February 6, 2008 

BRYANT UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL SIGNS 18  STUDENT-ATHLETES

Michael Leavitt (Atkinson, NH)

John Riley (Wakefield, MA)

Nick Sengotta (Wayne, NJ)

Franck Tebou (Mattapoisett, MA)

Jack Barons

Samad Wagstaff

Samad Wagstaff

SMITHFIELD, RI -  Bryant University head football coach Marty Fine is pleased to announce the signing of 18 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to enroll and participate in football at the University this fall.  The announcement was made today by coach Fine and Director of Athletics Bill Smith. 

Bryant, which will begin Division I play in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) is coming off another championship season in 2007.  The Bulldogs posted an 8-3 record and captured their second Northeast-10 Conference Championship and second consecutive berth in the NCAA playoffs.  

Mike Abany  (LB - Mansfield, MA / Mansfield HS)
Luis "BJ"Aponte, Jr.   (RB - New Britain, CT / New Britain HS)
Cody Aughney     (TE - Henderson, NV / Green Valley HS)
Jack Barons         (OL - Lexington, MA / Lexington HS)
Delon Bohler-Young   (WR- Montclair, NJ / Montclair HS)
Raymond Bundy   (OL - Bristol, RI / La Salle Academy)
Royce Brunson     (OL/DL - Hamden, CT / Hamden Hall)
Robert Edwards, Jr.  (OL - Damascus, MD / Damascus HS)
Kyle Higgins      (WR - Billerica, MA / Billerica Memorial HS)
Joshua Janes      (DL - Newport, RI / La Salle Academy)
Michael Leavitt    (DB - Atkinson, NH / Central Catholic HS (MA)
Michael McGowan  (DB - Attleboro, MA / Bishop Feehan HS)
David  Morgan II   (DL - Camden, OH / Eaton HS)
Adam Peloquin      (OL - Spencer, MA / David Prouty HS)
John Riley              (FB - Wakefield, MA / Wakefield HS)
Nick Sengotta        (LB - Wayne, NJ / De Paul Catholic HS)
Franck Tebou         (LB - Mattapoisett, MA / Old Rochester Regional HS)
Samad Wagstaff    (DB - New Rochelle, NY / New Rochelle HS)

Mike Abany                               LB, 6-1, 205                            Mansfield, MA / Mansfield HS
Three-year letterwinner and two-year starting fullback and linebacker for coach Mike Redding ... Recorded 77 rushes for 619 yards and 8 touchdowns plus had 52 tackles .... Led team to three Hockomock League Championships ... 29-4 three-year team record ... Lettered in baseball ... Named Hockomock League All-Star and League MVP ... Named Team MVP ... All-Scholastic selection by the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Brockton Enterprise ... Selected to Massachusetts All-State team ... Honor Roll. 

Luis "BJ" Aponte, Jr.    RB, 5-8, 183                New Britain, CT / New Britain HS
Four-year letterwinner at New Britain High School for coach Paul Morrell ... Rushed for 1,775 yards on 204 carries and had 22 touchdowns ... Three-year All-CCC North selection as a running back ... Second Team All-State in 2006 ... All-Conference Linebacker and First Team All-State running back in 2007 ... Honor roll student . 

Cody Aughney               TE, 6-6, 220   Henderson, NV / Green Valley HS
Four-year varsity letterwinner in football and basketball for coach Matt Gerber ... Two-time Second Team All-Southeast Conference as a defensive end and tight end in 2006-07 and 2007-08 ... Scholar-Athlete ... Helped lead football team to three playoff appearances ... Had 24 receptions for 326 yards and 9 touchdowns in junior and senior years.

Jack Barons                    OL, 6-4, 255               Lexington, MA / Lexington HS
Three-year varsity letterwinner in football  at Lexington HS ... Also lettered in basketball and baseball ... Starting offensive and defensive lineman for coach Bill Tighe ...Team placed third in Middlesex League in 2007 ... Named First Team All-Middlesex League in 2007 ... Team captain and Co-MVP as a senior ... Will participate in 2008 Shriners Bowl ... Honor Roll student.

