Worcester, MA --- Junior classmates Will Earley (Fitchburg, MA) and Steve Melville (Merrimac, MA) led six Worcester State teammates who were named to the 18th Annual All-Star Team as voted by the 2008 Worcester Area Football Association.
Earley, Melville, placekicker Pat Skelton (Dedham, MA), linebacker Tyler Rusell (Princeton, MA) and defensive back Matt Leeds (Bellingham, MA) each received the nod on the first team while defensive back Tom Szalno (Hyde Park, MA) picked up second team distinctions.
Holy Cross quarterback Dominic Randolph was honored as the Worcester Area Player of the Year while Fitchburg signal caller Jim Miller was tabbed as the Area Offensive Player of the Year. Assumption linebacker Chris Martino and WPI defensive back Andrew Sides were garnered with Co-Defensive Player of the Year selections. Tom Gilmore, head coach of the Crusaders, along with Engineers skipper Ed Zaloom were each distinguished as the Area Co-Coaches of the Year.
Earley, a newcomer to this year’s squad, rushed for 912 yards and nine touchdowns in ten games this season. Earley finished the season with three 100-yard rushing games and a 200 yard performance that set the school record for rushes in a game with 39 attempts in a road loss to Fitchburg State.
Melville paced the Lancers defensively with 47 tackles (32 solo) and an eye-popping 18.5 tackles for a loss with 7.5 sacks, which were both second in the New England Football Conference (NEFC). Melville’s marks of total tackles for a loss and per game were both tied for 14th and 12th, respectively, in the NCAA Division III. Melville was selected for first-team All-NEFC Bogan Division honors earlier this week.
Skelton, a transfer from Dean College, was a perfect 26-for-26 in PAT attempts as he finished with the only kicker in the NEFC to make all of his extra point attempts. He was also 3-for-6 in field goal tries with a long of 31 in an away loss to WPI.
Rusell, collected a team high 91 tackles (56 solo) this season with eight tackles for a loss and three sacks. His total was good for 6th in the NEFC while he averaged a 10th best 9.2 stops per game.
Leeds finished with 44 tackles (32 solo) with 11.5 tackles for a
loss with one sack and four pass breakups while Szalno notched 41
tackles with four pass deflections and one interception. Szalno was
named NEFC/ECAC Player of the Week and to the D3Football.com Team
of the Week for blocking three extra points in a 32-31 win over
Bogan Division Champion Maine Maritime.
Worcester State finished the season at 2-8 and 2-5 in the NEFC
Bogan Division under the guidance of 26th year head coach
Brien Cullen.