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November 19th, 2007, 04:26 PM
CAA FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
RICHMOND, Va. (Nov. 19, 2007) - CAA Football co-champions Massachusetts and Richmond received a bevy of post-season honors as the league announced their inaugural all-conference teams on Monday.
The awards, which were voted on by the CAA's head football coaches, were handed out after the most successful regular-season in FCS history with an NCAA record five teams making the playoffs and seven squads finishing the year with seven or more victories.
Delaware senior quarterback Joe Flacco and New Hampshire senior quarterback Ricky Santos were chosen as the CAA Co-Offensive Players of the Year, while Defensive Player of the Year honors went to James Madison senior safety Tony LeZotte and Richmond's Dave Clawson was tabbed as Coach of the Year.
The Spiders also received three other major awards as freshman Justin Rogers was named Special Teams Player of the Year, freshman wide receiver Kevin Grayson received Offensive Rookie of the Year accolades and freshman linebacker Eric McBride was selected as Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Massachusetts led all conference schools with seven players selected to the All-CAA first team. Delaware was close behind with six first-team picks and New Hampshire had four. Hofstra, James Madison and Richmond all placed three players on the first team.
Flacco completed 251-of-370 passes for a conference-best 3,185 yards this season. He also led the league and ranked seventh in the nation in total offense (294.2 ypg). The senior from Audobon, N.J. completed 67.8 percent of his passes and threw 17 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Flacco had two 400-yard passing games and three games with more than 300 yards in the air, highlighted by a 434-yard, four-touchdown performance in the Blue Hens'
59-52 win over FBS foe Navy. Delaware, which is 8-3 overall and headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, averaged a league-high 38.1 points per game.
Santos received Offensive Player of the Year honors for the third year in a row, becoming the first player in league history to accomplish that feat. He earned Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2005 and shared the award with Massachusetts' Steve Baylark in 2006. The senior quarterback from Bellingham, Mass., completed 73 percent of his passes (230-of-315) for 2,721 yards to achieve a league-leading pass efficiency rating of 164.2. Santos threw for 22 touchdowns and also rushed for nine touchdowns, leading New Hampshire to a 7-4 record and the Wildcats' fourth consecutive playoff appearance.
LeZotte earned CAA Football Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in his career and became the only player in league history to earn first-team all-conference honors in all four seasons. The senior safety from Augusta, Ga. was second on James Madison's defense with 88 tackles, including four tackles for loss. A Buck Buchanan Award Finalist, LeZotte also had two interceptions and a league-high eight pass breakups this season. It is the fifth time that a JMU player has been named league Defensive Player of the Year since Mickey Matthews took over the program in 1999, including each of the past three seasons.
Clawson was named CAA Football Coach of the Year for the second time in the past three seasons. He guided the Spiders to a 9-2 overall record and a share of the CAA championship with a 7-1 mark after being picked to finish fourth in the South Division in pre-season polls. The fourth-year head coach has amassed a 27-19 record, earning two conference championships and a pair of NCAA FCS Championship appearances during his tenure.
Rogers electrified special teams for Richmond all season, leading the CAA and ranking third in the nation in kickoff returns by averaging 32.5 yards with two touchdowns. The red-shirt freshman from Baton Rouge, La. had a 93-yard return for a score in the Spiders' season-opener at Vanderbilt and also had an 85-yard TD return against New Hampshire. Rogers recorded the two highest single-game return performances in the CAA this season with 222 yards against UNH and 201 yards versus Vanderbilt.
Grayson became the second Spider in as many seasons to win CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after quarterback Eric Ward earned it in 2006. The freshman wide receiver from Richmond, Va., who was also a second-team all-conference selection, led the Spiders with 49 receptions for
695 yards and four touchdowns. Two of his touchdown receptions came in the Spiders' five-overtime victory at Delaware, including one during the overtime session.
McBride is the second UR player in the last three years to win the CAA Football Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The freshman linebacker from Richmond, Va., led the Spiders with 104 tackles, including 46 solo stops. He also recorded 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles during his rookie campaign.
McBride made a season-high 16 tackles against Rhode Island with two tackles for loss and one sack. He finished the season eighth in the conference with his 104 tackles, registering as the only freshman among the league's Top-15.
2007 CAA FOOTBALL MAJOR AWARDS
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Joe Flacco, Delaware, Sr., QB, Audobon, N.J.
