Football | 12/11/2024 2:58:18 PM
Sixteen Empire 8 student-athletes were named to the 2024 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 nine student-athletes earn 10 spots, while SUNY Brockport had four representatives. In addition, one SUNY Morrisville and one Utica University standout garnered All-Region honors. Zac Boyes of SUNY Cortland was named the Region 2 Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
All 16 players are eligible for selection to the D3football.com All-America team that will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 2, prior to the NCAA Division III Championship game, Stagg Bowl 51. NCAA Division III realigned Division III football into six regions in 2021. Region 2 includes the Centennial Conference, Empire 8, Landmark Conference, Liberty League, New Jersey Athletic Conference and Presidents’ Athletic Conference.
Boyes, a senior from Buffalo, New York, is the first person to repeat as a Player of the Year for the
D3football.com All-Region 2 team. He passed for 2,957 yards in 12 games for 2023 NCAA Champion Cortland, completing 66.9 percent of his passes and throwing 28 touchdowns, with just three interceptions. He also ran for 509 yards and seven additional touchdowns. The 2024 Empire 8 Player of the Year and 2024 AFCA First Team All-American, Boyes is also one of 18 semifinalists for the Gagliardi Trophy which is awarded to the best player in NCAA Division III.
2024 Empire 8 D3football.com All-Region Selections
First Team
Jaden AlfanoStJohn, Sr., WR, SUNY Cortland (Westhampton, NY/Westhampton Beach
Mike Baloga, Sr., K, SUNY Cortland (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall)
Ryan Bitka, Sr., G, SUNY Cortland (Amherst, NY/Amherst)
Zac Boyes, Sr., QB, SUNY Cortland (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West)
Nicholas DeForrest, So., ST, Utica (Rome, NY/Holland Patent)
Quamel Jarvis, Sr., TE, SUNY Morrisville (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena)
Nazair Jean-Lubin, So., CB, SUNY Cortland (Freeport, NY/Freeport)
Nick Lardaro, Sr., DL, SUNY Cortland (St. James, NY/Smithtown East)
Second Team
Jaden AlfanoStJohn, Sr., RET, SUNY Cortland (Westhampton, NY/Westhampton Beach
Cody Aikey, Sr., T, SUNY Cortland (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy)
Ethan Gallo, So., RB, SUNY Cortland (Slate Hill, NY/Minisink Valley)
Kyle Haettich, Sr., S, SUNY Brockport (Buffalo, NY/West Seneca)
Jack Winey, Sr., LB, SUNY Cortland (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst)
Third Team
Dan Giangrasso, Sr., P, SUNY Brockport (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington)
Adam Montalvo, Jr., OT, SUNY Brockport (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac)
Isaiah Simmons, So, RB, SUNY Brockport (Buffalo, NY/South Park)
FIRST TEAM
AlfanoStJohn earned All-Region honors for the third straight season and did so at wide receiver in 2024 after garnering his first two All-Region plaudits at running back., AlfanoStJohn scored 17 total touchdowns in 2024, 13 by reception, three via the rush and one kickoff return. He finished the season with 52 catches for 1,012 yards, averaging 19.5 yards per reception and carried the ball 21 times for 245 yards. AlfanoStJohn had four 100-yard receiving games this season and five contests with at least two touchdowns.
Baloga excelled as both a kicker and punter for the Red Dragons in 2024. He is averaged 60.3 yards per kickoff with 32 touchbacks, while averaging 40.3 yards per punt with eight of his 26 punts placed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Baloga also finished 67-of-69 on extra points and 8-of-10 on field goal attempts this season.
Bitka led a tremendous Cortland offensive line that allowed the offense to continue its prolific prowess, at 45.8 points per game (11th nationally) and 491.6 yards (eighth nationally). The Red Dragons have recorded at least 400 yards of total offense in 10 of its 12 games this season, at least 580 yards and four times and more than 600 yards twice, including 663 yards in a win over Lycoming on Sept. 14. Bitka and the Cortland offensive line were honored as part of the D3football.com Team of the Week three times in 2024. In addition, Bitka was an All-Region selection in 2023.
