Salisbury University earned a pair of individual honors as part of the 2013 Empire Football All-Conference Awards. Sea Gull’s punter
Kyle Hamby was named the Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Year for the second straight season while defensive back
Andre Carter was the voted the Defensive Player of the Year. St. John Fisher College quarterback
Tyler Fenti and Utica College wide receiver
Anthony Acevedo were tabbed co-Offensive Players of the Year and Alfred University’s
Tyler Johnson took home the Rookie of the Year. The Ithaca College coaching staff led by Head Coach
Mike Welch was voted the 2013 coaching staff of the year.
Fenti is the Empire 8’s top-rated passer with a 151.9 rating. He also leads the league with 2,560 yards on 204-of-311 passing. His 21 touchdown passes rank second in the E8 while only throwing eight interceptions. He is first in the league in completion percentage (65.6%) and is the only quarterback in the E8 to pass for 2,500 yards or better this season. Fisher was one of five teams to receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament are making the most of their opportunity as they battled back to earn a 26-15 win over John Carroll in the first round. The Cardinals will now face Hobart on Saturday, Nov 30 at noon.
Acevedo averaged 106.1 receiving yards in nine games to lead the Empire 8. He hauled in a league best 72 receptions that led to 955 yards and six touchdowns. A true big play threat, Acevedo maintained a 13.3 yards per reception averaged over his 72 grabs. Acevedo caught at least six passes in all nine games on the season, including three games with 10 or more catches.
Carter made his living in the opposing offensive backfield. He broke up nine passes and
totaled six interceptions for 73 yards. He racked up 48 tackles including 30 solo stops. He had five or more tackles in five of 11 games played.
Hamby averaged 41.1 yards per punt, placing 17 of 44 punts inside the 20-yard line. He booted six 50-yard-plus punts this season, including a season-high long of 70 against Christopher Newport. The Sea Gulls finished the year with a 7-4 record and the program's fourth Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Bowl victory, claiming the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl at Muhlenberg College, 21-19.
Johnson put together a solid season in his first year for the Saxons. He finished fifth in the league with 1,711 yards on 140-of-237 (59.1%) passing including 12 touchdown passes. In addition he rushed for 516 yards, scoring five touchdowns. Johnson’s best game of the season came in a 48-31 win over Utica College when he completed 19-of-25 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns. The Saxons wrapped up their season on a winning note, defeating Cortland, 21-14, to claim the ECAC North Central Bowl Championship.
Mike Welch and the Ithaca coaching staff have guided the Bombers to a current mark of 9-2. Ithaca won the Empire 8 championship with a 6-1 record in league games to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and won its first round game defeating Framingham State, 20-17. The Bombers are scheduled to face Wesley College in the second round on Saturday Nov 30 at noon.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2013 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.
2013 All-Conference Teams