Nov. 14, 2005
BALTIMORE, MD - Johns Hopkins junior wide receiver Anthony Triplin (Baltimore, MD/Gilman) was named the 2005 Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was one of a school-record nine First Team All-Centennial selections for the Blue Jays on the 2005 All-Centennial Football Team, which was announced Monday afternoon by Steve Ulrich, Executive Secretary of the league. The nine first team selections and 14 overall honorees were by far the most in the league and the 14 selections are one shy of the school record of 15 (2004). The nine first team picks are three more than Hopkins has ever had in one year (six in 1991, 1995 and 2003).
Triplin is the first Johns Hopkins player to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors in the Centennial Conference since Mark Campbell (QB) in 1985 (Campbell was actually named Player of the Year). He led the league with 66 receptions for 757 yards and three touchdowns and capped the regular season with eight receptions for 105 yards in last Saturday's 14-5 win over McDaniel. Triplin's 66 receptions are tied for the fourth-highest single-season total in school history and his 757 yards rank as the eighth-highest single-season total. Triplin earned Second Team All-Centennial honors last season and his move up to the first team this year marks the fourth time in the last six years the Blue Jays have produced a First Team All-Centennial wide receiver.
Joining Triplin on the first team on offense are senior running back T.J. Lyons (Paramus, NJ/Paramus), senior center Marc DeGennaro (Secaucus, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) and junior guard Paul Markowski (Carlstad, NJ/Paramus Catholic).
Lyons has rushed for a career-high 905 yards and nine touchdowns and counts 15 receptions for 120 yards to his credit as well. His 905 yards rank as the fifth-highest single-season total in school history, as do his nine rushing touchdowns. He ranks fourth all-time at Johns Hopkins in rushing yards (2,480) and sixth in rushing touchdowns (21). His selection to the first team marks the fifth time in the last seven years that Hopkins has had a running back earn first team honors.
DeGennaro and Markowski anchor the offensive line with DeGennaro moving up to the first team after back-to-back second team selections. Markowski is in his first season as a starter and makes the difficult jump from relative unknown to First Team All-Centennial. DeGennaro has started 32 straight games at center for the Blue Jays and is one of just three players to start at center for Johns Hopkins since 1997. Markowski has started all 10 games this season and teams with DeGennaro to give the Blue Jays a pair of offensive linemen on the first team for just the fourth time in school history (1991, 1995, 2002).
The Blue Jay defense matched the four offensive selections on the first team as junior defensive end Brian Cook (New Freedom, PA/Susquehannock), junior defensive tackle Anthony Woodard (Earlysville, VA/St. Anne's Belfield), senior linebacker Adam Luke (Teague, TX/Teague) and senior cornerback Adam Colicchio (Martinsville, NJ/Immaculata) were all named to the elite squad. The selection of Cook and Woodard to the first team marks just the fourth time in school history the Blue Jays have produced a pair of First Team All-Centennial defensive linemen in the same year.
Cook makes the jump up from honorable mention to the top squad as he has 48 tackles, 10 tackles for losses and a team-high seven sacks to his credit this season. His seven sacks this season improve his career total to 19.5 and he needs just two tackles to reach 150 in his career.
Woodard joins Markowski in making the difficult jump from never appearing on the All-Centennial team to landing first team honors. He has a career-high 50 tackles, including a team-best 11 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks to his credit. His 50 tackles are tied for the most among JHU defensive linemen and rank fourth overall on the team.
Luke earned Second Team All-Centennial honors as a sophomore before missing four games last year. He rebounded nicely this season and leads the team with a career-high 89 tackles and counts eight tackles for losses and three sacks to his credit. He also has four pass breakups and returned a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown in a 35-14 win over Dickinson. His 89 tackles this season improve his career total to 218.
Colicchio moves up to the first team after earning second team honors last season. He has 40 tackles this season, has a team-high 10 pass breakups and is tied for the team-lead with three interceptions on the year. He returned one of his interceptions 33 yards for a touchdown against Dickinson. He also forced a fumble against the Red Devils that was returned 31 yards for another score.
Rounding out the first team picks for the Blue Jays is junior Ben Scott (Pittsburgh, PA/Shady Side Academy), who actually was named to the team as a punter and place-kicker. Scott earned First Team All-Centennial honors as a punter and second team honors as a place-kicker. Entering this week's NCAA Playoff game Scott is averaging 37 yards per punt and has had a school-record 19 punts downed inside the opposition's 20-yard line. He is also 12-for-20 on field goals and has hit 18-of-20 extra points. His 12 field goals are tied for the second-highest single-season total in school history. Scott is the first punter in school history to earn First Team All-Centennial honors.
The Blue Jay defense picked up three, second team selections, while the offense added one to complete Johns Hopkins' representatives on the All-Centennial team. Senior linebacker Max Whitacre (Sugarloaf, PA/Bishop Hafey), junior linebacker Matt Hagel (Linwood, NJ/Mainland), senior safety Jim Sanders (North Lima, OH/South Range) and senior quarterback Zach DiIonno (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) were all named to the second team.
Whitacre and Hagel are repeat second team selections and team with Luke to give the Blue Jays the top linebacking crew in the Centennial Conference. Hagel ranks second on the team in tackles (72) and third in tackles for losses (9.5 for 42 yards) and sacks (4.5 for 25 yards). His 72 tackles improve his career total to 191, which is by far the most of any junior on the team. Whitacre is actually making his third appearance on the All-CC team as he was an honorable mention pick as a sophomore. One of the most versatile players in the league, he has 45 tackles, including 3.5 for losses and one sack, one interception, three pass breakups, three blocked punts and one blocked field goal to his credit. His 225 career tackles are the most of any active player on the team.
Sanders moved into a starting role this season after being a key reserve and special teams standout during his first three seasons. He ranks third on the team in tackles (56) and has two tackles for losses, five pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble to his credit.
DiIonno ranks among the Centennial leaders in every passing category this season and among the all-time leaders in school history in every passing category as well. He is 153-of-270 for 1,654 yards with four touchdowns against seven interceptions on the year. His 165.4 passing yards and .567 completion percentage lead the league and he ranks second in total offense (163.8) and third in pass efficiency (107.8). His 153 completions this season rank as the fourth-highest total in school history, while his 1,654 yards are the 10th-highest total in JHU history.
Johns Hopkins (8-2) earned its first outright Centennial Conference Championship and will represent the league in the upcoming NCAA Division III Playoffs. The Blue Jays will play at Thiel (10-0) on Saturday (November 19) at noon in their first-ever NCAA Playoff game.
Johns Hopkins' 2005 All-Centennial Football Selections:
Offensive Player of the Year: Anthony Triplin (WR)
First Team All-Centennial: Anthony Triplin (WR), T.J. Lyons (RB), Marc DeGennaro (OL), Paul Markowski (OL) Brian Cook (DL), Anthony Woodard (DL), Adam Luke (LB), Adam Colicchio (DB), Ben Scott (P)
Second Team All-Centennial: Zach DiIonno (QB), Matt Hagel (LB), Ben Scott (PK), Max Whitacre (LB), Jim Sanders (DB)
Notes: ? Triplin is the first Johns Hopkins player to earn Offensive Player of the Year. Mark Campbell (QB) was named the CC Player of the Year in 1985 (only a Player of the Year was selected at that time). JHU produced the CC Defensive Player of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2003. The Centennial Conference began picking an Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year in 1993.
? This is just the fourth time JHU has had two offensive linemen earn First Team All-CC (1991, 1995, 2002). ? This is just the fourth time JHU has had two defensive linemen earn First Team All-CC (1990, 1993, 1994). ? JHU has produced a first team offensive lineman in 10 of the last 11 years. ? JHU has produced a first team defensive back in nine of the last 11 years. ? JHU has produced a first team running back five times in the last seven years. ? JHU has produced a first team wide receiver four times in the last six years. ? Ben Scott is the first punter in school history to earn First Team All-Centennial honors. ? Three of the four players who earned All-Centennial and Academic All-Centennial were from Johns Hopkins (Sanders, Whitacre, Luke).
