Junior linebacker Brian Harrington is among seven juniors and eight underclassmen in all to collect All-Conference honors with his first team selection. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Four Skyhawks named to both All-Conference first and second teams
Two Stonehill freshman earn All-Rookie Team status
EASTON, Mass. (November 21, 2013) – A program record eight members of the Northeast-10 Conference regular season champion Stonehill College football football team have earned All-Northeast-10 honors as selected by the Conference's ten head coaches this week.
Four juniors led Stonehill's eight All-Northeast-10 picks with first team honors with wide receiver Nate Robitaille (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) and offensive lineman Tom Linden (Durham, Conn./Xavier) being named on the offensive side of the ball, while junior linebacker Brian Harrington (Rockland, Mass./Rockland) represents the Skyhawks on the defensive side and punter Ryan Handy (Howell, N.J./Howell) is a special teams selection. Stonehill's eight All-Conference selections top the previous program high of seven set in 2009.
Three more juniors, as well as a sophomore, collected second team All-NE-10 honors with defensive lineman Eric Schneider (Ventura, Calif./Saint Bonaventure) and defensive backs Sterry Codrington (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro) and Nate Morris (Providence, R.I./Wheeler School) being selected on the defensive side, while sophomore kicker Steve Grzywacz (Manchester, N.H./Manchester Central) rounds out the Skyhawks second team honorees.
In addition to Stonehill's eight All-Conference selections, freshman defensive lineman Jon Figura (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) and offensive lineman classmate Anthony Siciliano (Monroe, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) were both selected to the NE-10's All-Rookie Team.
Robitaille earns All-Northeast-10 honors for the first time with his selection to the first team. He started all 11 games for Stonehill and cemented himself as one of the top wide receivers in the Conference after emerging as a sophomore. Robitaille leads the NE-10 with his program record 1,229 receiving yards (13th) and 111.7 yards per game (15th nationally), while his school-record 91 receptions is third in the Conference (9th) and his record matching 13 touchdown catches are good for second (10th). His 8.3 receptions per game have also shattered the previous single-season mark at Stonehill, while his 13.5 yards per catch ranks tenth in the league.
Robitaille set a program record with his 1,608 all-purpose yards this season, ranking fourth in the NE-10 (36th), as he finished the year averaging 26.6 yards on 13 kickoff returns – the fifth-highest return average in program history. Robitaille posted seven 100-plus yard receiving games this season, recording ten-plus receptions on four occasions and collecting a touchdown catch in nine of 11 games, including each of the last six games of the season. His career-high 13 receptions for a career-best 190 yards and two touchdowns in the Skyhawks 41-38 overtime win at Assumption College is the second-highest reception total and fourth-highest receiving yardage total in program history. Robitaille earned NE-10 Offensive Player of the Week honors after his three touchdown performance against LIU Post and he was also named to the NE-10 All-Championship team this season.
Robitaille |
Linden |
Harrington |
Handy |
Schneider |
Codrington |
Morris |
Grzywacz |
Figura |
Siciliano |
Robitaille has played 30 games over his three seasons at Stonehill and will enter his senior season on the cusp of adding several career receiving records to his resume. He has registered 122 career receptions for 1,666 yards and 20 touchdowns, ranking second in program history for career touchdowns, third in career receptions and fifth for career yardage. Robitaille's 78 points scored this season is the second-highest single-season total in program history and ranks sixth in the NE-10 this fall. He was named to the NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll the spring semester of his sophomore year.
Linden has fast become recognized as one of the top offensive linemen in the NE-10 with his first All-Conference selection and first team pick. Named to the NE-10 All-Championship team, he started all ten games played this fall at left tackle and was a key part of a Stonehill offensive line that paved the way for an offense that averaged 29.2 points per game on 354.0 yards of total offense, including 119.8 yards rushing and 234.2 passing yards per game. The Skyhawks finished the year second in the NE-10 for red zone offense, converting at 86-percent (32-for-37).
Linden has started 21 of the 23 games he has played over these three seasons at Stonehill. The Skyhawks have regularly ranked among NE-10 leaders for fewest sacks allowed as well as passing offense and scoring. Linden earned NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll status both semesters as a sophomore and Athletic Director's Honor Roll one semester.
