Bangor High School first-team All-Pine Tree Conference lineman Rob Seccareccia, who had signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the University of Maine, will play at Bangor’s Husson College instead.

“I had been accepted at Maine but I received a letter from the NCAA Clearinghouse and it said I wasn’t [academically] eligible,” explained Seccareccia.

So he applied to NCAA Division III Husson and was accepted.

“I knew the coaches at Husson and they’re real nice. One of my dad’s old coaches, Niles Nelson, is coaching there. My dad [Bob] played for him at URI [University of Rhode Island],” said the 6-foot-6, 305-pound Seccareccia.

He also said Husson offered a program, computer information, that he is interested in pursuing.

“I’m pretty excited. It seems like a real good school. I’m looking forward to it,” said Seccareccia.

Husson football coach and athletic director Gabby Price said, “we’ve very excited to have him here as we are all of our incoming freshmen. I know he played in an excellent program and it looks like he loves to play football. He seems like a great young man.”

Price said Seccareccia will be an offensive tackle at Husson.

The Eagle players will move hold a team meeting Friday and have their first full practice on Saturday.

Seccareccia would have been a scholarship player at Maine. He said he would have received free tuition.

NCAA Division III institutions aren’t allowed to offer athletic scholarships.

Seccareccia said he has met some of the Husson players already and has played with or against several of them during his high school career.

Seccareccia helped lead the Rams to an 8-2 record and a spot in the PTC championship game this past fall in just his second year of football. He also earned a roster spot on the winning East team in the Lobster Bowl senior all-star game.

Seccareccia attended Calvary Chapel Christian School in Orrington his freshman and sophomore years. Calvary Chapel Christian doesn’t have football.

He transferred to Bangor his junior year.

Rees hired as UMaine assistant

Justin Rees, who was the associate head coach, recruiting coordinator and camp director for the women’s basketball program at Ferris State University (Mich.), has been named an assistant coach for the University of Maine women’s program.

Rees will also be the recruiting coordinator under first-year head coach Cindy Blodgett.

“Justin Rees is dedicated to the game of basketball and being an educator,” said Blodgett in a press release. “He knows coaching can make a big difference in a student-athlete’s life so he takes his role as a mentor very seriously. He’s young, energetic and excited about being here. He’s very aware of where we’re heading as a program and he is excited for the challenge.”

Ferris State, an NCAA Division II school, went 23-9 last season and won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in the program’s history.

In addition to running the recruiting operation at Ferris State, Rees also worked with the post players and had individual skills workouts with the perimeter players. He also organized all defensive scouting reports and scout tapes.

Prior to his stint at Ferris State, he was an assistant coach at Post University in Waterbury, Conn., for three years.

Rees played basketball at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in broadcast communications and a minor in business.

Rees joins former Bangor High School and University of Maine player Rita Sullivan on Blodgett’s staff.