First season the Ravens were eligible to receive league honors

RINDGE, N.H. (November 18, 2013) – Fourteen (14) Franklin Pierce University sprint football standouts were recently honored by the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) by earning all-conference recognition. Among the 14 were four student-athletes who were named to the All-CSFL First-Team, including sophomore defensive back Mike Abrams (Newark, N.J.), sophomore running back D.J. MacDonald (Mattapoisett, Mass.), sophomore offensive lineman Josh Tilton (Seymour, Conn.), and sophomore linebacker James Willette (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.). It marked the first year Franklin Pierce was eligible to receive all-conference recognition from the league.

Joining the previously mentioned honoreers were 10 other players who either earned All-CSFL Second-Team or honorable-mention honors. Eight Ravens were named to the second-team, including freshman quarterback Ryan O’Kelly (West Warwick, R.I.), sophomore wide receiver Mike Holdridge (Peru, N.Y.), sophomore tight end Jahlil Dean (Maple Shade, N.J.), freshman fullback Tryce Williams (The Colony, Texas), freshman offensive lineman Zach Breton (Windham, N.H.), sophomore offensive lineman George Petta (Garfield, N.J.), junior defensive back/punter Derek Reddy (Natick, Mass.), and sophomore defensive lineman Nick Trochalakis (Rochester, N.H.). A pair of Ravens received honorable-mention honors, including sophomore defensive back Connor Rogowsky (Nashua, N.H.) and sophomore defensive lineman Shawn Wright (Hartford, Conn.).

MacDonald earned first-team honors after ranking among the top offensive threats in the league in 2013. He rushed for 652 yards and eight touchdowns, while catching 12 passes for 155 yards and another three scores. He averaged 123.0 all-purpose yards over seven games this season.

He led the CSFL in rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns, while also ranking second in rushing yards.

MacDonald rushed for over 100 yards in four games, with his finest performance being a 130-yard effort and five touchdowns against Princeton on Oct. 4. If that wasn’t enough, MacDonald also caught a 44-yard touchdown pass to give him six total TDs for the game.

Abrams earned first-team honors, as he was considered one of the top shutdown corners in the league. He made 35 tackles on the year, broke up nine passes, and made an interception. He was also heavily involved in special teams by blocking two kicks. He ranked fourth in the league with 10 passes defended, while also ranking 24^th in tackles.

If that wasn’t enough, Abrams also saw time on offense this season, and in the return game, playing multiple positions, and registering 304 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.

Abrams’ greatest performance of the season came in the Allegiance Bowl on Sept. 21, as he earned MVP honors after logging a game-high 10 tackles, intercepting a pass, blocking a kick, forcing a fumble, and breaking up two other passes. That performance led the Ravens to victory over the Big Red, and allowed them to capture the bowl championship.

Willette was one of the steadiest middle linebackers in the CSFL in 2013, and was one of the top tacklers. He recorded a team-high 52 tackles, including 7.5 for loss (-19 yards), and a pass breakup. Willette ranked sixth in the league with 7.4 tackles per game, while also ranking 11^th in stops behind the line of scrimmage.

He posted double-digit tackles in two games this season, including a season-high 14 (3.5 for loss) in the opener at Navy. He also posted 10 in the overtime win at Penn.

Tilton anchored an offensive line, which paved the way for the Ravens to finish third in the CSFL in rushing offense at an average of 161.0 yards per game. Franklin Pierce rushed for 1,127 yards and 15 touchdowns, which was tied for the highest total in the league. Two running backs also earned All-CSFL honors on the strength of Tilton’s blocking up front.

O’Kelly proved to be a steady quarterback as the season went on for the Ravens, and earned second-team honors as such. In the final three games of the year, he was 30-of-69 for 515 yards, seven touchdowns, and only two interceptions. For the season, he threw for 860 yards and 12 TDs, while also rushing for 202 yards and three scores. He ranked fourth in the league with 1,062 yards of total offense.

Holdridge became a big-time receiving threat for the Ravens as the offense rounded into form during the season. He hauled in 15 passes for a team-high 290 yards and seven touchdowns, while ranking fourth in the league in scoring. Holdridge had a season-high 113 yards against Penn, caught the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime a week later against Mansfield, and then hauled in three TDs in the season finale versus Post.

Dean was also a huge receiving threat for the Ravens this season, as he caught a team-best 21 passes for 239 yards, and a pair a scores. He ranked eighth in the CSFL with an average of 3.0 receptions per game, and caught a season-high five balls in the Allegiance Bowl win over Cornell.

Williams played a pivotal role in the running game this season by being a blocking back, but also getting to tote the rock several times. He also proved to be a receiving threat out of the backfield late in the season, including catching a pair of balls for 31 yards in the OT win over Mansfield.

Breton and Petta joined Tilton on the offensive line, as that unit paved the way for MacDonald and Williams to earn all-conference accolades. Both Breton and Petta started each game on the O-line during the season.

Reddy earned all-league honors for his exploits as a defensive back and a punter. On the defensive side, he led the league with six interceptions, while ranking second with 11 passes defended. As a punter, he ranked sixth in the league with a 34.8 yards per kick average, including blasting a league-best 69 yarder in the season finale against Post.

Trochalakis proved to be one of the most disruptive forces in the CSFL, despite only playing on the defensive line for five of the seven games after moving over from the offensive line prior to the Army game. Despite not playing as many games on the defensive front as the other league leaders, Trochalakis recorded 35 tackles, including 9.5 for loss (-45 yards) and 5.5 sacks. He ranked fifth in the league in both stops behind the line and QB sacks.

Rogowsky proved to be a difference-maker in the defensive secondary, as he ranked third on the team with 37 tackles (3.0 for loss), intercepted a pair of passes, broke up six other throws, and recovered a fumble.

Wright joined Trochalakis as a force behind the line of scrimmage, as he made eight tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks. He ranked ninth in the league in TFLs and 11^th in sacks.

All 14 student-athletes played a major role in Franklin Pierce producing a 5-2 record and a third-place finish in the CSFL in 2013. The accomplishments were even more impressive considering the Ravens were competing in just their second season of varsity competition. In addition to claiming the Allegiance Bowl title, the Ravens also won the Talon Cup over Post at the end of the campaign.

For more information on Franklin Pierce sprint football, please visit the team’s page at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu. To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce sprint football apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)