Bolte |
Gaines |
Schneider |
Anderson |
Gomes |
Grzywacz |
McLeod |
|
Five Skyhawks named to All-Northeast-10 Conference teams
Two freshmen earn All-Rookie status
EASTON, Mass. (November 19, 2012) – Seven members of the Stonehill College football program have received postseason recognition from the Northeast-10 Conference as selected by the league's nine head coaches. Five Skyhawks have earned All-Northeast-10 first or second team honors, while two freshmen have collected All-Rookie team status for the NE-10.
Senior co-captains Chris Bolte (Tilton, N.H./The Tilton School) and Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) have both earned All-Northeast-10 honors for the second-straight year with a spot on the first team, along with sophomore defensive lineman Eric Schneider (Camarillo, Calif./Saint Bonaventure). Senior wide receiver John Gomes (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) and classmate and kick returner/cornerback Kevin Anderson (Topsfield, Mas./Masconomet) round out the Skyhawks All-Conference selections with second team honors. Freshmen Stephen Grzywacz (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Central) and Gordon McLeod (Weymouth, Mass./BC High) were both named to the NE-10's All-Rookie team.
Bolte earns All-NE-10 honors for the second-straight year with his first selection to the first team after collecting second team honors as a junior. The Skyhawks center spearheads a Stonehill offensive line that ranks second in the NE-10 and 30th nationally for fewest tackles for loss allowed. Stonehill ranks fourth in the Conference for passing offense (248.9 yards/gm) and fewest sacks allowed (1.7/gm). Bolte was named to the "D2 vs. NAIA Bowl" Preseason All-America second team and a USA Football News Division II Preseason All-America squads.
Bolte has started all 31 games over his last three seasons on the Stonehill offensive line. Stonehill ranked third in the NE-10 for fewest sacks allowed and fifth in total offense his junior season, while ranking third his sophomore season for rushing touchdowns and fourth in rushing offense and touchdowns scored.
Gaines earns his second-straight All-Northeast-10 selection with first team honors for the first time after collecting second team accolades as a junior. Gaines, named the d2football.com Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Year, led the Stonehill offense with 103 tackles, ranking second in the NE-10 and 21st nationally. He leads the NE-10 with 63 solo tackles (4th nationally) and three forced fumbles (20th), while ranking third in the Conference with 9.5 tackles for a loss of 25 yards, including 2.0 sacks for a loss of eight yards, ten pass breakups (4th NE-10) and three quarterback hurries.
Gaines, who earned NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors once this season (fourth career), posted the sixth-highest tackle and solo tackle totals in program history this fall. He leads a Stonehill defense which leads the NE-10 with 26 turnovers gained, ranks second (22nd nationally) for pass efficiency defense (107.93) and is third for total defense (356.4 yds/gm), scoring defense (21.8 ppg) and sacks (25).
Gaines, a second team Daktronics All-Super Region 1 pick as a junior, has played 39 games over his career at Stonehill and ranks third in program history with 313 tackles, while his 167 solo stops are good for fourth all-time. He has set career records for the Skyhawks with two fumble returns for touchdowns, 121 fumble return yards, ten fumble recoveries and six blocked kicks, while ranking second all-time with seven forced fumbles and five fumble returns. Gaines also ranks fourth all-time with 39.0 tackles for loss and ten quarterback hurries and fifth with 146 assisted tackles and 19 pass breakups. He has also compiled 11 career sacks.
Schneider rounds out Stonehill's first team selections with his first All-Northeast-10 award. The defensive end has totaled 18 tackles (13 solo) with a team-high 6.5 sacks (2nd NE-10) for a loss of 45 yards, a total that also ranks third on the team for tackles for loss (17th NE-10). He shares the NE-10 lead with Gaines with three forced fumbles (20th nationally), while adding a team-best five quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. His three forced fumbles are tied for third highest in program history, while his five QB hurries are tied for fifth.
Schneider has played 19 games over his two seasons at Stonehill and has registered 42 tackles (22 solo), including 12.5 for a loss of 73 yards, with 9.5 sacks for a loss of 57. He has forced six fumbled over two seasons, leading the NE-10 each year, good for fourth in program history, while his eight quarterback hurries are tied for fifth on Stonehill's career list. Schneider earned NE-10 All-Rookie Team honors as a freshman and has also posted one career pass breakup.
Gomes earns All-Northeast-10 honors for the first time with his selection to the second team, marking the first Stonehill wide receiver to earn All-Conference accolades since Mike Plichta received first team honors in 2005. The award puts a cap on a record breaking career in which he posted a school-record 846 yards receiving in ten games this season on 55 receptions with a team-leading seven touchdowns. His 84.6 receiving yards per game ranks fourth in the NE-10 (36th nationally), while ranking sixth for receptions per game and fifth for receiving touchdowns. Gomes reception total is the second highest in program history, while his 1,346 all-purpose yards is the fifth-highest single season total in Stonehill history.
