Nov. 27, 2007

2007 All-Northeast Conference Pioneers - Photo Gallery

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (November 27, 2007) - Sacred Heart freshman quarterback Dale Fink (Swansea, IL) was named the 2007 Northeast Conference Football Rookie of the Year while joining three other Pioneers on this year's all-conference teams announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon. Senior running back Jason Payne (Cortlandt Manor, NY) and senior safety John Wilson (Bloomfield, CT) were joined by sophomore wide receiver Steve Tedesco (Mission Viejo, CA) on the All-NEC first team while Fink garnered second team honors.

Fink took over the reigns of the Pioneers offense this season and guided the SHU attack to 368.7 yards of offense and 26.6 points per game this season. The rookie signal caller had a sensational debut, leading all NEC passers with 23 touchdown throws on the year. Fink was second in the league with a 142.1 passer efficiency rating, averaging 192.2 yards per game while completing 62.3% of his passes.

The Swansea, Illinois native finished his first season under center completing 160 of his 257 pass attempts for 1,730 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His 62.3% completion percentage set a new school record for highest percentage in a season while his 23 scoring throws is second all-time for a single season. His 1,730 yards ranked fifth all-time for yards in a season. Fink opened the season in stellar fashion, tying the Pioneer record for touchdowns passes in a game when he tossed four in a 41-20 win at Assumption.

Fink threw a touchdown in every game he played this season and had three scoring strikes in each of the last four games. Through the first three games of the year, Fink threw for eight touchdowns in leading SHU to a 2-1 start and was six-of-nine with a pair of scores midway through the Duquesne game when he was forced to the sidelines with an ankle injury. He was forced out of the next two games with the injury but returned to finish the season strong solidifying himself as the Pioneers signal caller for the next three years.

The Pioneers air attack hit on all cylinders this season thanks to the emergence of Tedesco at wide receiver. The sophomore speedster led all Northeast Conference receivers with 59 catches on the year, a new Sacred Heart school record. Tedesco finished with 737 yards through the air, an average of 67.0 yards per game, ranking third all-time for a season in the SHU record book. His 11 touchdown grabs led the league and was second all-time for a Pioneer.

Tedesco had a pair of three touchdown games on the year, at Assumption and against Saint Francis (PA). He put together a four-game stretch against Albany, Marist, Saint Francis (PA) and Central Connecticut where he caught at least one touchdown in each game and pulled down eight total. His 11 catch, 143 yard day at Wagner came up just one reception shy of tying the school record for touchdown catches in a game. He pulled down nine balls for a career-high 184 yards against the Red Flash. Tedesco was honored this season for his hard work off the field as well, earning CoSIDA / ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors.

Every good offense features a balanced passing and rushing attack and the Pioneer ground game featured one of the program's best in Payne. The senior shined in his final season in the Red & White, churning out a career-best 1,282 yards on 186 carries this fall. Payne became the program's fourth 1,000 yard rusher and first since Ed Pricolo hit the mark in 2005. He finished the year in a blaze, piling up four-straight 100-yard games including a pair of 200-yard efforts. Payne had five 100-yard games on the season and finished his four-year career with eight games over the century mark.

The Pioneers rode the senior tailback to the tune of 31 carries and 207 yards and two scores in a 41-34 win over Marist College. He matched the career-high mark with another 207 yards and a pair of touchdowns at Central Connecticut two weeks later. He ripped off the fifth longest touchdown run in Pioneer history when he charged his way to a 75-yard score against Saint Francis (PA). Payne finished the year with 10 touchdowns on the ground and three through the air after pulling down 21 passes out of the backfield for 175 yards on the year. He led the NEC averaging an outstanding 6.9 yards per carry on the year. He finished fourth in the NEC in yards per game at 116.5 per outing and fourth in the league in scoring (13 TD's).

Over his four years, Payne rumbled his way to 2,381 yards on 391 carries and 17 rushing touchdowns, numbers that rank with the Pioneer elite. He finished third all-time in rushing yards, fifth in rushing touchdowns and first in yards-per carry for his career (6.1 rpc). His 1,282 yards this season ranked him second all-time behind Pricolo (1,339 - 2004) for rushing yards in a season. Payne finished with 22 total touchdowns as a Pioneer, fourth on the all-time list.

Defensively, Sacred Heart was led by Wilson all season as the senior defensive back piled up 104 total tackles on the year. Wilson finished the season fifth in the NEC in tackles, averaging 9.5 per game. He had five games this season with double digit tackles, including a four-game stretch in the middle of the year. He turned in a sparkling defensive performance against Duquesne to earn the NEC's Defensive Player of the Week award. Wilson finished the game with nine tackles, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt for a touchdown in the game.

Wilson made a career-best 16 stops against the Wagner Seahawks, a season-high eight solo, earning him his second league player of the week award. The senior safety came back the following week and posted 15 tackles against Monmouth. His final totals read 52 solo and 52 assisted tackles, three for losses, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and both a blocked punt and interception return for touchdowns. Wilson ended his four-year career with 300 total tackles, tied with Jon Corto '06 for second all-time at Sacred Heart. His 155 career unassisted tackles also ranks second on the all-time list.

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