SOMERSET, N.J. - The Northeast Conference announced its 2018 all-conference teams and major award winners on Wednesday afternoon, with NEC Champion Duquesne garnering a total of 13 selections.

Highlighting the honors for the Dukes were junior running back A.J. Hines (Wilson, N.C./Fike) who was named the NEC Offensive Player of the Year and head coach Jerry Schmitt who was selected as NEC Co-Coach of the Year.

Hines is the second Duquesne player in as many years to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors after quarterback Tommy Stuart won the award last season. Hines, who was recently named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, posted his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, racking up 1,324 rushing yards to go with 15 total touchdowns on the year.

The Wilson, N.C. native went on a tear in the final five games of the regular season, tallying 1,062 yards from scrimmage with nine touchdowns, helping the Dukes to five conference wins. In six league games this season, he averaged 165.3 yards on the ground. All told, Hines, who also earned his third straight First Team All-NEC honor in 2018, is fourth in the country in rushing yards per game on the year, averaging 132.4 yards per contest.

Schmitt, in his 14th season at the helm, guided Duquesne to its fifth NEC title and second FCS Playoff berth. Duquesne has posted a record of 8-3 this season, its fourth straight season with at least seven victories. This marks his first NEC Coach of the Year honor. Sacred Heart's Mark Nofri shares the honor with Schmitt, as the Pioneers earned a share of the conference title with a 5-1 mark in league play.

The Dukes placed a league-high six players on the All-NEC First Team, including Hines, defensive lineman Kam Carter (Germantown, Md./Gaithersburg/Pitt), offensive linemen Alex Conley (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) and Matt Fitzpatrick (Pennsauken, N.J./Bishop Eustace), wide receiver Nehari Crawford (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Central) and defensive back Jonathant Istache (Belle Glade, Fla./Glades Central).

Conley and Fitzpatrick provide a veteran presence on the offensive line for the Dukes as three-year starters. The duo has played a key role in Duquesne's success in the run game. Conley earns his second straight First Team All-NEC nod while Fitzpatrick is now a three-time All-NEC performer, picking up a First Team selection for the first time in his career after two consecutive Second Team awards.

Crawford has been another dangerous offensive weapon for the Dukes, pacing the NEC with 971 receiving yards to go with 12 total touchdowns on the season. Crawford hauled in the game-winning 56-yard touchdown in the victory at Central Connecticut last weekend, clinching the NEC title and FCS playoff berth for Duquesne. After becoming the program's all-time leader in career receptions last week, he collects his second First Team All-NEC selection in a row this week for the Dukes.

Carter has been a force on the defensive front for Duquesne, causing problems with his size and athleticism for opposing offenses all season. The junior transfer racked up 5.5 tackles for loss including 2.5 sacks to go with five pass breakups on the year for the Dukes.

Istache has proven to be a turnover machine for Duquesne, tallying a league-high four interceptions to go with three forced fumbles on the season. In addition, the Florida native ranks sixth at the FCS level with 15 passes defended. He sits fifth on the team with 39 tackles (27 solo).

Duquesne also had five selections on the All-NEC second team including defensive lineman Jalen Booker (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge/Lackawanna College), Mitch MacZura (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic/Ohio State) at both kicker and punter, defensive back Brandon Stanback (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt/Buffalo) as well as linebacker Brett Zanotto (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional/Maryland).

Booker recorded a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss with 4.5 sacks, a figure which also led the team. He registered 33 total tackles, with his tackles accounting for a total loss of 35 yards for the opposition, 26 of those coming on sacks.

MacZura, who was selected at both punter and kicker ranked second in the league in punt average (40.1) while connecting on 8-of-9 field goal attempts on the year. He sits 10th in the league among all players in scoring, accounting for 5.8 points per game.

Stanback, another key veteran piece in the Dukes' defensive backfield, ranks third on the team with 49 tackles (34 solo) with five tackles for loss, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for Duquesne.  

Zanotto has been the anchor of the Dukes' defense this season, moving from outside to mike linebacker in his second year with the Dukes after transferring from Maryland. He paces the team and ranks fifth in the NEC with 79 tackles (50 solo) with 5.0 tackles for loss and a pair of pass breakups. He has registered at least eight tackles in five contests on the year, including a career-high 11-tackle performance at FBS Hawaii.

Duquesne heads to Towson for an FCS Playoff First Round matchup against the Tigers this Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. The game is slated to air on ESPN3.


DUQUESNE'S ALL-NEC SELECTIONS
Offensive Player of the Year - A.J. Hines
Co-Coach of the Year - Jerry Schmitt

First Team
Kam Carter
Alex Conley
Nehari Crawford
Matt Fitzpatrick
A.J. Hines
Jonathant Istache

Second Team
Jalen Booker
Mitch MacZura (K,P)
Brandon Stanback
Brett Zanotto