Football | 11/17/2022 9:57:00 AM
The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2022 Football All-Conference awards on Thursday, November 17. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches. League champion SUNY Cortland claimed a pair of individual awards and had 19 players earn all-conference honors, while runner-up NCAA at-large selection Utica University also garnered two individual awards.
Utica wide receiver Nate Palmer, a graduate student, was named the 2022 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year. Teammate Jimmie Warren, a senior defensive end and SUNY Morrisville senior linebacker Ernesto Mitchell garnered Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors, while first-year defensive back Malik Kelly of SUNY Brockport was named the E8 Rookie of the Year. The SUNY Cortland Coaching Staff, led by head coach Curt Fitzpatrick garnered the E8 Coaching Staff of the Year award for the second straight year, while Cortland place kicker/punter Patrick Luby was named the Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Year.
Palmer has enjoyed a remarkable season for the Pioneers with 63 receptions for 1,222 yards and 19 total touchdowns (17 receiving, one rushing and one punt return) in 10 games. He leads the Empire 8 and is second nationally in receiving touchdowns, receiving yards and is fifth in receiving yards per game. A model of consistency, Palmer has eight 100-yard games receiving this season and has scored at least one touchdown in all 10 games for the Pioneers. In addition, he has at least six receptions in nine contests. He opened the season by catching eight passes for 222 yards and four touchdowns in a win over University of Rochester on Sept. 3 and recorded two different three touchdown games in league play, versus Brockport and Alfred. He is a two-time Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week in 2022.
Warren has been a force on the defensive line all season for the Pioneers, leading the Empire 8 with nine sacks, while recording 14 tackles for a loss, which is second in the conference. Warren is also sixth in the league with 78 total tackles. He has recorded at least eight tackles in six games and at least one sack in seven contests. Warren was named Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 17 after 11 tackles, including three sacks in a win over SUNY Brockport.
Mitchell is in the midst of a tremendous season for Morrisville, who has improved its win total by five from last year, having finished the regular season with a 7-3 mark. He has recorded 98 total tackles from his linebacker position, which is third in the Empire 8 with exactly 49 solo and assisted stops. In addition, Mitchell has 11 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble. The Empire 8’s lone three-time D3football.com Team of the Week selection, Mitchell is the leader of a stout Morrisville that has allowed the fewest points in the Empire 8 (11.2 per game), which is also 15th best nationally.
Kelly has enjoyed an excellent season for the Brockport defense, with 23 tackles (19 solo) to go along with a pair of interceptions and six pass breakups. On Oct. 22, Kelly picked off a pair of passes and took one 65 yards for a touchdown in Brockport’s 35-14 win at Hartwick. He was named the Empire 8 co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 24.
Luby has excelled as both a kicker and punter for the Red Dragons in 2022. He is averaging 61.9 yards per kickoff with 34 touchbacks, while averaging 36.2 yards per punt with five placed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Fitzpatrick and his staff led the Red Dragons to their second straight Empire 8 Championship and fourth overall. Cortland earned the Empire 8’s automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Championship Tournament, where they will travel to face Randolph-Macon College in the opening round on Nov. 19 at noon. Cortland is ranked fifth nationally, averaging 46.8 points per game and sixth in total offense, averaging 511.1 yards per contest. The Red Dragons enter the tournament ranked No. 17 in both the AFCA Division III Coaches poll and D3football.com national poll. The Red Dragons are making their 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Red Dragons had 11 players earn All-Empire 8 first team accolades, while SUNY Brockport had six first team selections. Brockport offensive lineman Luke Lodini earned All-Empire 8 first team honors for the third time, while 13 student-athletes garnered All-Empire 8 first team accolades for the second time.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2022 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.
