Gaines Named NE-10 Freshman of the Week for Fourth Time
Lumberton, N.J., native collects award for second-straight week and fourth time over five
EASTON, Mass. (November 9, 2009) - Stonehill College defensive back Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) was named the Northeast-10 Conference's Freshman of the Week for football by the league office this afternoon.
Gaines earns the award for the
second-straight week for a second time this season, collecting the
award four times overall (all over the course of the last five
weeks) after leading a Stonehill defense in a 23-21 victory over
24th-ranked and rival Bentley University to close out
the regular season. Gaines, who also earned 
NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors last week, totaled eight
tackles (six solo), including one for a loss of two yards, a pass
breakup and blocked field goal in the victory. He broke up a pass
on a third and ten at the Skyhawks 22 and then blocked the ensuing
field goal attempt to preserve a 17-14 lead. Stonehill then marched
down and scored the game-clinching touchdown.
Gaines has appeared in all ten games in his first collegiate season for Stonehill. He filled the stat sheet in his first collegiate season, posting 51 tackles (21 solo) with 7.0 tackles for a loss of 18 yards, including 3.0 sacks for a loss of nine, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries (both of which he returned for touchdowns), a forced fumble and two blocked kicks. He also earned Freshman of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks following his performances against Pace University (10/12) and Southern Connecticut State University (10/19), and then collected both Defensive Player and Freshman of the Week honors following the Skyhawks win at Assumption (11/2).
Stonehill finished its season with a 5-5 record overall, 4-4 in the Northeast-10 to finish tied for fifth in the Conference standings. The Skyhawks won their last three games, and four of their last five overall.
