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November 21st, 2006, 12:24 PM
ATLANTIC 10 FOOTBALL CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES POSTSEASON HONORS
Steve Baylark of Massachusetts and New Hampshire’s Ricky Santos Share Atlantic 10 Football Offensive Player of the Year Honors; Akeem Jordan of James Madison Chosen Defensive Player of the Year; Rob Zarrilli of Hofstra Tabbed Special Teams Player of the Year; Richmond’s Eric Ward and Luke Bonus of Hofstra Named Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year; Don Brown of Massachusetts Honored as Coach of the Year
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Running back Steve Baylark of Massachusetts and New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos have been named the Atlantic 10 Football Conference Offensive Players of the Year and linebacker Akeem Jordan of James Madison has been named Defensive Player of the Year in voting conducted among the league’s head coaches.
In the same vote, Hofstra placekicker Rob Zarrilli was selected as the Atlantic 10's Special Teams Player of the Year, Richmond quarterback Eric Ward garnered Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and linebacker Luke Bonus of Hofstra earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Massachusetts’ Don Brown was chosen as Coach of the Year.
One of four players in I-AA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons, Baylark leads the A-10 in rushing yards (1,308) and ranks second with 10 rushing touchdowns. The Apopka, FL, native shares the league lead with six 100-yard rushing performances and has 13 receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns. One of 16 candidates for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the most outstanding player in I-AA, Baylark led the Minutemen to the Atlantic 10 North Division title with an 8-0 record and an overall mark of 10-1. UMass is ranked third in The Sports Network top 25 poll and is the third overall seed in the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Championship. He joins Gary Wilkos (1990) as the lone players in program annals to be named the Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Santos becomes the fourth player in league history and first since former Villanova and current Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook (2000-01) to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors in successive seasons. The junior signal caller enters this weekend’s NCAA Division I Football Championship opening round contest at Hampton ranked in the top 10 nationally in completions (22.7 pg. - fourth), total offense (278.7 ypg. - sixth) and passing yards (2,681 - seventh). The Bellingham, MA, resident and Walter Payton Award candidate has tossed a league-high 23 touchdown passes and shares the league lead with four 300-yard passing performances. A three-time Offensive Player of the Week selection in 2006, Santos has rushed for 385 yards and his 12 rushing touchdowns are the most of any A-10 quarterback. With Santos at the helm, the Wildcats ended the season 8-3 overall and 5-3 in the A-10. UNH was ranked first nationally for five weeks this season.
Jordan has collected a league-leading 126 tackles, including 16 behind the line of scrimmage in anchoring a JMU defense which ranks fourth nationally in rushing (84.0 ypg.) and 11th in scoring (15.1 ppg.). The senior from Harrisonburg VA, has registered 5.5 of the Dukes’ nation-leading 47 sacks along with three pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. One of 16 candidates for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the most outstanding defensive player in I-AA, Jordan is the fourth player in program history and second in as many years to earn the Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award. JMU junior safety Tony LeZotte garnered the honor last season. The Dukes claimed the A-10 South Division title with a 7-1 ledger and 9-2 overall record. James Madison visits Youngstown State on Sat. at 7:30pm in the opening round of the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Championship.
Zarrilli coverted a league-high 18 of his 21 field goal opportunities and 14-of-16 extra point attempts to share the team scoring lead with 68 points. Named to the All-Conference first-team for the second consecutive year, Zarrilli ranks second nationally in field goals per game (1.64). A native of Orlando, FL, the junior placekicker made at least two field goals in five of Hofstra’s 11 contests and was 6-for-7 on field goal attempts of 40 or more yards.
Ward completed 132-of-221 attempts for 1,424 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Atlanta, GA, resident was a two-time A-10 Rookie of the Week selection and rushed for 130 yards and a pair of scores.
Bonus led Hofstra with 97 tackles, the most of any freshman in the Atlantic 10. Twice named the A-10 Rookie of the Week, the linebacker reached double digits in tackles in five of the Pride’s 11 games and tallied 8.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. The Medford Lakes, NJ, native recorded four pass breakups, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Among those on the All-Conference first-team offense include Walter Payton Award candidate wide receiver David Ball of New Hampshire, who ranks second nationally in receptions (82) this season and holds the I-AA record for career touchdown receptions with 56; Delaware senior Ben Patrick, whose 64 receptions are the most of any tight end in the country; and Massachusetts senior offensive lineman Alex Miller, who earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year.
The first-team defense includes three-time first-team honoree Tony LeZotte of James Madison; Buck Buchanan Award candidate Matt King of Maine, who leads the A-10 in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (18); and Richmond senior linebacker Adam Goloboski, a three-time All-Conference and two-time first-team selection.
Brown earns his second Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honor for leading Massachusetts to the North Division title with a mark of 8-0 in league play, the first undefeated season in Conference play since Villanova in 1997. Riding a program-record nine-game winning streak and boasting a 10-1 overall record, UMass is the third overall seed in the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Championship and hosts Lafayette on Saturday at 12:00pm. The Minutemen rank second nationally in scoring defense (11.3 ppg.) and 19th in scoring offense (28.9 ppg.) and currently hold the third spot in The Sports Network top 25 poll. Under Brown’s direction, a league-record 20 student-athletes were named to the 2006 All-Conference team.
Now in his third season in Amherst, Brown owns a 75-36 overall record and 23-10 at Massachusetts. Named the 2002 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year while at Northeastern, Brown joins Jim Reid as the only coaches in league history to lead two different teams to Conference titles and earn Coach of the Year honors at two different schools. Brown guided the Huskies to the 2002 league crown.
