Reed, LiCata and Andrews earn AFCA All-America honors
Hartwick junior wide receiver Koree Reed and Alfred University junior linebacker A.J. LiCata and The College at Brockport senior running back Dan Andrews earned All-America recognition from the American Football Coaches Association.
The AFCA announced its
Division III All-America teams today (Monday, Dec. 12) and Reed and LiCata were named to the First Team, while Andrews was tabbed second team.
?The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. Beginning this year, the AFCA has started selecting a first and second team. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
Reed was one of two wide receivers selected from around the nation on the 25-member first team (11 offensive, 11 defensive, 3 special teams), along with Wisconsin-Platteville's Dan Arnold. He was one of two Empire 8 Conference players to earn the honor with Alfred junior linebacker A.J. LiCata.
Reed was a prolific receiver for the Hawks this season as he accumulated 1,606 yards on just 58 catches. As a result, he would set a pair of NCAA Division III records for highest average gain per reception. Reed averaged 27.69 yards per catch to top Marty Redlawsk's (Concordia Chicago) mark of 26.9 (min. 35 recep.) set in 1985 and Derek Stanley's (Wisconsin-Whitewater) average of 25.5 (min. 50 recep.) in 2005.
In eight of the Hawks' 10 games this season, Reed registered at least 140 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He topped 170 yards five times and reached the 200-yard mark twice. Over a three-game span against UMass Dartmouth, Brockport, and Cortland, he averaged 182 yards per game. Reed would top it over the final three games of the season against Buffalo State, St. John Fisher, and Utica with 579 receiving yards and an average of 193 per contest.
The Saxons wrapped up their season Saturday, Dec. 3, with a loss to visiting Mount Union in the NCAA Division III championship tournament semifinals. AU finished the year 12-1, with the 12 wins being the most in program history, eclipsing the 10 games won by the 1981 and 2010 teams.
LiCata finished the year with 153 tackles, just one off the school single-season record of 154 set in 1990 by AU Hall of Famer and former All-American linebacker John Hoosock. He had 11 ½ tackles for loss, 4 ½ sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
He had previously been named a First Team Empire 8 Conference All-Star and the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) North Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Star, and D3football.com North Region First Team All-Star.
Andrews is no stranger to post-season awards already named to the D3football.com All-East Region First team, ALL-ECAC Offensive First Team and the Empire 8 First team this season. The Rochester, N.Y. native capped his Golden Eagle career ranking in the top-five in the scoring category for the second straight season. His 13.3 points-per-game rank fifth nationally at the DIII level, while he also ranks in the top-30 in rushing yard-per-game (26th), and rushing yards (16th).
Andrews reached 1,265-yards rushing, his fourth consecutive year with at least 1,000-yards, and finished his career atop many Brockport football records including career rushing yards (5,001) and career points scored (434). He is the first Golden Eagle to reach the milestone of 5,000-yards and 400 points. Andrews scored 20 touchdowns on the ground, with a season high of four against St. John Fisher College in Courage Bowl XII.