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10 MUSTANGS SELECTED TO 2011 ECFC ALL-CONFERENCE
10 Mount Ida College football players, including two who were honored with “of-the-year” selections, were recognized by the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) this past week….
For the second time throughout his four year career, Mount Ida College football senior running back Johrone Bunch (Meriden, CT/F.T. Maloney) was named the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference’s (ECFC) Offensive Player-of-the-Year for the 2011 season. This award solidifies a spot for Bunch as an offensive first team All-Conference selection as well. Bunch captured this prestigious honor following the end of 2009 becoming the most decorated player in Mustang history. Bunch totaled the most rushing yards in any season throughout his four year career with 1,582 on 286 carries breaking his old record of 1,506 yards that he set in 2009. He also broke the record for rushing touchdowns scored in a season with 14 cracking his old record of 13 that he conquered both in 2009 and 2010. Bunch led the conference in every rushing statistical category compiling 500 yards more than the second leading rusher in the conference (J. Spanopoulos-1,088) for the year. Bunch averaged 143.8 yards a game in 2011 good for 5.5 yards a carry. The game average was just shy of his 150.6 yards a game during the 2009 season. Bunch finishes his career with the Mustangs as the all-time leader in every rushing category as well. He was ranked fourth nationally throughout all of NCAA Division III teams in rushing. Bunch was also named to the 2011 New England Sports Writers Division II/III All-Star team for the second time in his career.
Junior defensive end A.J. Knibbs (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) was named Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year for the ECFC after another spectacular season in his second year playing on the defensive line. Knibbs was also honored with a defensive first team All-Conference selection for the second time in his career as well. Knibbs, who shares the honor with two-time ECFC Defensive Player-of-the-Year Keith Barnes from Maritime College (SUNY), was ranked eighth nationally and second in the conference with 11.0 sacks and has surpassed the all-time Mount Ida record by far with 21.5 sacks in his career. Knibbs recorded 41 total tackles, 37 solo tackles, 10 tackle assists, 14.0 tackles for a loss of 87 yards, five pass break-ups, nine quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick compiling another impressive season statistically. Knibbs was also selected to the 2011 New England Sports Writers Division II/III All-Star team for the second consecutive year.
The final Mustang to snatch a first team All-Conference spot was freshman defensive back Jovan Wilkins (Poughkeepsie, NY/Poughkeepsie). Wilkins tied the all-time Mount Ida season record for interceptions (6) for an impressive first year. Wilkins, who still has three years of play to go, only needs three more interceptions to set the career record for picks. Wilkins also led the entire ECFC in interceptions and was ranked 27th nationally. Wilkins was fifth on the team in defense adding 30 solo tackles, nine tackle assists, 34.5 total tackles, and five pass break-ups. Wilkins emerged early on as one of the top defensive backs on the team for the year.
Knibbs, Wilkins, and other key members of the Mount Ida defense were crucial in landing the Mustang defense 12 nationally throughout all of NCAA Division III for the 2011 season.
Two Mustangs were honored with offensive second team All-Conference selections starting with junior wide receiver Matthew Valentini (Lake Hoptacong, NJ/Jefferson TWP) for the first ECFC honor of his career. Valentini hauled in four touchdown catches for the 2011 season on 47 receptions compiling 572 yard receiving for the year averaging 12.2 yards a catch. Valentini also averaged 52.0 yards receiving a game good for seventh overall in conference. Valentini has emerged as an elite wide receiver in the ECFC and will be one of junior quarterback Scott Drosendahl’s (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora) primary targets next season following the departure of senior wide out Nick Lynch (Hampton Bays, NY/Hampton Bays) due to graduation.
The other second team All-Conference selection for the Mustangs was sophomore offensive lineman Frank Civitello (West Haven, CT/West Haven) for the first conference honor of his career. It’s the first time Civitello has been honored with any conference honor. Civitello, and their entire Mount Ida offensive line, only surrendered 11 total sacks to Mustang quarterback Scott Drosendahl for the season. Civitello and the offensive line also paved the way for one of the biggest years by a Mount Ida running back through the program’s 12 year history.
There were three defensive second team All-Conference selections for the Mount Ida football team. Sophomore defensive lineman Jon Proto (North Haven, North Haven) was honored for the second consecutive season and was second on the team in sacks behind Knibbs with three. Proto was seventh overall defensively for the Mustangs registering 26 solo tackles, nine tackle assists, 30.5 total tackles, a pass break-up, and a quarterback hurry for the year. Proto was a run stopping machine in the middle of the defensive line and will continue to be a huge asset for the Mount Ida defense for the next two seasons.
Freshman Jah-son Johnson (Windsor, CT/Windsor) emerged as not only the team’s top linebacker, but leading tackler for 2011 landing him a second team All-Conference selection for his first ECFC honor. Johnson was ranked 36th nationally and eighth in the ECFC with 59 solo tackles for the season to top the Mustangs for the year. Out of the 68.0 total tackles (59 solo, 18 tackle assists) Johnson registered for 2011, 15.0 of them went for a loss. Johnson also added 2.0 sacks for the season and one quarterback hurry.
Senior defensive back Mackenson Charles (Lynn, MA/Lynn Techincal), who commanded the backfield as the lone senior, was also honored with a second team all-conference selection. Charles created a lot of problems for the opposing quarterbacks this season with three interceptions and eight pass break-ups good for second on the team in picks. Charles picked off a pass against Norwich University during week four of the season bringing it to the house for the first score of his career. He also led the Mustangs with two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Charles added 23 solo tackles and five tackle assists good for 25.5 total tackles on the season.
Two Mount Ida College players were rewarded with honorable mentions. Junior center Matthew Bonomolo (Pearl River, NY/Nanuet) received the first ECFC honor of his career. Wilkins was an honorable mention as a return specialist along with his first team All-Conference selection as a defensive back.
Congratulations to all these young gentlemen on these prestigious awards.
ECFC ALL-CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT RELEASE HERE
