Bates’ Ryan heads four players named to all-conference teams
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DE Terence Ryan ’07 |
LB Dave Bodger ’06 |
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OT John Pambianchi ’06 |
WR Dylan MacNamara ’07 |
HADLEY, Mass. — Bates College’s football team placed four players on the New England Small College Athletic Conference’s all-conference team, the NESCAC announced on Thursday.
Junior defensive end Terence Ryan was named to the All-NESCAC first team, and was joined on the second team by senior linebacker Dave Bodger, senior offensive tackle John Pambianchi, and junior wide receiver Dylan MacNamara.
It was the first such honor for all four players, who stood out on a 2-6 Bates squad that belied its record by falling just short of three winning squads over the course of the season, including an 8-7 loss at Williams (6-2), a 24-17 loss at Colby (7-1), and a 21-14 loss to Bowdoin (6-2).
The 6-5, 220-pound Ryan (Milton, Mass.) made the first team with an outstanding season of pass rushing. His 10.5 sacks in 2005 were the most seen in NESCAC play since New England Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini achieved the same feat in 1993 for Wesleyan. Ryan finished the season with 1.3 sacks per game, the third highest average in Division III. He also ranks 20th in Division III in forced fumbles (0.38 per game) and 41st in tackles for loss (1.6 per game); in the NESCAC, he ranked second and first in those categories, respectively. Ryan collected 10 sacks over the Bobcats’ final five games, and was named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week after Bates’ 34-20 victory over Hamilton in Week 8, collecting two sacks and eight tackles.
Manning the middle of Bates’ defense all season long, the 6-0, 225-pound Bodger (Lewiston, Maine) also got his name into the top 50 nationally in Division III in two defensive categories: total tackles per game (10.5, 49th in Division III) and solo tackles per game (6.5, 18th in Division III). Bodger ranked first in the NESCAC in solo tackles and third in total tackles. His game highs included 12 solo tackles against Middlebury, 15 total tackles against Colby. In Bates’ 30-29 overtime win over Wesleyan, Bodger recovered a fumble and returned it 12 yards for the Bobcats’ first touchdown. He also made an interception against Bowdoin that set up a touchdown, and blocked a kick against Tufts.
The largest player on the team at 6-5 and 305 pounds, Pambianchi (Saugus, Mass.) was a four-year contributor and three-year starter at left tackle, usually regarded as the most crucial position along the offensive line. Pambianchi anchored a veteran line that allowed only 13 quarterback sacks, fifth in the conference. With Pambianchi’s protection, quarterback Brandon Colon (Manchester, N.H.) set a school record for lowest interception percentage for a quarterback, with five pickoffs on 226 pass attempts.
The 6-1, 185-pound MacNamara had a consistently productive season as Colon’s No. 1 target at wideout. The junior from San Francisco ranked third in the NESCAC in receptions with 44, an average of 5.5 per game, and was fourth in receiving yards, with 511, or 63.9 per game. MacNamara’s five touchdown receptions put him in a tie for third in the conference, and in a tie for 11th in the conference in overall touchdown scoring. MacNamara shined in particular in Bates’ 30-29 win over Wesleyan on Oct. 15, as his seven catches for 85 yards included touchdown grabs of 28 and 30 yards. MacNamara also collected career highs of 11 catches and 107 yards in Bates’ loss to Bowdoin.
In other votes taken by the league’s coaches, Amherst junior wide receiver Mark Hannon was named the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year, Trinity senior defensive lineman Michael Blair received Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Trinity’s Chuck Priore was named Coach of the Year. The Bantams were undefeated league champions for the third straight time.