WEST POINT, N.Y. (Dec. 4, 2015) -- For the first time in the Collegiate Sprint Football League's history that dates back prior to World War II, there are co-recipients of the Jim Kay Award. U.S. Military Academy at West Point Cadet Philip Choi and Penn's Mike McCurdy were pegged as the league's MVPs, announced Dec. 1.
The Black Knights earned 17 total league honors, including seven players garnering first-team nods coming off the program's 17th perfect season and 34th CSFL Championship. Additionally, seven members of the program's winningest class earned recognition for the effort put forth in their senior campaigns.
Choi led the CSFL with 15.0 tackles for loss for 87 yards and 11.5 sacks for 73 yards, while also tying Army's team lead in solo tackles with 27. The senior defensive lineman from Fountain Valley, Calif., also finished tied for second on the team in fumbles forced and recovered with one of each.
After receiving CSFL Honorable Mention last season, Choi set single-season personal bests in tackles (37), solo tackles, assisted tackles (10), tackles for loss, tackle for loss yards, sacks, sack yards, fumbles forced, fumbles recovered and blocks (2). He also set single-game career highs with 12 tackles, six assisted, versus Navy on Oct. 31, as well as seven solo tackles, five sacks at Mansfield on Oct. 10.
McCurdy was the CSFL's top quarterback leading the way in pass attempts (202), completions (109), passing yards (1,513), passing yards per game (216.1) and passing touchdowns (13). The Quakers finished tied for second with Navy with a 5-2 record with their only losses coming to the two service academies.
Joining Choi on the first team was junior running back Cadet Marqus Burrell, junior center Cadet Luke Fazzari, sophomore defensive back Cadet Tanner Andrews, junior linebacker Cadet Matthew Tamburri, senior punter Cadet Mark Dabeck and senior kicker Cadet Warren Kay.
Burrell earned his second-consecutive first team honors as one of the league's best rushers in 2015. His career-high 556 yards on 135 carries ranked second league-wide, while the Martinsburg, W. Va., native tied for fourth in the league in scoring touchdowns (6) and tied for fifth in scoring (36 points) and rushing touchdowns (5). Burrell recorded two 100+ yard rushing games this season. He also earned second-team honors in 2013.
Fazzari provided the holes for Burrell and Army's offense, which led the league in scoring (37.0 ppg) and red zone efficiency (87.1%). It was the first All-CSFL honors for the Walla Walla, Wash., native.
Defensively, Choi, Andrews and Tamburri turned the Black Knights' defense into a juggernaut that set a program-record for consecutive shutouts in a season and to start a season with five. The 2015 defense also recorded the second-longest scoreless streak at 23 quarters, just three quarters shy of the record that was set between the 1965 and '66 seasons.
Andrews made it difficult for opposing quarterbacks to complete passes as he finished the season tied in interceptions with six. The Black Knights led the league in that category with 19 picks. The Elburn, Ill., native recorded two interceptions in the season-opener against Post, at Mansfield and in the season-finale against Navy. Opposite the Eagles, Andrews also recovered a fumble, good enough to earn him the first CSFL Defensive Player of the Week honors of the season.
Tamburri garnered those honors twice this season, both coming in the final three weeks. After being named an All-CSFL honorable mention in 2013, the Newburgh, N.Y., native led the Black Knights with 46 tackles which ranked 14th league-wide. He scored his first-career touchdown on a 35-yard interception return at Franklin Pierce, but he saved his best performance to date for the final game against the Midshipmen. Tamburri recorded a career-high 15 tackles, eight of which were unassisted, and blocked the game-tying extra point with 3:28 remaining.
Army's veteran special teams players proved their merit this season as seniors Kay and Dabeck were named to the first team.
Kay earned his third-consecutive first team honors after garnering two weekly honors from the CSFL. The Goshen, Ind., native was eight for 12 on field goals, including a career-long 48 yarder against Penn, and converted 31 of 33 extra points. He set single-season career highs in field goals made and points, with a league-high 55, as well as tying previous marks in field goal percentage, extra points converted and attempted and kickoffs. Kay booted a career-high three field goals opposite the Quakers, while he set the program record for extra points converted (10) and attempted (12) in the team's record-setting performance at Princeton.
Dabeck, who earned his only first-team selection after being named to the second team in 2013 and an honorable mention last season, aided the defense by controlling the field position game. His 34 punts for 1,274 yards was a personal best in a single season. The 37.47 average yards per punt led the CSFL, and his career-high 10 punts for 392 yards in the Navy game earned the Leavenworth, Kan., native his first-career CSFL Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Wide receivers Cadet Austin Breed and Cadet Kevin O'Brien and left tackle Cadet Kenny McClain were named to the second team for their offensive efforts while defensive end Cadet Arran Rounds earned recognition on the defensive side of the ball.
Breed was the leading receiver for Army after hauling in 27 receptions for 309 yards and four scores, all of which were a personal best for a single season. He ranked fourth in the league for receptions and was tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns. The Paris, Ark., native recorded a career-high 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns at Cornell, including a career-long 30-yard touchdown.
O'Brien was named an All-CSFL performer for the third time in his career after two-straight honorable mentions. The senior from Billings, Mont., was the Cadets' No. 2 receiver with 17 catches for 213 yards and one touchdown. In the team's 42-0 victory at Mansfield, O'Brien tied his career-high five catches and for a season-high 55 yards.
McClain earned his third-consecutive second-team honors after starting every game of his senior campaign at left tackle.
Rounds accompanied Choi on the offensive line that held opponents to negative rushing yards in three of the seven games this season and finished behind to co-MVP in sacks and tackles for loss. The sophomore from Shawnee, Kan., accumulated 38 tackles on 23 solos, as well as 13.5 tackles for loss for 69 yards and eight sacks for 51 yards in addition to recovering a fumble. His career-high 11 tackles, eight solo tackles and five tackles for loss against Penn earned him defensive weekly honors for week six.
Five Black Knights garnered honorable mention nods: wide receiver Cadet Ty Galyean, defensive back Cadet Jack Barnett, linebackers Cadet Ryan Gallagher and Cadet Nathan Lopez and defensive lineman Cadet Curtis Jerzerick.
Galyean, the only offensive honorable mention, finished his sophomore campaign with 10 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns. The Rogers, Ark., native ranked first on the team in yards per reception, second in receiving touchdowns and third for receptions and receiving yards. His team-long 69 yard catch against Post also marked a career-high for receiving yards and longest reception. Galyean produced a career-high four catches at Cornell and hauled in a career-long 24-yard touchdown pass at Franklin Pierce.
After receiving Second Team All-CSFL honors his first two seasons, Barnett walked onto the Division I football team last year before returning for his senior season. He totaled 17 tackles, 12 of which were solos, and had two interceptions while also breaking up five passes. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native also served as the team's punt returner. Barnett's 16 punt returns tied him for the league lead while his 173 return yards ranked second in the CSFL.
Gallagher was named the defensive team captain by his teammates prior to the 2015 season and earned his third All-CSFL honors. His single-season career highs in tackles (40), solo tackles (22), assisted tackles (18), tackles for loss (7), tackle for loss yards (34) ranked him in Army's top-five for each category. The Cleveland, Ohio, native tied a career-high with 11 tackles opposite the Midshipmen while setting a personal and team best for assisted tackles with nine.
Lopez earned his second honorable mention in as many years after tying for the league lead in assisted tackles with 19. The sophomore from West Chicago, Ill., tied for 21st league-wide and was second on the team with 42 tackles. Like most of his teammates, Lopez had a career-performance against Navy. He posted 12 tackles, evenly split between assisted and unassisted against the Mids.
Jerzerick ranked fourth in the CSFL in tackles for loss and sixth in sacks en route to earning his first league-wide honors. The Lewistown, Pa., native set single-season career highs by recording 38 tackles, including 22 individual efforts, 10.5 tackles for loss for 34 yards, five sacks for 26 yards and one fumble recovery. His first-career sack came at Franklin Pierce while his fumble recovery, also a career first, was returned 61 yards for a touchdown came under the lights at Mansfield.
Army ended the season with a dramatic 24-23 victory over service academy rival Navy that sealed the program's 20th undefeated season since it began in 1957.
Related Links:
Army West Point Athletics website
U.S. Army Garrison West Point website
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