Michael Watson Named NACC Honorable Mention

2015 Nov 20

The Rockford University football team had six players earn postseason recognition from the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference when it announced its 2015 All-NACC Teams on Friday. Senior defensive lineman Tremaine Berry (Ocala, Fla.) was at the top of that list with his First Team All-NACC selection. Senior linebacker Michael Krieter (Rockford, Ill.), senior defensive back Reggie Haynes (Chicago, Ill.) and sophomore wide receiver Mar Sean Vercher (Chicago, Ill.) all earned Second Team All-NACC honors, while junior linebacker Michael Watson (Schaumburg, Ill.) and sophomore offensive lineman Alex Giannoni (Camden, Tenn.) were each voted NACC Honorable Mention.

Tremaine Berry earned First Team All-NACC recognition for the second straight season. Berry was once again a nightmare for opposing teams as he finished the regular season in the top 20 in every major statistical category for a defensive lineman. He was tied for fourth in sacks (6.5), sixth in tackles for loss (14), seventeenth in solo tackles (35) and was eighteenth in total tackles (55) in the conference. The senior also made his presence felt on both special teams and on offense. Offensively Berry averaged 7.8 yards per carry on his 22 rushing attempts for 172 yards and 3 touchdowns. On special teams Berry was tied for fifth in the NACC with a blocked kick.

Reggie Haynes was voted Second Team All-NACC for the third consecutive season. Haynes once again led the Regents secondary and was in the top 20 in multiple categories. He finished the season tied for fourth in the conference in pass breakups (10), tied for ninth in interceptions (2), tied for third in forced fumbles (2), tied for seventh in solo tackles (42) and sixteenth in total tackles (60).

Michael Krieter earned his first ever Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference postseason honor when he was selected Second Team All-NACC. Krieter saved his best season as a Regent for his last, as the senior finished as the third leading tackler in the NACC with 83 total tackles. He also added a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception and a trio of pass breakups. In addition to his stellar play on defense, Krieter was also a force on special teams where he was tied for third in the conference with a pair of blocked kicks.

Mar Sean Vercher was named Second Team All-NACC for the first time in his career. This season marked a breakout year for Vercher as he was in the top 10 in the conference in every receiving category. The sophomore led the conference in yards per reception (16.0), was fifth in receiving yards (673) and receiving yards per game (67.3), tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (6) and tied for seventh in receptions (42).

Michael Watson concluded his outstanding season with a NACC Honorable Mention selection. He was a key component to Rockford's success defensively as the Regents finished the season as the top overall defense in the NACC. Watson broke the Rockford University school record and finished second in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference with 96 total tackles. He also forced two fumbles to finish tied for third in the conference.

Alex Giannoni was also voted NACC Honorable Mention for the first time in his collegiate career. Giannoni blocked on a much improved offensive line which produced the second best rushing attack in the conference this season. Rockford finished the year with 1563 rushing yards, which was just 13 yards fewer than the top rushing offense in the NACC.