Nov. 22, 2003
PITTSBURGH - Duquesne University, coming off its fifth consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League championship, placed a league-high 23 players on the 2003 All-MAAC Football League Team announced today.
The Dukes also dominated the individual awards as well, with quarterback Niel Loebig (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) being named Offensive Player of the Year, defensive tackle Phil Polony (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) named co-Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, head coach Greg Gattuso was tabbed as MAAC Coach of the Year for the sixth time.
Loebig, who holds 13 of the 15 passing records kept at Duquesne, has thrown for 2,801 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. He is the fifth consecutive DU player to be named league Offensive Player of the Year.
Polony, a two-time first team All-MAAC pick and four-year starter, has 43 tackles including eight tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He follows 2002 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Leigh Bodden of DU, who currently is a defensive back for the NFL's Cleveland Browns.
Gattuso, who needs three more victories to become the winningest coach in DU history, was also named MAAC Coach of the Year in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2002. Gattuso's Duquesne teams are 62-7 since joining the MAAC in 1994.
The Dukes placed 14 players on the first team - seven on offense and seven on defense. In addition to Loebig, who was named to the first team for the third time, senior running back Mike Hilliard (Homer City, Pa./Homer Center), senior receiver Yardon Brantley (Reading, Pa./Reading Central Catholic), senior tight end Matt Mefford (Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming) and offensive linemen senior center Rob Bowser (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks West), senior tackle Ken Chambon (South Fayette, Pa./South Fayette) and junior guard Mike Daniluk (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) all earned first team mention.
On the defensive side of the ball, Polony was joined by senior defensive end Ben Bailey (Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle College), sophomore linebackers Harry Carter (Lanham, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) and Javonn Bradley (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) and defensive backs senior Tim Pichette (Boardman, Ohio./Cardinal Mooney) and Armar Watson (Forrestville, Md./Suitland). Senior Joe Maker (Butler, Pa./Butler) was named first team punter.
The 2003 All-MAAC Football League Team was chosen by a vote of the league's head coaches.
2003 ALL-MAAC PICKS BY SCHOOL
23 - DUQUESNE
12 - Iona
6 - Saint Peter's
6 - Siena
5 - La Salle
5 - Marist
- QB Niel Loebig is the fifth consecutive Duquesne player to be named Offensive Player of the Year
- DT Philip Polony was named co-Defensive Player of the Year
- DU's Greg Gattuso was named MAAC Coach of the Year for the sixth time
- Duquesne placed 14 players on the 28-man first team (seven on offense and seven on defense)
2003 ALL-MAAC FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM
First Team
First Team Offense
Pos. Name, School Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School QB Niel Loebig, Duquesne+^ Jr. 6-3 215 McDonald, PA/South Fayette RB Mike Hilliard, Duquesne@ Sr. 5-11 200 Homer City, PA/Homer Center Sean Mayers, Saint Peter's So. 5-9 190 Marlton, NJ/Cherokee WR Yardon Brantley, Duquesne $!@ Sr. 6-1 180 Reading, PA/Reading Central Catholic Dennis Calacione, Iona So. 6-3 200 New Milford, NJ/New Milford TE Matt Mefford, Duquesne Sr. 6-3 270 Wyoming, OH/Wyoming OL Rob Bowser, Duquesne@ Sr. 6-2 270 Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West Ken Chambon, Duquesne Sr. 6-5 270 South Fayette, PA/South Fayette Mike Daniluk, Duquesne Jr. 6-2 305 Cranberry Twp., PA/Seneca Valley Matt Lucier, Iona Sr. 6-1 285 Salem, NH/St. John?s Joe Isa, Saint Peter's^ Sr. 6-3 300 Guttenberg, NJ/North Bergen PK Spencer Callahan, Iona Sr. 6-0 180 Fairhope, AL/Fairhope
First Team Defense
