Football | 11/21/2019 9:31:54 AM
The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2019 Football All-Conference awards on Thursday, November 21. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Morrisville State junior quarterback Bill Flatow was named the 2019 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year, while Alfred University junior defensive back Raeqwon Greer was named Defensive Player of the Year. Junior kicker/punter Maki Medici of Utica College garnered Special Teams Player of the Year accolades, while The College at Brockport defensive back Raylens Boutin earned Rookie of the Year honors. The College at Brockport Coaching Staff led by head coach Jason Mangone collected its third straight E8 Coaching Staff of the Year award.
Flatow has enjoyed a tremendous season for the Mustangs, throwing for 2,709 yards with a league-best 24 touchdowns to just six interceptions in 10 games. He also leads all Empire 8 quarterbacks with a 60.6 completion percentage. In six league games, Flatow led all Empire 8 quarterbacks with 1,744 yards passing (290.7 yards per game), 17 touchdowns and just four interceptions, while pacing the highest scoring offense (38.7 points per game).
Greer enjoyed another dominant season for the Saxons in 2019, leading the league with 60 solo tackles, while adding 33 assisted for stops for 93 total tackles, fourth most overall. He was especially stout in league play, leading all Empire 8 players with 48 solo tackles and 72 total stops, an average of 12 per game. He earned his third consecutive All-Empire 8 honor after being named to the second team in 2017 and first team in 2018.
Medici served as a tremendous weapon in both aspects of the kicking game, leading the league with 15 made field goals. He was successful on 78.9 percent of those kicks, including a career-long of 48 yards. In addition, Medici made 31 extra points and averaged 7.6 points per game, which tied for the league lead among all kickers. He was just as valuable as a punter, averaging a net of 37.8 yards per punt with 23 of his 42 attempts resulting in a fair catch. Opposing teams were held to -1 yards in punt return offense on the season.
Boutin has helped lead a stout Brockport defense that has allowed just 13.2 points per game overall and 11.8 in league play. He has four interceptions on the season, with two returned for touchdowns. Boutin is also tied for the league lead with 14 pass breakups, including seven in league play. Boutin is second on the team with 31 solo tackles and has helped Brockport allow just 28.3 yards rushing per contest, lowest in Division III, including a paltry 11.2 yards per game in E8 play. He also was the lone freshmen to earn All-Empire 8 first team accolades.
Mangone and his staff led the Golden Eagles to their third consecutive Empire 8 Championship and a berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament, where they will take on Western New England in the opening round on Nov. 23 at noon. The Golden Eagles won eight straight games during the season and boast one of the stingiest defenses in the country. Brockport has allowed just 28.3 yards rushing per contest, lowest in Division III, including a miniscule 11.2 yards per game in E8 play.
Parity was evident in 2019, as six of the seven E8 institutions had at least three first team selections. Alfred, SUNY Cortland and The College at Brockport had five different student-athletes garner first team honors, while Morrisville and Utica had four apiece and St. John Fisher College recorded three.
On offense, eight seniors, three juniors and one sophomore garnered first team honors, while six seniors and five juniors recorded first team plaudits on defense. Senior linebacker Alex West of Brockport earned All-Empire 8 first team honors for the third straight season after leading the league with nine sacks. Sophomore Cole Burgess of Cortland was a first team wide receiver, all-purpose player and return specialist.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2019 Football Sportsman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference 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.
