Rashawn Settles Named MASCAC Defensive Rookie of The Year

WESTFIELD, Mass. –  Westfield State University freshman linebacker Rashawn Settles (Lowell, Mass.) was named the 2019 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference defensive rookie of the year.

Settles was also named as a second team all-conference pick at linebacker.  He was joined on the All-MASCAC second team by senior punter Cody Cleveland (Northampton, Mass.) and senior return specialist Cam Gallagher (Uxbridge, Mass.).

Settles finished the 2019 campaign with 58 total tackles, 34 unassisted, 8.5 tackles for a loss, forced two fumbles and recovered three.  His nose for the ball was apparent from the start, forcing and recovering a fumble in a season opening loss to nationally #14-ranked Union (NY) College, then forced a fumble that led to an Owls' touchdown recovery in the final game of the season against UMass-Dartmouth.

"Rashawn is very quiet and unassuming. He barely spoke on recruiting visit," said Owls' head coach Pete Kowalski, who also was Settles position coach. "He came into camp same way, but when he got on field from the start you could see he understood leverage, and that allowed him to deliver quite a blow. He's not a big kid but a solid kid and once he understood where he fit in the scheme he played with reckless abandon.  Rashawn has a high football IQ, I think it was easy from him to assimilate into our scheme.  He just needed a little refining."

Cleveland punted 59 times for a 39.1-yard average. He dropped 10 kicks inside the opponent's 20, forced a dozen fair catches.

Gallagher was a multipurpose standout for the Owls. He retuned eight punts for 96 yards, a 12-yard per return average, returned seven kicks for 105 yards.   He also served as the Owls kicker on kickoffs, led the Owls with 36 catches for 393 yards and three td's, and rushed for 78 yards on 12 attempts, including a 59-yard TD.

Westfield finished the year with a 2-8 overall mark, 2-6 in the MASCAC.  The Owls faced four teams which received votes or rankings in the AFCA national poll during the season, and Westfield won two of their final three games of the season.