NEWTON, Mass. – Mount Ida had 14 players named to the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) team on Thursday afternoon, including winning two of the conference's major awards.
Senior Frank Civitello (West Haven, Conn.) was named the Offensive Lineman of the Year, while freshman sensation D'Andre Smith (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) earned the title of ECFC Rookie of the Year.
Six Mustangs were represented on the ECFC First Team All-Conference, four of them on the offensive side of the ball. Joining Civitello and Smith (as a return specialist) were two seniors, in wide receiver Jordan Hyman (Middletown, Conn.) and tight end Mike Babich (Franklin Square, N.Y.).
Defensive lineman Jon Proto (North Haven, Conn.) and defensive back Jovan Wilkins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) were each selected to the First Team Defense.
The Second Team honorees included junior quarterback Jawad Yatim (Shrewsbury, Mass.), freshman wide receiver Matt Greenman (Portsmouth, R.I.), and junior linebacker Kayln Smithson (Vilseck, Germany) in addition to Smith, who appeared this time as a defensive back.
Civitello is earning his third consecutive All-Conference nod, including back to back First Team selections. He finished a four-year career in which he was the cornerstone of an offensive line that prides itself on physicality and is dedicated to being able to control the clock and run the football. Civitello, who exemplifies this with his dedication, hard work, leadership and attitude, protected for a Mustangs rushing attack that gained 123 yards per game on the ground.
Frank is also the second consecutive Mustang to be named the ECFC Offensive Lineman of the Year, following Matt Bonomolo a season ago.
D'Andre Smith was an electric addition to the Mount Ida defense and special teams play this year. His ability to find the ball and make big plays on defense was pivotal to a Mustangs squad that was tops in the nation in passing yards allowed. Smith was often covering the opponent's best receiver man to man, and as a freshman, stepped up into a major role. Defensively, Smith averaged over five tackles a game, recovered two fumbles and had a team-high six pass breakups. On special teams, Smith was a lightning rod, averaging 34.1 yards per kickoff return, which was good for third in the nation, and blocking three kicks.
Hyman's 2013 campaign consisted of 48 receptions for 865 yards and seven touchdowns, all among the five most productive seasons from a Mustang wide receiver in history. His 5.33 receptions per game is the second most in a season and he graduates with the second most receiving yards (2,444) and the third most receptions (137) and receiving touchdowns (23) in a Mount Ida career.
Finishing his solid career in the middle of the Mustangs defense, Jon Proto earns his fourth All-Conference nod and his first selection to the First Team. Proto racked up 66 tackles and six sacks while leading the team with 12.5 tackles for a loss of 64 yards. The defensive lineman, who also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble, graduates from the Mustangs program in the top ten in tackles (178) and second all-time in tackles for a loss (38.5) and quarterback sacks (88) in his career.
Wilkins, who has now been named to the First Team in each of his first three seasons, was arguably the most difficult player to throw against in the league. He picked off five passes and forced a conference-leading four fumbles during the year, while collecting 62 tackles. Wilkins also had five break-ups and blocked a kick for the Mustangs, while also getting into the backfield to record a sack and five tackles for a loss of 18 yards.
Babich, in his senior season, earns First Team honors after making the ECFC Second Team last year. The tight end caught five passes for two touchdowns, and may best be remember this season for his 74-yard rumble to the end zone in a game against Gallaudet at Alumni Field. He graduates in the top-ten in Mustang history in yards/catch, gaining an average of 16.67 yards per reception.
In just one season in a Mustang uniform, Yatim threw for 144 completions, 1,889 yards and 15 touchdowns, all third most in a Mount Ida career. Greenman, in his first season as well, made a huge impact as a member of the Mustang receiving corps, catching 34 balls for 404 yard and three touchdowns, including scores in road wins over Castleton and Becker.
Smithson, who was an Honorable Mention selection a year ago, led the Mustangs in tackles this season with 74 stops from the linebacker position. He also got to the quarterback three times, picked off two passes and broke up three more.
The Honorable Mention class for Mount Ida included offensive lineman Andrew Miller (Allentown, Pa.), and four more members of the Mustang defense. Defensive linemen Anthony Sanders (Meriden, Conn.), who had 58 tackles and Dominick Spaulding (West Hartford, Conn.), who led the Mustangs with 6.5 sacks and four blocked kicks were selected as Honorable Mention, as were linebacker Ned Cassidy (Brockton, Mass.) and defensive back Calvin Claiborne (Dorchester, Mass.), who combined for 57 tackles and three pass breakups, with Cassidy also recovering a team-high three fumbles.
2013 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference All-Conference Selections for Mount Ida
ECFC Offensive Lineman of the Year: Frank Civitello, Sr. (West Haven, Conn.)
ECFC Rookie of the Year: D'Andre Smith, DB/RS (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
ECFC First Team All-Conference (Offense)
WR-Jordan Hyman, Sr. (Middletown, Conn.)
TE-Mike Babich, Sr. (Franklin Square, N.Y.)
OL-Frank Civitello, Sr. (West Haven, Conn.)
RS-D'Andre Smith, Fr. (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
ECFC First Team All-Conference (Defense)
DL-Jon Proto, Sr. (North Haven, Conn.)
DB-Jovan Wilkins, Jr. (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
ECFC Second Team All-Conference (Offense)
QB-Jawad Yatim, Jr. (Shrewsbury, Mass.)
WR-Matt Greenman, Fr. (Portsmouth, R.I.)
ECFC Second Team All-Conference (Defense)
LB-Kayln Smithson, Jr. (Vilseck, Germany)
DB-D'Andre Smith, Fr. (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
ECFC Honorable Mention
LB-Ned Cassidy, Sr. (Brockton, Mass.)
DB-Calvin Claiborne, Sr. (Dorchester, Mass.)
OL-Andrew Miller, Jr. (Allentown, Pa.)
DL-Anthony Sanders, Jr. (Meriden, Conn.)
DL-Dominick Spaulding, So. (West Hartford, Conn.)