Harrington, the D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Year for the Northeast-10 this season, earns All-Conference honors for the first time with his first team selection at linebacker. The four-time NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week posted a Conference and program record 151 tackles, which leads the Conference, ranks third nationally and is currently the tenth-highest single-season total in Division II history. He posted double-figure tackles in ten of Stonehill's 11 games and had 16 or more stops in six games. Harrington registered a career-high 17 tackles in an overtime win at Assumption College on September 20 and matched in Saturday's NE-10 Championship at American International College.
Harrington leads the NE-10 with his 73 solo tackles (8th nationally) and 78 tackle assists to go with 7.0 tackles for a loss of 30 yards, including 2.5 sacks for a loss of 16, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and pass breakup. He was a leading force for a Stonehill defense which finished the season ranked second in the NE-10 for scoring defense (24.3 ppg), third in passing defense (246.8 yds/gm) and forced a league-high 30 turnovers, including a Conference best 14 fumble recoveries, and finished fourth for sacks (21).
Harrington earned a starting role on the defensive unit after gaining experience as a member of the Stonehill special teams units as a freshman and sophomore, being named the Skyhawks Special Teams Player of the Year by the coaching staff in 2012. He has played 31 games over his career, starting all 11 this season, and has posted 176 career tackles (87 solo). Of his record 151 tackles this season, 105 came against the run, more than double his next teammate. Harrington has earned NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll all four semesters completed at the College and Athletic Director's Honor Roll two semesters.
Handy rounds out Stonehill's first team All-Conference selections the first postseason recognition of his career. He leads the Northeast-10 by averaging a league-best 40.7 yards on 62 punts (2nd NE-10) with a career long 68 yard boot against LIU Post. Handy leads the NE-10 with 19 punts inside the 20 yard line, with just three touchbacks, and has recorded ten punts of 50 yards or more this season. His punting average has broken the program record and ranks 32nd nationally. Handy has also averaged 53 yards on 28 kickoffs this season and had aided a Skyhawks special teams unit which ranks seventh nationally in net punting with a league-best average of 38.47 yards per kick.
Handy enters his senior season on pace to break the program's career average record with his 39.35 yards per punt on 102 attempts, which ranks sixth all-time at Stonehill. In 21 career games played, Handy has totaled 4,014 punting yards (5th in program history) with 31 punts inside the 20 yard line and just five touchbacks. He has also averaged 53.5 yards on 44 career kickoffs. Handy also has two first down runs over his career on fake punt attempts to his credit.
Grzywacz earns All-Northeast-10 honors for the first time in his career with his second team selection. He set single season program records this fall with his 37 extra points made and 41 attempts, while also converting 8-of-12 field goal tries and finished the year as the team's second-highest scorer with 61 points. Grzywacz was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts inside 30 yards and booted a career-long 45 yard field goal in the Skyhawks key road win at Merrimack College to close out the regular season. He ranked 12th among NE-10 scoring leaders, fourth for extra points made and third in field goals made.
Grzywacz, an NE-10 All-Rookie team pick as a freshman, has appeared in all 21 games over his career as Stonehill's scoring place kicker. He ranks third in program history with 62 career extra point conversions and second with 19 career field goals after converting a program-record 11 as a freshman. His 29 career field goal attempts is second in program history and his 119 career points is one shy of cracking the top ten on the program's career scoring list. Grzywacz was a Fred Mitchell Award Honoree for the month of October as a freshman and earned NE-10 Rookie of the Week accolades once. He also earned NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll status for the spring semester.
Schneider is the lone repeat All-Northeast-10 selection for Stonehill of its eight honorees this season with his spot on the second team defense after earning first team honors as a sophomore. He battled through injuries to appear in seven games with three starts this fall and remained a force off the edge with his 19 tackles (ten solo), including 5.5 tackles for a loss of 37 yards, with a team-high matching 3.5 sacks for a loss of 31, two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. He ranks tenth in the NE-10 for sacks and posted a season-high seven tackles (one solo), with 1.0 tackles for a loss of four yards, with 0.5 sacks for a loss of three in the Skyhawks week two win over Saint Anselm. Schneider added six stops (four solo), including 2.0 sacks for a loss of 18 in Stonehill's win at Merrimack to close out the regular season.