Delon Bohler-Young               WR, 6-3, 185               Montclair, NJ / Montclair HS
Four-year participant in football for coach Ed Lebida ... Two-year starting wide receiver in 2006 and 2007 ... Helped lead team to 9-3 record in 2007 and NNJIL League title ... Team finished as runners up in Section I, Group Four championship .... Recipient of Jack Davies team award for hard-work and determination ... High School teammate of current Bulldog Steven Branch.

Raymond Bundy           OL, 6-0, 310                Bristol, RI / La Salle Academy
First Team All State/All Division Offensive Line for coach Geoff Marcone ... Rhode Island Football All-Academic 2007 selection ...Providence Gridiron Club Offensive MVP La Salle Academy 2007 ...Competed in Division I playoffs and helped lead team to the R.I. Super Bowl 2005-2007...Also a LaSalle Academy varsity lacrosse defensive starter 2005-2008 ... Teammate of Bulldog Brendan Rice.

Royce Brunson                          OL/DL, 6-2, 265                  Hamden, CT / Hamden Hall
Lettered in football, lacrosse, wrestling, and basketball ... Named Hamden Hall's Rookie of the Year 2005 ... Recipient of the George Sonny Coughlin Award ... Selected by the New Haven League of Officials for the Senior Football Award ... Two-time All-Fairchester selection ... President of student-body. 

Robert Edwards, Jr.                   OL, 6-0, 260               Damascus, MD / Damascus HS
Four-year letterwinner in football for coach Dan Mokosy ... Helped lead team to two Maryland Class 3A state championships (2007, 2005), one state runner-up (2004) and one regional championship (2006) ... Also lettered in wrestling and track & field ... First Team All-State, All-County and All-Metropolitan  in 2007 ... Second Team All-State, All-Metropolitan and First Team All-County in 2006 ... Three-time First Team All-Gazette, Examiner and Sentinel ... Four-year honor roll ... Recipient of Outstanding Academic Achievement award ... National Honor Society.

Kyle Higgins                  WR, 6-2, 205               Billerica, MA / Billerica Memorial HS
Three-year varsity football letterwinner ... Also lettered in basketball and baseball ... Helped lead team to 2005 Merrimack Valley Conference championship in 2005 ... Named All-Conference in 2007 and honorable mention all-conference in 2006 ... Second-team all-conference in basketball ... Had 38 receptions for 553 yards and six touchdowns ... Two SUMA Academic Awards ... Six "Student of the Term" Academic awards ... Cousin of New York Mets pitcher Tom Glavine ... Played for coach Peter Flynn and assistant and former Bryant standout Joe Knight.

Joshua Janes                  DL, 6-3, 235               Newport, RI / La Salle Academy
Lettered in football, basketball and track at La Salle ... Two-year varsity starter for coach Geoff Marcone as a defensive tackle ...Second Team All-Division ... Rhode Island All-Star game participant ... Honor Roll student ... Teammate of current Bulldog Brendan Rice.

Michael Leavitt  DB, 5-9, 195   Atkinson, NH / Central Catholic HS (MA)
Lettered in football, wrestling, baseball and track ... starter for coach Chuck Adamopolous ... Helped lead team to Merrimack Valley Conference championship in 2006 with 8-4 record ... Two-time All-Scholastic selection by the Boston Herald for football and wrestling ... Three-time All-Conference Running back ... Three-time State Champion in wrestling ... Holder of Central Catholic rushing record with 3,700 yards ...46 total touchdowns as a running back  ... 138 tackles and 13 interceptions ...  Shriner's Football All-Star participant in 2008 ... Honor Roll ... Cousin Daniel Rokas is a member of the Roger Williams University (RI) wrestling team.