Steve Baylark of Massachusetts and New Hampshire’s Ricky Santos Share Atlantic 10 Football Offensive Player of the Year Honors; Akeem Jordan of James Madison Chosen Defensive Player of the Year; Rob Zarrilli of Hofstra Tabbed Special Teams Player of the Year; Richmond’s Eric Ward and Luke Bonus of Hofstra Named Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year; Don Brown of Massachusetts Honored as Coach of the Year
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Running back Steve Baylark of Massachusetts and New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos have been named the Atlantic 10 Football Conference Offensive Players of the Year and linebacker Akeem Jordan of James Madison has been named Defensive Player of the Year in voting conducted among the league’s head coaches.
In the same vote, Hofstra placekicker Rob Zarrilli was selected as the Atlantic 10's Special Teams Player of the Year, Richmond quarterback Eric Ward garnered Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and linebacker Luke Bonus of Hofstra earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Massachusetts’ Don Brown was chosen as Coach of the Year.
One of four players in I-AA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons, Baylark leads the A-10 in rushing yards (1,308) and ranks second with 10 rushing touchdowns. The Apopka, FL, native shares the league lead with six 100-yard rushing performances and has 13 receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns. One of 16 candidates for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the most outstanding player in I-AA, Baylark led the Minutemen to the Atlantic 10 North Division title with an 8-0 record and an overall mark of 10-1. UMass is ranked third in The Sports Network top 25 poll and is the third overall seed in the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Championship. He joins Gary Wilkos (1990) as the lone players in program annals to be named the Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Santos becomes the fourth player in league history and first since former Villanova and current Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook (2000-01) to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors in successive seasons. The junior signal caller enters this weekend’s NCAA Division I Football Championship opening round contest at Hampton ranked in the top 10 nationally in completions (22.7 pg. - fourth), total offense (278.7 ypg. - sixth) and passing yards (2,681 - seventh). The Bellingham, MA, resident and Walter Payton Award candidate has tossed a league-high 23 touchdown passes and shares the league lead with four 300-yard passing performances. A three-time Offensive Player of the Week selection in 2006, Santos has rushed for 385 yards and his 12 rushing touchdowns are the most of any A-10 quarterback. With Santos at the helm, the Wildcats ended the season 8-3 overall and 5-3 in the A-10. UNH was ranked first nationally for five weeks this season.
Jordan has collected a league-leading 126 tackles, including 16 behind the line of scrimmage in anchoring a JMU defense which ranks fourth nationally in rushing (84.0 ypg.) and 11th in scoring (15.1 ppg.). The senior from Harrisonburg VA, has registered 5.5 of the Dukes’ nation-leading 47 sacks along with three pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. One of 16 candidates for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the most outstanding defensive player in I-AA, Jordan is the fourth player in program history and second in as many years to earn the Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award. JMU junior safety Tony LeZotte garnered the honor last season. The Dukes claimed the A-10 South Division title with a 7-1 ledger and 9-2 overall record. James Madison visits Youngstown State on Sat. at 7:30pm in the opening round of the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Championship.
Zarrilli coverted a league-high 18 of his 21 field goal opportunities and 14-of-16 extra point attempts to share the team scoring lead with 68 points. Named to the All-Conference first-team for the second consecutive year, Zarrilli ranks second nationally in field goals per game (1.64). A native of Orlando, FL, the junior placekicker made at least two field goals in five of Hofstra’s 11 contests and was 6-for-7 on field goal attempts of 40 or more yards.
Ward completed 132-of-221 attempts for 1,424 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Atlanta, GA, resident was a two-time A-10 Rookie of the Week selection and rushed for 130 yards and a pair of scores.
Bonus led Hofstra with 97 tackles, the most of any freshman in the Atlantic 10. Twice named the A-10 Rookie of the Week, the linebacker reached double digits in tackles in five of the Pride’s 11 games and tallied 8.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. The Medford Lakes, NJ, native recorded four pass breakups, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Among those on the All-Conference first-team offense include Walter Payton Award candidate wide receiver David Ball of New Hampshire, who ranks second nationally in receptions (82) this season and holds the I-AA record for career touchdown receptions with 56; Delaware senior Ben Patrick, whose 64 receptions are the most of any tight end in the country; and Massachusetts senior offensive lineman Alex Miller, who earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year.
The first-team defense includes three-time first-team honoree Tony LeZotte of James Madison; Buck Buchanan Award candidate Matt King of Maine, who leads the A-10 in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (18); and Richmond senior linebacker Adam Goloboski, a three-time All-Conference and two-time first-team selection.
Brown earns his second Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honor for leading Massachusetts to the North Division title with a mark of 8-0 in league play, the first undefeated season in Conference play since Villanova in 1997. Riding a program-record nine-game winning streak and boasting a 10-1 overall record, UMass is the third overall seed in the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Championship and hosts Lafayette on Saturday at 12:00pm. The Minutemen rank second nationally in scoring defense (11.3 ppg.) and 19th in scoring offense (28.9 ppg.) and currently hold the third spot in The Sports Network top 25 poll. Under Brown’s direction, a league-record 20 student-athletes were named to the 2006 All-Conference team.
Now in his third season in Amherst, Brown owns a 75-36 overall record and 23-10 at Massachusetts. Named the 2002 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year while at Northeastern, Brown joins Jim Reid as the only coaches in league history to lead two different teams to Conference titles and earn Coach of the Year honors at two different schools. Brown guided the Huskies to the 2002 league crown.