SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Led by first-team selections Marquise Watson (Hillside, N.J.) and Charles Wingate (Englewood, N.J.), the Bryant University football team had eight players named All-Northeast Conference, announced by the league via Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.
The eight all-league selections are the second-most for the Bulldogs and they have now earned 25 over the last three years. Watson (DT) and Wingate (DB) represented Bryant on the first team, while senior QB Dalton Easton (Miami, Fla.), senior WR Taylor Barthelette (East Longmeadow, Mass.), senior OL Tyler Cardoze (Corona, N.Y.), junior FB Hunter Taute (Norfolk, Mass.), junior RS Matt Sewall (Portsmouth, R.I.) and sophomore LB Thomas Costigan (Stamford, Conn.) were all second-team selections.
One of Bryant's four captains this year, Watson changed positions in the offseason, moving from linebacker to defensive line, to help the Bulldogs. He turned into a force up front, leading all defensive linemen in the NEC with 53 tackles. Watson posted six tackles for a loss and became Bryant's all-time leading tackler, finishing his storied career with a program-record 256 stops. And when he wasn't making tackles, Watson was eating up blocks, allowing freshman LB Jesse Nemerowicz (Hudson, Mass.) to make 91 tackles, the most by a rookie in program history.
Another team captain, Wingate wraps up an outstanding career with his second all-league honor. A second-team selection last fall, Wingate jumps up to the first team after making 36 tackles and posting two interceptions and 10 pass breakups. Long known as one of the top shutdown corners in the league, Wingate broke up at least one pass in eight of the 11 games this year, knocking away a season-high two against Maine and Robert Morris. He also returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown and wraps up his Bryant career with eight interceptions and 26 pass breakups.
Easton earns second team honors for the second-time in his career after throwing a league-record 28 touchdown passes this season. He completed 219-of-388 passes for a program single-season record 2,855 yards. Easton completed a career-high 56.4 percent of his passes, threw for over 200 yards in nine of 11 games and registered four touchdown passes in four games. He threw for 368 yards at Montana State in week 2 before finishing his career with a program-record 391 passing yards and four touchdowns in a win over Sacred Heart. Easton finished third in the league in passing yards, third in total offense (248.6) and fourth in passing efficiency (134.9).
Taute garners his first all-conference laurels after doing a bit of everything for the Bulldogs in the backfield. With the Black and Gold lacking a punch, Taute lined up at fullback, at tailback and also caught passes out of the backfield. He finished with 62 carries for 233 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns. Taute also caught 19 passes for 146 yards. He enjoyed his best game of the year against Central Connecticut, rushing for 30 yards and two touchdowns while adding three catches for 36 yards. The five rushing touchdowns are the most by a fullback in a single season in program history.
Bryant's leading receiver, Barthelette garners All-NEC honors for the first time in his career. He led the Bulldogs with 47 catches for 758 yards and eight touchdowns. Barthelette averaged 68.9 receiving yards per game and 16.1 yards per catch. His 47 catches are the third-most, his 758 receiving yards are the fifth-most and his eight reception touchdowns are third-most in a single season in program history. Barthelette opened the season with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games, becoming the first player to do so in school history. He caught three touchdown passes in the opener and then made a career-high eight catches for a career-high 161 yards against Montana State. Barthelette closed the season with spectacular touchdown receptions against Coastal Carolina and Sacred Heart.
A stalwart on the offensive line, Cardoze earns All-NEC honors for the second-straight season. He started 10 games along the offensive line this season, helping the Bulldogs average 28.7 points per game, the most since the 2011 season.
Sewall added another chapter to Bryant's long history of outstanding kick returners this year, earning his first all-league honors in the process. Asked to fill the shoes of All-NEC returner Jose Depadua and the explosive Ricardo McCray, Sewall did just that. He returned just 17 kicks on the season but averaged 28.9 yards per return, finishing with 491 yards. Sewall finished the regular season ranked third nationally in kick return average. He earned NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors and Honorable Mention STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week honors after returning four kicks for 180 yards and a touchdown vs. Wagner. Sewall's 97-yard kick return for a score is the second-longest in program history.
Costigan earns his first-career NEC honor after dominate final four weeks of the regular season. He finished the year second on the team with 58 tackles, posted six sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss, an interception and led the NEC with four forced fumbles. Costigan was even better in the final month, posting 35 tackles, 3.5 sacks, eight tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. It all started at Duquesne when Costigan single-handedly forced two turnovers in less than a minute leading to 14 points for the Bulldogs.
