MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Wesleyan football team saw five players earn All-Region 1 honors as announced by D3football.com on Wednesday afternoon. All five Cardinals earn All-Region honors for the first time in their respective careers.
Making the All-Region 1 list is First Team selections in quarterback
Matt Fitzsimons '27 and center
Jack Bohnsack '27 while safety
Dylan Connors '26 and long snapper
Austin Baker '27 earned a Second Team nod and defensive tackle
Dean Sokaris '26 is a Third Team pick.
In his first season as the Cardinals' starting signal caller, Fitzsimons earned the distinction of being top quarterback in the region as he is the only QB on the All-Region First Team. The 2025 NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year led the conference in passing yards (2462), completion percentage (62.5), and touchdowns (20) while throwing for 300+ years three times in nine games including a single-game school record 458 passing yards in the Cardinals' 34-28 overtime Little Three title clinching win at Williams.
Bohnsack established himself as the top center in the region in what was his first year as a starter along the offensive line. Starting all nine games at center, Bohnsack helped lead Wesleyan's offense to a 29.7 points per game average and the second-most total yards per game (372.4) in the conference. The Cardinal offense led the NESCAC in first downs (20.1 per game), red zone offense (scoring on 31-of-37 possessions) and was second-best in third down conversion rate (44.4) while Wesleyan held the ball for an average of 35:01 minutes per game, tops in the NESCAC. Bohnsack graded out at 97% for the season and only allowed one sack in nine games.
Connors earned All-Region honors after leading what was the best defense in the NESCAC for the second straight year. The play-making safety totaled 51 tackles (35 solo) with four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups. His all-around ability really shined as the year went along, including a tremendous performance in a home win over Amherst that saw him total six tackles, one TFL, two pass breakups, and a blocked punt which he scooped up and scored from 22 yards out.
Baker was named Second Team All-Region at the long snapper position, serving in that role for the third straight year of his career while also starting at middle linebacker for the Cardinals on defense in 2025. He was also named Second Team All-NESCAC at the position.
Sokaris was the anchor of the Wesleyan defensive line, leading the lineman in tackles (26) while producing 4.5 TFL, two sacks, six QB hurries, and he blocked a Williams field goal attempt in overtime which helped lead to a 34-28 Wesleyan win. Sokaris started all nine games at defensive tackle and anchored a unit that allowed the fewest yards per game in the NESCAC (246.6) while the rush defense is the 11
th-best unit in the nation, allowing just 62.9 rushing yards per game. He totaled 17 solo tackles this year, setting a single-season career-high, as was his 4.5 TFL total.
