Vosburgh Named East Region Coach of the Year; 16 Players Earn All-Region Accolades

Vosburgh Named East Region Coach of the Year; 16 Players Earn All-Region Accolades

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The postseason accolades continue for Empire 8 football players as d3football.com announced its All-East Region Teams, honoring 16 E8 players and St. John Fisher head coach Paul Vosburgh. 

Vosburgh has been named d3football.com's 2013 All-East Region Coach of the Year, for the second time in the last three years after leading the Cardinals to a 10-3 overall record and an appearance in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship for the fourth time in program history.  The Cardinals made the most of their at-large bid this season, downing No. 9 John Carroll 25-16 on its home field before doing the same to No. 8 Hobart 27-6.  Vosburgh has turned the Cardinals into one of the most successful programs in the nation, compiling a record of 138-105 over the last 23 seasons.  

First Team All-Region
James Thomas has been named to the All-East Region First Team after anchoring an offensive line that helped produce nearly 5,000 yards of offense including 1,737 yards on the ground.  A two-time All-Empire 8 selection, Thomas helped the Cardinal offense put up nearly 33 points per game.

Alfred's Ryan DiFlavio was a first-team selection after he anchored a line that helped the Saxons to 373 yards of offense per game (217 passing, 156 rushing). A four-year starter on the Saxons' offensive line – he was a right tackle as a freshman before moving to left tackle the following year – DiFlavio is a three-time all-Empire 8 pick, having earned Second Team honors as a sophomore and First Team accolades the last two seasons. AU finished the season with an 8-3 record and placed second in the final Empire 8 Conference standings with a 5-2 league mark. The Saxons wrapped up the season with a 21-14 victory over visiting Cortland in the ECAC North Central Bowl Championship.

Senior tight end Jared Prugar led Ithaca and all Empire 8 tight ends with 44 receptions for 766 yards and averaged 63.8 receiving yards per game.

Andre Carter closed his career with the Sea Gulls with the program's second-highest interception total, grabbing 16 in his four years, including six this season. This marks the Huntintown, Md. native's third All-Region appearance, having been a first-team selection last year and a third-team choice in 2010. He was a D3football.com preseason All-American this year. The cornerback recorded 48 tackles this year, 30 of which were solo stops. Along with his six interceptions, he also broke up nine other passes.

Kyle Hamby was one of the most dangerous field position weapons in the nation, finishing his year ranked 11th in the nation and led the Empire 8 Athletic Conference with a 41.1-yard average punt. Hamby had 44 punts this season, dropping 17 inside the 20-yard line, and had a season-long effort of 70 yards. Hamby is making his second-consecutive appearance on the D3football.com All-Region first team.

Ithaca special-teams standout Sam Carney, a kick returner, led all Empire 8 players in both punt and kickoff return yardage. Carney stands seventh nationally in punt return average at 15.7 yards per return. He averaged 30.1 yards per kickoff returns, which ranks 20th in the NCAA. 


Second Team All-Region
Quarterback Tyler Fenti was named to the All-East Region Second Team after leading the Empire 8 conference with 3, 125 passing yards and 24 touchdowns.  The Honeoye Falls, N.Y. native also used his legs to create problems for opposing defenses, rushing for 432 yards and five scores.  Fenti, the Empire 8 Offensive Performer of the Year and a First-Team selection helped lead the Cardinals to wins over John Carroll and Hobart in the NCAA Division III Football Championship this season as the Cardinals finished with 10 wins for the fifth time in the last 10 seasons.

Cody Miller joins Fenti on the All-East Second Team after leading the Empire 8 with 1,081 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.  Miller, a 2013 Capital One Academic All-America Division III Second Team selection and a 2013 Empire 8 First Teamer set a new career-high this season in total rushing yards and became just the third player in program history to eclipse 3,000 yards in his career.  Miller ends his career as one of the best running backs to have worn a Cardinal uniform as the Spencerport, N.Y. native ranks in the top 10 in both career rushing yards and touchdowns scored.  The senior running back scored three touchdowns on two separate occasions this season, most recently in a 48-13 win over Alfred University in which Fisher set a new program record for most points scored in a single quarter as the Cardinals put up 41 points in the second frame.

Utica wide receiver Anthony Acevedo finished the regular season ranked 10th nationally and first in the Empire 8 with an average of 8.0 receptions per game. He was also 17th in the country and first in the Empire 8 with an average of 106.1 receiving yards per game.  He finished the season with 72 catches, 955 yards and six touchdowns. He caught 11 balls for 133 yards against Hobart (NCAA Qualifier) and he also caught 10 balls for 137 yards against Ithaca (E8 Champion, NCAA Qualifier). He added seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns against St. John Fisher (NCAA qualifier). Acevedo is now the College's all-time leader in career pass receiving yards with 2,484 and he is just ten receptions away from tying the school-record for receptions – he currently has 177 for his career.

Frostburg senior guard Darrius Arrington closed his FSU playing career with numerous awards, while starting 37 of 40 games over his four years. A three-time First Team All-Empire 8 honoree, Arrington started nine games this past season and helped the Bobcats to the league's second best rushing attack (156.8). During his four-year career, the Jessup, Md., native helped the Bobcats average over 150 yards rushing per game in each of the last three years.

Pat Stephenson anchored an Ithaca offensive line that helped the Bombers rank in the top-10 nationally in time of possession, as Ithaca held the ball for an average of almost 34 minutes per game despite using two quarterbacks and three featured running backs this season.

The Cardinal's defense is represented by Sean Preish who was named to the All-East Region's Second Team after racking up a team-high 128 tackles including 15.5 which resulted in a loss of yardage.  Preish, one of the best linebackers in the conference and an Empire 8 First Team selection this season wreaked havoc in an opponent's backfield, dropping the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage seven times, while also forcing two fumbles this season and hauling in one interception.


Third Team All-Region
Mark Bohanan, Salisbury's starting center throughout the year, led the Sea Gulls to 283.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked 10th in the nation and led the Empire 8. This is Bohanan's first All-Region selection, but he was a first-team All-Empire 8 pick in 2012.

Buffalo State wide receiver Mike Doherty finished the season with 59 catches and an Empire 8-best 1,029 yards with six touchdowns. He averaged 17.4 yards, including a 75-yard reception in a 59-41 win over Hartwick and a career best 228 yards in the I-90 Bowl win against Brockport. 

On defense, Ithaca linebackers Will Carter and Jake Santora earned third-team selections. Carter lead Ithaca with 105 tackles on the year including 10 tackles for loss and six sacks. He also had one forced fumble and one interception. Santora made 86 tackles in just eight games played. He lead Ithaca with 11.5 tackles for loss and had two sacks and an interception. Ithaca ranks in the top 30 in the NCAA in both rushing defense and scoring defense.


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