ROCHESTER, NY – On Thursday morning, the Empire 8 announced its 2021 Football All-Conference Teams and individual awards. The Hartwick football team picked up seven honors, the most for the program since 2008. Tight end Justin LoBasso (Honesdale, PA/Honesdale) led the way for the Hawks with his first conference postseason honor, being named to the First Team Offense. LoBasso is the Hawks' first First Team member since 2017. Running back Davien Kuinlan (Bethpage, NY/Plainedge) was next with a Second Team Offense nod.
Five Hawks earned Third Team honors, with offensive lineman Ben Chase (Williston Park, NY/Herricks) and wide receiver Justice Mansfield-Beaulieu (Hartford, CT/Bloomfield) on Offense and defensive lineman Jack Colbath (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury), safety Bryan Grimes (Albany, NY/Colonie), and safety Jake Ely (Fulton, NY/G. Ray Bodley) on defense. In addition, senior linebacker Connor Eisele (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) was named to the Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year Team.
LoBasso ranked among the leaders in the conference in receiving, especially impressive for a tight end. He was second in the Empire 8 with 33 receptions in conference games, ranked fourth in receiving yards at 294, and fourth in receiving yards per game with 49.0.
Kuinlan, earning his first career All-Conference nod, was a workhorse all season, both as running back and quarterback (although he earned his honor at running back). He ranked third in the Empire 8 with 433 yards (playing in just five of six conference games), and was second with 109 attempts and 86.6 yards per game. He finished out his collegiate career with a bang in 'Wick's Senior Day win over Morrisville, rushing for a career-high 208 yards.
Chase and Mansfield-Beaulieu, both earning their first ever All-Conference honors, were both integral parts of 'Wick's offensive effort. Chase played in five of the Hawks' six Empire 8 games, and paved the way for Kuinlan's All-Conference performance as well as Hartwick's second-ranked passing offense, while Mansfield-Beaulieu ranked fifth in the conference with 47.8 receiving yards per game, seventh with 17 receptions, and tied for third with three touchdowns.
Colbath, Grimes, and Ely all earned their first Empire 8 postseason honors. Colbath had 19 tackles in four conference games, ranking 25th in the conference in tackles-for-loss (2.5). Grimes and Ely headed up the Hawks' safety contingent, playing every conference game. Grimes had 38 tackles, two pass breakups, one sack, and one fumble recovery in conference games, while Ely contributed 33 tackles and two pass breakups in Empire 8 contests.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2021 Empire 8 Football Sportsman of the Year Team. 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. Eisele distinguished himself and consistently exhibited the critical traits as an outstanding sportsman.
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