NOVEMBER 15, 2006
FIVE KING'S FOOTBALL PLAYERS NAMED TO ALL-MAC TEAM
ANNVILLE -- After leading the King's College
football team to a 6-4 record and a berth in the ECAC Southeast Bowl,
five Monarch players have been named to the 2006 Middle Atlantic
Conference all-star team, the MAC Office announced Wednesday.
First-team
selections for the Monarchs included senior safety Craig Haywood
(Chester/Cardinal O'Hara), senior fullback Joe Tassoni (King of
Prussia/Upper Merion), and junior center Christian Specht
(Hunlock Creek/Bishop Hoban). King's players named to the second
team include junior offensive tackle Chris Knechel (Lansdale/North
Penn) and senior defensive end George Montras (Sweet
Valley/Elkton-Md.).
Haywood enjoyed a spectacular season in which he ranked
second on the team with 67 tackles and posted a school-record and
NCAA-leading 12 pass interceptions with a stellar 17.4 yards per-return
average. His single-season total was the third highest in Middle
Atlantic Conference history and ranked first among all NCAA Division I,
II, and III players. A four year starter and two-time All-MAC choice in
the secondary at King's, Haywood has totaled 158 tackles with a
school-record 19 interceptions.
Tassoni,
meanwhile, enjoyed a fine senior campaign where be was an excellent lead
blocker, a solid receiver out of the backfield, as well as a capable
runner. Statistically, Tassoni rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries,
averaging 4.8 yards each attempt, while standing second on the King's
roster with 19 catches for 90 yards. A three-year starter, Tassoni's
career totals include 272 rushing yards on 65 carries for a 4.2 yards
per-carry average, while making 39 receptions for 284 yards.
Specht and Knechel anchored a Monarch offensive line that averag
ed
141.5 rushing yards per-game while allowing just 18 sacks, the third
lowest total in the
MAC. A two-year starter at King's, Specht made
a successful move to center after playing guard his first two seasons.
Knechel, meanwhile, completed his first year starting at right tackle.
Montras enjoyed a solid year at defensive end
where he finished third on the team with 66 tackles while leading the
squad with 13.0 tackles for 39 yards in losses. He was also second on
the squad with 5.5 quarterback sacks. In his two years as a starter,
Montras made 114
tackles
with 23.0 tackles for 103 yards in losses while adding 10.5 sacks.
"We are very happy for our five players who were named to the All-MAC
team as they each demonstrated the hard work and dedication on and off
the field that is necessary to become quality players at this level,"
King's coach Rich Mannello stated. "Each player in his own way made a
significant contribution to our program and we are thrilled to see their
efforts have been recognized."
King's will travel to face Kean University in the ECAC Southeast Bowl
Saturday at 12:00 noon in Union, NJ.
To view the entire All-MAC squad, click
here. (Word document
Photos, top to bottom: Haywood, Tassoni,
Specht, Knechel, Montras.
