Two PSU Football players receive NEFC weekly honor

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Two players on the Plymouth State University football team were recognized by the New England Football Conference Monday for their performances in last Saturday's 24-7 Boyd Division victory over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

            Senior defensive tackle Alex Battaglino (Avon, Conn./Avon) and freshman running back Ty Long (Dover, N.H./Dover) both made their first appearance on the NEFC Weekly Honor Roll.  They become the sixth and seventh PSU players this season to receive weekly honors from the NEFC.

            A 6'0", 245-pound team captain, Battaglino (right) topped PSU with nine tackles against MIT, including six solo stops and a half-tackle for lost yardage.  Battaglino also recovered a fumble and led a Panther defense that limited MIT to 166 yards on the day.

            Battaglino is tied for second in the 16-team NEFC with six sacks this season and he is tied for eighth with 11 tackles for minus-yardage.  He has made 36 total tackles in PSU's nine games while recording two pass break-ups at the line of scrimmage and one fumble recovery.

            A 5'9", 170-pound freshman, Long (left) rushed for a season-best 127 yards on 17 carries (7.5 avg.) and one touchdown.  Long scored on a season-long 51-yard burst early in the first quarter to stake the Panthers to a 7-0 lead.

            A starter in five of PSU's nine games, Long leads the team in rushing with 620 yards on 105 attempts (5.9 avg.) with four touchdowns.   

            The Panthers, 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the NEFC Boyd Division, wrap up the regular season on the road this Saturdayat Salve Regina (12:00 p.m.) 

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