Football | 12/7/2022 11:12:24 AM
Seventeen different Empire 8 student-athletes were named to the 2022 D3football.com All-Region 2 Team. Eight players were named to the first team, while five were second team selections and three garnered third team accolades. Empire 8 Champion SUNY Cortland had a league-high seven student-athletes honored, while SUNY Brockport had four representatives. In addition, three Morrisville State stars, a pair of Utica University student-athletes and one Alfred University standout garnered All-Region honors.
2022 Empire 8 Student-Athletes D3football.com All-Region Selections
First Team
Jaden Alfanostjohn, So., RB, SUNY Cortland
Joshua Cordero, Sr., CB, SUNY Cortland
Dan Giangrasso, So., P, SUNY Brockport
Jordan Harris, Sr., DT, SUNY Brockport
Connor Hill, Sr., G, SUNY Cortland
Patrick Luby, Jr., KO, SUNY Cortland
Ernesto Mitchell, Sr., LB, Morrisville State
Nate Palmer, Gr., WR, Utica
Second Team
Raylens Boutin, Jr., CB, SUNY Brockport
Joe Copp, Jr., LB, Alfred
Daquan Griffin, Sr., T, SUNY Cortland
Luke Lodini, Gr., G, SUNY Brockport
Jimmie Warren, Sr., DE, Utica
Third Team
Zac Boyes, So., QB, SUNY Cortland
Will Brown, Sr., DT, SUNY Morrisville
Cole Burgess, Jr., WR, SUNY Cortland
Brian Mapp, Sr., C, Morrisville State
The teams, selected in balloting by sports information directors and
D3football.com staff, were chosen from 1,096 nominations by full Division III member schools. Players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for
D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced the evening of Dec. 16, in
D3football.com’s pregame coverage for Stagg Bowl XLIX
FIRST TEAM
Alfanostjohn, a native of Westhampton, NY, started all 10 games in which he appeared this fall. He carried the ball 195 times for 1,024 yards and 17 touchdowns and caught 16 passes for 216 yards and one score. He ran for at least one touchdown in each of his 10 games. Alfanostjohn ran for 247 yards in a win over Morrisville, had 162 rushing yards on just 12 carries in a win at Utica, and rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns in a victory at Brockport.
Cordero started all 11 games and finished the season with 39 tackles, six interceptions and seven pass breakups. The Monroe, NY native returned three interceptions for touchdowns, tying a school single-season record for defensive touchdowns. Cordero also matched a school single-game record with three interceptions in a win over The College of New Jersey.
As Brockport's punter, Giangrasso separated himself from the rest of the field at the position in the Empire 8 this season. He had the highest average of 42.2 yards per kick in the conference, which also ranked eighth in the nation this year. Giangrasso, a native of Poughkeepsie, NY, totaled 1,435 yards on 34 punts which included seven kicks of 50 or more yards and 12 kicks that pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line.
Harris garnered his second straight All-Region accolade. As the anchor in the middle of the defensive line, he has created problems for opposing offenses consistently for the Brockport defense. Fighting off double teams in the trenches he has totaled 36 tackles, 8.0 for a loss, and 3.0 sacks. A native of Lyons, NY, Harris received credit for three quarterback hurries and notched one interception for a 2-yard pick six this year.
Hill, a native of Newfane, NY, is a repeat all-region honoree; he was named to the third team last year. Hill started all 11 games and helped Cortland set school single game records with 45.1 points per game, 5,496 total offensive yards, and 499.6 yards per game. The Red Dragons set a school single-game record with 681 yards of total offense in a win over Wittenberg and gained more than 600 yards on two other occasions (home wins vs. Hartwick and St. John Fisher).
Luby, the 2022 E8 Special Teams Player of the Year, posted 36 touchbacks on 77 kickoffs this fall. His 46.7 touchback percentage is the highest by a Red Dragon since season totals for the statistic were first tracked in 2006. Luby also served as Cortland's punter and averaged 36.7 yards per punt on 23 attempts.
Mitchell, the 2022 Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, started 10-games for the Mustangs at linebacker and across the season collected 105 total tackles to lead Morrisville, including 12.5 that registered a loss of 41 yards for opponents and 2.5 sacks for a loss of 22 yards. Additionally, he collected two interceptions, broke up one pass, registered two quarterback hurries and had a forced fumble. Mitchell, a native of Wheatley Heights, NY, was a three-time Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week selection, and the lone student-athlete across the league to be named to the D3football.com Team of the Week.
