Springfield, Mass. -- September 24, 2012 -- Joel Altavesta and Max Nacewicz of the Springfield College football team earned top Liberty League honors for their work in last Saturday's 44-14 team victory over the University of Rochester at SC's Amos Alonzo Stagg Field. Altavesta was named the Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week, while Nacewicz received LL top Defensive Performer of the Week honors.Altavesta, a senior from Tewksbury, Mass., rushed for a career-high 214 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Yellowjackets. It was SC's debut in the Liberty League. Altavesta's touchdown runs were of 68, 2, and 24 yards.
The criminal justice major averaged 12.6 yards per carry in 17 rushes. At the half he had rushed for 167 yards and was averaging 20.9 yards per carry.
Altavesta is currently ranked 60th in the nation in rushing with 100.50 yards per game. He has rushed for 402 yards and scored six touchdowns on the season thus far.
Nacewicz, a sophomore defensive end from Newtown, Conn., had an equally impressive day from the other side of the ball. Nacewicz had six tackles, including five solo stops. More impressively, he had 3.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles-for-loss.
As it stands right now, the applied exercise science major is ranked fourth in the nation in sacks per game with 1.75. He is also ranked tied for 23rd in the nation in tackles-for-loss with 2.13 per game.
Michael C. “Mike” DeLong ’74 enters his 31st season as a head football coach in the fall of 2012. He enters his 29th year at Springfield College alone. For the past 28 years, he has been the head coach at Springfield, his alma mater. Mike had also been the head coach at Maine Maritime in Castine, Maine in 1979 and 1980. Read more.