Ricky Santos, New Hampshire, Sr., QB, Bellingham, Mass.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tony LeZotte, James Madison, Sr., S, Augusta, Ga.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Rogers, Richmond, Fr., KR, Baton Rouge, La.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Kevin Grayson, Richmond, Fr., WR, Richmond, Va.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Eric McBride, Richmond, Fr., LB, Richmond, Va.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Dave Clawson, Richmond, Fourth Season
2007 ALL-CAA FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSE
Position Player School Class
QB Joe Flacco Delaware Senior
QB Ricky Santos New Hampshire Senior
RB Omar Cuff Delaware Senior
RB Tim Hightower Richmond Senior
RB Maurice Murray Northeastern Senior
FB/HB Joe Casey Rhode Island Junior
WR Keith Levan New Hampshire Senior
WR Aaron Love Delaware Junior
WR JJ Moore Massachusetts Senior
WR Charles Sullivan Hofstra Senior
TE Matt Sherry Villanova Senior
OL Matt Austin Massachusetts Senior
OL Mike Byrne Delaware Senior
OL Nick Couturier New Hampshire Senior
OL Kheon Hendricks Delaware Junior
OL Scott Lemn James Madison Junior
PK Jon Striefsky Delaware Junior
KR Justin Rogers Richmond Freshman
PR Anthony Nelson Hofstra Freshman
DEFENSE
Position Player School Class
DL John Baranowsky James Madison Senior
DL Jovan Belcher Maine Junior
DL David Burris Massachusetts Senior
DL Lawrence Sidbury Richmond Junior
LB Brian Bradford Towson Senior
LB Jason Hatchell Massachusetts Senior
LB Gian Villante Hofstra Senior
LB Charles Walker Massachusetts Senior
CB Courtney Robinson Massachusetts Junior
CB Sean Smalls Massachusetts Junior
S Tony LeZotte James Madison Senior
S Jeff Pammer New Hampshire Senior
P Bryan Giannecchini Rhode Island Senior
2007 ALL-CAA FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSE
Position Player School Class
QB Liam Coen Massachusetts Junior
QB Rodney Landers James Madison Junior
RB Kareem Huggins Hofstra Senior
RB Matt Lawrence Massachusetts Senior
FB/HB John Crone Richmond Junior
WR Kevin Grayson Richmond Freshman
WR Marcus Lee Towson Junior
WR Rasheed Rancher Massachusetts Senior
TE Brian Mandeville Northeastern Junior
OL Sean Calicchio Massachusetts Junior
OL Ryan Canary Maine Junior
OL Matt McCracken Richmond Sophomore
OL Kevin Newhall Northeastern Sophomore
OL Mark Stolte Rhode Island Senior
PK David Stannard James Madison Junior
KR Kareem Huggins Hofstra Senior
PR Derek Hatcher Richmond Sophomore
DEFENSE
Position Player School Class
DL Hassan Abdul-Wahid James Madison Junior
DL Tim Kukucka Villanova Sophomore
DL Shemiah LeGrande Hofstra Senior
DL Ken Sussman Hofstra Senior
LB Justin Barnes James Madison Senior
LB Andrew Downey Maine Junior
LB Husain Karim New Hampshire Senior
LB Eric McBride Richmond Freshman
CB John Clements New Hampshire Junior
CB Ki'Ameer Johnson Rhode Island Junior
CB Evan McCollough James Madison Junior
S David Darby Hofstra Senior
S Stephen Howell Richmond Senior
P Tom Bishop New Hampshire Junior
2007 ALL-CAA FOOTBALL THIRD TEAM
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSE
QB: Jake Phillips, William and Mary; RB: Matt Dicken, Villanova; RB:
Jhamal Fluellen, Maine; WR: LC Baker, James Madison; WR: Elliott Mack, William and Mary; WR: Kervin Michaud, Delaware; TE: Scott Sicko, New Hampshire; OL: Terrence Apted, James Madison; OL: Rich Beverley, Delaware; OL: Shawn Demaray, Maine; OL: Nick Diana, Massachusetts; OL: Brad Stewart, William and Mary; PK: Chris Koepplin, Massachusetts; KR: Courtney Robinson, Massachusetts; PR: LC Baker, James Madison.
DEFENSE
DL: Brandon Collier, Massachusetts; DL: Bruno Dorismond, Maine; DL: Matt Marcorelle, Delaware; DL: Marvin Wright, New Hampshire; LB: Stanley Gutierrez, Hofstra; LB: Collin McConaghy, Richmond; LB: Joe Mele, Northeastern; LB: Osayi Osunde, Villanova; CB: Derek Cox, William and Mary; CB: Seth Williams , Richmond; S: Drew Mack, Towson; S: Jeromy Miles, Massachusetts; P: Jason Pritchard, James Madison.
