Gaines Named NE-10 Defensive Player
and Freshman of the Week
Lumberton, N.J., native collects weekly top defensive award for first time, Freshman of the Week for third time
EASTON, Mass. (November 2, 2009) - Stonehill College defensive back Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) was named the Northeast-10 Conference's Defensive Player and Freshman of the Week for football by the league office this afternoon.
Gaines earns Defensive Player of the Week for the first time, while collecting Freshman of the Week for the third time (all over the course of the last four weeks) after leading a Stonehill defense that held Assumption, the NE-10's top scoring offense entering the weekend, to just 14 points and one of the Conference's top rushers to only 46 yards, in Friday's 22-14 victory at Assumption College. He totaled 11 tackles (seven solo), including 3.0 for a loss of eight yards with a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, pass breakup, a blocked kick and two quarterback hurries.
With Stonehill leading 15-14 and Assumption with a first and ten at the Skyhawks 27, Gaines forced a fumble on the Greyhounds quarterback and returned it 73-yards for a game-clinching touchdown with 33-seconds to play. He blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter on Assumption's drive after the Skyhawks had taken the 15-14 lead.
Gaines has appeared in all nine games in his first collegiate season for Stonehill. He has totaled 43 tackles (19 solo), with 6.5 tackles for a loss of 17 yards, including 3.0 sacks for a loss of nine yards, two pass breakups, two QB hurries, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and blocked kick. He 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).
