Despite a disappointing year on the field for the football team (2-7, 2-5 Ivy), Cornell concluded its season on a high note with four players garnering post-season accolades.
Three players earned All-Ivy honorable mention, while senior George Paraskevopoulos was named to the second team All-Ivy defense. Juniors Jamie Moriarty and Nate Spitler along with senior Evan Simmons rounded out the trio selected to honorable mention status.
Spitler, an inside linebacker, was among the most prolific tacklers in the Ivies, ranking 12th with 7.2 tackles per game. Named a captain of the defense, he posted impressive showings throughout the year — highlighted by a 12-tackle effort against Lehigh to go along with a pair of 10-tackle performances against Brown and Dartmouth.
Moriarty emerged as a leader in the Red’s young secondary, a unit plagued with injuries this season. In addition to his intangibles, as free safety, he was a force on the defensive end of the ball. He grabbed four interceptions (including a two-pick effort at Dartmouth), slating him in the top five in the Ivy League. In addition he tallied 64 tackles, including 14 against Harvard. Moriarity led the Red in solo-tackles with 37.
Tailback Simmons, the sole offensive player to earn recognition, led the Red in rushing. He collected 598 yards this season, averaging just under five yards a carry. Simmons posted a pair of 100-yard games against Columbia and Princeton. Against the Lions he ran for 170 yards, a career high.
Headlining the cast though was defensive lineman Paraskevopoulos. The senior anchored the Red’s defense at the left tackle position, where he collected 13 tackles for losses and 34 overall tackles. He broke his career mark recording nine tackles in the Red’s games versus Lehigh and Colgate.
Archived article by Gary Schueller