Anderson anchors offense for Tufts
Tufts University fullback Kevin Anderson of Hopkinton carried the football just 17 times for 65 yards last year, but as the lead blocker on most of his team's running plays, Anderson earned the respect of players and coaches in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
A former football and basketball captain at Hopkinton High, Anderson was selected to the conference's first team by the conference coaches last fall. He was also elected a tricaptain for the upcoming season by his teammates, as was tight end Kevin Gleason of Holden, a graduate of St. John's of Shrewsbury.
"Normally, guys who put up the big rushing numbers get named to all-star teams, but Kevin Anderson has been a great leader for us, and 90 percent of our running plays feature him as the lead blocker," said Tufts coach Bill Samko, who will open preseason camp on Aug. 27. "Our tailbacks last season were very productive, in large part, because of Kevin's blocking.
"And Kevin Gleason is probably our best year-round worker. He missed his sophomore season with a leg injury and last year he kind of got his sea legs back. But he's explosive, has tremendous speed for his position, and he could be a dominant player."
Gleason, a former St. John's captain, had eight catches last year. His only touchdown reception made the difference in a 7-0 win against Colby. Tufts finished last season at 4-4.
"I felt very honored to be named first team, and it made all the hard work I did last summer pay off," said Anderson, whose older brothers, Eric and Matthew, were quarterbacks and captains at Hopkinton High. "I had a similar role in high school as a blocking back, and that made it easier to adapt to Tufts' offense, which was pretty close to ours."
Cyprian has five in State Publinx
Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston can boast of five members playing in the Massachusetts Public Links Championship Aug. 14 and 15 at the New England Country Club in Bellingham.
James Broderick, who shot a 77, and David Turnblom (79), both of Shrewsbury; Dan Mastrototaro (78) of Holden; and David Falcucci (78) of Northborough all finished among the top 18 qualifiers from a field of 90 golfers July 24 at the par-72 Blissful Meadows Golf Club in Uxbridge, one of four qualifying sites for the Public Links tournament.
Dan Falcucci, the defending club champion at Cyprian Keyes, caddied for his twin brother, David, at Blissful Meadows. Dan, who is director of member services at Cyprian Keyes and lives in Northborough, was exempt from qualifying because of his overall second-place finish (by one stroke) in the Massachusetts Public Links Championship last year.
The Falcuccis were junior and senior cocaptains of the golf team at Bryant College, now Bryant University, in Rhode Island. Over the past five years, Dan has been Cyprian Keyes' club champion three times and David, who sells software to golf courses for a Concord-based company, has won it twice.
"There's nothing I love seeing more than our friends from the club do well at tournaments because we're a tight-knit group," Dan Falcucci said, "and Cyprian Keyes prepares you for playing other courses.
"If you can get it around at Cyprian, you can get it around at most courses."
Broderick, a 2-handicap, took up the sport seriously five years ago. "I figure that I've put about 20 years into those five with all the practice, instruction, and playing."
Santos's stock continues to rise
After capturing the Walter Payton Award as the best player in Division 1-AA football last fall, it should come as no surprise that University of New Hampshire senior quarterback Ricky Santos of Bellingham has been named to several preseason All-America teams.
His latest honor was being named first-team All-America by the College Sporting News.
With 99 touchdown passes, Santos is just one shy of breaking the Colonial Athletic Association (formerly the Atlantic-10 Conference) career record. Santos has 10,240 passing yards and a career completion percentage of 67.3, averaging 263 passing yards per game.
Santos wasn't taking anything for granted when he was asked about the league's projected front-runners, even though UNH has been ranked as high as third nationally in preseason polls.
"I think the CAA will be tough, not only the top teams, but dark horses like Northeastern that could make some noise in this league," Santos said at the conference's media day last week in Baltimore.
"They were pretty good last year, and I think they are a team that could surprise some people. I think UMass deserves to be picked No. 1 in the North Division. They almost won the [Division 1-AA title] last year, and they beat us twice."
