Football
Roque Headlines All-NJAC Football Squad
PITMAN, N.J. (11/21/07) - Senior quarterback AJ
Roque headlined the 2007 New Jersey Athletic Conference
Football All-Conference Teams, earning Offensive Player of the Year
honors for the second straight season, as voted on by the
conference's eight head coaches and released by the conference
office on Wednesday morning.
In all, 11 members of the Kean University football team earned honors, including three on first team. Junior wide receiver Durell Dukes joined Roque as a first-team offensive member, while senior linebacker Clarence Goodman earned first-team defensive honors for the first time in his career.
On second-team, senior wide receiver Brian Williams and junior offensive lineman Chris Gould earned offensive accolades, with Williams also earning special teams recognition, while seniors Brian Cilento and Ryan Staton were named to the defensive second-team.
Sophomore Jared Chunn, sophomore Darryl Jackson, junior Jake Pew and freshman Chris Lauda earned honorable mention honors.
Under second-year head coach Dan Garrett, Kean recorded back-to-back non-losing seasons for just the third time in program history and first since 1992 through 1994.
A four-year starter, Roque (Matawan, N.J.) became the NJAC's all-time passing leader in the final game of his career. In 40 career games, Roque threw for 8,448 passing yards and a school-record 65 touchdowns.
This season, Roque broke his own school record with 2,463 passing
yards and tied his school record with 19 touchdown passes. He
threw a school-record five touchdown passes in Kean's season ending
victory over NJAC co-champion The College of New Jersey, helping
hand the Lions their only conference loss of the season.
On the receiving end of many of Roque's completions, Dukes (Elizabeth, N.J.) broke his own school record this season with 53 receptions for 853 yards receiving, the second-highest single season total in school history. The team's most versatile athlete, Dukes had seven touchdown receptions and also finished second on the team 157 yards rushing.
A two-time all-NJAC selection, Dukes ranks second in school
history in career touchdown receptions (16), third in career
receiving yardage (1,699), tied for third in career touchdowns (19)
and fourth in career receptions (102).
After missing all of 2006 with an injury, Goodman (Old Bridge, N.J.) returned to the Cougar lineup and led the team and finished third in the conference in tackles per game (92/9.2 per game). He also added five sacks for a loss of 27 yards and was 10th in the NJAC with 13.5 tackles for a loss of 60 yards.
The NJAC Defensive Player of the Week following Kean's overtime victory over Rowan University, Goodman also blocked three kicks this season, including a pair of punts in the endzone that resulted in safeties.
A three-time all NJAC selection at safety, Staton
(Mays Landing, N.J.) led the team with 10 passes defended,
including three interceptions, while ranking third on the squad
with 52 tackles. This season, he also had a pair of
touchdowns, a 59-yard punt return and 36-yard interception
return. A four-year starter, Staton closed out his career
tied for third with 13 career interceptions and ranked just outside
the top five with 243 career tackles.
Williams (Pleasantville, N.J.) earns wide receiver for the second straight season after ranking second on the team with 39 receptions for 461 yards and four touchdowns. A two-way threat, Williams also added 44 rushing carries for 156 yards, including a 71-yard carry. The two-time all-NJAC kick returner also ranked 12th in the NCAA after averaging 27.9 yards per return, while his 530 return yards ranks second in program history. Williams also finished third in program history with 2,752 all-purpose yards after posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Cilento (Dunellen, N.J.) earns all-NJAC honors for the first time in his career after helping hold down the defensive line. A three-year starter, Cilento currently leads the nation in forced fumbles per game (0.6), while his 44 tackles ranked seventh on the team.
Gould (Tuckerton, N.J.) was named to his first
all-conference team, as he helped the Cougar offense rank first in
the conference in total offense, passing offense, passing
efficiency and sacks against and second in scoring offense.
Chunn (Tinton Falls, N.J.) led the team in rushing to earn honorable mention honors for the second straight season. The running back carried the ball 130 times for 612 yards and four touchdowns, including a 60-yard touchdown run in the season opener.
Jackson (Red Bank, N.J.) earned all-NJAC honors for the first time after making 32 tackles this season. The defensive lineman also had four tackles for a loss of 21 yards, and 2.5 sacks for a loss of 15 yards.
A team captain, Pew (Sussex, N.J.) also earns all-conference honors for the first time after ranking second on the team with 55 total tackles. The linebacker also added seven tackles for a loss of 31 yards, three sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
One of just three freshmen honored on the all-conference team, Lauda (Staten Island, N.Y.) was tied for team-high honors with three interceptions, including an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown against Montclair State University. A two-time NJAC defensive rookie of the week, the cornerback finished with 33 tackles and eight passes defended.
NJAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
AJ Roque
NJAC FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB - AJ Roque
WR - Durell Dukes
NJAC FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
LB - Clarence Goodman
NJAC SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
WR - Brian Williams
OL - Chris Gould
NJAC SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Brian Cilento
S - Ryan Staton
NJAC SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS
KR - Brian Williams
NJAC HONORABLE MENTION
RB - Jared Chunn
DL - Darryl Jackson
LB - Jake Pew
CB - Chris Lauda