2012 NEFC All-Divisional Teams (PDF)
Bridgewater, Mass. – Senior right tackle Mike D’Attilio (North Attleboro, Mass.) has been named the New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division Offensive Lineman of the Year to highlight the Bears’ nine representatives on the 2012 NEFC All-Bogan Division Team.
Joining D’Attilio on the All-Bogan Division First Team for the Bears are senior left guard Kurt Merrick (Mashpee, Mass.), senior defensive tackle Paul Melicharek (Glen Rock, N.J.P), senior linebacker Justin Cruz (Dartmouth, Mass.), junior safety Eddie Jewel (Amherst, Mass.) and sophomore linebacker David Silvia (Barrington, R.I.).
Senior cornerback Brian Smith (Lowell, Mass.), junior defensive end Tate Doehler (Lakeville, Mass.) and junior strong safety Dillon Huber-Parker (Longmont, Colo.) garnered All-Bogan Division Second Team honors.
Melicharek is the 11th player in the BSU football history to be selected to the NEFC All-Conference or All-Divisional Team in three separate seasons. He joins Gary Camarillo (1984-86), Neil Crowley (1989-91), Seto Berry (1997, 1999-00), John Guerzoni (2000-02), Mike Sirignano (2004-06), Justin Lima (2006-08), Joseph Morency (2006-08), Tony Cina (2007-09), Chris Dijak (2007-09) and Casey Florence (2007-09) on this select list.
D’Attilio, Merrick, Cruz and Jewel are all making their second straight appearance on the NEFC All-Bogan Division Team. D’Attilio is the Bears' first NEFC Bogan Division Offensive Lineman of the Year since Jeff Smith in 2009.
D’Attilio and Merrick anchored an outstanding offensive line for the Bears which paved the way for 2,372 yards on the ground, 1,528 through the air and 3,900 yards of total offense in ten regular season games while giving up just ten sacks. Bridgewater ranks 27th in all of Division III in rushing offense and third in the NEFC. The Bears are also 31st in the nation and second in the conference in sacks allowed.
The BSU defense has been outstanding all season long as noted by the seven All-Bogan Division selections on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears rank eighth in Division III in total defense (247.3 ypg), 15th in pass defense (149.9 ypg), 23rd in scoring defense (15.1 ppg), 25th in rushing defense (97.4 ypg) and 27th in defensive pass efficiency (103.89 rating). At the conference level, the Bears rank in the top three in all five categories and lead the NEFC in pass defense.
Melicharek recorded 45 tackles through ten games this season with a career-high 18 tackles for loss and 6 ½ sacks. He is tied for 18th in Division III and tied for second in the NEFC in tackles for loss. Melicharek has played and started in all 40 games for the Bears since stepping onto the field as a freshman in 2009. He has amassed 168 career tackles, with 45 of those going for loss and 10 ½ sacks, to go along with five forced fumbles.
In ten games this season, Cruz has posted a career-best 43 tackles with 6 ½ for loss and two sacks. In 30 games over three seasons with the Bears, Cruz has 117 tackles (18 ½ for loss) to his credit with an interception, seven pass breakups and three forced fumbles.
Jewel picked off a career-high six passes this season as he is tied for fourth in the NEFC in interceptions. He also recorded 40 tackles as well as four pass breakups over the first ten games. Jewel has nine interceptions and 73 tackles in two seasons at BSU.
Silvia burst onto the scene in his first campaign with the Bears recording a team-best 79 tackles (11 for loss) to go along with an interception and a forced fumble in ten games at linebacker.
Smith grabbed a pair of interceptions, broke up three passes and registered 20 tackles in ten regular season games from his cornerback position in 2012. He has five career interceptions as well as 65 tackles and seven pass breakups in 35 games over four seasons with the Bears. Smith also kicked in 2009 and 2011 converting 18 of 21 PATs while booting a 30-yard field goal.
Doehler registered 31 tackles in ten games at defensive end, including 8 ½ for loss and 4 ½ sacks. He also broke up three passes and forced a fumble. In 26 games over his first three seasons, Doehler has 100 tackles with 29 ½ for loss and 9 ½ sacks to go along with six pass breakups.
Huber-Parker is second only to Silvia in tackles this season with 62. He also has three interceptions, including one in which he returned 27 yards for a touchdown in the Bears’ 44-14 win at Fitchburg. Huber-Parker has recorded 90 tackles (10 ½ for loss), four interceptions and four pass breakups in 19 games since coming to Bridgewater in 2011.
The 2012 Bridgewater State football team capped off a 9-1 regular season with a 31-21 victory over Mass. Maritime Academy last week in the 34th Annual Ocean Spray Cranberry Bowl. The Bears finished 6-1 in the Bogan Division in their final season in the NEFC, and will now await word of possible post-season berths in the either the NCAA or ECAC Championships. Those pairings will be announced on Sunday, November 11th (NCAA) and Monday, November 12th (ECAC).
Notes: 116 Bridgewater State student-athletes have been named to the NEFC All-Conference or All-Divisional teams since 1969…The NEFC changed to the All-Division format in 2007… A charter member of the NEFC which was formed in 1965, Bridgewater State will play in the nine-team Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference beginning in the fall of 2013.