Fallas Leads Extensive List Of Post-Season Awards For Trinity Football
Hartford, Conn., June 7, 2012 – Trinity College football senior co-captain inside linebacker Walter Fallas (Everett, Mass.) received the Zabilski Award as the top Division III football player in New England by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston, and Trinity's McCook Trophy as the top senior male athlete in 2012. Fallas was also named to the D3Proday.com All-American Third Team, chosen as the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and selected for the New England Football Writers All-New England Division II/III Team. In addition, senior co-captain DE Herman Brito (Wayland, Mass.), senior NT Tom Finnucan (Orange, Conn.), and junior S Rae Haynes (Hartford, Conn.) were each named to the Beyond Sports Network (BSN) All-American Honorable Mention, and junior OL Andrew Weiss (New York, N.Y.) graced the Jewish Review Division III All-American Team. Finnucan also played in the Hansen Bowl (formerly the Aztec Bowl) Small College Senior All-Star Game at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex on January 16.
No less than 12 Bantams were represented on the All-NESCAC Teams this fall, including first teamers Fallas, Brito, Finnucan, Haynes, junior G MIke Valenti (Bethel, Conn.), and sophomore RB Evan Bunker (Topsfield, Mass.). Trinity senior CB Matt Paskalides (Scarsdale, N.Y.), senior NT Matt Delconte (Berlin, Conn.), senior DE Gary Williams (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.), junior OT Tim O'Brien (White Plains, N.Y.), sophomore RB Ben Crick (Middlebury, Conn.), and sophomore OLB Steve Goniprow (Barrington, R.I.) were each named to the All-NESCAC Second Team. Trinity, coached by Jeff Devanney (6th Season), finished the 2011 season in second place in the NESCAC with a 7-1 record.
Fallas, a three-time, All-NESCAC First Teamer, is the first two-time NESCAC Football Defensive Player of the Year. He was also an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Northeast All-Star First Teamer and an All-New England Division II/III honoree in 2010. Fallas, despite missing one game and three quarters of another, led the Bantams in tackles with 55 (23 solo) to go with 4.5 sacks (tied for team lead), and 7.5 tackles for loss (3rd on team). In his outstanding career, Fallas amassed 254 tackles (143 solo, 8th all-time at Trinity) with 29.5 tackles for loss (4th all-time at Trinity) for 109 yards, 8.5 sacks, one interception, nine pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 31 games. Fallas is a graduate of Everett High School and also attended Worcester Academy. He is the son of Debra and Walter Fallas.
Brito, a three-time All-NESCAC selection, finished 2011 with 37 tackles (3rd on team), 9.5 tackles for loss (2nd on team), and 4.5 sacks (tied for team lead). He is a two Capital One Academic All-District and NESCAC All-Academic selection, and was named to the Capital One Academic All-American First Team this fall. In his tremendous career, Brito notched 107 tackles (65 solo), 30.5 tackles for loss (3rd all-time at Trinity) for 135 yards, 18 sacks for 101 yards, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery in 31 games. Brito earned a Lambert Scholarship as the top intern in the Massachusetts State legislature in 2010. A graduate of Wayland High School, Brito is majoring in public policy & law at Trinity. He is the son of Maria and Herman Brito.
Finnucan made 27 tackles (18 solo) with four sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a team-high 11 tackles for loss this fall, and was named as the NESCAC Player of the Week once. A two-year starter, Finnucan made a successful transition from the offensive to the defensive line in 2009. In his fine career, Finnucan totaled 54 tackles (26 solo), 14.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick in 22 games. A graduate of Amity High School, Finnucan is majoring in political science at Trinity. He is the son of Carol and Tom Finnucan
Haynes, a two-year starter at strong safety, made 22 tackles in 2011 (19 solo) with two interceptions and three pass breakups. A graduate of the Salisbury School who also attended Bulkeley High School, Haynes is majoring in economics at Trinity. He is the son of Kimberly Haynes.
Weiss started every game at center on a Bantam offensive line that helped produce 1,747 yards on the ground with a 4.6 yards-per-carry average, 17 rushing touchdowns and allowed just eight sacks. A graduate of Poly Prep Country Day School, Weiss is majoring political science at Trinity. He is the son of Deborah Conrad and Robert Weiss.
Valenti started every game at tackle on a Bantam offensive line that helped produce 1,747 yards on the ground with a 4.6 yards-per-carry average, 17 rushing touchdowns and allowed just eight sacks. He is a two-year starter and earned All-NESCAC Second Team honors in 2010. A graduate of Bethel High School, Valenti is majoring environmental science at Trinity. He is the son of Louis and Dina Valenti.
Bunker, the 2010 NESCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year, rushed 177 times for 853 yards this fall with six touchdowns and added 10 receptions for 31 yards. A graduate of the Masconomet High School, he is the son of Lauren and David Bunker and the younger brother of Amherst's All-NESCAC running back Eric Bunker.
Paskalides had 19 tackles (12 solo) with a team-high three interceptions and seven pass breakups (2nd on team) in 2011. A two-year starter, Paskalides finished his career with 67 tackles (43 solo), three tackles for loss, five interceptions, 17 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one blocked kick in 29 games. Paskalides is a graduate of Edgemont High School. He is the son of Chris and John Paskalides.
Williams, a two-year starter and a repeat selection on the All-NESCAC squad, made 21 tackles (eight solo) with one sack and 5.5 tackles for loss in 2011. He totaled 58 tackles (30 solo), 19.5 tackles for loss for 92 yards, and 9.5 sacks for 64 yards in 29 games as a Bantam. A graduate of St. Joseph's Prep High School, Williams is majoring in engineering at Trinity. He is the son of Therese and Gary Williams.
Delconte had 19 tackles this fall with six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in eight games on the interior defensive line. In his excellent career, Delconte had 43 tackles (19 solo), 12.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and one interception in 18 games. A graduate of Berlin High School, Delconte is majoring in economics at Trinity. He is the son of Joanne Delconte and the late Domenic Delconte.
O'Brien started every game at tackle on a Bantam offensive line that helped produce 1,747 yards on the ground with a 4.6 yards-per-carry average, 17 rushing touchdowns and allowed just eight sacks. He is a two-year starter and a two-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree.
Crick rushed 85 times for 503 yards and six touchdowns, caught two passes for 27 yards and one score, returned five kicks for 141 yards, and returned 13 punts for 145 yards and yet another touchdown in 2011. A starter at the beginning of his rookie year in 2010, Crick missed the majority of last season with an injury. A graduate of Pomperaug High School, he is the son of Linda and Mike Crick.
Goniprow finished second on the team in tackles with 42 (23 solo) and added 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, one blocked kick, and one interception which he returned 71 yards for a touchdown in his first season as a starter this fall. A graduate of Bridgton Academy, he is the son of Lisa and Robert Goniprow.
Trinity Club of Hartford award information
D3Proday.com All-American Senior information
