Thursday, November 17, 2005

THREE JUMBOS FOOTBALL PLAYERS GAIN POST-SEASON HONORS
All-NESCAC, New England Football Writers teams announced

MEDFORD – Three members of the Tufts University Football team were recognized when the All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and New England Football Writers Division II-III All-Star teams were announced on Thursday.

Junior defensive end Chris Decembrele (Walpole, MA/Walpole) was selected to both teams. He was a First Team All-NESCAC pick by the conference's coaches, and one of four defensive line players who earned a spot on the prestigious All-New England team that honors the best players across the region.

Also earning All-NESCAC recognition were senior offensive lineman Rich Aronson (Baltimore, MD/McDonogh) and senior defensive back Patrick Magoon (South Easton, MA/Oliver Ames), who captained the Jumbos this season. Aronson earned First Team recognition and Magoon was voted to the Second Team.

Decembrele, who was named to the NESCAC Second Team defense a year ago, led the Jumbos and was tied for seventh in the league with 9.2 tackles per game (74 in eight games). His 5.5 quarterback sacks tied for second in the league. He finished with nine tackles for losses overall, six pass break-ups and three forced fumbles. He had four games with more than 10 tackles and finished the season with a three-sack performance against Middlebury on November 12.

Aronson, who was All-NESCAC Second Team in 2003 and then missed last season with an injury, also earned his second conference honor. The 6'4", 270-pound tackle was the anchor of the Tufts offensive line. The Jumbos passed for 1,249 yards this fall, the best total since 1999. Their 217 pass attempts were also the most since the '99 season, while opponents sacked Tufts quarterbacks just 13 times this fall.

Magoon, the leader of the Jumbo defense, earned his first All-Conference nod after a productive season at free safety. He was third on the team with 46 tackles (27 solo), an average of 5.8 per game. Twice he came up from the backfield to make tackles for losses while also intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble. He made a season-high 10 tackles at Colby on November 5.

Tufts lost its final six games and finished with a disappointing 2-6 record after opening the year with two victories. They finished the year ranked seventh in NESCAC for total offense (272.4 yards per game) and fifth for total defense (312.1 yards per game allowed).

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