BEVERLY, Mass. — Eight members of the nationally ranked Endicott football program have received D3football.com All-Region awards, as announced by the organization earlier today.
Hector Johnson (Worcester, Mass.) headlined the group with a selection to the All-Region I First Team.
Jackson DeAngelo (North Reading, Mass.), Tyler Davis (Bethel, Conn.), and Quinten Fox (Old Greenwich, Conn.) were named to the All-Region I Second Team, while Everett Knowlton III (Mansfield, Mass.), Justyn Lester (Tewksbury, Mass.), Colin Meropoulos (Monroe, Conn.), and Joe Tirrell (Franklin, Mass.) were chosen to the All-Region I Third Team, respectively.
The eight honorees are the most for the Gulls in a single season in program history.
Student-athletes were nominated for All-Region honors by their Sports Information Directors.
All-Region teams are selected in balloting by sports information directors in each region and the D3football.com staff. All student-athletes nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for the D3football.com All-America Team.
In total, 1,096 student-athletes were nominated for this year's All-Region squads.
The 2022 D3football.com All-America Team will be announced Friday, December 16 at the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
HECTOR JOHNSON | SO. | DEFENSIVE END
This is Johnson's second career All-Region honor and seventh postseason award to date.
Johnson's other year-end accolades include earning New England Football Writers Association NEFWA) All-New England Team accolades, Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year honors, an All-CCC First Team selection, the NoontimeSports.com Defensive Player of the Year award, and a nod to the All-NoontimeSports.com First Team.
In 11 games played this season, Johnson compiled 48 tackles (30 solo, 18 assisted, 4.4 per game), a single-season program record 14.5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for a loss (second in a single-season), two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two pass breakups, and a blocked punt — which he muscled into the end zone for a 78-yard touchdown.
Johnson currently ranks inside the top-15 in sacks (5th, 1.32 per game) and tackles for a loss (11th, 2.0 per game) in Division III.
His play also aided Endicott to the following Division III rankings: defensive touchdowns (1st, 1st in CCC, 7 TDs), fumbles recovered (1st, 1st, 17), scoring defense (3rd, 1st, 7.5 PPG), team sacks (5th, 1st, 3.73) turnover margin (2nd, 1st, 2.18), and turnovers gained (6th, 1st, 31), red zone defense (17th, 1st, .600), team passing efficiency defense (14th, 1st, 95.84), total defense (15th, 1st, 242.0), and third down conversion percentage defense (14th, 1st, .277).
TYLER DAVIS | SR. | CORNERBACK
Davis held down the back end by leading a defense that allowed a league-best 138.6 passing yards per game and a stifling 7.5 points per contest over the course of Endicott's undefeated regular season campaign.
His 75 stops (41 solos, 34 assists) ranked him third on the squad while his three interceptions on the year qualified for a tie for first place on the team.
Among his CCC peers, the All-CCC First Team honoree ranked ninth in solo tackles, 20th in assisted tackles, 11th in total tackles, 14th in tackles per game (6.8), and fourth in interceptions.
JACKSON DEANGELO | SR. | LINEBACKER
DeAngelo started all 11 games for Endicott and finished as the team's leading tackler with 80 total tackles (41 solo stops, 39 assisted).
He also brought the pressure to the opposing backfield by racking up 9.5 sacks alongside 18.5 tackles for loss, ranking second on the Blue and Green in the category.
Meanwhile, DeAngelo's CCC ranks are as follows: solo tackles (9th), assisted tackles (8th), tackles (9th), tackles per game (8th, 7.3), sacks (2nd), and sack yards (3rd, 54).
His efforts were rewarded with an All-CCC First Team selection.
QUINTEN FOX | JR. | PUNTER
Fox earned his way to an All-CCC First Team selection behind a stellar season on special teams.
Fox was able to pin the opposition within their own 20-yard line on 19 separate occasions this year.
He also accumulated 1,860 yards punting on 50 attempts for an average of 37.2 yards (long 65).
Fox led the CCC in all previously mentioned categories.
EVERETT KNOWLTON III | SO. | TIGHT END
In 11 games played, Knowlton hauled in 19 receptions for 239 yards (21.7 yards per game, 12.6 average) and three touchdowns.
The All-CCC First Team honoree also threw one touchdown pass and aided Endicott to league-best rankings in sacks allowed, points scored, and all rushing statistical categories behind his strong blocking.
JUSTYN LESTER | SR. | OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
Lester only allowed one sack in 11 games played at the guard position for the Gulls.
His contributions on the offensive line played a pivotal role in Endicott leading the CCC in sacks allowed (70), points per game (31.8), total points (350), total touchdowns (48), rushing yards (2,059), rushing yards per game (187.2), rushing average (4.3), rushing touchdowns (24), and rushing first downs (110).
This is Lester's first career All-Region selection. He also has earned two CCC All-Conference honors, which includes a First Team nod this season.
COLIN MEROPOULOS | JR. | DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Meropoulos produced 35 tackles (23 solo, 12 assisted) including four sacks and nine tackles for a loss.
He also forced two fumbles and recovered four fumbles in total, with a pair of them resulting in touchdowns.
Meropoulos currently leads Division III in fumble recoveries (tied with six others) and paced the CCC in fumble return touchdowns.
In addition to those stats, the All-CCC First Team selection registered at least three tackles or more in seven out of 10 contests.
JOE TIRRELL | FR. | SPECIAL TEAMS
In 11 games played, Tirrell compiled 33 tackles (17 solo, 16 assisted, 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 1 fumble recovery) as a key component of both the Gulls' kickoff and punt return special team units.
Tirrell's role on special teams and at the linebacker/safety positions for one of the top defenses in the nation increased every week with due to his exceptional play and high IQ.
He was named the CCC Defensive Rookie of the Week a league-best six times and earned All-CCC First Team honors at the utility position this fall.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Endicott won a program-record-tying 10 games and produced the first undefeated regular season in program history / CCC era.
The Gulls also entered the national rankings for the first time in the 20-year existence of the program (2003-2022) behind one of the nation's best defenses, soaring as high as No. 22 in the rankings during the season.
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(Photo Credit - Nick Grace '20)
