Sports

Former Patriot Receives Conference Honors at Muhlenberg

Gene Blanco earns Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.

After a successful career at Freehold Township Gene Blanco is now making a name for himself on the football field and in the classroom.

Blanco was recently named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll as a member of the Muhlenberg College Mules. To be named to the list a student needs to be a sophomore or higher, a starter or key reserve and have a GPA of at least 3.40.

With a double major in accounting and finance Blanco moved into the Muhlenberg starting lineup this year and proved he deserved his spot at inside linebacker. By the time the season was done he finished as a force on defense for the Mules with 84 tackles. That total was enough to put him not only at the top of the team stats but also 11th in the conference.

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Blanco’s contributions helped the Mules finish as the top defense in the conference and third in all of Division III as they allowed an average of just 14.5 points per game. As an individual he also finished with seven tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups and one interception in his junior campaign.

The former Patriot still has one more year to play and after the Mules finished second in the conference with a 7-2 mark and an 8-3 record overall things look bright for the 2014 season. Their final game this year was a loss to Salisbury in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl as the Muhlenberg squad made its 10th postseason appearance in 14 years.

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