Eight Stags Earn Division III Football Academic All-District Selections

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Eight members of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team earned selections to the Division III Football Academic All-District team from the College Sports Communicators, the organization announced this week.

Joey Asta, Thanio Bright, Rich Brutto, Elijah Costa, Mason Cotton, Jack Holden, Walter Kuhlenkamp, and Thomas MacEachron were the eight Stags honored on the team, which is eligible to players who are sophomores or older and requires meeting both a minimum grade point average and a minimum participation standard.  

Asta tied for the team lead for the Stags in tackles with 53. He was a first-team All-SCIAC selection for the second year in a row, and tallied 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for losses on the year.

Bright was a regular starter at safety before being injured late in the year, and was the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week after picking off two passes on opening day at Chicago. He finished the year with 32 tackles and four interceptions for the Stags. 

Brutto was a second-team All-SCIAC selection and was honored by the league as its Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking the game-winning 47-yard field goal with one second left against George Fox. He ended the year 11-15 on field goals and 28-29 on extra points. 

Costa was a regular starter at middle linebacker for the Stags and finished the year with 24 tackles, 21 of which were solo stops. He also had five tackles for losses and two pass break-ups on the season. 

Cotton was a receiver and return man for the Stags, totaling 322 all-purpose yards. He caught 21 passes for 207 yards, and then had 10 punt returns for 89 yards on special teams. 

Holden was a starting cornerback for the Stags when healthy and finished the season with 19 tackles in nine games played, while also contributing a pair of pass break-ups. 

Kuhlenkamp was a first-team All-SCIAC quarterback for the Stags after a year in which he completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 1754 yards. He was also a double threat with 378 yards rushing and four touchdowns, including a 65-yard run against George Fox. 

MacEachron was a regular part of the defensive line rotation and special teams units for the Stags this season. He finished the year with 14 tackles, including a pair of quarterback sacks, to cap off his senior campaign.

The Academic All-America awards for Division III football will next be announced on Jan. 23.