DeForrest enjoyed a breakout season for Utica on punt coverage, setting the Utica single season record with four blocked punt. He was an Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 28.
Jarvis, a 2024 AFCA Second Team All-American, started in all 11 games for the Mustangs and served a critical role in guiding Morrisville to the 2024 ECAC Robert M. "Scotty" Whitelaw Bowl title. He caught 43 passes for 622 yards in 2024, adding five touchdown scores, averaging 56.6 yards per game and 14.5 yards per catch. Jarvis pulled in a long 74-yard scoring touchdown in the season opening win over Kean, before going on to earn D3football.com Team of the Week accolades twice on the season for his receiving performances on the field, twice for receiving yards that were over 100+ yards in the game.
Jean-Lubin had six pass breakups and four interceptions for the Red Dragons in 2024. He was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week and earned D3football.com Team of the Week honors after intercepting two passes in Cortland’s 29-28 win at Brockport on Nov. 9 that clinched the Empire 8 Championship game. Jean-Lubin also added 18 tackles on the season.
Lardaro was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year and earned 2024 AFCA Second Team All-American accolades. He recorded 42 tackles from his defensive line position, including 20 solo tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He recorded six tackles, including a sack, and a pass breakup in the E8 Championship clinching win at Brockport on Nov. 9 and had six tackles, with a sack, along with a key forced fumble in a win at nationally ranked Susquehanna in September.
SECOND TEAM
Like Bitka, Aikey led a tremendous Cortland offensive line in 2024. Aikey and the Cortland offensive line were honored as part of the D3football.com Team of the Week three times in 2024. Aikey was also an All-Region selection in 2023.
AlfanoStJohn was a force in return game. He had a 100-yard kickoff return that changed the momentum and helped lead Cortland to a wild, 40-38 win at nationally ranked Susquehanna on Sept. 21.
Gallo ran for 1,190 yards on the ground on 226 carries and added 14 catches for 112 yards, while finding the end zone 22 times, fifth best in Division III. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and scored in 11 of 12 games, including four touchdowns in a win over Alfred University on Oct. 19. Gallo began the season with three consecutive three touchdown games.
Haettich, earned All-Region honors for the second straight season. He recorded 57 tackles (34 solo, 23 assisted) to go along with three interceptions, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 11 games this season. He was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week and earned D3football Team of the Week honors on Sept. 24 after intercepting two passes, including one for a touchdown in a win over Wilkes.
Winey earned his second straight All-Region accolade in 2024 after leading has paced Cortland with 101 total tackles (36 solo, 65 assisted) to go along with 7.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries. He recorded a career-best 22 tackles in the NCAA Third Round game against Springfield on Dec. 7.
THIRD TEAM
Giangrasso earned his third straight All-Region honor, averaging 42.8 yards per punt. Ten of his 34 punts on the season traveled at least 50 yards, while 15 were placed inside the opponents 20-yard line.
Montalvo led a stout Brockport offensive line that averaged 195.7 rushing yards per game, 29th in all of Division III and just over 400 yards of offense per game. The Golden Eagles also averaged 31.5 points per game in 2024.
Simmons led the Empire 8 in rushing with 1,510 yards on 223 carries with 19 touchdowns in 2024. He had eight 100-yard rushing games, including six straight to end the season. Simmons’ 1,510 yards are fourth nationally in Division III. He averaged 136.8 yards per game, also fourth nationally. He had 20 total touchdowns on the season, tenth in Division III.
Players were nominated for these awards by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools, and schools and conferences were contacted multiple times as the season wound down to remind them to make their players eligible. In total, 1,210 players were nominated.
All-Region teams are selected in balloting by sports information directors in each region and
D3football.com staff. All players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for the
D3football.com All-America Team, which will be announced Thursday, Jan. 2.
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 and
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