LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall football team placed the maximum of eight players on the 2023 College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District® Team. This honor recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced later this month. To be eligible for this honor a student-athlete most be at least a sophomore in addition to maintaining a 3.5 cumulative GPA while playing in at least 90 percent of a team's contests or starting at least two-thirds of that team's games. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes soccer honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Luke Dauberman, Zac Green, Kell Hall, Will Higson, Tom Papa, Alex Pfeifer, Ty Tremba, and Mitch Wagner each earned academic all-district status for the Diplomats' football team.
A three-time selection to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll throughout his career, Luke Dauberman earned academic all-district honors for the first time in his career this fall. Dauberman's senior season saw him play in all 11 games, making four starts in the linebacking corps. He finished the season with 39 tackles, including 25 solo stops. Dauberman forced two fumbles and had multiple tackles during eight of his appearances. He will graduate from Franklin & Marshall with a degree in business, organizations & society.
Zac Green was another three-time Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll selection for the Diplomats during his standout four-year career. Green firmly entrenched himself as the starting right tackle for F&M during his senior season where he started all 11 games on the offensive line. Green will graduate from Franklin & Marshall later this year with a degree in joint studies.
A rare four-time Centennial Conference Academic Honor selection, Kell Hall appeared in nine games at corner back for the Diplomats. He made seven starts during his time in the secondary while registering 32 tackles – featuring 28 solo stops. His highest tackle game came when he registered six solo stops at Muhlenberg as a part of his season which saw him make multiple tackles during every game in which he appeared. Hall will graduate from Franklin & Marshall with a degree in business, organizations & society.
Junior Will Higson was named to the academic all-district team for the second consecutive season. He has also twice been named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. Higson played in all but one game at tight end this season, starting six of his 10 appearances. Throughout the season, Higson total 10 receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown which he hauled in versus Ursinus. That touchdown against the Bears came as part of a season-high three receptions from 26 years. Higson is majoring in business, organizations & society at Franklin & Marshall.
Senior Tom Papa was also recognized on the academic all-district team for the second consecutive season in addition to graduating as a three-year selection to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. During his final year with the Diplomats, Papa played in all 11 of the team's games and made seven starts on the defensive line. He registered 13 of his 27 tackles in unassisted fashion, featuring four tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Papa was a consistent presence throughout the season with multiple tackles in eight contests, featuring a season-best eight tackles at Dickinson. He will graduate from Franklin & Marshall with a degree in mathematics.
Alex Pfeifer earned his first recognition on the academic all-district team while also twice being named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll throughout his playing career. A versatile weapon on the offensive line, Pfeifer saw time at both the left guard and left tackle positions where he combined to make nine starts. Being counted on early in his career, Pfeifer played in 25 contests during his three competitive seasons with the Diplomats. He will graduate from Franklin & Marshall this year with a double major in biochemistry & molecular biology and chemistry.
Starting quarterback Ty Tremba earned academic all-district honors in his first season eligible for the Diplomats in addition to being a member of the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. After starting the final five games at quarterback during his rookie season, Tremba started all 11 games at quarterback this season where he completed 171 of his 304 passes. He threw for 29 touchdowns against just six interceptions to finish the year with a 150.71 passing efficiency. The sophomore had multiple touchdown passes during each of the final 10 games of the season, including a season-best five touchdown passes on 339 yards through the air against Muhlenberg. He would also throw for four touchdowns versus Johns Hopkins.
Running back Mitch Wagner earned his second consecutive recognition on the academic all-district team while additionally being named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll four times throughout his career. As a senior, Wagner took over as the primary option in the backfield where he started nine of his 10 games played. He carried the ball 146 times for 661 yards and five touchdowns while also catching nine passes out of the backfield to finish with 710 all-purpose yards. He capped his career with two touchdowns on 113 yards rushing during the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series victory against King's (Pa.). Wagner graduated from Franklin & Marshall with a degree in business, organization & society.
Franklin & Marshall made it back to the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series during the 2023 season and picked up a 30-7 victory during that postseason contest to finish the year at 8-3 overall. Those eight victories were most since they also won eight games in 2018. F&M was made its 16th bowl appearance all time this fall and now owns a 10-6 record in those postseason games. Franklin & Marshall has played in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series during six of the last seven seasons, having won the last five of their postseason appearances.