2019 Empire 8 Football All-Conference Selections
Offensive Player of the Year: Bill Flatow, Jr., QB, Morrisville State
Defensive Player of the Year: Raeqwon Greer, Jr., DB, Alfred
Special Teams Player of the Year: Maki Medici, Jr., K/P, Utica
Rookie of the Year: Raylens Boutin, Fr., DB, The College at Brockport
Coaching Staff of the Year: The College at Brockport, led by head coach Jason Mangone
Empire 8 First Team Offense
Bill Flatow, Jr., QB, Morrisville State
Aaron Griffin, Sr., RB, Alfred
Zach Tripodi, Sr., RB, SUNY Cortland
E.J. Staniszewski, Sr., FB, Alfred
Wes Senn, Sr., OL, Alfred
Zach Hutchinson, Sr., OL, Morrisville State
Russell Lugbauer, Sr., OL, SUNY Cortland
Luke Lodini, Jr., OL, The College at Brockport
Michael Carr-Johnson, Jr., OL, Utica
Kyle Tuohy, Jr., TE, Morrisville State
Jermaine Cooper, Sr., WR, Morrisville State
Will Blake, Sr., WR, St. John Fisher
Cole Burgess, So., WR, SUNY Cortland
Cole Burgess, So., All-Purpose, SUNY Cortland
Empire 8 First Team Defense/Special Teams
John Cleary, Sr., DL, St. John Fisher
Devin Smith, Jr., DL, SUNY Cortland
Josh Greenwood, Jr., DL, The College at Brockport
Allassane Coulibaly, Sr., DL, The College at Brockport
Nick Milgate, Sr., LB, Alfred
Alex West, Sr., LB, The College at Brockport
Kwasi Addo, Jr., LB, Utica
Raeqwon Greer, Jr., DB, Alfred
Cameron Bellino, Sr., DB, St. John Fisher
Raylens Boutin, Fr., DB, The College at Brockport
Eli Belle, Sr., DB, Utica
Maki Medici, Jr., K, Utica
Maki Medici, Jr., P, Utica
Cole Burgess, So., Return Specialist, SUNY Cortland
Empire 8 Second Team Offense
Brett Segala, Sr., QB, SUNY Cortland
Kinsey Williams, Sr., RB, Morrisville State
Jala Coad, So., RB, The College at Brockport
Jeffrey Carrozza, Sr., FB, Morrisville State
Patrick Hannon, Sr., OL, Alfred
Robert LoSordo, Sr., OL, Alfred
Ethan Stewart, Jr., OL, Alfred
Darrius Burton, Fr., OL, Morrisville State
David Aaronson, Sr., OL, SUNY Cortland
Travis Alvarez, Jr., OL, SUNY Cortland
Russell Howard, Sr., OL, SUNY Cortland
Jack Steinman, Jr., TE, Hartwick
Toure Hall, So., WR, Morrisville State
Imhotep Cromer, Jr., WR, The College at Brockport
Peyton Miller, Sr., WR, Utica
Kinsey Williams, Sr., All Purpose, Morrisville State
Empire 8 Second Team Defense/Special Teams
Caleb Marshall, Jr., DL, Alfred
Jordan Harris, So., DL, The College at Brockport
LeMar Peters, Jr., DL, St. John Fisher
Jack Derby, Sr., DL, Utica
Justin Wheeler, Jr., LB, St. John Fisher
Gregory Alfieri, Sr., LB, SUNY Cortland
Lawrence Jenkins, Jr., LB, The College at Brockport
Mike Bodnar, Sr., DB, Morrisville State
Deondrade Wells, Jr., DB, Morrisville State
Jason Rodriguez, So., DB, St. John Fisher
Anthony Beaubrun, Gr., DB, Utica
Nick Mongelli, Sr., K, SUNY Cortland
Liam Casey, So., P, SUNY Cortland
Dahmir Pross, So., Return Specialist, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Honorable Mention (By Institution)
Leo Pamphile, Sr., DL, Alfred
Jermaine Rankin, Sr., DL, Morrisville State
Ernesto Mitchell, So., LB, Morrisville State
Hunter Walsh, Fr., QB, St. John Fisher
Dylan Dubuque, Jr., LB, SUNY Cortland
Dave Stegemann, Sr., TE, SUNY Cortland
Andrew Covais, Jr., LB, The College at Brockport
Kenny Hernandez, So., DB, The College at Brockport
Demetri Swann, So., OL, The College at Brockport
J.J. O’Connor, Sr., TE, Utica
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
Leo Pamphile, Sr., DE, Alfred
Jason Karteron, Sr., LB, The College at Brockport
J.J. Pasqualone, Sr., DL, SUNY Cortland
Rusty Virkler, Sr., WR/P, Hartwick
Mike Bodnar, Sr., DB, Morrisville State
Ryan Ingerson, Sr., RB, St. John Fisher
John Nish, Gr., LB, Utica