RICHMOND, Va. (Nov. 19, 2007) - CAA Football co-champions Massachusetts and Richmond received a bevy of post-season honors as the league announced their inaugural all-conference teams on Monday.
The awards, which were voted on by the CAA's head football coaches, were handed out after the most successful regular-season in FCS history with an NCAA record five teams making the playoffs and seven squads finishing the year with seven or more victories.
Delaware senior quarterback Joe Flacco and New Hampshire senior quarterback Ricky Santos were chosen as the CAA Co-Offensive Players of the Year, while Defensive Player of the Year honors went to James Madison senior safety Tony LeZotte and Richmond's Dave Clawson was tabbed as Coach of the Year.
The Spiders also received three other major awards as freshman Justin Rogers was named Special Teams Player of the Year, freshman wide receiver Kevin Grayson received Offensive Rookie of the Year accolades and freshman linebacker Eric McBride was selected as Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Massachusetts led all conference schools with seven players selected to the All-CAA first team. Delaware was close behind with six first-team picks and New Hampshire had four. Hofstra, James Madison and Richmond all placed three players on the first team.
Flacco completed 251-of-370 passes for a conference-best 3,185 yards this season. He also led the league and ranked seventh in the nation in total offense (294.2 ypg). The senior from Audobon, N.J. completed 67.8 percent of his passes and threw 17 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Flacco had two 400-yard passing games and three games with more than 300 yards in the air, highlighted by a 434-yard, four-touchdown performance in the Blue Hens'
59-52 win over FBS foe Navy. Delaware, which is 8-3 overall and headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, averaged a league-high 38.1 points per game.
Santos received Offensive Player of the Year honors for the third year in a row, becoming the first player in league history to accomplish that feat. He earned Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2005 and shared the award with Massachusetts' Steve Baylark in 2006. The senior quarterback from Bellingham, Mass., completed 73 percent of his passes (230-of-315) for 2,721 yards to achieve a league-leading pass efficiency rating of 164.2. Santos threw for 22 touchdowns and also rushed for nine touchdowns, leading New Hampshire to a 7-4 record and the Wildcats' fourth consecutive playoff appearance.
LeZotte earned CAA Football Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in his career and became the only player in league history to earn first-team all-conference honors in all four seasons. The senior safety from Augusta, Ga. was second on James Madison's defense with 88 tackles, including four tackles for loss. A Buck Buchanan Award Finalist, LeZotte also had two interceptions and a league-high eight pass breakups this season. It is the fifth time that a JMU player has been named league Defensive Player of the Year since Mickey Matthews took over the program in 1999, including each of the past three seasons.
Clawson was named CAA Football Coach of the Year for the second time in the past three seasons. He guided the Spiders to a 9-2 overall record and a share of the CAA championship with a 7-1 mark after being picked to finish fourth in the South Division in pre-season polls. The fourth-year head coach has amassed a 27-19 record, earning two conference championships and a pair of NCAA FCS Championship appearances during his tenure.
Rogers electrified special teams for Richmond all season, leading the CAA and ranking third in the nation in kickoff returns by averaging 32.5 yards with two touchdowns. The red-shirt freshman from Baton Rouge, La. had a 93-yard return for a score in the Spiders' season-opener at Vanderbilt and also had an 85-yard TD return against New Hampshire. Rogers recorded the two highest single-game return performances in the CAA this season with 222 yards against UNH and 201 yards versus Vanderbilt.
Grayson became the second Spider in as many seasons to win CAA Football Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after quarterback Eric Ward earned it in 2006. The freshman wide receiver from Richmond, Va., who was also a second-team all-conference selection, led the Spiders with 49 receptions for
695 yards and four touchdowns. Two of his touchdown receptions came in the Spiders' five-overtime victory at Delaware, including one during the overtime session.
McBride is the second UR player in the last three years to win the CAA Football Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The freshman linebacker from Richmond, Va., led the Spiders with 104 tackles, including 46 solo stops. He also recorded 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles during his rookie campaign.
McBride made a season-high 16 tackles against Rhode Island with two tackles for loss and one sack. He finished the season eighth in the conference with his 104 tackles, registering as the only freshman among the league's Top-15.
2007 CAA FOOTBALL MAJOR AWARDS
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Joe Flacco, Delaware, Sr., QB, Audobon, N.J.