2022 Empire 8 Football All-Conference Selections
Offensive Player of the Year: Nate Palmer, Gr., WR, Utica
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Ernesto Mitchell, Sr., LB, SUNY Morrisville
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Jimmie Warren, Sr., DE/DL, Utica
Special Teams Player of the Year: Patrick Luby, Jr., K/P, SUNY Cortland
Rookie of the Year: Malik Kelly, Fr., DB, SUNY Brockport
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Cortland, led by head coach Curt Fitzpatrick
Empire 8 First Team Offense
Zac Boyes, So., QB, SUNY Cortland
Jaden Alfanostjohn, So., RB, SUNY Cortland
Max Freeman IV, So., RB, Alfred
Malachi Duvall, Gr., RB, St. John Fisher
Seth Walden, Sr., FB, Alfred
Robert Felder, Gr., OL, Alfred
Luke Lodini, Gr., OL, SUNY Brockport
Brian Mapp, Sr., OL, SUNY Morrisville
Daquan Griffin, Sr., OL, SUNY Cortland
Connor Hill, Sr., OL, SUNY Cortland
Quamel Jarvis, So., TE, SUNY Morrisville
Cole Burgess, Jr., WR, SUNY Cortland
JJ Laap, Jr., WR, SUNY Cortland
Nate Palmer, Gr., WR, Utica
Nate Palmer, Gr., All-Purpose, Utica
Empire 8 First Team Defense/Special Teams
Jordan Harris, Sr., DL, SUNY Brockport
Nick Lardaro, So., DL, SUNY Cortland
Will Brown, Sr., DL, SUNY Morrisville
Jimmie Warren, Sr., DL, Utica
Joe Copp, Jr., LB, Alfred
Ben Damiani, Sr., LB, SUNY Brockport
Ernesto Mitchell, Sr., LB, SUNY Morrisville
Raylens Boutin, Sr., DB, SUNY Brockport
Ben Marshall, Sr., DB, SUNY Brockport
Joshua Cordero, Sr., DB, SUNY Cortland
Christian Legagneur, Sr., DB, SUNY Cortland
Patrick Luby, Jr., K, SUNY Cortland
Dan Giangrasso, So., P, SUNY Brockport
Rashad Tucker, Jr., Return Specialist, SUNY Cortland
Empire 8 Second Team Offense
Braeden Zenelovic, Sr., QB, Utica
Gino Fontanarosa, So., RB, SUNY Brockport
Brandon Mapp, Sr., FB, SUNY Morrisville
Nicholas Kalke, Jr., OL, SUNY Brockport
Cody Aikey, So., OL, SUNY Cortland
Ryan Bitka, So., OL, SUNY Cortland
Kyle Farrell, Sr., OL, SUNY Morrisville
Joe Howard, Sr., OL, St. John Fisher
James Altenburger, Jr., TE, SUNY Brockport
Justin LoBasso, Sr., TE, Hartwick
Jacob Kelsey, Sr., WR, Alfred
Justin Adams., Sr., WR, SUNY Morrisville
Gabe Meloni, Sr., WR, St. John Fisher
Rashad Tucker, Jr., All Purpose, SUNY Cortland
Empire 8 Second Team Defense/Special Teams
Tim Dahl, Gr., DL, Alfred
Danny Quinones, Jr., DL, Alfred
Hakeem Yaya, Sr., DL, SUNY Brockport
John Stroughn, Sr., DL, Utica
Christopher Cox, Gr., LB, Alfred
Philemon Benjamin Jr., Sr., LB, SUNY Morrisville
Joe Miscia, Jr., LB, St. John Fisher
Mark Noel, Jr., DB, SUNY Cortland
Bryan Grimes, Sr., DB, Hartwick
Nelon Priest, Sr., DB, Hartwick
Terrance Toussaint, Sr., DB, Utica
Owen Cole, So., K, SUNY Morrisville
Zach Johnson, Jr., P, Alfred
Nate Palmer, Gr., Return Specialist, Utica
Empire 8 Third Team Offense
Steven Frerichs, Jr., QB, SUNY Morrisville
Carlvin McDonald, So., RB, Hartwick
Matt Brantley, Jr., RB, Utica
Max Bates, Gr., FB, St. John Fisher
Jacob Lucier, Jr., OL, SUNY Brockport
Demetri Swann, Sr., OL, SUNY Brockport
John Aliberti, Jr., OL, Utica
Michael Kreuter, Sr., OL, Utica
Ryan Walker, Sr., OL, Utica
CJ Messina, So., WR, SUNY Cortland
Naquan Bradshaw, Jr., WR, Hartwick
Nate Rath, Jr., WR, Hartwick
Steven Frerichs, Jr., All Purpose, SUNY Morrisville
Sam Florio, Jr., All-Purpose, Utica
Empire 8 Third Team Defense/Special Teams
Max Llewellyn, So., DL, SUNY Cortland
Samuel Maddi, Jr., DL, SUNY Cortland
David Kelley, Jr., DL, SUNY Morrisville
Andrew Casanova, Sr., DL, St. John Fisher
Devin McArthur, Jr., LB, SUNY Cortland
Joe Miller-Labar, Sr., LB, SUNY Morrisville
Anthony Novello, Sr., LB, Utica
Jake Ely, Sr., DB, Hartwick
Dante McGowan, So., DB, SUNY Morrisville
Evan Salvaggio, So., DB, SUNY Morrisville
Deorion Moore, Jr., DB, St. John Fisher
Corey Lichtman, Sr., K, Utica
Nick Andrade, Jr., P, Hartwick
Jamel Smith, Sr., Return Specialist, Utica
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
Tyreek Ormil, Jr., DL, Alfred
Hakeem Yaya, Sr., DL, SUNY Brockport
Mike Eglintine, Sr., TE, SUNY Cortland
Ryan Carmody, Sr., DL, Hartwick
Kyle Farrell, Sr., OL, SUNY Morrisville
Anthony Manna, Gr., DB, St. John Fisher
Daryl Savage, Gr., DE, Utica
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.
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram