ANNVILLE (Pa.) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) office announced the 2023 all-conference football teams and Delaware Valley University football took home three of the four major awards and placed 14 student-athletes at 15 different positions. Senior linebacker Anthony Puntolillo was named Defensive Player of the Year, sophomore running back Jack Fallon earned Rookie of the Year and head coach Duke Greco was named the Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.

In total, the Aggies had 10 first team honorees, four second teamers and one honorable mention. It is the fifth year in a row the conference Defensive Player of the Year has come out of Doylestown and it is the first time since 2018 DelVal had the Rookie of the Year.

Here are the 2023 All-Conference Aggies:

First Team Offense

Jack Fallon                         Running Back                    Sophomore

Jordan Collazo                   Fullback                              Sophomore

Will Brandes                      Offensive Line                   Junior

Dave Casas                        Offensive Line                   Sophomore

First Team Defense

Jacquez Mabin                  Defensive Line                  Junior

Anthony Puntolillo            Linebacker                         Senior

Nick Chapman                   Linebacker                         Senior

Ahmad Jones                     Linebacker                         Senior

Micah Bootman                Defensive Back                 Sophomore

Jon-Marc Foreman           Special Teams                    First-Year

Second Team Offense

Luan Avdijaj                       Wide Receiver                   Junior

Luan Avdijaj                       Returner                             Junior

Second Team Defense

Shaun Balkcom                 Defensive Line                  Junior

Darius Nichols                   Defensive Back                 Junior

Honorable Mention

Justin Roman                     Offensive Line                   Junior

 

Puntolillo earned his second consecutive first team all-conference honors and his first Player of the Year award. As the captain of the defense, he helped the Aggies become the league's top-ranked defense and one of the top units in the country, ranked inside the top-30 in all of Division III in 12 different categories. Puntolillo posted 73 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss and was second on the team with 8.5 sacks. He forced four turnovers with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Five other student-athletes from Nick Brady's defense joined Puntolillo on the first team. Senior Nick Chapman, a 2023 preseason All-American, earned first team honors after being a second teamer last season. He led the team in tackles for the second year in a row as he finished with 82 this year and was second on the team with 13.5 tackles for loss.  He added three sacks and six quarterback hurries.

Ahmad Jones was named to the first team for the second year in a row to give the Aggies three senior linebackers on the year's first team all-conference squad. Jones finished the season with 54 tackles, fourth most on the team, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

Junior defensive end Jacquez Mabin earned his first all-conference nod after finishing the regular season as one of the top pass rushers in the league. His 12.5 sacks ranks tied-fourth in the nation and his 20.5 tackles for loss is tied-fifth. He led the team in both categories and added seven quarterback hurries to go with his 68 total tackles. He also recorded a safety in the final game of the season against Widener

Sophomore defensive back Micah Bootman and first-year special teamer Jon-Marc Foreman each earned their first all-conference honors with first team accolades. Bootman led the Aggies with six pass breakups and three interceptions to go with 29 tackles and a blocked kick that he recovered in the end zone for a touchdown in the team's win over Albright.

Foreman, listed as a safety, made seven tackles this season and helped the special teams hold opponents to 16.5 yards per return on kickoffs and 8.6 per return in punt coverage.

Juniors Shaun Balkcom and Darius Nichols were recognized with second team honors in their first career all-conference appearances. Balkcom tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and had 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks to go with two quarterback hurries and a total of 49 tackles from his defensive end position. Nichols, a safety, recovered two fumbles including one that he returned for a touchdown and forced another fumble. He added 38 tackles and three pass breakups.

DelVal's offense was led by the running game all season as it racked up 197.5 yards per game on the ground with six games over 200 yards to lead the league. Their 24 rushing touchdowns also ranked first in the MAC.

The unit was rewarded with four first team all-conference honors and an honorable mention that all played key roles in the ground attack. Sophomore Jack Fallon, in his first year in the MAC, finished second in rushing touchdowns with 11. His 735 yards and 73.5 yards per game ranked fourth in the conference and he added another 10 receptions out of the backfield for 92 yards. Fallon had four games with over 100 yards rushing and scored a touchdown in seven different games including four games with multiple scores.  

Three offensive lineman and a fullback that paved the way for Fallon all season were recognized for their contributions. Junior Justin Roman earned his second all-conference accolade while fellow junior Will Brandes and sophomores Dave Casas and Jordan Collazo got their first nods. Roman was a second teamer last year and named an honorable mention this season while Brandes, Casas, and Collazo earned first team selections. Collazo was the team's lead fullback this season and caught four passes out of the backfield for 67 yards including a long reception of 42 yards.

The all-conference honorees are rounded out by junior wide receiver Luan Avdijaj who earned a pair of second team all-MAC honors. Recognized for his contributions as a receiver and a return man, Avdijaj led the Aggies with 247 receiving yards on 12 catches with three touchdowns. He had two game-winning touchdowns in the final minute of regulation in consecutive weeks against Lebanon Valley and Stevenson. He also had 19 carries for 110 yards and another three touchdowns to finish with six total.  

Head coach Duke Greco earned his fourth Coach of the Year award as he and his staff led the six-time defending MAC Champions to a perfect 9-0 conference slate and 9-1 overall mark. The team has now won 53 conference games in a row dating back to the 2016 season. The Aggies will make their sixth-straight NCAA Playoff appearance this weekend when they host Union College at 12 p.m.