12/20/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Athletics Department is pleased to announce that five different Lackawanna football players were named to the NJCAA Football All-American Teams, revealed Tuesday afternoon by the national office in Charlotte.
 
The Falcons were represented on the first-team by running back Terrez Worthy (Sophomore; Salisbury, MD) and by offensive lineman Alex Fox (Sophomore; New Castle, PA). Offensive lineman Jayson Tarpeh (Sophomore; Woodbridge, VA) was chosen as a second-team selection, while quarterback Hamas Duren (Sophomore; Sicklerville, NJ) and tight end Avohn Cross (Sophomore; Philadelphia, PA) were honorable mention selections.
 
Worthy was the most prolific running back in all of NJCAA this year, leading the nation in rushing yards with 1,492 yards on 203 carries, an average of 7.3 yards per carry in ten games. Worthy scored ten rushing touchdowns, and caught 12 passes for 112 yards and another touchdown. Worthy topped 100+ yards rushing eight times this season, with his best game coming against Nassau, where he ran for 342 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. Worthy's season also put him in elite company in Lackawanna College history, becoming just the second Lackawanna football player ever to cross the 2,000 yards career rushing mark, and he finished his career at 2,341 yards, second all-time in Lackawanna College history.
 
Fox and Tarpeh spearheaded a Lackawanna rushing attack up front, helping to pave the way for 2,276 yards rushing as a team, a 227.6 yards per game average, with 18 total touchdowns and 5.6 yards per attempt. Fox played guard on the left side of the line, while Tarpeh was the left tackle, shoring up a solid left side of the line for the Falcons this season. The most dominant offensive game for the Falcons came against Nassau on the road, where the Falcons piled up 496 yards on the ground and passed for 213 yards more. The 496 yards rushing is a school-record for yards rushing in a game.
 
Duren, benched after three games then thrust back into the starting role because of injury, had a brilliant season where he improved every game. He finished the year with 23 touchdowns and 1,974 yards passing. Duren completed 58.1% of his passes this season, and had seven games where he threw for two or more touchdowns, including twice throwing for four. His best game came against Sussex, where he was an accurate 13-for-18 for 298 yards and four touchdowns. Duren also finished the season with 141 yards rushing and three touchdowns, accounting for 26 total touchdowns this year.
 
Cross, a NCAA Division II bounce-back tight end, had an excellent season for the Falcons, pulling down 25 catches, second on the team, for 275 yards and three touchdowns. His best game came on the road at Snow College, where he caught five balls for 77 yards. Cross was also a key cog in the running game, helping anchor the edge for the Falcons and providing blocks downfield to spring Worthy and the running backs.
 
Lackawanna football finished the year at 7-3, the eighth time in the last nine years that the Falcons had seven wins in a year, and the third straight season in which they finished 7-3 overall. Head coach Mark Duda ended his 30^th season as head football coach with 206 career wins, the most all-time amongst active head coaches in the NJCAA.
 
The full list of NJCAA All-Americans can be found HERE.