BEVERLY (Podcast) #14 Endicott College football fell Saturday to #11 Cortland (SUNY) 23-17 in an NCAA D3 playoff game. The Gulls, at the end of the game, had the ball on the Cortland 11-yard line with
seconds to play and could not get into the endzone as time was running down. In this podcast interview Endicott football coach Paul McGonagle reflects on Saturday’s playoff game, highlights team and individual performances, and summarizes the Gulls’ 2023 season (9-2). The Commonweath Conference has announced 2023 football honors, details are posted below including “Coach of the Year” for Endicott’s Paul McGonagle. Many Endicott players were honored including quarterback Clayton Merengi (Lynnfield) as co-offensive player of the year.
Paul McGonagle – Endicott Football Coach with Bill Newell
Endicott Players & Coach Paul McGonagle Earn League Honors
BEVERLY– The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) announced the 2023 football awards winners and All-Conference Teams on Monday.
Representing Endicott College, quarterback Clayton Marengi is the Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Justyn Lester is the Offensive Lineman of the Year and Colin Meropoulos is the Defensive Lineman of the Year. The Gulls posted a perfect 5-0 record in league play and were 9-2 overall. Endicott hosted Cortland in the NCAA Tournament First Round.
For the third-straight season, Endicott’s Paul McGonagle is the Coach of the Year. The Gulls captured the program’s fifth conference title (NEFC: 2010, 2013; CCC: 2021-23). In September, Endicott stunned then-No. 5 Hardin Simmons in a 37-10 win, marking the Gulls’ first-ever victory over a nationally-ranked opponent.
Curry College sophomore running back Montie Quinn is the Co-Offensive Player of the Year. In the Colonels’ final game of the season, Quinn set Curry’s all-time single-season rushing record (1,618 yards) with a mammoth 272-yard performance. In 10 games played, he had six with 100+ yards, four with 200+ yards and three with 250+ yards. He totaled nine touchdowns.
From Husson University, senior linebacker Tucker Buzzell is the Defensive Player of the Year. He wrapped the season with 110 tackles, the second-most in a Husson single season, and 371 career tackles, setting a new all-time program mark. The Eagles posted a 7-3 record overall and went 3-2 in CCC action.
From the University of New England, running back Damien Jones is the Offensive Rookie of the Year, defensive lineman Spencer LeBrecque is the Defensive Rookie of the Year and offensive lineman TJ Jackson earned the Perseverance and Achievement Award.
Western New England senior defensive back Jason Shumilla is the Hal Chalmers Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He earned an undergraduate degree in finance and is pursuing a master’s in organizational leadership. He was presented with the Francis & Norman Cohen Scholarship, awarded to the top-standing sophomore in WNE’s College of Business and is a member of the honors society.
Awards Winners
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Clayton Marengi, Endicott, Senior, Quarterback (Lynnfield, Mass.)
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Montie Quinn, Curry, Sophomore, Running Back (Goose Creek, S.C.)
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Justyn Lester, Endicott, Senior, Offensive Guard (Tewksbury, Mass.)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Damien Jones, UNE, Freshman, Running Back (Fitchburg, Mass.)
Defensive Player of the Year: Tucker Buzzell, Husson, Senior, Linebacker (Lovell, Maine)
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Colin Meropoulos, Endicott, Senior (Monroe, Conn.)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Spencer LaBrecque, UNE, Freshman, Defensive Line (Yarmouth, Maine)
Coach of the Year: Paul McGonagle, Endicott
Hal Chalmers Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jason Shumilla, WNE, Senior, Defensive Back (Cheshire, Conn.)
Perseverance and Achievement Award: TJ Jackson, UNE, Senior, Offensive Line (Enfield, Conn.)
Team Sportsmanship Award: Western New England
All-CCC Offense First-Team
WR – Shane Aylward, Endicott, Senior (Tewksbury, Mass.)
WR – Jack Morvan, Nichols, Junior (Uxbridge, Mass.)
WR – Tyler Borwhat, WNE, Junior (Glenville, N.Y.)
TE/HB – Cullen Casey, Husson, Junior (Eliot, Maine)
OT – Charlie Kulhay, Endicott, Senior (Glastonbury, Conn.)
OT – Zack Smith, WNE, Junior (Newtown, Conn.)
OG – Justyn Lester, Endicott, Senior (Tewksbury, Mass.)
OG – Jake Dauphinee, WNE, Senior (Bristol, Conn.)
C – Nick Barrett, WNE, Junior (North Andover, Mass.)
