All-NEC Team (PDF) / NEC ESPN3 Schedule
2017 Seahawk Schedule
East Rutherford, NJ – Five members of the Wagner football team were selected to the 27-man, 2017 Preseason All-NEC Team, while the Seahawks were picked third in the preseason poll, as chosen by the conference's seven head coaches, the league office announced today at the #NECFB Social Media Day today at MetLife Stadium.
Defensive lineman
Jordan Baskerville ((West Point, NY / James I. O'Neill / Milford Academy), kicker
James Cooper ((Linwood, NJ / Mainland Regional/ Temple), offensive lineman
Matt Diaz (Edison, NJ/Edison/Milford Academy), quarterback
Alex Thomson (Keyport, NJ / Keyport), and wide receiver
John Williams (Sewell, NJ / Lackawanna CC [PA] are the Seahawks tabbed to the All-NEC Preseason Team.
Duquesne was picked as the Northeast Conference preseason favorite with four first-place votes, defending NEC champion Saint Francis U, which picked up two first-place ballots, was chosen second, while the Seahawks, who also received two first-place votes, are third. Central Connecticut found itself in fourth place when the survey results were tallied, followed by Sacred Heart, Bryant, and Robert Morris.
Baskerville recorded 34 tackles, including 21 solo stops, while starting all 11 games, seeing action primarily at defensive end in the Seahawks' 3-4 scheme in 2016. The 6-2, 260-pound rising senior also registered a team-leading six sacks, among his 9.5 tackles for loss. Those six sacks, which went for 36 yards in losses, placed him in a tie for sixth place in the NEC. An emotional leader on the Seahawk defense, the high-energy linebacker notched a season-high five tackles vs. Concordia (9/10) and Duquesne (11/5), while making four stops vs. Columbia (10/8) and Saint Francis U (11/19), a game where he also had two sacks, for minus 16 yards, one forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry.
Cooper, a graduate student in 2017, delivered a signature year in his first season as a Seahawk a year ago after transferring from Temple. The strong-legged South Jersey product converted on 16-of-20 field goal attempts, including a perfect 12-of-12 on attempts from 30-39 yards. Those 16 made field goals not only led the NEC, but also tied for first place on the Wagner all-time single-season list alongside former All-NEC performers Piotr Czech (2004-07) and David Lopez (2009-12). In the 45-20 Homecoming win over Sacred Heart (10/1), Cooper booted a career-long 52-yarder, which was the first field goal of 50 yards or more by a Wagner kicker since 2012 and the longest by a Seahawk since 2010. He made eight consecutive field goals late in the season, which broke his previous career-long streak of six, while leading the team in scoring with 77 points (including 29-of-32 accuracy on extra point attempts). In addition, Cooper averaged 60.5 yards on 62 kickoffs which included 20 touchbacks.
The 6-6, 295-pound Diaz is a fifth-year senior and a dominant performer at left tackle. A starter in all 11 games, Diaz ably protected
Thomson, allowing him to pass for more than 2,300 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also anchored an offensive line that paved the way for the Seahawks to finish second in the NEC in scoring (29.7), passing offense (257.8) and No. 1 in turnover margin (+7.1) and first downs (131).
A redshirt junior in 2017, the 6-5, 225-pound Thomson completed 184-of-323 passes (57 Percent) for 2,436 yards [221.5/game], 16 touchdowns and just five interceptions, amassing a 133.57 rating en route to earning team MVP honors. In NEC games, he led the Seahawks to a No. 1 rankling in Total Offense (423.2 yard avg.), No. 2 in Scoring (29.7 avg.) and Passing (257.8 avg). The Jersey Shore native passed for 239 yards or more on three occasions, topped by a career-high 276-yard, three-touchdown, 0-interception effort in Wagner's 45-20 win over Sacred Heart (10/1). He also passed for 270 yards in a 25-21 comeback win at Central Connecticut (10/15), on 19-of-28 accuracy with one TD and one INT. In a 38-0 win over Concordia (9/10), the 6-5, 225-pound Thomson completed 18-of-27 passes for 239 yards.
In his first season as a Seahawk after transferring in from Lackawanna CC, the rangy 6-6, 210-pound Williams had 33 receptions for 701 yards and five touchdowns, all team highs, with the 701 receiving yards ranking ninth on the Wagner all-time single-season list. A big-play weapon down the field, his 21.2 yards per reception average led the NEC and ranked third nationally. Williams also had five receptions of 40 or more yards. In earning a spot on the All-NEC Second Team, the South Jersey native had three 100-yard plus receiving games, with a career-high 112 yards at Bryant (10/22), 110 at Robert Morris (11/12) and 105 vs. Saint Francis U (11/19). He brought in a career-high six receptions in consecutive weeks at Bryant (10/22) and at UMass (10/29). In the 40-5 win at Robert Morris, Williams snared a career-long 68-yard reception, which went for a touchdown.
The 2017 Seahawks, under the direction of third-year head coach
Jason Houghtaling, open the season on Thursday, August 31 vs. Saint Anselm under the lights in a 6:00 p.m. start at Hameline Field.
#NECFB
Preseason Poll Results
1. Duquesne (4)
2. Saint Francis U (2)
3. Wagner (2)
4. Central Connecticut
5. Sacred Heart
6. Bryant
7. Robert Morris
First place votes in parentheses ().
About the Northeast Conference
Entering its 37th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U., and Wagner. Duquesne is an associate member of the NEC in the sport of football. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (
www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (
www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google+, all @NECsports.
