BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University graduate punter Shane Drake and senior defensive tackles Nicolas Canales have been selected to the 2024 D3football.com All-Region One Team.

Drake, who is making his second straight appearance on the D3football.com All-Region One Team, is the first player in program history to garner first team honors. Canales, a second team selection, is a first-time honoree.

Drake and Canales are among eleven student-athletes from the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) to earn the accolade.

The D3football.com All-Region One Team, selected in balloting by Region One sports information directors and D3football.com staff, was chosen from 232 nominations by full Division III member schools. A total of 76 players were chosen. Players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

NCAA Division III realigned Division III football into six regions in 2021. Region One includes the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC), Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

In ten games this season, Drave averaged 41.0 yards on 36 punts with a long of 76 yards, 15 punts inside the twenty, ten fair catches and six punts of 50-plus yards. He also averaged 58.8 yards on 44 kickoffs with 15 touchbacks, and converted 7 of 8 field goal attempts.

A native of Franklin, Massachusetts, Drake led the MASCAC in made field goals, field goal percentage, punting average, punts inside the twenty and fair catches. He also ranked 18th in all of Division III in punting average and would be tied for fourth in field goal percentage (.875) but did not have enough attempts to qualify.

In 41 games over four seasons with the Bears, Drake averaged 41.6 yards on 118 career punts with 35 inside the twenty, 26 fair catches and 19 punts of 50-plus yards. He also averaged 57.7 yards on 203 career kickoffs with 54 touchbacks, and converted 13 of 21 field goal attempts.

Drake wraps up his career as the Bears' all-time leader in punting average. Last year, he set the Bears' single-season punting record as he averaged 42.5 yards on 39 punts.

A Ronkonkoma, New York product, Canales notched 56 tackles (20 solo) with six sacks and 12 1/2 tackles for a loss of 63 yards in ten games this season. He also added a forced and recovered fumble as well as a blocke kick.

Canales ranked second in the MASCAC in both sacks and tackles for loss and was also sixth in assists tackles (36).

In 38 games over four season with the Bears, Canales amassed 113 tackles (55 solo) with 13.0 sacks and 26.0 tackles for loss to go along with two forced and two recovered fumbles.  

Last month, Drake and Canales were among eight Bears named to the All-MASCAC Team as they each garnered first team honors.

The duo helped the BSU football team post a 5-5 record in 2024 including 5-4 MASCAC mark as the Bears tied for third in the conference standings.

2024 D3football.com All-Region One Team (PDF) | BSU All-Time D3football.com All-Region Honorees (PDF)

Notes: Canales is the Bears' fourth defensive tackle to earn D3football.com all-region honors joining Mike Sirignano (2005, 2006), Paul Melicharek (2010, 2012) and Elvis Romero (2015, 2016)...Twenty different Bears have been named to the D3football.com all-region team since 2005 with nine two-time recipients.