14 MASCAC Student-Athletes Recognized on D3football.com All-Region Two Teams
After earning All-Conference honors in November, 14 student-athletes from the MASCAC were recognized as d3football.com All-Region Two honorees as announced by the organization on Wednesday.
After earning All-Conference honors in November, 13 student-athletes from the MASCAC were recognized as d3football.com All-Region Two honorees as announced by the organization on Wednesday.
Matt Beyer and Shane Drake of Bridgewater State, Cameron Monette of Fitchburg State, Devaun Ford and Jared Martino of Framingham State, Willie Lombard of Plymouth State, Trell Best, Angel Sanchez and Dante Aviles-Santos of UMass Dartmouth, Patrick Adams, Chad Blaskzy, Raquell Davis and Julian Ferguson of WestConn and Tyler Cooley of Westfield State all earned a spot on this year's list.
Beyer helped pave the way for 3,534 yards of total offense in ten games during the 2023 campaign, including 2,105 yards through the air and 1,429 on the ground. The Bears' averaged 30.1 points a game thanks in part to the outstanding play of the offensive line led by the stellar left guard.
In ten games this season, Drake averaged 41.2 yards on 43 punts with 13 inside the 20 and a long of 60. Five of his punts went for over 50 yards. Drake also averaged 58.2 yards on 54 kickoffs with 19 touchbacks. Drake led the MASCAC in 2023 in punting yards (1,772), punting average, punts inside the 20 and fair catches (14). He is also currently 12th in all of Division III in punting average.
For the Falcons, Monette racked up 55 tackles (29 solo, 26 assisted), 4.5 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for loss. His tackles for loss caused opposing offenses to lose a total of 97 yards on the season. Monete even added two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He also had four blocked kicks, second in the country.
Martino was previously named the 2023 MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year and NEFW All-New England. Martino closed the regular season leading the conference with 12 sacks for a loss of 87 yards. He made two interceptions, bringing them both back for touchdowns and totaled 78 tackles this season with 56 solos. Martino led Division III in tackles for loss while his 12 sacks ranked fifth nationally.
Ford was a 2023 All-MASCAC First Team selection and earned NEFW All-New England honors after rushing for 1,201 yards this season on 212 carries. Ford averaged 133.4 yards per game, 5.7 yards per carry and scored 13 touchdowns. During his four years with the Rams, Ford amassed 4,208 yards rushing with 41 career touchdowns.
Lombard averaged just shy of 24.5 yards per kickoff return and amassed over 700 kickoff return yards in the season, while he was one of just four MASCAC players with a return touchdown. He compiled over 100 kickoff return yards in the season opener at VTSU Castleton and totaled a season-high 152 yards on just five returns against Framingham State on Sept. 30. Lombard's return TD came in the Panthers' win over Fitchburg State on Oct. 14, covering 95 yards. It was his third career kickoff return for a touchdown.
Best, who served as a captain for the Corsairs, recorded 81 total tackles on the season, including 42 solo. Of his tackles, three were for a loss of five yards. He also had two interceptions and three pass breakups during the season. Best, who was a Division II/III All-New England Team selection this season, helped the Corsairs defensive unit hold its opponents to just 15.2 points per contest and 102.0 total passing yards per game. Additionally, Corsairs opponents averaged just 169.4 rushing yards per game for 271.4 yards of total offense. UMass Dartmouth continues to lead all of Division III in fewest passing yards allowed, while ranking fourth overall in team passing efficiency defense (82.76).
A MASCAC All-Conference First Team selection, Sanchez recorded three games with 100+ receiving yards, finishing second in the conference in total receiving yards, receiving yards per catch, and touchdowns. He also returned 13 punts for a total of 223 yards and a touchdown, leading the MASCAC in total punt return yardage. Sanchez had three returns for a season-high 119 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown, in a victory over Fitchburg State (10/21), earning MASCAC Special Teams Performer of the Week honors for his performance.
Aviles-Santos had a record-breaking season for the Corsairs, eclipsing four major marks as the starter in all 11 contests. A captain, he completed 156 of 276 passes (56.5%), throwing for 2,365 yards and 21 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. An All-MASCAC First Team selection, Aviles-Santos ranked third on the Corsairs squad in rushing, carrying the ball 48 times for 234 yards. Averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 21.3 yards per game, he reached the endzone twice this season.
Adams, a team captain, allowed WestConn to be a dominant rushing team with 174.4 rushing yards per game, 5.2 rushing yards per carry, and 24 rushing touchdowns in 2023. He anchored the Wolves' offensive line that allowed just 11 sacks in 10 games. A graduate of Comsewogue High School, Adams is a MASCAC All-Academic Team honoree as a history major at WestConn.
Blaszky, a team captain who repeats on the All-MASCAC First Team, led the Wolves in rushing with 1,117 yards (2nd in MASCAC, 20th in nation per game) on 209 carries for an average of 5.3 yards per attempt with a conference-best 16 touchdowns (14th in nation) in 10 games. He also caught seven passes for 103 yards and another score, and was honored as the MASCAC Offensive Player of the Week once this fall. He was a D3Football.com All-Region Second Team and a New England Football Writers Division II/III All-Star in 2022. Blaszky is an alum of Newfield High School.
Davis, a team captain who repeats on the All-MASCAC First Team, registered 36 tackles (25 solo), four tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a team-high 3.5 sacks (T10th in MASCAC) in nine games in 2023. A graduate of William Floyd High School, Davis is majoring in communication at WestConn.
Ferguson, who repeats on the All-MASCAC First Team, led the league with 47 receptions for a conference-best 872 yards and a MASCAC-high 12 touchdown catches this fall. An alum of Capital Prep High School, Ferguson is majoring in business management at WestConn.
Cooley led the Owls, and the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference in tackling with 117 stops this season, an average of 11.7 tackles per game. He added nine tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, recovered two fumbles, and broke up a pair of passes on the season.
NCAA Division III realigned Division III football into six regions in 2021. Region 1 includes the Commonwealth Coast Conference, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference, Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, Middle Atlantic Conference, New England Small College Athletic Conference, New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference.