WMC sophomore quarterback Ron Sermarini (Toms River, NJ/North) and Johns Hopkins sophomore defensive back Harrison Bernstein (Fairlawn, NJ/Fairlawn) were named the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. It is the first time that two sophomores have been honored by the Conference in the same season. The balloting was conducted by the eight head coaches.
Sermarini led the Conference in pass efficiency, completing 58.5 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards and 19 touchdowns. He threw just three interceptions in 236 attempts for a 143.8 rating. Bernstein led the Blue Jays in tackles with 75, while also picking off three passes and averaging 19.4 yards on kickoff returns and 11.4 on punt returns.
Sermarini was one of seven Green Terror players to earn first-team nods. Joining him on offense were junior linemen Ryan Hines (Monrovia, MD/Linganore) and Mat Mathias (Westminster, MD/Westminster). They were the leaders of an offensive line that enabled WMC to lead the Conference in scoring offense (32.7). Defensively, senior Justin Lavis (Columbia, MD/Hammond) and sophomore Zach Galemore (Spring Grove, PA/South Western) were named to the interior line, while sophomore linebacker Tommy Selecky (Claymont, DE/Brandywine) and sophomore defensive back Marvin Deal (New Carrollton, MD/DuVal) were also tabbed for the first unit. Lavis had 4 1/2 sacks in moving up from the 1996 second team, while Galemore had 11 tackles for loss. Selecky led the team in tackles (77), tackles for loss (19) and sacks (8 1/2), and Deal, who earned first-team nods at DB and kick returner, had three interceptions and five pass breakups, in addition to leading the Conference in kickoff returns (28.1).
A pair of 1,000-yard runners comprise the first team backfield. Muhlenberg junior Jason Brader (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) and Gettysburg sophomore Paul Smith (Ventnor, NJ/Holy Spirit) were one-two in the Conference with 1,406 and 1,256 yards. It is the second straight first-team nod for Smith. Franklin & Marshall senior Eric Jeanes (Methuen, MA/Methuen) and Ursinus junior Ron Withelder (Aston, PA/Sun Valley) are the receivers. Jeanes led the Conference with 804 yards on 43 receptions and 10 TDs. Withelder snared 32 balls for 512 yards and four scores. Dickinson senior Mike Pietlock (Stanton, DE/Salesianum) is the first-team tight end. Seniors Josh Kohner (Mission Viejo, CA/Mission Viejo) of Dickinson and Brett Sawyer (Oradell, NJ/River Dell) of Muhlenberg, along with sophomore David Perna (Verona, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) of Johns Hopkins round out the offensive line. Perna was a unanimous selection.
Dickinson senior Phil Joyce (Metuchen, NJ/Metuchen) and Franklin & Marshall sophomore Mike Quartey (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) join Lavis and Galemore on the first-team defensive line. Joyce had 55 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks, while Quartey registered 50 tackles and five sacks. Johns Hopkins senior Carl Cangelosi (Sayville, NY/Sayville), Franklin & Marshall junior Greg Shambaugh (Lemoyne, PA/Cedar Cliff) and Dickinson junior Kevin Czarkowski (Dickson, PA/Mid-Valley) round out the linebacking corps. Shambaugh had a team-high 90 tackles, while Cangelosi had 62 and Czarkowski 58.
Joining Deal and Bernstein in the first-team backfield are Dickinson junior Jake Feltenberger (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and Ursinus junior Peter Hinckle (Wayne, PA/Archbishop Carroll). Feltenberger had 51 tackles, broke up a team-high seven passes and intercepted two others, while Hinckle, a first-team repeater from 1996, had a team-leading 106 tackles and recovered four fumbles.
The special teams are headed by Johns Hopkins senior place-kicker Todd Bencivenni (Glen Ridge, NJ/Glen Ridge), who became just the 17th Centennial player to earn first-team All-Conference honors three times. He led the Conference in field goals (8) and kick-scoring (56). Ursinus senior Mark McGonagle (Philadelphia, PA/Penn Charter) is the first-team punter, after averaging 40.1 yards on 47 kicks.
1997 All-Centennial Conference Football Team
First Team Offense
Pos Name Cl Ht Wt Hometown/High School QB # Ron Sermarini, Western Maryland So. 5-11 180 Toms River, NJ/Toms River North RB Jason Brader, Muhlenberg Jr. 5-11 216 Bethlehem, PA/Liberty RB * Paul Smith, Gettysburg So. 5-9 194 Ventnor, NJ/Holy Spirit WR Eric Jeanes, Frank. & Marsh. Sr. 6-2 197 Methuen, MA/Methuen WR Ron Withelder, Ursinus Jr. 5-11 190 Aston, PA/Sun Valley TE Mike Pietlock, Dickinson Sr. 6-1 242 Stanton, DE/Salesianum OL David Perna, Johns Hopkins So. 6-1 255 Verona, NJ/Seton Hall Prep OL Brett Sawyer, Muhlenberg Sr. 6-3 246 Oradell, NJ/River Dell OL Ryan Hines, Western Maryland Jr. 6-2 300 Monrovia, MD/Linganore OL # Josh Kohner, Dickinson Sr. 5-11 213 Mission Viejo, CA/Mission Viejo OL Mat Mathias, Western Maryland Jr. 6-6 250 Westminster, MD/Westminster PK Todd Bencivenni, Johns Hopkins Sr. 6-2 200 Glen Ridge, NJ/Glen Ridge
First Team Defense
Pos Name Cl Ht Wt Hometown/High School DL Mike Quartey, Frank. & Marsh. So. 5-10 234 Voorhees, NJ/Eastern DL # Justin Lavis, Western Maryland Sr. 6-1 255 Columbia, MD/Hammond DL Zach Galemore, Western Maryland So. 6-0 255 Spring Grove, PA/South Western DL Phil Joyce, Dickinson Sr. 6-0 215 Metuchen, NJ/Metuchen LB Tommy Selecky, Western Maryland So. 5-11 220 Claymont, DE/Brandywine LB Greg Shambaugh, Frank. & Marsh. Jr. 5-10 201 Lemoyne, PA/Cedar Cliff LB Kevin Czarkowski, Dickinson Jr. 6-0 216 Dickson, PA/Mid-Valley LB Carl Cangelosi, Johns Hopkins Sr. 6-0 225 Sayville, NY/Sayville DB % Marvin Deal, Western Maryland So. 6-0 175 New Carrollton, MD/DuVal DB Harrison Bernstein, Johns Hopkins So. 5-10 185 Fairlawn, NJ/Fairlawn DB # Jake Feltenberger, Dickinson Jr. 5-11 170 Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts DB * Peter Hinckle, Ursinus Jr. 5-10 165 Wayne, PA/Archbishop Carroll P # Mark McGonagle, Ursinus Sr. 6-1 185 Philadelphia, PA/William Penn Charter KR Marvin Deal, Western Maryland So. 6-0 175 New Carrollton, MD/DuVal First-team All-Centennial in 1995 and 1996 * First-team All-Centennial in 1996 # Second-team All-Centennial in 1996 % Honorable Mention All-Centennial in 1996
Second Team Offense
Pos Name Cl Ht Wt Hometown/High School QB George Fosdick, Muhlenberg Sr. 6-0 195 Ridgefield Park, NJ/Ridgefield Park RB Don Zajick, Johns Hopkins Sr. 5-9 190 Norristown, PA/Kennedy-Kenrick RB Gavin DeFreitas, W. Maryland Jr. 5-11 185 Seabrook, MD/DuVal WR Kevin Cannon, Muhlenberg Jr. 5-10 170 Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge WR # Mason Tootell, Swarthmore Jr. 6-1 180 Worthington, OH/Worthington WR * DontŽ Abron, Western Maryland Sr. 5-6 150 Baltimore, MD/Mount St. Joseph TE Rick Colvin, Ursinus Sr. 6-3 240 Media, PA/Malvern Prep OL # Alex Petersen, Dickinson Sr. 5-11 238 Ft. Wash., PA/Plymouth Whitemarsh OL Dan Amsellem, Frank. & Marsh. Jr. 6-5 283 Potomac, MD/Winston Churchill OL Bryan Willard, Gettysburg Sr. 5-8 202 Halifax, PA/Halifax OL % Jimmy Pettit, Johns Hopkins Sr. 6-2 255 Ridgefield Park, NJ/Ridgefield Park OL % Dave Johnson, Muhlenberg Sr. 6-4 265 Lafayette Hill, PA/St. Joseph's Prep OL Bill Mower, Ursinus Sr. 5-10 245 Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic PK Brent Sandrock, W. Maryland Fr. 5-9 165 Pittsburgh, PA/South Park
Second Team Defense
Pos Name Cl Ht Wt Hometown/High School DL Jason Shoff, Dickinson Jr. 6-0 240 Columbia, PA/Columbia DL Charles Lombardo, F&M Jr. 6-1 267 Morris Plains, NJ/Mountain Lakes DL Nobu Wakabayashi, Johns Hopkins Sr. 5-10 205 Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills DL Bill Howlett, Muhlenberg Sr. 6-2 220 Philadelphia, PA/St. Joseph's Prep DL Larry Gulotta, Johns Hopkins Jr. 6-2 225 Calumet City, IL/Thornwood LB Dave Neal, Dickinson Jr. 6-3 189 Lambertville, NJ/South Hunterdon LB Phil Mandato, Ursinus Sr. 6-0 200 Kimberton, PA/Bishop Kenrick LB Joey Garrison, W. Maryland Jr. 5-11 210 Clarksville, MD/Atholton LB Greg Degl, Johns Hopkins Jr. 5-10 205 Mahopac, NY/Mahopac DB Barclay Surrick, Johns Hopkins Sr. 5-10 170 Media, PA/Strath Haven DB # Eric Lieberman, Ursinus Sr. 5-9 185 Pottsville, PA/Nativity BVM DB Anthony Burgos, W. Maryland So. 5-8 165 Wyandanch, NY/Wyandanch Memorial DB Tom Lapato, Western Maryland Jr. 6-0 200 Mount Airy, MD/South Carroll P Bob Spruill, Western Maryland So. 6-1 190 Silver Spring, MD/Georgetown Prep KR Adrian Young, Dickinson Jr. 6-1 176 Landisville, PA/Hempfield
Honorable Mention
Pos Name Cl Ht Wt Hometown/High School TE Cory Schaffer, Johns Hopkins Jr. 6-4 230 Dunkirk, MD/Northern OL Darren Moskovitz, Dickinson So. 6-2 234 Bensalem, PA/Bensalem DL # Toyja Kelley, Franklin & Marshall Sr. 6-1 296 Brookshire, TX/St. Mary's Hall DB Dan Warchol, Franklin & Marshall Jr. 5-7 175 Attleboro, MA/Attleboro DB Steve Brady, Muhlenberg Sr. 6-4 200 Dumont, NJ/Dumont
Offensive Player of the Year - Ron Sermarini, QB, Western Maryland
Defensive Player of the Year - Harrison Bernstein, DB, Johns Hopkins