Empire 8 Announces Football All-Conference
Benkwitt, Raplee, Hamby, Fuentes and Wood Take Top Honors
ROCHESTER, NY – Salisbury University took home two of the top five awards in the annual all-conference voting of the league’s football coaches. Sea Gulls punter Kyle Hamby was named the Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Year while head coach, Sherman Wood, earned the Coach of the Year award for the second straight year. Alfred University also took home two of the awards as Mike Raplee was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Maleke Fuentes was tabbed as the Rookie of the Year. Utica College quarterback Andrew Benkwitt was selected the Offensive Player of the Year.
Benkwitt finished the season as the Empire 8’s top-rated passer with a 155.93 rating. He also led the league in touchdown passes (31) while only throwing 10 interceptions in 385 attempts. Benkwitt was first in the league in completion percentage (66.0%), averaging 314.3 yards per game. He is the only quarterback in the Empire 8 to pass for more than 3,000 yards or better this season, having also thrown for four or more touchdowns in a game three different times and registered six 300-plus yard passing games. Benkwitt finishes his career as the owner of all the major passing records at Utica including completions (900), yards (10,546), touchdowns (88) and attempts (1399).
Raplee posted an Empire 8-best 11.5 sacks, which ranks seventh in the nation. He posted a team-best 72 tackles including 20.5 for a loss. His 2.05 tackles for a loss per game average ranks ninth in the nation. Raplee registered double-figures in tackles in three of 10 games played.
Hamby averaged 41.8 yards per punt, ranking fourth in the NCAA. He has placed 18 of 45 punts inside the 20-yard line, ranking first in the conference. Hamby booted three 60-yard-plus punts this season, including a season-high of 68 in a win against Hartwick.
Fuentes played in all 10 games in his rookie season, making seven starts. He hauled in 32 receptions that led to 399 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 372 yards; scoring seven touchdowns and was also the top return man for the Saxons’ totaling 353 yards.
Sherman Wood guided the Sea Gulls to a current mark of 9-2 and its second straight conference title with a 6-1 league record. Salisbury earned the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament and won its first round by defeating Rowan, 17-9.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2012 Football Sportsman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
2012 Empire 8 Football All-Conference Teams.
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