Preish, Hamby and Carney Tabbed Preseason All-American
Three Empire 8 student-athltes have been selected as Preseason All-Americans by D3football.com. Sean Preish of St. John Fisher and Kyle Hamby of Salisbury University were named to the first team, while Sam Carney of Ithaca College landed on the second team.
Preish, the incoming senior linebacker will look to guide Fisher to another NCAA postseason appearance, after leading the Empire 8 with 128 tackles in 2013.
Preish's dominant season for the Cardinals' defense with 128 tackles, 15.5 of which went for a loss, ranks as the seventh highest season total in program history. The Aquinas graduate also led Fisher with seven sacks, totaling a loss of 55 yards, while also forcing three fumbles on the year. Preish also picked off a pass at Hartwick College and returned it 35 yards to paydirt, in a game which Fisher set the single-game record for sacks with 11.
During his junior campaign Preish registered ten or more tackles in seven of Fisher's 13 games. Preish turned in his most impressive performance of the season in the first round of the NCAA Division III Football Championships when he was credited 21 tackles, just two shy of the Fisher single game record.
Last season Preish helped anchor the Fisher defense which ranked third overall in the Empire 8 in scoring defense at 21.2 points per game and second in rushing defense, allowing 116.5 yards per contest.
After making a solid run in the NCAA Championship and reaching the quarterfinals, the Cardinals will look to build on the program's success as they open up the 2014 season with a home game at 12 p.m. on September 6 against Otterbein College.
Hamby, one of the top punters in the nation, ranked 11th in the nation and led the E8 with a 41.1 yard average per punt in the 2013 campaign. Of his 44 boots last year, 17 came down inside the 20-yard line.
He enters the season with the second-highest career average among active players, with a 40.4 average over 134 kicks in his three years in maroon and gold.
The Sea Gulls open the 2014 season on September 6 at Christopher Newport University, and will play the first home game of the year at Sea Gull Stadium on September 13 against Wesley College, beginning at 6 p.m.
Carney, a return specialist, earned all-conference and all-region honors for the second consecutive year in 2013. He was a first-team pick by the Empire 8 and in the East Region by D3football.com after ranking seventh in the country in punt returns (15.7 yards/return) and 11th in kickoff returns (30.1 yards/return). Carney also contributed 33 total tackles including 21 solo stops and had two forced fumbles and two interceptions in the Ithaca secondary. Carney had a 91-yard kickoff return touchdown in the NCAA playoff game at Wesley and a 67-yard touchdown on a punt return against Frostburg State.
Ithaca begins its season with a Sept. 6 home game against Union College.