Football Announces Team Awards

Photo by: Gil Talbot

5/26/2023 2:48:00 PM | Football

Quinten Arello earned the Coach Bob Blackman Trophy as the team MVP

By: Rick Bender

HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth football staff announced the team awards last night at a barbecue banquet at Memorial Field with Quinten Arello receiving the Coach Bob Blackman Trophy, bestowed upon the team MVP.

A 6-1, 210-pound senior from Kansas City, Missouri, Arello was one of the Big Green's three captains last fall and anchored the defensive secondary. He started all 10 games, ranking fourth on the squad with 53 tackles, two for a loss, while also picking off a pass, breaking up three more and forcing a fumble. Twice he collected a career-high 10 stops — against Sacred Heart and the eventual Ivy champion Yale — and he intercepted a pass against Harvard for the second straight year.

The Jake Crouthamel Award, given to the offensive player among the underclassmen who made the most significant contribution to the success of the team, was given to Nicholas Schwitzgebel. The 6-1, 290-pound junior from Cleveland, Ohio, started all 10 games on an offensive line that ranked among the top 25 in the FCS in fewest sacks allowed.

Leonard St. Gourdin was honored as the Kenneth T. Young Award winner, given to the top defensive player among the underclassmen. The 6-3, 195-pound safety from Malden, Massachusetts, saw action in nine games, starting three, amassing 19 tackles while patrolling the secondary. He enjoyed a breakout game at Cornell with a career-high nine stops, five of which were solo.

The Alan Hewitt '34 and Robert Hewitt '40 Award, given to the player who best epitomizes athletic performance with academic achievement, was earned by junior Paxton Scott from Dallas, Texas. An economics and history double major with a 3.52 GPA, Scott started each of the first nine games at wide receiver, catching at least one pass in each game. He led the team in receiving with 34 receptions — two of which went for touchdowns — and 391 receiving yards, and posted his first 100-yard game at Columbia with six grabs for 104 yards.

Senior Nick Howard, a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, received the Frank Hershey Award as the player who, judged by his teammates, possesses a genuine zest for life, a strong, upbeat attitude and a sincere desire to win because of his dedication and love for the game, his team and Dartmouth College. The 6-2, 225-pound Big Green quarterback led the team in rushing for the second straight year, going for 506 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns, plus threw for 730 yards and two more scores, despite being hampered throughout the season by injuries that sidelined him for two games.

Taking home the Lester R. Godwin Award, presented to the senior football squad member who has risen above personal disadvantage to contribute measurably to the team, was fifth-year senior Joe Heffernan from Brookfield, Wisconsin. The 6-2, 230-pound linebacker led the Ivy League with 98 tackles, seven of which went for a loss, with 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, all while dealing with type 1 diabetes. Five times he posted at least 10 stops in a game last fall, including a career-high 15 against Princeton.

Senior Shane Cokes of Dayton, Ohio, earned the Gordon P. Bennett Award as the outstanding lineman. An All-Ivy League Second Team selection for the second straight year on the defensive line, the 6-3, 275-pound tri-captain started every game and led all linemen in the conference with 53 tackles. He also ranked among the top 10 overall in tackles for a loss (8.5) and sacks (4.5), and next year will play as a graduate transfer at the University of Colorado

The Earl Hamilton Varsity Award, given to the senior who displayed a sincere friendliness and sense of humor plus appreciation of the outdoors that characterized Hamilton (the freshman football coach from 1955-65 and varsity backfield coach from 1966 until his passing in 1968), was bestowed upon senior Noah Roper. A 6-0, 210-pound running back, Roper ran for 229 yards on 51 carries, two of which ended in the end zone, including a season-best 91 yards in the season finale against Brown, and he also threw a 16-yard scoring strike at Cornell and caught four other passes for 45 yards against the Big Red for good measure.

The recipient of the Earl Hamilton Freshman Award was Sean Williams of Nolensville, Tennessee, as the freshman who made the biggest contribution to the team and had the characteristics of Hamilton as well. He was one of only two rookies who played in more than half the games and the only one to be featured in the starting lineup, and in each of the final eight contests. The 5-9, 185-pound safety made an big impact in the defensive secondary with 34 tackles and a team-best two interceptions and a pass breakup.