Pos. Name, School Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School DL Ben Bailey, Duquesne Sr. 6-0 250 Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College Phil Polony, Duquesne^ Sr. 6-3 260 Whitehall, PA/Whitehall Kevin Fales, Iona^ Sr. 6-3 270 Croton, NY/Croton-Harmon Payton Rogers, Marist Jr. 6-0 235 Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic Shawn Poling, Saint Peter's>^ Jr. 6-0 245 Union Beach, NJ/Keyport LB Javonn Bradley, Duquesne So. 5-11 205 Rochester, PA/Rochester Harry Carter, Duquesne& So. 6-1 235 Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt Jesse Oriol, Iona Sr. 6-2 230 Teaneck, NJ/Bergen Tech John Healy, Marist Sr. 6-0 200 Milford, CT/St. Joseph's Alfredo Pascal, Saint Peter's Jr. 6-0 220 Miami, FL/Gulliver Prep DB Tim Pichette, Duquesne@ Sr. 6-0 200 Boardman, OH/Cardinal Mooney Armar Watson, Duquesne@ Jr. 6-3 250 Forrestville, Md./Suitland Aubrey Bennett, Marist@ Sr. 5-9 180 E. Syracuse, NY/E. Syracuse Minoa Jesse Mays, Saint Peter's Sr. 6-2 185 Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne P Joe Maker, Duquesne@ Sr. 6-1 220 Butler, PA/Butler Spencer Callahan, Iona Sr. 6-0 180 Fairhope, AL/Fairhope
2003 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year: Niel Loebig, Duquesne 2003 MAAC Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Phil Polony, Duquesne and Kevin Fales, Iona 2003 MAAC Offensive Rookie of the Year: Nat Modica, Iona 2003 MAAC Defensive Rookie of the Year: Barry Correia, Marist 2003 Anaconda MAAC Coach of the Year: Greg Gattuso, Duquesne
2003 ALL-MAAC FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM
Second Team
Second Team Offense
Pos. Name, School Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School QB Ed Marynowitz, La Salle So. 6-3 200 Coral Springs, FL/Pope John Paul II RB Nat Modica, Iona Fr. 5-8 170 Ozone Park, NY/St. Francis Prep Alfredo Riullano, Marist@ Sr. 5-10 220 Callicoon, NY/Delaware Valley WR Randy Vulakovich, Duquesne Sr. 6-1 200 Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Michel Warfield, Duquesne Jr. 6-1 180 Oxon Hill, MD/Bishop McNamara TE Dan Campbell, Iona Jr. 6-3 235 Red Bank, NJ/Middletown South OL Bob Healy, Duquesne So. 6-4 310 Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin Josh Martin, Duquesne So. 6-4 295 Imperial, PA/West Allegheny Joe Cifelli, La Salle So. 6-3 270 West Essex, NJ/West Essex Adam Waterbury, Marist Sr. 6-2 285 Wallingford, CT/Lyman Hall Jim Oliveto, Siena So. 6-4 255 Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greely PK Charles Conklin, Siena Jr. 5-11 170 Newburgh, NY/Valley Central
Second Team Defense Pos. Name, School Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School DL Josh Antinopoulos, Duquesne So. 6-2 260 Monaca, PA.Monaca Antoine Bullock, Duquesne So. 6-1 220 Houston, TX/Sugar Land Kempner Andy Cardot, Iona Sr. 6-2 285 Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia Ed Pietrowski, Siena@ Sr. 6-2 235 Beacon, NY/Beacon LB Ryan Tolan, Duquesne Jr. 6-1 230 LaVerne, CA/Bonita Julio Boromei, Iona Sr. 6-0 225 Ridgefield Park, NJ/St. Joseph's John Robinson, Saint Peter's So. 5-11 200 Valencia, CA/Valencia Terrence Kehayas, Siena Jr. 6-0 220 Yonkers, NY/Archbishop Stepinac Dan Smacchia, Siena+^ Sr. 6-0 240 Thornwood, NY/Westlake DB Michael Ford, Duquesne So. 6-2 180 Clinton, MD/Oxon Hill R.J. Romano, Duquesne So. 6-1 200 Carrollton, OH/Carrollton Eddie Albert, Iona Sr. 5-9 175 Paramus, NJ/Paramus Catholic Frank Meade, Iona Jr. 5-9 180 Yonkers, NY/Iona Prep Vernard Abrams, La Salle Jr. 6-3 182 Philadelphia, PA/Cardinal Dougherty Kevin Smith, La Salle Sr. 5-10 175 Philadelphia, PA/Conwell Egan Joe Serratelli, Siena So. 5-10 200 Jackson, NJ/Jackson P Jeff Peloso, La Salle Jr. 5-9 185 Washington, NJ/Warren Hills
^ = 2002 First Team All-MAAC Selection @ = 2002 Second Team All-MAAC Selection & = 2002 MAAC Offensive Rookie of the Year + = 2001 First Team All-MAAC Selection ! = 2001 Second Team All-MAAC Selection < =="" 2001="" maac="" offensive="" rookie="" of="" the="" year=""> = 2001 MAAC Defensive Rookie of the Year * = 2000 First Team All-MAAC Selection # = 2000 Second Team All-MAAC Selection % = 2000 MAAC Co-Defensive Rookie of the Year $ = 2000 MAAC Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year
