West Long Branch, N.J.- Monmouth University placed seven football players on All-Big South teams, league officials announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Senior wide receiver Neal Sterling (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) and freshman safety Mike Basile (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) garnered First Team All-Big South honors while running back Lavon Chaney (Edgewater, Md./South River), guard Reece Johnston (Medford, N.J./Shawnee), defensive end Darnell Leslie (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard), punter Ryan Mohr (West Orange, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) and linebacker John Sieczkowski (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) earned second team all-conference recognition.
Additionally, junior cornerback Joe Johnson (Manchester, N.J./Manchester) was one of six conference players named to the Big South All-Academic team.
“We are pleased to have seven of our players honored as members of the 2014 All Big South teams,” said Monmouth Head Coach Kevin Callahan. ”They all worked extremely hard this year and their achievements on the field warrant this type of recognition.”
Sterling wrapped up his career as the most decorated Monmouth wide receiver since Miles Austin, finishing in the top three in every Monmouth receiving record. The Manasquan, N.J. native led the Big South in yards per catch with 16.9, while finishing second in total yardage (905), receptions per game and receiving touchdowns. He became the school's all-time leader in receptions in Monmouth's second to last game of the year against top-ranked Coastal Carolina, where he earned his fourth 100-yard receiving performance of the season.
Basile, the Big South Freshman of the Year, was the only freshman to earn all-conference honors in 2014. The safety finished second in solo tackles in the Big South with 59 and sixth overall with 78 takedowns. His four interceptions was fourth in the conference and tied for first on the Hawks. He was named Crons Big South Freshman of the Week three times, the most of any player in 2014 and ranks 19th in the NCAA in solo tackles.
Sophomore running back Lavon Chaney earns his first postseason conference award after finishing first in the Big South in all-purpose yardage. Chaney, who started the final seven games of the season after filling in for injured starter KB Asante, finished fourth in rushing yards and scoring (among non-kickers).
Leading the way for Chaney was Johnston, the only returning starter on Monmouth's offensive line. The fifth-year senior helped the Monmouth offense set a new program record for scoring in a season, putting up 322 points through 11 games. Across the line of scrimmage, Leslie led the defensive line with 45 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2014. The redshirt sophomore ended the season ranked third in the league in tackles for a loss with 12.5.
Mohr posted his finest season to date with the Hawks, finishing second in yards punted and average yards per punt among Big South players. The senior led the league in punts inside opponent's 20, with 18 of his 60 punts hitting that mark. Sieczkowski led the Hawks in tackles with 85 from his outside linebacker position. The redshirt sophomore was second in the conference in tackles per game with 7.7 and fourth in total tackles. The Manalapan product was second on the team in solo tackles with 58, which ranks 20th in the NCAA.
Johnson, recently honored as a CoSIDA Capitol One Academic All-District II selection, currently has a 3.72 grade point average and is a health and physical education major. On the field, he was named Defensive Player of the Week in the final awards of the year after recording career highs in tackles and interceptions against Gardner-Webb. Johnson finished with 45 tackles, six pass breakups and four interceptions while starting all 11 games at defensive back.
Coastal Carolina's Quinn Backus and Alex Ross were named Defensive Player and Offensive Player of the Year, respectively. Liberty kicker John Lunsford earned Special Teams Player of the Year while Coastal Coach Joe Moglia and Presbyterian Coach Harold Nichols were named Co-Big South Coach of the Year.
Monmouth wrapped up the 2014 season with a 6-5 record, including a 4-1 record at home. Visit BigSouthSports.com for a full list of postseason football award winners.
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Monmouth's All-Big South Selections
Freshman of the Year
Mike Basile (Freshman, Safety, Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial)
First Team All-Big South
Mike Basile (Freshman, Safety, Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial)
Neal Sterling (Fifth-year Senior, Wide Receiver, Belmar, N.J./Manasquan)
Second Team All-Big South
Lavon Chaney (Sophomore, running back, Edgewater, Md./South River)
Reece Johnston (Fifth-year senior, offensive guard, Medford, N.J./Shawnee)
Darnell Leslie (Redshirt sophomore, defensive end, Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard)
Ryan Mohr (Senior, punter, Edgewater, Md./South River)
John Sieczkowski (Redshirt sophomore, linebacker, Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan)
All-Academic Team
Joe Johnson (Junior, defensive back, Manchester, N.J./Manchester)