Ricky Santos, New Hampshire, Sr., QB, Bellingham, Mass.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tony LeZotte, James Madison, Sr., S, Augusta, Ga.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Rogers, Richmond, Fr., KR, Baton Rouge, La.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Kevin Grayson, Richmond, Fr., WR, Richmond, Va.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Eric McBride, Richmond, Fr., LB, Richmond, Va.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Dave Clawson, Richmond, Fourth Season
2007 ALL-CAA FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSE
Position Player School Class
QB Joe Flacco Delaware Senior
QB Ricky Santos New Hampshire Senior
RB Omar Cuff Delaware Senior
RB Tim Hightower Richmond Senior
RB Maurice Murray Northeastern Senior
FB/HB Joe Casey Rhode Island Junior
WR Keith Levan New Hampshire Senior
WR Aaron Love Delaware Junior
WR JJ Moore Massachusetts Senior
WR Charles Sullivan Hofstra Senior
TE Matt Sherry Villanova Senior
OL Matt Austin Massachusetts Senior
OL Mike Byrne Delaware Senior
OL Nick Couturier New Hampshire Senior
OL Kheon Hendricks Delaware Junior
OL Scott Lemn James Madison Junior
PK Jon Striefsky Delaware Junior
KR Justin Rogers Richmond Freshman
PR Anthony Nelson Hofstra Freshman
DEFENSE
Position Player School Class
DL John Baranowsky James Madison Senior
DL Jovan Belcher Maine Junior
DL David Burris Massachusetts Senior
DL Lawrence Sidbury Richmond Junior
LB Brian Bradford Towson Senior
LB Jason Hatchell Massachusetts Senior
LB Gian Villante Hofstra Senior
LB Charles Walker Massachusetts Senior
CB Courtney Robinson Massachusetts Junior
CB Sean Smalls Massachusetts Junior
S Tony LeZotte James Madison Senior
S Jeff Pammer New Hampshire Senior
P Bryan Giannecchini Rhode Island Senior
2007 ALL-CAA FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSE
Position Player School Class
QB Liam Coen Massachusetts Junior
QB Rodney Landers James Madison Junior
RB Kareem Huggins Hofstra Senior
RB Matt Lawrence Massachusetts Senior
FB/HB John Crone Richmond Junior
WR Kevin Grayson Richmond Freshman
WR Marcus Lee Towson Junior
WR Rasheed Rancher Massachusetts Senior
TE Brian Mandeville Northeastern Junior
OL Sean Calicchio Massachusetts Junior
OL Ryan Canary Maine Junior
OL Matt McCracken Richmond Sophomore
OL Kevin Newhall Northeastern Sophomore
OL Mark Stolte Rhode Island Senior
PK David Stannard James Madison Junior
KR Kareem Huggins Hofstra Senior
PR Derek Hatcher Richmond Sophomore
DEFENSE
Position Player School Class
DL Hassan Abdul-Wahid James Madison Junior
DL Tim Kukucka Villanova Sophomore
DL Shemiah LeGrande Hofstra Senior
DL Ken Sussman Hofstra Senior
LB Justin Barnes James Madison Senior
LB Andrew Downey Maine Junior
LB Husain Karim New Hampshire Senior
LB Eric McBride Richmond Freshman
CB John Clements New Hampshire Junior
CB Ki'Ameer Johnson Rhode Island Junior
CB Evan McCollough James Madison Junior
S David Darby Hofstra Senior
S Stephen Howell Richmond Senior
P Tom Bishop New Hampshire Junior
2007 ALL-CAA FOOTBALL THIRD TEAM
(as voted on by the head coaches)
OFFENSE
QB: Jake Phillips, William and Mary; RB: Matt Dicken, Villanova; RB:
Jhamal Fluellen, Maine; WR: LC Baker, James Madison; WR: Elliott Mack, William and Mary; WR: Kervin Michaud, Delaware; TE: Scott Sicko, New Hampshire; OL: Terrence Apted, James Madison; OL: Rich Beverley, Delaware; OL: Shawn Demaray, Maine; OL: Nick Diana, Massachusetts; OL: Brad Stewart, William and Mary; PK: Chris Koepplin, Massachusetts; KR: Courtney Robinson, Massachusetts; PR: LC Baker, James Madison.
DEFENSE
DL: Brandon Collier, Massachusetts; DL: Bruno Dorismond, Maine; DL: Matt Marcorelle, Delaware; DL: Marvin Wright, New Hampshire; LB: Stanley Gutierrez, Hofstra; LB: Collin McConaghy, Richmond; LB: Joe Mele, Northeastern; LB: Osayi Osunde, Villanova; CB: Derek Cox, William and Mary; CB: Seth Williams , Richmond; S: Drew Mack, Towson; S: Jeromy Miles, Massachusetts; P: Jason Pritchard, James Madison.