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BEVERLY, Mass. — Ten members of the Endicott football program have been recognized with All-Region honors from various outlets over the last few weeks.
Colin Meropoulos (Monroe, Conn.) and head coach Paul McGonagle highlighted the group of award winners for the Gulls.
Meropoulos was named the D3football.com All-Region I Defensive Player of the Year, while McGonagle earned D3football.com All-Region I Coach of the Year accolades.
Both honors are firsts for the program in its 20-year history.
The remaining award winners for the Gulls include:
D3FOOTBALL.COM ALL-REGION I TEAMS
First Team Offense/Defense
G — Justyn Lester (Tewksbury, Mass.)
T — Charlie Kulhay (Glastonbury, Conn.)
DT — Colin Meropoulos (Monroe, Conn.)
Second Team Offense/Defense
QB — Clayton Marengi (Lynnfield, Mass.)
K — Ryan Smith (Glastonbury, Conn.)
DE — Hector Johnson (Worcester, Mass.)
S — Zachariah Twardosky (Merrimack, N.H.)
LS — Mark Ingraffia (Kings Park, N.Y.)
Third Team Defense
CB — Michael LeFebre (Methuen, Mass.)
NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL WRITERS D2/D3 ALL-NEW ENGLAND
OL — Justyn Lester (Tewksbury, Mass.)
DL — Colin Meropoulos (Monroe, Conn.)
DB — Zachariah Twardosky (Merrimack, N.H.)
MAJOR AWARDS
COLIN MEROPOULOS
- D3football.com All-Region I Defensive Player of the Year
Meropoulos is the first defensive tackle in program history to claim D3football.com All-Region First Team honors.
He also is the first defensive tackle to receive All-Region Defensive Player of the Year accolades in program history and the second student-athlete to garner All-Region Defensive Player of the Year honors from any organization, joining Endicott Hall of Famer Kevin Eagan '12 on the illustrious list.
In 11 games this season, Meropoulos recorded 44 total tackles (17 solo, 27 assisted, 10 tackles for a loss) to go with four sacks and two forced fumbles.
The senior defensive tackle was part of a defensive unit that allowed 9.7 points per game (3rd in NCAA Division III) and 233.3 yards/game (8th in NCAA Division III).
Meropoulos, the CCC Defensive Lineman of the Year, had 1.0 or .5 sacks in five out of 11 games this season and had a solo tackle in nine out of 11.
Against No. 18 Ithaca, Meropoulos tied his career-high for tackles with eight (four solo, four assisted) to go with two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the game.
He currently ranks second all-time in program history with 22 sacks (needs two to break school record).
PAUL MCGONAGLE
- D3football.com All-Region I Coach of the Year
McGonagle led Endicott to historic heights this fall including the program's highest national ranking at No. 14 overall in both national polls and the Gulls' first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent – No. 5/5 Hardin-Simmons, 37-10, on Friday, September 22.
Endicott posted a 9-2 overall record and the second-ever undefeated conference season (5-0) in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) football history.
For his efforts, McGonagle claimed his third straight CCC Coach of the Year award (fourth overall, 2018, 2021-23).
He also guided Marengi, Lester, and Meropoulos to CCC Co-Offensive, Offensive Lineman, and Defensive Lineman of the Year major awards this season, respectively.
Along with those honors, the Gulls' squad garnered 18 All-CCC accolades (11 First Team, 7 Second Team).
AWARD NOTES
The D3football.com All-Region Team started in 2005 and honors three teams of top student-athletes in each of the six regions (1 through 6) in Division III football.
D3football.com All-Region I Teams were selected in balloting by Region 1 Sports Information Directors (SIDs) and D3football.com staff.
A total of 78 student-athletes were chosen from 210 nominations by full Division III member schools.
Student-athletes nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced the evening of December 15, in D3football.com's pregame coverage for Stagg Bowl 50.
Please note, NCAA Division III realigned Division III football into six regions in 2021.
Region 1 includes the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC), Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), and New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).
The New England Football Writers Team, which was selected by a committee of representatives from the six conferences including the Northeast-10, CCC, MASCAC, NESCAC, NEWMAC, and ECFC, honors the best Division II and III student-athletes by position in New England from the 2023 season.
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