March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Colon lost for the season> Knee injury ends senior year for Maine’s starting QB

Emilio Colon, the No. 2 passer in University of Maine football history, has been lost for his final season with a knee injury.

Colon, a senior from Lawrence, Mass., sustained what is believed to be a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the first quarter of Buffalo’s 24-21 victory over the Black Bears last Saturday night in Portland.

Senior Joe Marsilio, who had a strong outing Saturday after Colon got hurt, will make only his second career start Saturday at William & Mary in Virginia. John Tennett of Bangor, who redshirted as a freshman in ’93, is listed as the backup.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Colon has directed the Maine offense for most of the past four years. He started 39 of Maine’s 42 games, debuting against Northeastern in the second game of the 1991 season.

Bob Zurinskas, now a fifth-year split end for the Bears, was the starting QB before Colon.

Maine athletic spokesman Matt Bourque confirmed Tuesday that Colon is done. Colon was examined Tuesday afternoon and was to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test Tuesday night to determine the full extent of the injury and find out whether surgery is necessary.

Colon was a fixture at quarterback for the Bears, but all four of his seasons were cut short by injuries. In 39 games, Colon completed 488 of 880 passes, 55 percent, for 5,552 yards, including 32 touchdowns. He was intercepted 33 times.

Colon also owns the Maine record for the longest TD completion, an 84-yarder to Tony Szydlowski against Connecticut in 1992.

John Kolasinski, who directed the Husson College baseball team to a 21-9 record and a berth in the NAIA District 5 playoffs, has been named the 1994 NAIA Northeast Region Baseball Coach of the Year.

Kolasinski, in his seventh season as the Braves’ coach, is one of eight regional winners who were selected by NAIA coaches from the pool of district honorees.

The NAIA National Coach of the Year will be announced Jan. 7 at the American Baseball Coaches Association’s convention in Chicago.

Also, Kolasinski has announced that Bill Swift of Brewer, Troy Martin of Waterville and Mike McBride of Woodstock, New Brunswick, have been elected as tri-captains for the 1995 Braves.

Veteran sportscaster George Hale is recovering at Maine Medical Center in Portland after having surgery Tuesday to remove a gall stone, according to University of Maine baseball coach John Winkin, a close friend of Hale.

Hale, who lives in Orrington, experienced severe abdominal pain Saturday night while preparing to broadcast Maine’s football game against Buffalo at Fitzpatrick Stadium on WABI radio.

UMaine SID Matt Bourque handled the chores in Hale’s stead.

Hale, who also is being treated for a infection, is expected to be released from MMC in two or three days, Winkin said.

Winkin has collaborated with UMaine assistant coaches Jay Kemble and Mike Coutts on a new book titled “Maximizing Baseball Practice” (Human Kinetics, $17.95).

The book outlines Winkin’s indoor winter practice regimen that has been derived from more than 20 years of experience in the UMaine field house. It contains 54 illustrated drills that are divided into practice planning, practice by position, and practice by skill.

The Oct. 7 issue of Collegiate Baseball magazine included a glowing review of the book by Lou Pavlovich Jr., editor of the magazine. It is “… the finest book of its kind ever written from one of the coaching giants in the game,” Pavlovich wrote.

The players and coaches of the UMaine baseball team have selected seniors Steve Puleo and LeRoy Decker as co-captains for 1995.

Puleo, from West Newbury, Mass., was the Black Bears’ starting catcher last spring. He batted .343 with 31 RBIs and tied for the team lead with 10 doubles.

Decker, a righthanded pitcher from Walpole, Mass., had a 4-7 record with a 4.84 earned run average last season. He led the Bears in wins and complete games (5) and pitched a team-high 74 1/3 innings.


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