The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Football team enjoyed its best season in nearly a decade in 2016.
This week, a number of Titans were able to enjoy a few individual accomplishments.
After reaching its first Super Bowl since 2007, 10 members of this season's 7-2 team earned postseason honors from the New England Prep School Athletic Council.
"As a result of great team success, we were fortunate enough to have a lot of guys earn postseason awards, and that's a credit to everyone who was involved," Coach Jeff Vartabedian said.
Below is a list of players who were recognized by NEPSAC for their efforts on the football field:
Name: Alex Claudio '17
Positions: Safety, slot receiver
Stats: Receiving – 12 catches, 116 yards, three touchdowns; defense – 43 tackles, four tackles for a loss, one interception, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, one blocked punt, one blocked field goal
Awards: All-New England Class B, All-League Class B First Team, All-State (named by Inside The Huddle)
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "Alex was our physical leader on the field, especially on defense. He was a guy our opponents had to know where he was. He did a great job defensively on run defense and pass coverage, and he always did his job on offense."
Chase Speller '17
Positions: Running back, inside linebacker
Stats: Rushing – 498 yards, six touchdowns; receiving – 12 catches, 156 yards; defense – 45 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two sacks
Awards: All-New England Class B, All-League Class B First Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "Chase was a high impact player on both sides of the ball. He could run, catch and block on offense, and he was all over the field as an inside linebacker on defense. He made a lot of fumble recoveries and forced fumbles. He was a real physical, athletic kid."
Alexander Strange '17
Positions: Center, defensive end
Stats: Defense – 26 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery
Awards: All-New England Class B, All-League Class B First Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "Alexander was extremely consistent with his play at center with shotgun snaps on pretty much every play of the game. On defense he played the wide side of the field, containing the outside run and the quarterback inside the pocket. He played with an outstanding motor and he was all over the field every single play."
Caelan Etti '17
Positions: Running back, cornerback
Stats: Rushing - 596 yards, 10 touchdowns; defense – 20 tackles, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup
Award: All-League Class B First Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "Even though he started last year, I still think he was one of our most improved players with all the work he did in the off-season. He shared the backfield with Chase and he ran really hard. He was real physical. On defense, he contributed more than I anticipated, and he was a great special teams player for us as well."
Matt Robertson '17
Positions: Offensive line, defensive line
Stats: Defense – 20 tackles, one fumble recovery, one sack
Award: All-League Class B First Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "We always gave him the toughest assignment. We usually lined him up against the other team's best lineman and he always came through. He showed great toughness and resiliency. He was consistent and we never had to worry about him."
Xavier Jones '17
Positions: Wide receiver, defensive back
Stats: Receiving – 25 catches, 345 yards, one touchdown; defense – 13 tackles, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble
Award: All-League Class B Second Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "He was our #1 corner so we gave him the toughest assignment and lined him up with the other team's best receiver. He always came through. Offensively, he had some breakout games. He blocked extremely well, and he could get a lot of yards after the catch."
Anthony Costa '17
Position: Quarterback
Stats: Passing – 93 for 171, 1,196 yards, nine touchdowns; rushing – 453 yards, six touchdowns
Award: All-League Class B Second Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "Anthony was an exceptional leader and practice player. He was our scout team quarterback and made our defense so much better each and every week. He had a lot of fun at practice and always sent a great vibe. He never got rattled at quarterback. He could run and throw and did whatever the team needed that week."
Tony Barbieri '17
Positions: Wide receiver, outside linebacker, defensive back
Stats: Receiving - 18 catches, 286 yards, three touchdowns; defense – 16 tackles, one pass breakup
Award: All-League Class B Second Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "Tony was one of our top receivers and a go-to guy when we were passing the ball. He had some big games. He had a great senior year. He blocked extremely well. Defensively, he played anywhere and everywhere we needed him."
Jimmy Fallon '17
Positions: Wide receiver, outside linebacker
Stats: Receiving – seven catches, 54 yards; defense – 27 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, one interception, one pass breakup
Award: All-League Class B Second Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "He was very consistent with his receiving. He was always willing to block, and defensively and on special teams he had a big impact. He was real physical and active. He was an aggressive player we needed close to the ball."
Nate Towle '18
Positions: Offensive line, defensive line, inside linebacker
Stats: Defense – 21 tackles, one pass breakup
Award: All-League Class B Second Team
Quote from Coach Vartabedian: "He was an unselfish player who played anywhere for the team. He was really consistent and raised his level of play each game this year. He took a big step up and will be one of our leaders next year."