All-NEFC Team includes 12 PSU football players
PLYMOUTH, N.H. - The New England Football
Conference announced its 2009 All-Star team Friday, and 12 Plymouth
State University players were among those named Boyd Division
All-Stars. The teams are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Nine Panthers were selected to the Boyd Division First Team, three on offense, four on defense, and two on special teams, and two others were named to the Second Team, one on offense and one of defense. In addition, PSU had the Offensive Lineman of the Year and the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Three of Plymouth State's selections are repeat honorees from last season.
Senior offensive tackle Zac Duval (Dover, N.H.) led the way for the Panthers just as he did on the field, as he was voted Boyd Division Offensive Lineman of the Year and repeated as a First Team All-Star. He was joined on the First Team by senior offensive tackle Matt Vahey (Fremont, N.H./Pinkerton), senior wide receiver Alex Smith (Walpole, Mass.), senior defensive linemen Jim Sestito (Foxboro, Mass.) and Alex Battaglino (Avon, Conn.), junior linebacker Brian Castellucci (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton), junior safety Zach Parsons (Florence, Mass.), sophomore return specialist Christian Mulcahy (Norwich, Conn./St. Bernards), and freshman punter Nick Provost (Stratham, N.H./Exeter).
In addition, freshman running back Ty Long (Dover, N.H.) was voted Offensive Rookie of the Year, and junior quarterback J.J. Brooks (Seabrook, N.H./Winnacunnet) and junior linebacker Harry Fallon (Hampton Falls, N.H./Winnacunnet) were named to the Boyd Division Second Team.
Duval (near right) and Vahey (far right) anchored
a Panther offensive line that paved the way for PSU's powerful
running game. The Panthers ran the ball on 535 of its 648
plays from scrimmage, averaging 4.8 yards per rush and 255 yards
per game on the ground. And while PSU threw only 113 passes,
the offensive line allowed only eight sacks in 10 games this year.
Brooks (far left), Long (middle left) and
Smith (near left) were all key components of PSU's
offensive attack. Brooks rushed for 665 yards and 12
touchdowns from his quarterback position, while leading the NEFC in
pass efficiency (61-of-111 for 1,183 yards, 15 TDs, 5 INT).
Long rushed for a team-high 739 yards (6.1 average per carry) and
five touchdowns while averaging 13.1 yards on punt returns.
Smith caught 22 passes for 562 yards (a league-high 25.5 yards per
catch) and seven touchdowns,
Sestito (near right) and Battaglino (far
right) anchored a veteran interior defensive line for PSU
and both ranked among the NEFC leaders in sacks. Sestito, who
was also a First Team selection a year ago, tied for fifth in the
conference with six sacks and finished with 45 tackles and seven
pass break-ups, while Battaglino was tied for second in with seven
sacks and 10th with 12.5 tackles for lost yardage. The Panther
captain also had two pass break-ups and recovered a fumble.
Parsons (far left) and linebackers Castellucci (middle
left) and Fallon (near left) also represented the
Panthers on the All-Conference team. Parsons led the team
with 70 tackles along with an interception, two break-ups and a
forced fumble. Fallon and Castellucci were 2-3 on the team in
tackles (64 and 48, respectively), anchoring a defense that ranked
third in the NEFC in fewest rushing yards allowed (128 per game)
and total defense (282 yards per game).
PSU also had strong special teams this year, led by Mulcahy
(near right) who averaged 23.2 yard per kick-off
return with one touchdown. He was also PSU's place-kicker,
making 33-of-39 extra point kicks and converting 7-of-11 field goal
tries. Provost (far right) led the conference
in punting average (44.2 yards a boot) although he was forced to
punt only 20 times all year.
Plymouth State, 8-2 overall under seventh-year head coach Paul Castonia, is hoping its strong season will be recognized when the NCAA and ECAC post-season selections are announced next Monday, Nov. 16.
-- 30 --
