ALFRED, NY – The 2023 All-Empire 8 Football selections were released on Thursday, with 10 Alfred University Saxons receiving All-Conference recognition for their efforts.
"I was glad to see that we had 10 played recognized by the Empire 8 for their efforts this season," Head Coach
Bob Rankl said. "We feel like we may have had a few guys that may have gotten overlooked, but the coaches from the conference vote for who they think belongs to be on the list."
All-Empire 8 First Team Defense
For the second consecutive season,
Joe Copp (Minoa, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) has received All-Empire 8 honors. Copp finished the season with a conference-high 122 tackles, which marks the 10th-highest total for a single season in program history. Copp added 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble as part of a standout senior season. To this point, Copp has accumulated 357 career tackles, which is currently fourth in program history. Copp previously earned All-Empire 8 First Team recognition following the 2022 season and received Third Team honors in 2021.
Danny Quiñones (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) joined Copp as a member of the All-Empire 8 First Team list. This fall, Quinones recorded a career-high 13 tackles for loss, including three sacks for the Saxons. The senior captain previously received All-Empire 8 Second Team honors in 2022 and All-Empire 8 Third Team recognition in 2021.
All-Empire 8 Third Team Offense
Dion Anderson (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) enjoyed a successful first-year season with Alfred University, leading the team with 416 receiving yards and four touchdowns across 42 receptions. Anderson recorded his first collegiate touchdown with the Saxons in a win over Juniata, where he finished the game with five receptions and 98 receiving yards.
Max Freeman IV (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post) earned All-Empire 8 honors for the third straight year with AU, having been named to the All-Empire 8 First Team in 2022 and the All-Empire 8 Third Team in 2021. Freeman finished third in the Empire 8 with 702 rushing yards to go with 6 touchdowns. Freeman has excelled during his time with AU, totaling 2,152 career rushing yards.
Jacob Kelsey (Hilton, NY/Hilton) received All-Empire recognition for the second consecutive season with the Saxons. Kelsey finished the fall season with 380 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns and became the first AU wide receiver since 2017 to eclipse 1,000 career receiving yards.
Alexander Rojek (Cheektowaga, NY/Cleveland Hill) represented the Saxons on the offensive front to become a member of the All-Empire 8 Third Team. Rojek is a three-year member of the AU football program, having recently wrapped up his senior season.
Matt Wagner (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) received All-Empire honors for the first time in his collegiate career, having served as the team's tight end and fullback. In the season-opener against Hobart, Wagner picked up his first reception as part of a 19-yard gain for the Saxons.
All-Empire 8 Third Team Defense
Adam Mietz (Akron, NY/Akron) was recognized as a member of the All-Empire 8 Third Team, having totaled 73 tackles, 57 of which were solo. Mietz was additionally responsible for two interceptions and a forced fumble for the Saxons. This is the second instance in which Mietz has received Third Team recognition, being placed on the list following the 2021 season.
Keenan Ollison (Niagara Falls, NY/Canisius) rounded out the Saxons on the All-Empire 8 Third Team list. Ollison put together a successful senior season with Alfred University, recording 59 tackles, 41 of which were solo. Ollision was additionally responsible for two blocked kicks as part of the special teams unit.
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
Nathaniel Castellanos (Hornell, NY/Pinellas Park) was selected as Alfred University's Sportsman of the Year. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission.
