Five E8 Football Players Named D3Football.com All-Americans
D3football.com announced on December 20 that five Empire 8 football players have been named
D3fooball.com All-Americans for the 2013 season.
St. John Fisher guard James Thomas and Salisbury cornerback Andre Carter and punter Kyle Hamby were named first team All-Americans. Ithaca tightend Jared Prugar was tabbed second team and Alfred tackle Ryan DiFlavio was selected to the third team.
Thomas, a two-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection and a d3football.com First Team All-Region pick earlier this season was a force on Fisher's offensive line that helped produce over 5300 total yards of offense including nearly 1800 rushing yards and 3500 passing yards while leading the Empire 8 conference this season at 31.5 points per game.
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.
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.
Prugar led Ithaca and all Empire 8 tight ends with 44 receptions for 766 yards and averaged 63.8 receiving yards per game.
DiFlavio 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.