Friday, November 21, 2003
Written by Michael Douglas

THREE JUMBOS NAMED DIV II/III ALL-NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL

MEDFORD - The New England Football Writers made their annual selections for the Division II/III All-New England All-Star Team this week. The Tufts University Jumbos were among the region's most highly represented squads, with three players named. Only Div. II's Bentley College, which is 10-0 entering NCAA Tournament play, placed more players on the team with four. Trinity College of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) also had three honorees.

Making the team for Tufts were senior defensive lineman Caleb Hudak (White River Jct., VT/Hartford), senior defensive back Mark Tilki (Derby, CT/Derby), and senior offensive lineman Justin Kelley (Northfield, MA/Deerfield Academy). Each received this prestigious honor for the first time in their careers.

Hudak, a quad-captain, recorded a career-high 58 tackles this season, including a team-leading 14 behind the line of scrimmage and three sacks. Hudak also intercepted a pass, and broke up two. He led the squad with a season-high nine tackles, including two behind the line, in Tufts' 18-0 victory at Colby (Nov. 1). His 12-yard sack on a third-and-goal prevented Trinity from reaching the end zone in Tufts' 23-3 loss to the Bantams (Oct. 11). He also recorded 7.5 tackles in a 23-10 loss to Williams (Oct. 18). Earlier this week, Hudak was named to the All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) First Team Defense for the third straight year. He finishes his four-year career with 197 tackles, including 10.5 sacks.

Tilki led the Tufts secondary with a team-high five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. He recorded 29 tackles, and also forced a fumble. He made a season-high 6.5 tackles in Tufts' 24-14 victory at Bates (Sept. 28). He also intercepted a pair of passes in that game, including one he returned 40 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory. The very next game, he returned an interception for a 51-yard touchdown in a 26-7 victory over Bowdoin (Oct. 4). Tilki also picked off a pair of passes in Tufts' 18-0 blanking of Colby. He was an All-NESCAC First Team pick at defensive back earlier this week. He finishes his career with 99 tackles out of the secondary and 12 interceptions.

The Tufts defense was among the NESCAC's best in 2003, allowing only 258.1 yards per game. The Jumbos sported the top pass defense in the conference, giving up just 127.1 yards per game through the air, and intercepting 15 passes as a squad.

Kelley, also a quad-captain, was the anchor of an offensive line that helped Tufts average 149 rushing yards per game. He played a large role as the team's center in reading opposing defenses and calling out defensive fronts before the snap. One of the strongest players on the team, he excelled at creating holes and moving bodies. When starting running back Steve Cincotta (Newton, MA/Middlesex School) went down with an injury in mid-season, Kelley and the rest of the line did an excellent job working with senior wide receiver Tim Mack (St. Louis, MO/Burroughs), who had not played in the backfield since high school. Mack averaged 116 yards per game as a running back. Kelley has been an excellent contributor since the moment he stepped foot on Zimman field as a freshman, as a four-year starter.

Head Coach Bill Samko's Jumbos finished with a 5-3 record for third place in NESCAC and a #10 ranking in the New England Division III poll. Highlights of the season included a 24-17 overtime thriller against Amherst, the first Tufts victory over Amherst since 1998. The Jumbos also won their Homecoming game against Bowdoin, giving them a Homecoming victory for the second straight year after not winning on that day since 1991.

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