EAST STROUDSBURG -- On Wednesday afternoon, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced that eight members of the East Stroudsburg University football team earned spots on All-PSAC East all-conference teams.
Tailback Gunner Anglovich, wide receiver Rece Bender, defensive end Deshawn McCarthy and safety Tyler Watson earned spots on the All-PSAC East First Team, while kicker Devin Bartholomew, guard Anthony Capitini, defensive tackle Andre Eldridge and punter Nate Reed were honored on the all-conference second team.
Anglovich recorded 962 rushing yards in his first season as the primary back in the Warrior backfield, which ranked second in the PSAC East and fourth overall in the conference. That mark ranked 31st in the country. He found the end zone running the ball on eight occasions. He reached the century mark in rushing four contests and caught at least one pass in 10 of the 11 contests. The native of Bethlehem averaged 108.7 all-purpose yards per game which ranked second on the team and eighth in the conference.
Bender was among the most explosive athletes in all of Division II, registering an average catch of 19.4 yards, which ranked 19th in the country and fifth in the PSAC. This season, he reeled in catches of 96 yards (vs. Millersville), 79 yards (vs. Pace), 66 yards (vs. Shippensburg), 64 yards and 53 yards (vs. Bloomsburg) and 47 yards (vs. Shippensburg). The 96-yard reception was tied from the longest reception this season in Division II. His 795 receiving yards ranked fourth in the PSAC and second in the east division of the conference. He previously was named to All-PSAC East second team as a return specialist. Bender ranked second in the conference in all-purpose yards with an average of 120.73 per contest. He broke a program record with a 99-yd kickoff return touchdown against Lock Haven.
McCarthy was a menace in opponents' backfields all season, recording 13 sacks, the most by a Warrior since 1992. His 13 sacks ranked second nationally through the end of the regular season, with only Ben Straatmann from Missouri S&T posting more sacks through 11 games with 14. He registered at least a half sack in eight contests and tallied 17.5 tackles for loss in total, the most by a Warrior since 2009. McCarthy earned PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week twice, after recording four sacks against Pace in the season opener and 3.5 quarterback takedowns behind the line of scrimmage against Millersville. He is just the fifth Warrior to earn defensive athlete of the week from the conference twice in his career. Along with consistent pressure to the quarterback, McCarthy racked up 41 total tackles, a fumble recovery and five pass breakups. He helped the Warriors rank second in the conference in total sacks with 33.
Watson did it all for the Warriors, ranking third on the team in tackles (54), pass breakups (9) and tied for the team lead in both interceptions (3) and forced fumbles (2). He ranked in the top-10 in the conference in pass breakups, interceptions, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. He recorded a career-high 13 tackles against eventual PSAC Champion Kutztown and posted three-plus tackles in nine of 11 games this season.
Bartholomew was perfect on point after attempts, converting all 29 attempts this season. From inside 40 yards, the product of Parkland High School booted 9-of-10 through the uprights. He put through a season-best 50-yard field goal on the road against West Chester, the ninth field goal in school history that was made from at least 50 yards out. Overall, Bartholomew made 11-of-17 field goals, earning second team honors from the conference. He was named the PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week after making a pair of field goals in a win over Bloomsburg.
Captini, an offensive guard that filled in at center at times, helped the Warriors rank fifth in the PSAC in both rushing (160.8 yards per game) and fifth in sacks allowed with 14 in 11 contests. With Capitini's help moving defensive lineman, the Warriors led the conference and ranked fourth in Division II in tackles for loss allowed with just 2.82 per contest.
Eldridge earned his second All-PSAC recognition after earning first team honors in 2019. The defensive tackle from South Brunswick, N.J. totaled 45 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Often absorbing double team blocks, Eldridge made his presence felt. A co-captain, he started in 33 consecutive games, dating back to the last three games of his freshman season in 2017. He was named ESU's Team MVP in 2019, and finishes his career with 149 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks in his collegiate career.
Reed, a true freshman, ranked fourth in the PSAC with an average punt of 38.9 yards. He ranked second in the league in total punting yards with 2,257, with only one punt reaching the end zone. He booted seven punts 50-plus yards, including a season-high punt of 62 yards against Shippensburg. 17 of his punts were placed inside the 20-yd line. Also the primary kicker for kickoff duties, Reed put an impressive 19 kickoffs for touchbacks.
To view the complete All-PSAC Teams, visit PSACSports.org.
