PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. -- Four Pace football players will travel to Daytona Beach, Fla., this weekend to play in the National Bowl.
Carlton Aiken (Gibbstown, N.J./Paulsboro),
Dustin Huseinovic (Harrison, N.J./Harrison),
Nasier Givens (Newark, N.J./Orange) and
Kevin Toote (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) will compete at Daytona Stadium in an 11 a.m. with other top players from college football.
All four players were All-NE10 first team honorees with Toote and Givens recently earning D2CCA All-Super Region accolades.
The inaugural National Bowl was played in December 2014 at FIU Stadium and moved to Daytona Beach Stadium in Daytona Beach in 2016, home to Bethune-Cookman's football squad. The National Bowl and FCS Bowl all star weekend for Non-FBS schools has been the only games of its kind to attract numerous NFL & CFL scouts.
Players travel to the National Bowl weekend from as far as Texas, Arkansas, Oregon, Colorado, Michigan, Utah, South Dakota and more. The FCS National Bowl and National Bowl Game are presented by East Preps LLC and founded by its owner Michael Quartey Esq., also a Professor of Sports Law at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, Penn.
The rosters gives NFL/CFL scouts a chance to view and get to know some of the best players from smaller schools over the bowl weekend. It is the only all-star game dedicated to FCS, DII and DIII football.
Toote, a center from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., earned D2CCA First Team Offense, and will be on the ballot for All-America voting. He is the first player under head coach Andy Rondeau to earn First Team D2CCA honors. Toote was also voted the NE10 2022 Offensive Lineman of the Year and helped Pace to the third most rushing yards in the conference (1,690) and allowed just 16 sacks all season.
Givens, named D2CCA Second Team Defense, also earned NE10 Defensive Lineman of the Year accolades. The graduate student from Newark, N.J., racked up 56 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. With him on the Setters defensive unit, Huseinovic's NE10 first team accolades was backed up by his team-high 58 tackles and two interceptions.
Aiken was the NE10's Most Valuable Player. A graduate student quarterback, he also earned First Team All-Offensive honors in his position for his explosive performance on the field. In 10 starts, Aiken led the team with both 1,799 passing and 816 rushing yards, tossing 17 scores through the air, and running six in himself for a total of 23 touchdowns. Aiken also set the Pace career passing record this season, breaking a 30-year old record.
The Setters finished 6-4 overall in 2022, 4-3 in the NE10.
