 27.
Trinity offensive lineman Chris Simmons
(Manchester, Conn.) joined Michael Blair (2002 Defensive Rookie of
the Year), Evan Bunker (2010) and Sonny Puzzo (2013) as the fourth
player in program history to earn NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors.
He is also the first offensive lineman to receive the award. The
first-year player made an immediate impact for the Bantams, as he
helped Trinity average 208.6 rushing yards per game.
E.J. Mills of Amherst earned NESCAC Coach of
the Year honors for the third time in his 18-year tenure. The honor
comes as no surprise as Mills guided the Jeffs to an unbeaten
season and their fourth conference crown in the last six years.
Amherst boasted the top scoring defense in the league, allowing a
paltry 8.9 points per game, and led the NESCAC with 17
interceptions. Mills was previously recognized by his peers in 2009
and 2011 when the Jeffs won the NESCAC crown those seasons with
perfect 8-0 marks. He boasts an overall record of 109-35 with a
.757 winning percentage, which ranks first in Amherst history.
Football All-Conference Teams
| First Team
Offense |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| QB |
Matt Milano |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
New Canaan, Conn. |
| QB |
Jesse Warren |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Chicopee, Mass. |
| RB |
Chudi Iregbulem |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Torrance, Calif. |
| RB |
Lou Stevens |
Wesleyan |
So. |
North Wales, Pa. |
| FB |
Mike Budness |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Belchertown, Mass. |
| OL |
Pat DiMase |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Wood-Ridge, N.J. |
| OL |
Dan Finta |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Miller Place, N.Y. |
| OL |
Joe Magardino
|
Trinity |
Sr. |
Chappaqua, N.Y. |
| OL |
Scott Mergner |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Bethesda, Md. |
| OL |
Nick Noonan |
Hamilton |
Sr. |
East Milton, Mass. |
| WR |
Jay Fabien |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Avenel, N.J. |
| WR |
Gene Garay |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Rockville Centre, N.Y. |
| WR |
Matthew Minno |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
Tallahassee, Fla. |
| WR |
Mark Riley |
Bates |
Jr. |
Needham, Mass. |
| TE |
Jon Day |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Gorham, Maine |
| |
|
|
|
|
| First Team
Specialists |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| PK |
Phillip Nwosu |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Derwood, Md. |
| P |
Kyle Pulek |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Cheshire, Conn. |
| RS |
Zack Trause |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Carlstadt, N.J. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| First Team
Defense |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| DL |
Lyle Baker |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Andover, Mass. |
| DL |
Mike De Percin |
Hamilton |
Sr. |
Albany, N.Y. |
| DL |
Max Lehrman |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Washington, D.C. |
| DL |
Nik Powers |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
New York, N.Y. |
| LB |
Ned Deane |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Andover, Mass. |
| LB |
Rob Gau |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Westport, Conn. |
| LB |
Tom Szymanski |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Dracut, Mass. |
| LB |
Chris Tamasi
|
Amherst
|
Sr. |
Canton, Mass. |
| LB |
Mark Upton |
Bates |
So. |
Winthrop, Mass. |
| DB |
Matthew Benedict |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Eden, N.Y. |
| DB |
Jake Bussani |
Wesleyan |
Gr. |
Pleasanton, Calif. |
| DB |
Tom Cabarle |
Williams |
Sr. |
Long Valley, N.J. |
| DB |
Donnie Cimino |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Westwood, N.J. |
| DB |
Jaymie Spears |
Amherst |
Jr. |
Haverhill, Mass. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team
Offense |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| RB |
Tyler Grant |
Bowdoin |
So. |
Stratham, N.H. |
| RB |
Nick Kelly |
Amherst |
So. |
Westport, Conn. |
| OL |
Connor Clancy |
Colby |
Sr. |
Andover, Mass. |
| OL |
Colman Duggan |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Duxbury, Mass. |
| OL |
Alan Felix |
Williams |
Sr. |
San Marino, Calif. |
| OL |
Matthew Netto |
Bowdoin |
Jr. |
Watertown, N.Y. |
| OL |
Matthew Porter |
Trinity |
Jr. |
Chicago, Ill. |
| OL |
Blake Shapskinsky |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Bayonne, N.J. |
| WR |
Josh Hurwitz |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Longmeadow, Mass. |
| WR |
Chris Ragone |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Sarasota, Fla. |
| WR |
Brendan Rankowitz |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Westport, Conn. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team
Specialists |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| PK |
Ike Fuchs |
Wesleyan |
So.
|
Calabasas, Calif. |
| P |
David Kurey |
Bates |
Sr. |
West Chester, Pa. |
| RS |
Donnie Cimino |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Westwood, N.J. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Second Team
Defense |
|
Position |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
| DL |
Gil Araujo |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
Norwalk, Conn. |
| DL |
Jimmy Brao |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Hamilton, Mass. |
| DL |
Mitch Godfrey |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
New Lenox, Ill. |
| DL |
Caleb Harris |
Colby |
Sr. |
Canaan, N.H. |
| DL |
Paul Johnson |
Amherst |
So. |
Moorestown, N.J. |
| LB |
Alex Daversa-Russo |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Niskayuna, N.Y. |
| LB |
Tommy Meade |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Wakefield, Mass. |
| LB |
Tim Patricia |
Middlebury |
Jr. |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
| LB |
Mike Weatherby |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Atlantic City, N.J. |
| DB |
Will Bain |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Dover, Mass. |
| DB |
Jason Buco |
Colby |
Sr. |
Methuen, Mass. |
| DB |
Mike Mancini |
Trinity |
Sr. |
Rocky Hill, Conn. |
| DB |
Justin Sanchez |
Wesleyan |
So. |
Chicago, Ill. |
|
|
