BUFFALO — Billy Carroll (Holtsville/Sachem East), Ish Height (Brooklyn/Grand St. Campus) and Marc Montana (E. Amherst/St. Joe’s) led seven Buffalo State players on the All-Empire 8 football teams, each capturing first team honors.
Nick Jones (Buffalo/W. Seneca West), Bart Mazzara (Lockport/Starpoint) and Khalil Sommerville (Buffalo/Bennett) were named to the second team, and John Navarro (Williamsville/Sweet Home) earned honorable mention.
Tre Jones (Rochester/Greece-Athena) was also honored as Buffalo State’s Sportsman of the Year by the Empire 8 for his combination of sportsmanship and on-field accomplishment.
Carroll drew first team honors in his first season as a Bengal, transferring as a sophomore. The defensive tackle and political science major finished with 40 tackles, including 9.5 for loss and a team-best 4.5 sacks. He also had an interception.
Height, a senior defensive back had 31 tackles and a team-high four interceptions. The health and wellness major also had eight pass breakups. Height was a second team selection last year as a junior.
Montana is the first team place kicker for the second time in three years. The senior psychology major set a school record with 12 field goals on 17 attempts and also converted 25 of 28 extra point tries. He also had eight touchbacks on 46 kickoffs.
Nick Jones, a senior tight end studying health and wellness, was named second team after playing a key blocking role in the Bengals’ rushing attack and also catching 20 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
Mazzara, a junior linebacker, was also a first-time honoree on the second team after leading the Bengals and finishing third in the E8 with 111 tackles, including 48 solo stops. The business administration major had 6.5 tackles for loss with 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble.
Sommerville earned second team honors for the second-consecutive season as a defensive tackle. The junior had 41 tackles, including 9.0 for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also had a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.
Navarro was a first-time honoree as an honorable mention pick on the offensive line. The junior communication major and left guard helped pave the way for a Buffalo State rushing attack that piled up 1,653 yards in 10 games and was second in the league with an average of 4.6 yards-per-carry.
Buffalo State ended the season with a 5-5 overall mark, finishing .500 or better for the sixth-consecutive season.
from BuffaloStateAthletics.com via IFTTT