Michael McGowan          DB, 6-0, 180             Attleboro, MA / Bishop Feehan HS
Four-year letterwinner in football, basketball and track at Bishop Feehan ... Basketball team captain ... Three-time EAC track all-star ... North Attleboro Sun Chronicle Track All-Star ... Member of school's 4x100 school record team ... EAC and Sun Chronicle All-Star  in football ... Starting quarterback and defensive back for coach Tony Wood ... Total of 78 points scored in leading team to 10-2-1 record and state title in 2007 ... High school teammate of current Bulldogs Pete Krafka and Mike Montagna.

David  Morgan II           DL, 6-1, 238    Camden, OH / Eaton HS
Participated in football, wrestling and track ... Helped lead team to two Southwestern Buckeye League championships ... All-County, All-League, and All-Area honorable mention in2 007 ... Recipient of the Golden Eagle Award for Best Character ... Three-time Iron Eagle weightlifting award ... 2007 team captain ... Three varsity letters in football ... Three varsity letters in track ... Member of two league championship teams and league champ in the discus ... Cousin Tommy Jones played quarterback at Indiana for Coach Fine from 1998-2003.

Adam Peloquin  OL, 6-1, 265                Spencer, MA / David Prouty HS
Four-year letterwinner and two-year starter in football for coach Neal Labaire ... Lettered in track and baseball ... 2007 team MVP in football ... Division 2 East All-Star selection in 2007 ... Named Outstanding Lineman and MVP of 2007 Thanksgiving Day Game ... Named to 2008 Shrine Chowder Bowl Classic ...President of school's National Honor Society ... Recipient of White Sweater Award, Harvard Prize Book Award, Daughters of American Revolution Good Citizen Award  and John and Abigail Adams Scholarship ... Three-time class president.

John Riley                          FB, 6-0, 227    Wakefield, MA / Wakefield HS
Four-year letterwinner in football and lacrosse ... Earned two letters in Olympic Weightlifting as a junior and senior ... Two-year starter and two-time Middlesex All-Star, one as a defensive lineman (2006) and one as an offensive lineman (2007) ... Preseason Boston Herald Stars to Watch ... Led team in tackles with 72 and sacks with eight ... Had three fumble recoveries ... Will participate in Carrol Classic and Shriners Bowl in 2008 ... Voted team MVP ... Placed in top quarter for the Atlantic State Open Weight Lifting Championship ... Placed in the 105kg class during the Connecticut State Olympic Championships in 2007 ... Served as editor for Academic Journal ... Member of the Health and Wellness Council ... Wakefield High School ambassador to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Nick Sengotta                LB, 6-2,235     Wayne, NJ / DePaul Catholic HS
Will graduate DePaul Catholic High School class of 2008...Three sport varsity athlete in football, wrestling and track ... Member of conference championship teams from 2004-2006...Selected as an Elite Athlete in sport of football ... Named Second Team All-Colonial Hills Conference ... Four year varsity letterman ... Had 35 carries for 190 yards and three touchdowns ...  Recorded 69 tackles including 6.5 ... Averaged 5.4 yards per carry ... High school teammate of currently Bryant player Mike Canfora.

Franck Tebou                LB, 6-0, 205    Mattapoisett, MA / Old Rochester Regional HS
Standout from Old Rochester Regional High School ...Varsity captain ... Team MVP 2007...First Team All-SCC League ... Named the 2004 SCC Offensive Player of the Year ... Holds all-time single season rushing record 2007 ... Competed in Track and Basketball ... State finalist in the 4x200, and shuttle. 

Samad Wagstaff             DB, 5-8, 165               New Rochelle, NY / New Rochelle HS
Starting cornerback and wide receiver for New York State Semifinal Champions and Class AA Section I Champions under coach Lou DiRienzo ... NYS Section I Football First Team All-Star and 2007 Lower Hudson Athletic Conference selection ... Recorded two interceptions returned for touchdowns ... Four catches for 4 touchdowns on the season ... Had 53 tackles ... Lettered in football, basketball and football ... Defensive Player of the Week by High School Weekly in October, 2007 ... Member of National ... Spanish Honor Society in 2006 ... Cousin of Rutgers football standout Ray Rice ... Uncle James played football at the University of North Carolina and Miami Dolphins of the N.F.L.