ALFRED, NY — Senior tight end Isiah Young (Groton, NY/Groton) led a group of six Alfred University football players who garnered all-league recognition from the Empire 8 Conference.

The Empire 8 announced its all-conference teams today and Young was the Saxons' lone representative on the First Team. In his first season as a starter, Young had 43 catches (most on the team) for 491 yards, both tops among Empire 8 tight ends, and two touchdowns. Young earned Second Team honors as a junior in 2013.

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Johnson (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa), junior middle linebacker Corry Wallace (Mastic Beach, NY/Longwood), junior nose guard Zach Brinkley (Brockway, PA/Brockway) and junior left tackle Kevin LaMarque (Holliston, MA/Holliston) were named to the Second Team, while sophomore defensive end Zack Bacon (Hornell, NY/Hornell) earned honorable mention.

Johnson was named to the Second Team as a quarterback and as an all-purpose runner. He threw for 1,828 yards and 15 touchdowns and ran for 916 yards (fourth in the Empire 8) and eight TDs. His 274.4 yards of total offense per game led the conference. As a freshman in 2013, Johnson was named Empire 8 Rookie of the Year.

Wallace led the Saxons in tackles with 89, which ranked sixth in the conference. He also had 8½ tackles for loss, 1½ sacks, and a pair of fumble recoveries. Wallace was also a Second Team All-Empire 8 pick as a sophomore in 2013.

Brinkley had 31 tackles (3½ for loss, one sack) to go with a pair of fumble recoveries. He earned honorable mention from the Empire 8 as a sophomore in 2013.

Lamarque moved from right tackle to left tackle in 2014 and posted an overall lineman's grade of 94. He was responsible for just one sack on the season and anchored a line that averaged 366 yards of offense per game (203 passing, 163 rushing).

Bacon had 37 tackles (8½ for loss, 1½ sacks) to go with a forced fumble. He also had eight pass breakups and an interception, which he returned 13 yards for a touchdown. Bacon also earned honorable mention from the league as a freshman in 2013.

Each season, the Empire 8 honors students-athletes from each conference school, who play on teams sponsored by the conference, with Sportsperson of the Year awards. Honorees, chosen by their coaches, exhibited outstanding sportsmanship in keeping with the conference's mission of "competing with honor and integrity." Junior offensieve lineman Sonny Caruso (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) is Alfred University's honoree from the football team.

AU, led by first-year head coach Bob Rankl, finished the year with a 5-5 record (3-4 E8), featuring a lineup featured 14 new starters. The Saxons will return 19 starters (nine on defense, eight on offense, two on special teams) in 2015.