WESTWOOD, Mass.  -  Four Coast Guard Academy football athletes found themselves recognized among the NEWMAC's best today after the conference officially revealed its All-Conference teams for the 2024 season. Juniors Broock Desta and Jay Martin and sophomore James Wheeler IV earned spots on the First Team, while sophomore Matthew LaBouliere earned a place on the Second Team.

This is Desta's second-straight First Team selection and his third All-Conference selection, having made Second Team in 2021 alongside being named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year. As for Martin, Wheeler, and LaBouliere, all three athletes are making their first career appearances as All-Conference picks.

Martin played in all ten of Coast Guard's games this season and helped the offensive line provide some elite pass protection as the Bears finished with a league-high 2,759 passing yards. The Academy was dangerous on the ground as well, thanks in no small part to Martin and his fellow linemen, with the Bears' 1,684 rushing yards being the third-highest total among NEWMAC teams.

"Jay deserves this," says Head Football Coach C.C. Grant. "He is one of the hardest workers on the team, and when we need yards, we run behind him."

Desta's numbers once again placed him among the conference's best receivers. "In my opinion, I think he's the best receiver in the league," says Grant. "Him getting hurt and missing two games hurt his overall numbers." Injury aside, Desta finished second among all route-runners in touchdown catches (9) and yards per game (90.9), as well as third in catches (54) and receiving yards (727).

At the start of the season, Wheeler was moved up in the Coast Guard depth chart after original RB1 and 2023 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year Harrison Hensley was slated to miss time due to a preseason leg injury. "Wheels had his position thrust upon him. He responded very well," says Grant.

Early on, Wheeler was among the top rushers in all of Division III. Despite missing a game due to injury, he was one of two NEWMAC athletes to tally over 1,000 rushing yards (1,063) and average over 100 yards per game (118.1), finishing second in both stats to Springfield College's Arsen Shtefan, who repeated as the NEWMAC Offensive Player of the Year. Wheeler also tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns (6) and tied for ninth in yards per rush (5.8). His breakout, along with Hensley's expected return, sets Coast Guard up to have one of the NEWMAC's most dangerous backfields in 2025.

Finally, LaBouliere's breakout season happened similarly to Wheeler's. "He got a chance to start the year because of injuries. Matt got better as the year went on," says Grant. "It gave us a one-two punch on the outsides, with Matt playing opposite Broock. Looking forward to seeing him grow more and more." LaBouliere played in all of Coast Guard's games and finished first in the NEWMAC in catches (69) and second in receiving yards (909) while tying with Desta for second in yards per game. He also finished eighth in yards per catch (13.2) and receiving touchdowns (5).

Congratulations to Broock, Jay, James, and Matt on an excellent 2024 season!