Seven Recognized With All-MASCAC Football Laurels

Worcester, MA --- Led by First-team selections, senior Casey Hippert (Douglas, MA), classmate Bryan Narcisse (Medway, MA) and junior Kemani Jones (Milton, MA), Worcester State had seven honorees placed on the All-MASCAC football team in a vote by the leagues nine head coaches earlier this week as announced by conference publicist Emily Diekelmann.

Those who were named to the Second-team included senior teammates Zack Skerry (Milford, MA), Sean Hanley (Wilmington, MA) and Mike Goulden (Rehoboth, MA) along with freshman Sebastian Paz (Orlando, FL).

Hippert ends his career with his third consecutive nod to an all-conference team as the top tight-end.

With squad-best totals of 50 receptions, 764 yards and five scores, Hippert was among the top 10 in the MASCAC in all three categories. His 84.9 average receiving yards per game was also second among those at his position nationally and he ranked tenth in New England.

He ended his Worcester State career ranked second in receiving (2,598 yards), third in receptions (159) and fourth with 20 receiving touchdowns.

Narcisse cops his third straight all-league laurel for his standout play at defensive end. He wrapped up the year topping the MASCAC in sacks (12.5), tackles for a loss (21.0) and he also had the most overall stops for a defensive lineman in the conference with 82 (52 solo).

At the close of the NCAA Division III regular season, Narcisse tied for third in sacks per game (1.25) and ninth in tackles for a loss per game (2.1). His 33 sacks over the course of his career are second among NCAA active career leaders and six off the all-time mark held by former All-American Russ Watson (1998, 00-01)

Jones established himself as one of the most formidable running backs in New England, rushing for a school-record 1,275 yards for 13 touchdowns, averaging a MASCAC-best 6.0 yards on 211 carries. With 33 receptions for 392 yards to his credit on the year, Jones also topped the conference in all-purpose yardage (179.2 yards per game) and he was third in scoring with 90 points.

In one season alone, Jones moved from 16th into fourth on WSU's all-time rushing list as he now has 1,994 yards for 23 scores in 26 games. Jones is also 15th in total rushing yardage in Division III and 18th in average (127.5 YPG) while he eclipsed the mark this season of Marcus Price (2011).

Skerry, Hanley and Goulden all wrap up their respective careers with their first honor on the All-MASCAC team as the trio helped anchor a defense that led New England in sacks (40) and tackles for a loss (92) while also forcing a conference-bests of 18 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries.

Hanley saved his best campaign for last as he led the Lancers with 84 tackles (58 solo) and he did a little bit of everything with 15 tackles for a loss of 74 yards, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and a blocked kick.

Among NCAA Division III leaders, Hanley's sacks are tied for 20th and his TFLs are among the top 75. His solo stops and cumulative tackles are also ranked third and are tied for fifth in the MASCAC, respectively.  

Skerry was another key piece in the Lancers pass rush, often plugging up holes or creating opportunities for others to make plays. He finished the season fifth on the team in tackles (56 – 36 solo) while also ending the year with 16 tackles for a loss of 68 yards and 7.5 sacks.

As a four-year player at defensive end, Skerry boasted 40 game totals of 33.5 tackles for a loss, 15 sacks, four recoveries, a trio of forced fumbles and three block kicks – including one punt and a PAT this season.

Golden, who ended his second year playing collegiate football, was a force in the secondary. With the sixth-highest sum on the squad, he collected 42 tackles (33 solo) with five pass break-ups and four interceptions for 31 yards.

His four picks were tied for second in the MASCAC as Goulden snatched a total of eight in his career, which is 13th on WSU's all-time interception list.

Paz was an impact player in his first season handling placekicking duties for the Lancers. He drilled 42 PAT's in 45 attempts, shattering the previous school record of 36 held by Jose Ribero (1996) while he also connected on five made field goals.

Among kickers in the MASCAC, Paz had the second-most points and he was eighth overall scoring. His 60 points on the season are the second-most for a Worcester State kicker and just one off the 2006 mark held by former All-New England standout Tom Gabriel.

For his leadership efforts and positive attitude on and off the field, senior linebacker Teddy Ferreira (Mansfield, MA) was Worcester State's representative on the inaugural MASCAC Football All-Sportsmanship team.

Under the direction of 32nd year head coach Brien Cullen, the Lancers went 7-3, finished the MASCAC regular season in third place and ranked eighth in the final Division III New England Football Poll.

2014 MASCAC All-Conference Football Team