Wayne County Life

   NEWARK (Nov 5 10) – The Reds may have finished in the middle of the Finger Lakes East Football League with a 3-3 record (3-5 overall) , but they gave the best teams a tussle and when Newark was on, the team owned the clock and a grind-em-up offense. The Reds scored 104 points and permitted 102. One way or another, they were in every game.

   Six players have earned All-Finger Lakes East recognition – First-Teamers include senior fullback Eli Ebanks, junior offensive guard David Milliman, junior outside linebacker Jake Shear, and junior punter Josh Williams.   

    Junior linebacker Dom Camblin was named Second Team All-League, and junior running back Kayshawn Nelson was tabbed for Honorable Mention.

   Six all-league players, and just one of them a senior.   

   “Eli was a captain for us all season,” said Newark head coach Mike McGavisk. “He was injured in the second quarter of the Waterloo game. He missed the rest of that game, senior night against Geneva at home, and our sectional game against Midlakes.  We certainly missed him in each of those three losses that ended our season. Eli had 106 rushes for 600 yards and 7 touchdowns – in six games. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry.  On defense , he made 16 tackles as a cornerback and had 2 interceptions. He plans on attending college somewhere on the west coast. He had a great career here and we will miss his ability and his leadership.”

   “David Milliman was our best offensive lineman,” said McGavisk. “He anchored a young offensive line that helped the team rush for 1,439 yards and average 4.4 yards per carry this season.

   “He also played some defensive line when we needed him too. Against Midlakes in sectionals, he played running back and gained 77 yards on only 8 rushing attempts. He is very versatile. He excelled as a linebacker and tied for second on the team in total tackles – 24 unassisted tackles, 59 assisted tackles for 83 total tackles. He made five tackles for losses, recovered three fumbles and had two interceptions. David is very high-energy and brings intensity every day. Football is a physical game and David is very physical.  He plays the game the right way. Hopefully, he continues to work hard and improve for his senior season.”

   Jake Shear is a kid who seemed to get bigger every game, playing harder and making bigger hits. He epitomized “determined” and opposing ball-carriers ignored him at their peril.

   “He is a competitor and he plays very hard,” said McGavisk. “He was our leading tackler on defense with 38 unassisted tackles, 46 assisted tackles for a total of 84 tackles. He made five tackles for losses, caused three fumbles, recovered one of them and had seven pass break-ups. Jake also did a great job as our place-kicker.  He made 13 of 16 PATs on the year. He’s a junior, and if he continues to work hard in the off-season, he can have a very productive senior season on offense, defense and special teams.” A triple threat.

   “Josh Williams had an outstanding season punting for us,” said McGavisk. “He led the league with a 37.7 yard average., punting 27 times for 1,019 yards with a long of 52 yards. He also made 41 tackles on defense with four tackles for losses and one sack. He also played tight end on offense. Josh Williams rarely came off the field and did a nice job for us this year.  He is also a junior and if he works hard, he is very capable of having a great senior season.”

   Dominic Camblin was tied for second on the team with 83 tackles and he was the defensive quarterback for the Reds. “He was our center on offense and inside linebacker on defense,” said McGavisk. “He had 22 unassisted tackles and 61 assisted tackles for a total of 83. He made two tackles for a losses, caused one fumble, recovered one fumble and made one interception . Dominic had a very good season and he is only a junior. He is very coachable, has a great work ethic and a positive attitude.”

   Kayshawn Nelson was the flash in Newark’s running game when Ebanks was banging holes in other teams’ defensive wall. When the two were effective, the Reds racked up a lot of rushing yardage. Kayshawn ran for 491 yards on 105 carries and had five touchdowns. On defense, he could lay a sudden lick on a receiver that would be remembered for the rest of the game. "Kayshawn played well at running back and cornerback for us," said McGavisk. "His biggest games were against ER/Gananda and Geneva. He did a solid job on both sides of the ball. Also a junior, with hard work over the next year he will continue to improve."