Braden Mullen from Glenview, Illinois, was the recipient of the Doten Award as the member of the sophomore class who made a significant contribution to the success of the team. A 6-3, 225-pound linebacker, Mullen appeared in all 10 games and started three when the starter went down with an injury. He recorded 31 tackles, 6.5 for a loss with three sacks (second on the team), and he collected a career-high 10 stops in his first start against Columbia.

The Stubbie Pearson Award, established in 2007 and presented to an underclassman on the football team whose character, leadership on campus, high academic standing and performance on the playing field most resembles that of Charles "Stubbie" Pearson '42, was shared between juniors Jace Henry (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Macklin Ayers (Elizabethville, Pa.). Henry, a 6-4, 250-pound tight end and occasional wildcat quarterback, caught 10 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown, plus ran for two more scores among his four rushes. And the 6-3, 230-pound linebacker Ayers was a defensive force, averaging a league-best 10 tackles per game in the eight contests in which he participated.

Junior Tyler Green of Lenexa, Kansas, received the John M. Manley '40 Award for demonstrating the most improvement through his efforts in the weight room. A 5-10, 210-pound running back, Green played in five games — primarily on special teams — making three tackles. He also took a handoff for the first time in his career in the final game of the season.

The 12th Man Award, presented to the member of the varsity football team who demonstrated hard work and dedication regardless of playing time, was given to senior Zion Carter out of Odessa, Florida. The 6-6, 265-pound tight end saw quite a bit of action as a blocker throughout the season, but he had the ball thrown his way for the first time in the season finale, hauling in the pass against Brown in a 30-7 victory.

Fifth-year senior Robert Crockett III from Miami, Florida, was the recipient of the Special Teams Award. The 5-8, 155-pound cornerback had a knack for disrupting kicks and came up with a big punt block at Columbia that was crucial in the 27-24 triumph. Outside of special teams, he was second in the Ivy League with 11 passes defended (two interceptions) while recording 30 tackles.

The scout team awards went to freshman tight end Chris Corbo of North Caldwell, New Jersey (offense) and freshman defensive lineman Dakota Quiñonez of Moore, South Carolina (defense).

The winner of the Reggie Williams Award, presented to the member of the Big Green football program who through leadership in action and word has made Dartmouth a better place, went to senior Tyron Herring. A 6-1, 200-pound cornerback out of Delray Beach, Florida, Herring played in seven games, beginning with the first six before returning to the field for the finale against Brown. He finished the year with 44 tackles — sixth on the squad — three pass breakups and one interception, that coming at Sacred Heart.

Finally, senior Josh Greene of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was honored with the Manners Makyth Man Award. This distinction goes each year to the player who best conducted himself to the advantage of Dartmouth and displayed good manners in the sense of William Wykeham's phrase, "Manners Makyth Man." The 5-11, 230-pound long snapper played in all 10 games, making one tackle against Princeton and recovering a key fumble at Columbia. He was also the athletic department's choice for The Class of 1950 Award this year for his charitable work, helping to create and facilitate philanthropic events.

In addition, the team gave out game balls from the victories and bowling pins for consistency over the season:

Game Balls
Valparaiso: Offense — RB Zack Bair; Defense — DL Shane Cokes; Special Teams — CB Vachon Raye
Columbia: Offense — WR Jonny Barrett; Defense — S Quinten Arello; Special Teams — PK Ryan Bloch
Brown: Offense — TE Joe Kramer; Defense — NB Seth Verilus; Special Teams — CB Robert Crockett III

Bowling Pins
Offensive Big: OL Nicholas Schwitzgebel
Offensive Skill: (QB, WR): WR Paxton Scott
Offensie Mids: (RB, TE): TE Jace Henry
Defensive Bigs: DL Shane Cokes
Defensive Mids: LB Joe Heffernan
Defensive Skills: S Quinten Arello
Special Teams: PK Ryan Bloch
Scout Offense: TE Chris Corbo
Scout Defense: DL Dakota Quiñonez