Football

NE10 Players Lead the All-New England Team

Assumption and Bentley with League-High Three Selections.

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - The Northeast-10 Conference had 10 football players selected to the Division II/Division III All-New England Team - more than any other conference - following Monday's announcement by the New England Football Writers Association. Assumption and Bentley had a league-best three selections. 

Assumption quarterback Jay Kastantin, the NE10's Most Valuable Player, was one of five major award winners from the conference to earn All-New England honors. Assumption's Jack Driscoll (Offensive Lineman of the Year) and Tindell Frick (Defensive Lineman of the Year), Bentley's Isaiah Decias (Offensive Player of the Year) and Franklin Pierce's Geno Facchetti (Defensive Player of the Year) were also recognized. 

Kastantin completed 138 of 223 passes this season (61.9%), while leading the conference in passing yards (1,974), passing touchdowns (19) and passing yards per game (219.3). Kastantin also had 100 carries for 530 yards (5.3 yards per rush) with five more touchdowns on the ground.

Driscoll helped the Greyhounds become one of the best rushing teams in the NE10, averaging 166.8 yards per game and scoring 22 touchdowns this season. Frick was a force for Assumption, as he leads the NE10 and ranked 10th in all of Division II in sacks (10.5), to go along with 65 tackles and 14.0 tackles for a loss. 

In just seven games, Decias made his presence felt at the wide receiver position - catching 47 passes for 646 yards (92.3 per game) with seven touchdowns to become the first Bentley player to win Offensive Player of the Year in over a decade (2014). Bentley's Pat Damon and Henry Schouten earned repeat selections to the All-New England Team, two of just seven players to earn that distinction. 

Facchetti had nine sacks and a league-high 15.5 tackles for a loss, while his teammate Damir Stone had 12 pass breakups and three interceptions to lead the Franklin Pierce defense this season. Post's Israel Hiraldo was named to the team as kickoff return specialist after averaging over 30 yards per return this year, while Southern Connecticut's Kieran Falzon led the NE10 in rushing yards (1,227), rushing touchdowns (13) and rushing yards per game (122.5). 

The All-New England Team represents six conferences from Divisions II and III. The NE10 led all conferences with 10 selections, while the Division III NEWMAC had eight and the Conference of New England had seven. 

The All-New England Team will be honored at the New England Football Writers Captains and Awards Banquet on Thursday, December 11, at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center. Reservations must be made no later than Friday, December 5, at 4 p.m. and may be made at Captains & Awards Banquet. Tickets are $75 per person. Reservations are made online only and are non-refundable. 
 
ALL-NEW ENGLAND TEAM (NE10 ONLY)

Jack Driscoll, Assumption (Offensive Line)
Tindell Frick, Assumption (Defensive Line)
Jay Kastantin, Assumption (Quarterback)
Pat Damon, Bentley (Tight End)
Isaiah Decias, Bentley (Wide Receiver)
Henry Schouten, Bentley (Linebacker)
Geno Facchetti, Franklin Pierce (Linebacker)
Damir Stone, Franklin Pierce (Defensive Back)
Israel Hiraldo, Post (Kickoff Return Specialist)
Kieran Falzon, SCSU (Running Back)

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
 
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.