Buzzards Bay, Mass. --  Another week has brought more accolades for Massachusetts Maritime senior linebacker Walter Butler, as he has been named to the 2011 D3Football.com All-East Region Team that was announced on Monday evening.  Additionally, Butler has been selected to play in the Third Annual D3 Senior Classic that will take place on Friday, December 9^th at Salem Stadium in Salem, Va., the site of the NCAA Division III Stagg Bowl national championship game, at 7:00 p.m. EST.

A native of Bourne, Mass. and a graduate of Bishop Stang High School, Butler earned third team all-D3Football.com East Region honors, as he is one of five student-athletes from the New England Football Conference selected to this year’s squad.  Butler will be a member of the North squad at Friday’s D3 Senior Classic, as that team will be led by Curry College Head Coach and Massachusetts Maritime Hall of Famer Skip Bandini ’81.

Butler has garnered numerous honors for his performance on the gridiron this fall, as he was named as the 2011 New England Football Conference Bogan Division Defensive Player of the Year in mid-November while also earning first team all-divisional accolades.  Butler ranked second on Head Coach Jeremy Cameron’s squad in total tackles with 67, including 51 solo stops and 17 tackles for losses of 60 yards, as he added three sacks, nine quarterback hurries and a pair of pass break-ups while returning a fumble recovery 48 yards for a touchdown in Massachusetts Maritime’s 34-6 Admiral’s Cup victory over Maine Maritime on October 22^nd.  In addition, Butler led all players in NCAA Division III play nationally in forced fumbles with six on the season, as he also ranked 14^th in the country in tackles for losses.  A two-time selection as NEFC Defensive Player of the Week this fall, Walter was one of seven individuals featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces In The Crowd” column on November 7^th for his efforts, becoming the second Buccaneer in two years to appear in the prestigious national publication.

Butler became the fourth Buccaneer to earn a spot on the prestigious New England Football Writers Division II-III All-Star Team that was announced last week, as he is one of 28 individuals at both levels of competition to be named to this year’s squad.  Walter is the first Massachusetts Maritime player to receive all-New England recognition in 12 years, as he joins Kevin Piecewicz ’94, Paul Diamantopoulos ’96 and Tim Zaniboni ’00 in that exclusive club.  Butler will receive his honor on Thursday, December 8^th at the New England Football Writers Annual Banquet at the Montvale Plaza in Stoneham, Mass.

Massachusetts Maritime posted its first outright winning season in 11 years under Cameron’s tutelage this fall with a 5-4 mark, including the Buccaneers’ first Admiral’s Cup victory since 2003.  Massachusetts Maritime was also the only team to have defeated New England Football Conference champion Western New England in regular season play after a season-opening 19-14 triumph on September 10^th.