2016 WORCESTER AREA FOOTBALL ALL-STAR TEAM
WORCESTER, Mass. – Four Worcester State University football players have been named to the Worcester Area Football Association 26th Annual Steve "Merc" Morris All-Star team as selected by the Sports Information Directors of Worcester.
Worcester State's junior offensive lineman, Chris Walles (Feeding Hills, Mass.) was named to the first team, while running back Matt Lezama (Milton, Mass.), place kicker Noah Hwang (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and defensive lineman Samuel Weeks (Methuen, Mass.) were named to the second team.
Walles has been a three year starter at left tackle for the Lancers. "He is one of the best offensive lineman in our conference," commented head coach Brien Cullen. "He's a smart and physical player, and has a great attitude and toughness."
Throughout the 2016 campaign, Lezama led the Lancers in scoring, totaling 66 points with an average of 6.6 points per game. He rushed for a total of eight touchdowns and received three. The Milton, Mass. native rushed for a total of 623 yards, with his longest run of 83-yards in the conference win over Westfield State.
The Lancers' next top-scorer was sophomore place kicker, Hwang, who recorded 34 points in five field goals and 19 extra points. Hwang went 5-for-7 from field goal range, with his longest being 38-yards. The sophomore went 19-for-23 in extra point attempts, marking an 83 field goal percentage.
On the defensive end, Worcester State's Weeks made the second team as a defensive lineman, totaling 79 tackles (39 solo), nine of which were tackles for a loss. Weeks also gathered 6.5 sacks for 45 yards, a breakup, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
The major award winners include the following:
Offensive Player of the Year
Chris Mullins, Nichols College, Fr., QB
Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Brian Murtagh, WPI, Sr., LB & Matthew McEvilly, Nichols, Sr., LB
Special Teams Player of the Year
Cole Tracy, Assumption, Jr., PK
(Second consecutive year)
Freshman of the Year
Sean McAllen, WPI, Fr., RB
Coach of the Year
Dale Olmsted, Nichols
The Worcester Area Football Association All-Star Team is named in the memory of Steve "Merc" Morris, the longtime Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations and Assumption Hall of Famer. "Merc" was a 1972 graduate of Assumption and was a member of the athletics staff for 39 years before passing away in January of 2011. In addition to being the founder of the Worcester Area Association All-Star program, he was a tireless supporter of collegiate athletics in the Worcester area and had a key role in the lives of thousands of student-athletes.