Palmer, the 2022 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year, recorded 75 catches, 1291 receiving yards, and 18 receiving touchdowns while his receiving yards and touchdown receptions were the most in a single season in Pioneer history. Palmer's 120 points recorded this season also rank first all-time in a single season in program history. His 75 receptions rank third all-time in a single-season and he finished fifth all-time for total touchdowns in a season with 20. A native of Verona, NY, Palmer was also selected to participate in the NFL Scouted FCS Bowl in Daytona Beach, Florida on Dec. 11, which gives the top FCS/DII/DIII players a direct path to play in a top FBS game. Palmer is also one of 15 semifinalists for the Gagliardi Trophy which is awarded to the best player in NCAA Division III.
SECOND TEAM
Boutin, now a two-time All-Region selection and three-time Preseason All-American, led the Brockport defense with 33 solo tackles this year. Boutin made several plays in the passing game with two interceptions, seven pass breakups, and a 36-yard pick six. He is a leader in the defensive backfield that ranked in the top-15 nationally in passing yards allowed.
Copp, who hails from Minoa, NY, enjoyed an excellent season for the Saxons, leading the Empire 8 with 121 tackles. His 24-tackle performance against SUNY Cortland on October 29 sits as the fourth-highest mark in a single game in program history.
Griffin, who hails from Ithaca, NY, started all 11 games on the offensive line and helped Cortland set school single season records with 45.1 points per game, 5,496 total offensive yards, and 499.6 yards per game. The Red Dragons set a school single-game record with 681 yards of total offense in a win over Wittenberg and gained more than 600 yards on two other occasions (home wins vs. Hartwick and St. John Fisher).
Lodini made his third All-Region appearance after earning All-E8 first team honors last month. A native of Stony Point, NY, he was named a two-time D3football.com Preseason All-American. The 2019 All-American's blocking was crucial for the offensive scheme that featured one of the top rushing attacks in the Empire 8. The Brockport offense led the conference in total rush attempts, while ranking second in both yards (1,939) and touchdowns (17) on the season. Lodini and the offensive line paved the way for an average of 193.9 rushing yards a game this season.
Warren, who was also named the 2022 Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, finished the season as the Empire 8 leader with 11 sacks, tied for the E8 lead with 17.5 tackles for loss and ranked fourth in the league with 98 total tackles. The Suffern, NY native finished with 11 sacks this season, which is third all-time in a single-season in program history while his tackles for loss ranked fourth in a single-season in program history, as Utica advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
THIRD TEAM
Boyes, a native of Buffalo, NY, started all 11 games and completed 166-of-245 passes (67.8 percent) for 2,826 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also ran 71 times for 376 yards and two scores. His passing yardage total was the third highest in school history, and he established a school single-season record with a 194.2 passing efficiency rating. Boyes broke the school single-game record with 543 yards in a win over Wittenberg. He threw for four touchdowns in a game four times and had three TD passes on two other occasions.
Brown, a native of Amherst, NY, started all 11 games for the Mustangs at defensive tackle and anchored a line that contributed to opponent's difficulty in scoring. The senior registered a 42 total tackle season, while recording 6.0 tackles for a loss of 19 yards, 2.5 sacks for a loss of 14 across the year, two quarterback hurries and had a blocked kick.
Burgess is an all-region honoree for the second time; he was a third-team All-East kick returner in 2018. This fall, the Greenwich, NY native played in 10 games, all as a starter, and caught 37 passes for 816 yards and 11 touchdowns. Burgess had four 100-yard receiving games, including four catches for 161 yards and two scores in a win over St. John Fisher and four catches for 140 yards, including a school record-tying three TD catches, in a victory over The College of New Jersey.
Mapp, a native of Staten Island, NY, started 10 games for the Mustangs on the offensive line at center, completing the 2022 lineup with a third ranked rushing offense in the Empire 8 and fourth ranked scoring offense. The two-time All-Conference honoree contributed to an offense that ranked 10th nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage across Division III and 35th in red zone effiency.
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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