Gomes, who also served as Stonehill's holder, punt returner and a kick returner this season, also finished his senior year averaging 23.3 yards (5th NE-10) on 18 kickoff returns, while his 4.7 yards (89 total) on 19 punt returns ranks second in the NE-10. Gomes' career-best 197 yards receiving at Pace on November 3 is the second-highest single game total in program history.
Gomes has shattered the program's career record for receptions with 173 for a record 2,442 yards and 18 touchdowns – good for fourth in program history. His 4.55 career receptions per game are also a program record, while his 14.12 career yards per catch is eighth best in Stonehill history. Gomes finished his career ranked second in program history with 3,391 career all-purpose yards, ranking fourth with 89.2 all-purpose yards per game and eighth with 18 career touchdowns. He ranks fifth in program history with 840 career kick return yards, 39 kickoff returns and 21.54 yards per return.
Anderson rounds out Stonehill's All-Conference honorees with his first career selection to the second team as a return specialist. He ranks third in the NE-10 with 26.3 yards per return (24th nationally) having totaled 526 yards on 20 kickoff returns with one touchdown when he took the opening kickoff of the season against then 25th-ranked Bloomsburg University 92 yards for a score. Anderson spearheads a Stonehill return unit which leads the NE-10 (12th nationally) with 24.43 yards per kickoff return this season. His kick return yardage total ranks fifth on the program's single-season list, while his average per return is good for eight and total returns rank ninth.
Anderson is also a four year starter at cornerback for Stonehill and finished fifth on the team with 46 tackles (30 solo) with a team-best 12 pass breakups (3rd NE-10) to go with three interceptions (5th) this season, including one he returned 98 yards for a game winning touchdown against Assumption College in week four. He ranks third in the NE-10 (12th nationally) with 15 passes defended.
Anderson, who earned NE-10 Special Teams and Defensive Player of the Week honors once each this season as well as national Defensive Player of the Week honors from ncaa.com in week four, ranks second in program history for kick return average (25.4 yds/ret), eighth for career kick return yards (635) and tenth for total returns (25) and is one of seven returners in program history with at least one kick return touchdown. He also ranks second all-time with 36 career pass breakups, is tied for seventh with eight career interceptions and is one of 15 in program history with an interception return for touchdown and the only player in program history with both an interception and kick return for a score.
Grzywacz earns All-Rookie team honors after serving as the Skyhawks placekicker for extra points and field goals in his freshman season. He leads the team in scoring with 58 points (8th NE-10), while ranking third among NE-10 kickers for scoring. Grzywacz, who earned NE-10 Rookie of the Week honors once and was among 31 placekickers nationwide to receive monthly recognition from the Fred Mitchell Award for October, converted a school-record and Northeast-10 leading 11 field goals in his first collegiate season on 17 attempts (64.7-percent) and was 25-for-29 (86.2%) on extra points. His extra point conversions rank sixth in the NE-10 and are the fifth-highest single season total in program history.
Grzywacz converted a season-best 37 yard field goal (4th longest in the NE-10) in a week two 13-0 victory over Southern Connecticut State University and was 7-for-8 in field goals inside 29 yards and 11-for-14 from 39 yards in. He booted three field goals, including a game winning attempt, in the Skyhawks 22-20 week seven win over Merrimack College
McLeod wraps up Stonehill's seven honorees with his selection to the NE-10 All-Rookie team. He made an immediate impact as a wide receiver in his first collegiate season, finishing third on the team for receptions (30), receiving yards (398) and touchdowns (4). McLeod, who earned NE-10 Rookie of the Week honors after week one, averaged 39.8 yards per game and 13.3 yards per catch. He ranks 16th in the NE-10 for receiving touchdowns, 19th for receiving yards and yards per game and 21st for receptions.
McLeod, who finished fourth on the team in scoring with 24 points, played all ten games in his freshman season for Stonehill. He had five receptions for a season-best 88 yards and two touchdown in his collegiate debut in week one against then 25th-ranked Bloomsburg. He matched his season-best with six receptions for 77 yards and two more scores in a week nine win at Pace University. McLeod posted 17 receptions for 200 yards and two scores over the final three weeks of the season, averaging 5.7 receptions and 66.7 yards per game.
Stonehill finished its 2012 season with a 5-5 record overall, including a 5-3 clip in Northeast-10 play to mark the Skyhawks first winning season in Conference play since head coach Robert Talley's first season in 2007. Stonehill was named the Northeast-10 "Team of the Year" by d2football.com, while Talley received the website's Conference Coach of the Year and the Skyhawks' nationally-televised matchup with No. 3 University of New Haven was labeled as blog's NE-10 Game of the Year.