SUNY Cortland senior defensive end Bryan Wiley (Cape Vincent/Thousand Islands) has been selected as the 2009 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) football Defensive Player of the Year. Wiley is also one of 10 Red Dragons to be named to the all-conference team – four on the first team, four on the second team and two honorable mention.

Wiley recorded 69 tackles, including 10 sacks and 17 total tackles for lost yardage, in 10 regular season games. He also registered two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a pass breakup and nine quarterback hurries. Wiley made 15 tackles in a victory over Rowan and 12 tackles in a loss at league champion Montclair State.

Cortland finished third out of 10 teams in the NJAC with a 7-2 record and completed the regular season 7-3. The Red Dragons will play at St. John Fisher in the ECAC Div. III Northwest Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Cortland's All-NJAC selections are as follows:

FIRST TEAM

Name (Hometown/High School), Year, Position

Bryan Wiley (Cape Vincent/Thousand Islands), Senior, Defensive End
Evan Wyler (Warwick/Warwick Valley), Senior, Defensive End
Eric Hajnos (Grand Island/Grand Island), Senior, Wide Receiver
Chris Van De Weert (Goshen/Goshen), Senior, Offensive Guard


SECOND TEAM

Name (Hometown/High School), Year, Position

Anthony Giuliano (Thornwood/Westlake), Junior, Wide Receiver
Will Schroeder (Rockville Centre/Holy Trinity), Junior, Linebacker
D.J. Romano (Newburgh/Newburgh Free Academy), Sophomore, Cornerback
Kyle Peterson (Montrose/Hendrick Hudson), Senior, Punter


HONORABLE MENTION

Name (Hometown/High School), Year, Position

Dom Sair (Huntington/Huntington), Junior, Running Back
Chris Hanlon (Patchogue/Patchogue-Medford), Junior, Safety



Wiley earns All-NJAC honors for the second straight season. He was an honorable mention selection last fall. This season, he was a two-time selection to the D3football.com national Team of the Week.

Wyler has made 67 tackles this season, including team-highs of 41 solo stops, 18 tackles for losses, 18 quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles. He shares the team and NJAC lead with Wiley with 10 sacks. Wyler was the NJAC Defensive Player of the Week after Cortland's season-opening win over Morrisville and was a two-time D3football.com national Team of the Week honoree.

Hajnos leads Cortland with 51 receptions for 748 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games. He ranks second in the NJAC with 5.7 catches per game and 83.1 receiving yards per contest. Hajnos caught 12 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-42 win at Brockport.

Van De Weert, the lone senior starter on Cortland's offensive line, has helped the Red Dragons average 148.5 rushing yards and 330.1 total offensive yards per game. Cortland has also allowed only 12 sacks on 287 total passing plays.

Giuliano ranks second on the Red Dragon squad with 32 receptions for 342 yards and four touchdowns. He also has taken snaps in a variation of the “wildcat” formation, during which he has rushed for 226 yards on 50 carries (4.5 yards/rush) and has throw two touchdown passes on only two attempts.

Schroeder is Cortland's second-leading tackler this fall with 73 stops. Eight of his tackles have been for losses, including 3.5 sacks, and he has registered two interceptions and two pass breakups. He made 15 tackles in a win at Brockport and at least seven tackles in five other games.

Romano has made 43 tackles, 28 solo, in nine games. He leads the Red Dragons with four interceptions and is tied for second with five pass breakups. Romano has totaled nine interceptions in his first two seasons.

Peterson is on the All-NJAC team for the second straight year. He was a first-team selection in 2008. This autumn, Peterson is averaging 38.7 yards per punt on 47 kicks. He has pinned teams inside their own 20-yard line 17 times, compared to only three touchbacks, and six of his punts have traveled at least 50 yards. He was the NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week after Cortland's win at Brockport and was also a D3football.com national Team of the Week honoree in mid-September.

Sair converted from fullback to tailback in mid-season and leads Cortland with 709 rushing yards on 134 carries (5.3 yards/rush) and 13 touchdowns. He ran for four touchdowns in a game in victories at Buffalo State and Brockport, and he posted 100-yard rushing games in three of his five starts at tailback.

Hanlon is fifth on the team this season with 52 tackles, four for lost yardage. He has one interception, one pass breakup and one forced fumble. He made at least six tackles in five games.


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