Football | 12/9/2021 9:57:36 AM
Fourteen different Empire 8 student-athletes were named to the 2021 D3football.com All-Region 2 Team. Four players were named to the first team, while four were second team selections and six garnered third team accolades. SUNY Cortland had 10 student-athletes honored, while SUNY College at Brockport had five players garner All-Region honors.
2021 Empire 8 Student-Athletes honored:
First Team
Michael Bailey, SUNY Cortland, Sr., C
Dylan Dubuque, SUNY Cortland, Sr., LB
Dylan Dubuque, SUNY Cortland, Sr., ST
Luke Lodini, SUNY Brockport, Sr., G
Devin Smith, SUNY Cortland, Sr., DT
Second Team
Jala Coad, SUNY Brockport, Jr., RB
Nick Lardaro, SUNY Cortland, So., DE
Alaan Montgomery, SUNY Brockport, Sr., S
Brees Segala, SUNY Cortland, Sr., QB
Third Team
Liam Casey, SUNY Cortland, Sr., P
Derek Cruz, SUNY Cortland, Sr., WR
Josh Greenwood, SUNY Brockport, Sr., DE
Jordan Harris, SUNY Brockport, Jr., DT
Connor Hill, SUNY Cortland, Sr., G
Christian Legagneur, SUNY Cortland, Sr., S
The teams, selected in balloting by East Region sports information directors and
D3football.com staff, were chosen from 206 nominations by full Division III member schools. A total of 77 players were chosen. Players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for
D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced the evening of Dec. 17, in
D3football.com’s pregame coverage for Stagg Bowl XLVIII.
FIRST TEAM
Bailey, a native of Bedford Hills, N.Y., helped Cortland’s offense rack up 4,856 yards in 12 games (404.7 yards per game), which led the Empire 8 in addition to 497 points (41.4 points per game). He also earned All-Empire 8 first team honors as an offensive lineman. The Red Dragons amassed at least 400 yards of offense seven times in 2021, including a pair of 500-yard contests with Bailey serving on the offensive line.
Dubuque was the lone Empire 8 student-athlete to earn a pair of individual honors both at linebacker and special teams. He led a stout Cortland defense that allowed just 10.5 points, fourth fewest among all Division III teams this season and 213.8 yards per game (fifth fewest nationally) in 2021. Dubuque recorded 68 tackles (38 solo) to go along with 15 quarterback hurries, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks a fumble recovery and three blocked kicks (tied for 14th in Division III). Dubuque also recorded three touchdowns this season, one via fumble recovery, an interception and a blocked field goal.
Lodini made his second All-Region appearance after earning All-E8 first team honors last month. A native of Stony Point, NY, he was named a D3football.com Preseason First Team All-American. The 2019 All-American helped pave the way for one of the top offensive units in the Empire 8. Brockport's offense finished ranked second in the Empire 8 with an average of 321.3 total yards per game. The Golden Eagles finished the year with 3,534 total yards, including 1,933 yards rushing. Lodini allowed just two sacks all season and finished with a 95% coaching grade.
Smith earned All-Empire 8 first team honors on the defensive line for the second time in 2021. A native of Utica, NY, Smith, who served as a team captain for the Red Dragons, tallied 46 total tackles (22 solo) to go along with a league-best 6.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss. He also added 27 quarterback hurries and was among the league leaders with three forced fumbles.
SECOND TEAM
Coad, making his first all-region appearance, was an All-Empire 8 first pick and was a three-time E8 Offensive Player of the Week. He had at least one touchdown in ten of 11 games this season and finished the season ranked seventh nationally in rushing yards (career-high 1,410) and also led the conference in rushing TD's (15) and scoring (9.8 points per game). Coad, a native of Amityville, NY, scored 40 more points and rushed for 540 more yards than any other player in the Empire 8 this season. Over the course of three seasons, he has 2,959 rushing yards to go along with 41 total touchdowns (37 rushing, four receiving).
Lardaro, the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, enjoyed an incredible debut season for the Cortland defense on the defensive line, with 51 tackles (23 solo and 28 assisted). He also led the Empire 8 with 18 tackles for a loss and 32 quarterback hurries, in addition to 5.5 sacks. Lardaro was a main contributor to a Cortland defense which allowing just 86.8 rushing yards per game.
Montgomery was an All-Empire 8 first team selection for the Golden Eagles. This past season he tied the program's single season record with nine interceptions. A native of Buffalo, NY, Montgomery capped the regular season leading all levels of college football (FBS, FCS, Div. II, Div. III) with an average of .9 interceptions per game. Montgomery also added 30 tackles (20 solo), two tackles for a loss and seven pass breakups.
Segala, the 2021 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year and semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, enjoyed a tremendous season for the Red Dragons, throwing for 2,620 yards with a league-best 31 touchdowns to just five interceptions and was eighth nationally in passing efficiency rating (176.9). He also was eighth in Division III with a 68.9 completion percentage. In addition, Segala added 382 yards on 106 carries with six touchdowns on the ground. Overall, Cortland scored 497 points in 2021 and was 22nd nationally in points per game (41.4).
THIRD TEAM
Casey, a native of Woodstown, NJ, averaged 38.4 yards per punt during the 2021 season. Eleven of his 33 punts were downed inside the 20-yard line with just one touchback and five punts of at least 50 yards. He earned All-Empire 8 first team honors.
Cruz led all Empire 8 wide receivers with 71 catches in 2021, while finishing second with 847 yards and nine touchdowns. A native of Oceanside, NY, Cruz earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades. He had a career-high total of 11 receptions versus Utica on Oct. 23 and finished with a personal-best 132 yards receiving the following weekend versus Alfred. He scored two touchdowns in a game three times in 2021.
Greenwood, a native of Endicott, NY, made his third straight All-Empire 8 team in 2021. He finished the year with a league best and a career-high 17.0 tackles for a loss. Greenwood tied for third in the conference with 6.5 sacks and third on the team with a career-high 52 total tackles. Over the course of four seasons, Greenwood totaled 143 tackles, 45.0 tackles for a loss, 21.5 sacks and five forced fumbles.
Harris earned Empire 8 All-Conference first team status this past season. He demanded two blockers in the middle all season long and has developed into one of the top interior defensive linemen in the Empire 8. A native of Lyons, NY, Harris finished his junior season with a career-high 26 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss to go along with 1.5 sacks. In three seasons with the green and gold he has totaled 46 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss and 4.0 sacks.
Hill, a native of Newfane, NY, helped Cortland’s offense gain 4,856 yards in 12 games (404.7 yards per game), which led the Empire 8 in addition to 497 points (41.4 points per game). He also earned All-Empire 8 first team honors as an offensive lineman. The Red Dragons amassed 262 first downs on the season (14th nationally) and at least 400 yards of offense seven times in 2021, including a pair of 500-yard contests with Hill serving on the offensive line.
Legagneur, a native of Brentwood, NY, earned All-Empire 8 first team honors after finishing fourth on the team with 66 total tackles (35 solo) to go along with a pair of interceptions, seven passes defensed, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He returned one of the two interceptions back for a 25-yard touchdown in the season opener at Wittenberg.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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