CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Fordham junior wide receiver Corey Caddle posted career-highs with 11 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown to earn Patriot League football’s Corvias Offensive Player of the Week honor, while Holy Cross senior linebacker Nick McBeath led the Crusaders to a shutout win over Bucknell to earn the Corvias Defensive Player of the Week.
Crusaders senior placekicker/punter A.J. Wells connected on both field goal and extra point attempts, while averaging 37.5 yards per punt to earn Corvias Special Teams Player of the Week honors, while Lafayette freshman quarterback Sean O’Malley threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns to earn Corvias Rookie of the Week honors.
Fordham junior defensive back Lawrence Menyah and Georgetown senior cornerback Jelani Williamson both scored game-winning touchdowns on defense, with Menyah returning an interception 26 yards and Williamson recovering a fumble and returning it 32 yards to earn honorable mention. Holy Cross senior running back Diquan Walker scored both of the Crusaders touchdowns, while Fordham freshman running Zach Davis rushed nine times for 70 yards, 65 yards in the fourth quarter to help the Rams to a comeback victory to round out the honor roll.
The Patriot League football Corvias Players of the Week are selected in a vote by League media members and each individual programs sports information director, who are not eligible to vote for their own student-athletes.
Corvias Patriot League Football Weekly Awards
Corvias Offensive Player of the Week
Corey Caddle, Fordham, Jr., WR, Jersey City, N.J./Saint Peter’s Prep
Caddle earned his first career Corvias Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honor after making 11 catches for 180 yards, both career-highs, and one touchdown in Fordham’s 38-31 victory over Central Connecticut State on Saturday. Caddle’s 180 receiving yards is the 19-best single-game total in program history. Caddle also returned one kickoff for 15 yards and one punt for nine yards to total 204 all-purpose yards in the win.
Corvias Defensive Player of the Week
Nick McBeath, Holy Cross, Sr., LB, Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus
McBeath finished with nine tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss of nine yards, 1.0 sack and an interception to help the Holy Cross defense shutout Bucknell in a 20-0 victory on Saturday. McBeath helped the Crusader defense allow just 214 total yards to the Bison and helped them to the first shutout by a League team since 2015.
Corvias Special Teams Player of the Week
A.J. Wells, Holy Cross, Sr., PK/P, Buena Vista, Ga./Marion County
Wells went 2-for-2 on field goals, connecting from 25 and 31 yards, while also hitting both of his extra point attempts in Holy Cross’s 20-0 victory over Bucknell on Saturday. The senior specialist also averaged 37.5 yards on six punts in the win.
Corvias Rookie Player of the Week
Sean O’Malley, Lafayette, Fr., QB, Beverly Hills, Calif./Loyola
O’Malley completed 25-of-44 passes for 276 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in Lafayette’s loss against Sacred Heart. The freshman was making his second career start against the Pioneers and was the first freshman QB to start the Leopards’ season opener since the formation of the Patriot League in 1986.
Honorable Mention
Diquan Walker, Holy Cross, Sr., RB, Clearwater, Fla./Clearwater Central Catholic
Walker rushed 10 times for 72 yards and scored both of the Crusaders touchdowns in a 20-0 shutout victory over Bucknell on Saturday. Walker averaged 7.2 yards per carry to help the Holy Cross offense against a stout Bucknell defense.
Lawrence Menyah, Fordham, Jr., DB, Bronx, N.Y./Brooklyn Tech
Menyah intercepted a CCSU pass and returned it 29 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 1:27 remaining in the game. The junior defensive back also finished with three tackles.
Jelani Williamson, Georgetown, Sr., DB, Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel
Williamson recovered two fumbles, including one that he returned for a game-winning 32-yard touchdown to seal a 16-10 win for the Hoyas. The senior cornerback also had five tackles, 1.0 TFL and his first career sack for a defense that forced four turnovers and held the Camels to just 2-of-4 in red zone trips.
Zach Davis, Fordham, Fr.., RB, Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan
Davis came on for Fordham after injuries to the squad’s first two running backs and rushed for 70 yards on nine carries, including 65 yards during the fourth quarter to help the Rams comeback. The freshman rusher averaged 7.8 yards per carry with a long run of 24 yards in the victory.
9.4.17
Offensive: Brad Mayes, Lehigh, Jr., QB
Defensive: T.J. Holl, Colgate, Jr., LB
Special Teams: Chris Puzzi, Colgate, So., PK
Rookie: Simeon Page, Bucknell, Fr., LB
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.