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Posted: Nov 11, 2011

11 Rams Named NEFC All-Bogan Division – Van Alstyne and Fox Win Major Awards

Dan Fox
Dan Fox

Framingham, Mass. – Sophomore running back Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, Mass.) was selected the 2011 Bogan Division Offensive Player of the Year and senior offensive tackle Dan Fox (Tyngsboro, Mass.) was named the Bogan Division Offensive Lineman of the Year and 11 Framingham State University football players have been named to the 2011 New England Football Conference (NEFC) All-Bogan Division Team in voting conducted by the division's coaches and announced by the conference office this morning.   

Van Alstyne, Fox, junior corner back Tyrone Notice (Gardner, Mass.), sophomore linebackers Patrick McGrath (Everett, Mass.) and Sam Hill (Lynn, Mass.), junior defensive lineman James Muirhead (Middleboro, Mass.), senior center Bobby Donoghue (Wilmington, Mass.), and senior wide receiver James McCarthy (Newton, Mass.) all earned first team honors, while senior safety Mark Nunes (Taunton, Mass.), sophomore punter Kyle Shonio (Swamscott, Mass.) and junior offensive tackle Joe Masucci (Lynn, Mass.) have been named second team All-Division.

Van Alstyne, the 2010 Bogan Division Offensive Rookie of the Year, earns his first Offensive Player of the Year honor and his first all-division selection as he leads the NEFC in rushing, all-purpose yards and scoring this season.  Van Alstyne ranks 4th in the nation in rushing, 6th in scoring, and 11th in all-purpose yards.  Van Alstyne has rushed for 1,557 yards on 272 carries with 20 rushing touchdowns averaging 155.7 yards per game on the ground.  He has amassed 100 yards rushing in nine of the Rams ten games and has gone over 200 yards twice.  In 2011 Van Alstyne established a new FSU single season rushing mark and broke the FSU career rushing record as he now has 2,713 rushing yards in just two seasons.

Fox earns his first Offensive Lineman of the Year honors and is a first team All-Division selection for the second year in a row.  Fox, Donoghue, who was a second team selection in 2010, and Masucci, who earns his first all-division honors, are the anchors of the Rams offensive line.  The Rams offense is averaging 357 yards of total offense a game, including 176 yards on the ground, and 27 points per game. 

McCarthy earns his second first team All-Division honors as he is 7th in the NEFC in receiving with 49 catches for 564 yards. McCarthy is averaging 11.5 yards per reception with eight touchdowns.  

Muirhead, a 2010 second team selection, is second in the NEFC with 9.0 sacks this season, which establishes a new Framingham State single season sack record and a new FSU career sack mark for Muirhead.  He has recorded 60 tackles on the season (40 solo) and 14.5 tackles for a loss which gives him 31 tackles for a loss in his career which is another FSU record.

Hill and McGrath each earn their first first team All-Division selections at linebacker.  McGrath is leading the team in tackles this season with 80 including 47 solo stops.  McGrath has 5.5 tackles for a loss, an interception, three forced fumbles (one recovery) and five pass breakups.  Hill has picked up 47 tackles in his sophomore season with 27 solo stops and 1.5 sacks.  Hill has forced and recovered a fumble as well as picking up three pass breakups.

Notice earns all-division honors for the first time in his career as he is 17th in the nation and second in the NEFC with six interceptions on the season and second in the conference in passes defended with 12.  Notice has made 37 tackles on the season, 29 solo, with a pair of fumble recoveries.  Nunes also earns his first all-division honors in the secondary for the Rams.  Nunes is tied for second on the team with 60 tackles. He has recorded a pair of interceptions, a pair of fumble recoveries and eight pass break ups.  The Rams defense is allowing only 144 yards per game through the air.

Shonio receives his first second team selection in 2011 as the Rams punter.  He is averaging 38 yards per punt which is second in the NEFC.  Shonio has a long punt of 65 yards this season with three touchbacks and has pinned the opponent inside the 20-yard line 17 times.

The Rams who finished the 2011 regular season 7-3 overall and 6-1 in the Bogan Division captured their first Bogan Division Title and their second straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Title.  The Rams will face the NEFC Boyd Division Champion Western New England Golden Bears on Saturday in the NEFC Championship game. The winner of that game will receive the NEFC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship.