The Bates College football team saw two of its players receive all-conference awards on Tuesday, as the New England Small College Athletic Conference named senior captain linebacker Tony Hooks and senior wide receiver Christian Olivieri to its 2022 All-NESCAC teams.
Hooks (New Rochelle, N.Y.) was named First Team Defense for the second straight season and Olivieri (Hull, Mass.) was named Second Team Offense, the first All-NESCAC honor of his career.
Hooks, the first Bobcat to earn multiple first team All-NESCAC honors since Mark Upton '17, was one of the top tacklers in all of NCAA Division III this season, ranking 11th in the country at 11.3 tackles per game. He led the NESCAC in tackles back-to-back seasons to cap off his collegiate career. On October 15th against Bowdoin, Hooks broke a more than 20-year old Bates record for tackles in one game, tallying 23 in a win over the Polar Bears. Hooks was additionally named to the Noontime Sports All-Noontime D3 New England Football Team last week.
On Monday, Hooks was named the winner of the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston's Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award.
Olivieri exploded this year with 49 catches for 680 yards and six touchdowns. His 49 catches are tied for the fourth most in one season in Bates history. Olivieri's 17 catches against Middlebury this season smashed the record for most receptions in one game by a Bobcat.
Hooks and Olivieri helped lead the Bobcats to a share of the CBB series title, and a second straight three-win season, which included victories over Amherst, arch rival Bowdoin, and Hamilton. It's the first time since 2011-14 the Bates football team has won three or more games in consecutive years.
Original source can be found here
Alerts Sign-up