QB – Clayton Marengi, Endicott, Senior (Lynnfield, Mass.)
RB – Montie Quinn, Curry, Sophomore (Goose Creek, S.C.)
RB – Elijah Garnett, Husson, Junior (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
AP – Shane Laporte, UNE, Junior, Wide Receiver (Southington, Conn.)
All-CCC Offense Second-Team
WR – Ja’Quan Myles, Husson, Junior (Daphne, Ala.)
WR – Joshua Vitti, Nichols, Senior (Southington, Conn.)
WR – AJ Defilio, UNE, Junior (Durham, Conn.)
TE/HB – Everett Knowlton III, Endicott, Junior (Mansfield, Mass.)
OT – Kyle Secone, Endicott, Senior (Glastonbury, Conn.)
OT – Hayden Fielder, Husson, Junior (Londonderry, N.H.),
OG – Jade Hutchinson, Husson, Sophomore (St. Catherine, Jamaica)
OG – Kade Tyrrell, UNE, Senior (Wakefield, R.I.)
C – Brendan Gill, Endicott, Junior (Winchester, Mass.)
QB – Nic Visser, Husson, Senior (Santa Rosa, Calif.)
RB – Zahir Booker, Nichols, Senior (Philadelphia, Pa.)
RB – Dillon Kohl, WNE, Senior (Southington, Conn.)
AP – Ryan Larson, WNE, Junior, Wide Receiver (Cumberland, R.I.)
All-CCC Defense First-Team
DL – Colin Meropoulos, Endicott, Senior (Monroe, Conn.)
DL – Hector Johnson, Endicott, Junior (Worcester, Mass.)
DL – Tyrek Mann, Husson, Senior (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
DL – Joe Shea, WNE, Senior (Prospect, Conn.)
LB – Matthew Licciardi, Endicott, Senior (East Greenwich, R.I.)
LB – Tucker Buzzell, Husson, Senior (Lovell, Maine)
LB – Jake Chiasson, WNE, Senior (Chelmsford, Mass.)
LB – Brandon Myers, WNE, Junior (Glastonbury, Conn.)
DB – Mike Lefebre, Endicott, Senior (Methuen, Mass.)
DB – Zach Twardosky, Endicott, Senior (Merrimack, N.H.)
DB – Chris Winslow, UNE, Sophomore (Springfield, Mass.)
DB – Omari Lewis, WNE, Junior (Stamford, Conn.)
All-CCC Defense Second-Team
DL – Pete Jurovich, Curry, Sophomore (Winthrop, Mass.)
DL – Michael Canney, Endicott, Junior (Dracut, Mass.)
DL – Ismar Kandic, Endicott, Graduate Student (Cromwell, Conn.)
DL – Joe McNamara, WNE, Senior (East Providence, R.I.)
LB – Michael Sims, Curry, Senior (Baltic, Conn.)
LB – Joe Tirrell, Endicott, Sophomore (Franklin, Mass.)
LB – Adam Bertrand, Husson, Senior (Pittsfield, Maine)
LB – Dylan Ibbitson, UNE, Senior (Holliston, Mass.)
DB – Kevin Peete, Curry, Graduate Student (Boston, Mass.)
DB – Joe Pagett, Endicott, Graduate Student (Newtown, Conn.)
DB – Parker LaFrance, Husson, Senior (West Paris, Maine)
DB – Jason Shumilla, WNE, Senior (Cheshire, Conn.)
All-CCC Special Teams First-Team
PK – Ryan Smith, Endicott, Senior (Glastonbury, Conn.)
P – Quinten Fox, Endicott, Senior (Old Greenwich, Conn.)
AP – Joshua Vitti, Nichols, Senior, Wide Receiver (Southington, Conn.)
RS – Colin Ridley, Curry, Freshman, Wide Receiver (Peabody, Mass.)
All-CCC Special Teams Second-Team
PK – Jack Niland, UNE, Sophomore (Glastonbury, Conn.)
P – Andrew Havens, WNE, Senior (West Kingston, R.I.)
AP – Nick Ciaglia, WNE, Senior, Long Snapper (Fairfield, N.J.)
RS – Nason Berthelette, Husson, Junior, Wide Receiver (Pittsfield, Maine)
Teams listed by position and then alpha by school.
Awards winners and All-CCC Teams were selected based on a vote of the league’s six head coaches.
ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH COAST CONFERENCE
The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), founded in 1984, is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 10 full member and two associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition and a meaningful student life. The Conference administers championships in 20 intercollegiate sports.
