Mansfield's Alksninis named to New England Football Team



Mansfield's Matt Alksninis, a senior kicker-punter at Curry College, was named to the 2010 New England Football Writers (NEFW) Division 2/3 All-New England team. Thursday night, the team was honored at Montvale Plaza in Stoneham.

Alksninis handled the punting, kickoff, extra-point and field goal duties for the Colonels, who won their last three games of the season to finish with a 6-4 record. He punted 59 times for 2,488 yards, with a 42.2 average. He had a longest punt of 62-yards. The senior was a perfect 35 for 35 in extra-points and connected on four out of 9 field goal attempts for 47 points. Alksninis was also very effective with his kickoffs. In 47 attempts, he had a 58.6 yard average with 2,752.

Alksninis wasn't the only former Hornet wearing the Curry purple. Mark Gilson, a junior quarterback was 35 for 78 with five touchdowns and 496 yards. Linebacker Mike Willhauck, fullback Greg DiPietrantino and offensive lineman Dakota Cullen were all freshmen on the team. DiPietrantino carried the ball four times for 39 yards.

Junior Will Gasson will captain the Fitchburg State University football team in 2011. The  5-11, 210 linebacker was third on the team in tackles this with 50 solos and assisting on 25 others for the 1-9 Falcons. Gasson also had an interception and a fumble recovery.  Gasson is majoring in communications.

Mansfield's Ryan Murphy was a senior captain for the 4-4 Colby College team. The 5-9, 185-pound linebacker finished with 33 tackles and 17 assists. He had an interception and a fumble recovery.

Eric DiPietrantino, a senior running back at Bentley University, carried the ball 14 times for 35 yards and a touchdown. He also caught four passes for 33 yards for the 5-4 Falcons.

Mark Gilson was a junior wide-receiver for the 6-5 UMass-Amherst Minuteman.

Matt Albany, a junior linebacker, made eight tackles and assisted on five others for the Bryant University football team, who finished the season at 7-4.

Freshman Shawn Doherty made an immediate impact on the Bates College team. He was second in all-purpose yards with 470, averaging 117.5 per game. Doherty had 16 returns for 319 yards, rushed the ball 20 times for 88 yards and caught nine passes for 75 yards.

Former Bishop Feehan quarterback Tom Romero saw action as a freshman quarterback at Bowdoin College, completing 10 passes out of 24 attempts for 141 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions. Junior David Wasthauver, a former standout at MHS, was limited to two games and had four catches for 58 yards.

Matt Schafer, a linebacker, and Kevone Rogers, a defensive back, were freshmen on the 9-3 Endicott College Gulls.

Dave Conte, a junior defensive lineman, had four tackles and nine assists for the 5-5 Westfield State Owls.