2000 NESCAC Football All-Conference Teams Announced

Sanchez and Steele of Middlebury Named Most Valuable Players

HARTFORD, Conn. – Defensive Player of the Year Andy Steele and Offensive Player of the Year Bryan Sanchez of Middlebury head the 2000 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Conference Football Team. Tom Austin of Colby was named NESCAC Coach of the Year for leading his team to a share of the conference title with Amherst and Middlebury. Quarterback Brennan Carney of Wesleyan and linebacker Pat Foley of Bates were named the NESCAC Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively.

Steele, a senior linebacker, repeated as the Defensive Player of the Year, leading a Middlebury defense that did not give up a touchdown in its final 26 quarters and yielded just 6.0 points per game. Sanchez, a senior running back and All-NESCAC performer in 1999, led the NESCAC in rushing for the second consecutive year, while setting the school career rushing record with 2,929 yards.

Two other offensive all-conference selections from last year earned first-team All-NESCAC honors this year. Senior tight end Zac Campbell of Middlebury and senior placekicker Rejean Guerriero each received first-team recognition this year. Three other players who received all-conference accolades on defense in 1999 were named to the first team this year. Senior linemen Ron Thomas of Hamilton and Ryan Gray of Bates, and junior defensive back Steve Cella were named to the first team. Cella was also named to this year’s second team as a kick returner.

Junior Derrell Wright of Amherst was named to the first team as a wide receiver and kick returner. The first-team offensive line included seniors Ryan Brown of Middlebury, Robert Houle of Williams, and Jay Civetti of Trinity. Junior Bodo Heiliger of Colby and senior Mike Carucci of Trinity also earned first-team honors on the offensive line. Sophomore quarterback Pat Conley of Colby, junior running back Okey Ugwonali, and wide receivers Matt Student of Williams, and Danny Noyes of Colby rounded out the first team all-conference offense.

Graduate student Mark Olschefskie of Wesleyan earned first-team honors as a punter. Steele was the only senior linebacker to receive first-team recognition as he was joined by juniors Ryan Nolan of Hamilton, James Kingsley of Williams, and 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year Dan Lalli of Amherst.

Seniors Brian Daoust of Amherst and Mark D’Ambrosio of Colby, and junior Travis Cummings of Bowdoin earned All-NESCAC first team accolades as defensive backs. Rounding out the all-conference first team on defense were senior lineman Ray Dolphin of Wesleyan, and junior linemen Daryl Tracy of Middlebury and Pat McGee of Amherst.