Schneider has played 26 games over his three year career at Stonehill and posted 62 tackles (33 solo), including 18.0 tackles for a loss of 110 yards, with 13.0 sacks for a loss of 88 yards, six forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, ten quarterback hurries and three pass breakups. He ranks fourth in program history for career QB hurries and forced fumbles, while his career yards from sacks ranks third all-time and 110 yards from tackles for loss ranks eighth.
Freshman Jon Figura is one of two NE-10 All-Rookie team picks for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Codrington earns All-Northeast-10 honors for the first time with his second team selection after a breakout season for Stonehill. The cornerback started all 11 games and finished second on the team with 83 tackles (58 solo), including a team-high 8.5 tackles for a loss of 39 yards, with 1.0 sacks for a loss of 12, a team-high seven pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pair of blocked kicks. Codrington, a two-time NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week and NE-10 All-Championship team performer, ranks seventh in the Conference for total tackles, fourth in solo stops, second in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries and eighth in interceptions. He became the first player in program history to block two kicks in one game when he got a hand to a field goal and extra point in the Skyhawks week seven win at New Haven.
Codrington has appeared in 29 games over his three year career at Stonehill and has posted 121 tackles (83 solo), including 9.5 tackles for a loss of 48 yards, with 2.0 sacks for a loss of 21, four interceptions, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries with the two blocked kicks. He posted four double-figure tackle outings for the Skyhawks this season, including a career-high 11 stops (eight solo) in their win at Merrimack in week ten to wrap up the regular season.
Morris rounds out Stonehill's seven first time All-Northeast-10 recipients with his selection to the second team. He earned NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors once and led a Skyhawks defensive unit which forced a Conference-high 30 turnovers, including 16 interceptions, as he led the NE-10 with five pickoffs (17th nationally). Morris appeared in ten games, starting one, and finished with 47 tackles (27 solo), including 1.5 for a loss of three yards, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He had two returns for touchdowns on the year, collecting a 37 yard interception return for a score in a week eight win over LIU Post to go with a 15 yard fumble return for a touchdown in the NE-10 Championship game at American International.
Morris' five interceptions this season is tied for the fourth highest single-season total in program history. He has appeared in 26 games over his three year career at the College and has totaled 61 tackles (37 solo), with 1.5 for a loss of three yards, the five interceptions, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. Morris earned NE-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll status both semesters as a sophomore.
Figura made an immediate impact on Stonehill's defensive line as a freshman to collect NE-10 All-Rookie Team honors. He played all 11 games, starting seven, and posted 32 tackles (ten solo), including 0.5 for a loss of a yard, and two quarterback hurries in his first collegiate season. Figura played a key role on a Skyhawks defensive line that helped the team fourth in the NE-10 with 21 sacks and post 69 tackles for loss. He posted a season-high six tackles (two solo) in Stonehill's overtime win at Assumption.
Siciliano also played all 11 games in his freshman season on the Stonehill offensive line, earning a starting job at left guard by week two and starting each of the last ten games of the season. He was a key cog on an offensive line that paved the way for an offense that averaged 29.2 points per game on 354.0 yards of total offense, including 119.8 yards rushing and 234.2 passing yards per game. The Skyhawks finished the year second in the NE-10 for red zone offense, converting at 86-percent (32-for-37).
Stonehill posted its first winning season since 1996 with its 8-3 overall record this fall, claiming a share of its first NE-10 regular season championship with a program-best 8-1 mark in Conference play. The Skyhawks competed in their first NE-10 Championship game, were among teams receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll six weeks during the year and was ranked as high as seventh in the NCAA Division II Super Region 1 rankings for NCAA Championship consideration over the course of the season. Stonehill is ranked sixth in this week's ECAC Lambert Meadowlands poll after being ranked as high as fifth in its first appearance in that poll in program history.
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