CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Patriot League Football Champion Colgate claimed three of the League’s four major awards when the League office announced its postseason major awards and all-League selections on Tuesday. Raiders’ senior running back James Holland Jr. was named the offensive player of the year, senior linebacker T.J. Holl was named the defensive player of the year and head coach Dan Hunt was selected the Dick Biddle Coach of the Year
Lafayette freshman defensive lineman Malik Hamm captured Patriot League Football Rookie of the Year honors. Hamm finished second in the Patriot League and 18th in the FCS in sacks (0.77/game), and third in the Patriot League and 27th in the FCS in tackles for loss (1.4/game).
Holland, a five-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week in 2018, led the League and finished among the FCS leaders in rushing yards (1,065), rushing yards per game (106.5), rushing touchdowns (12) total touchdowns (14), and rush yards per carry (6.23). His classmate Holl, a two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week this season, is among the League leaders in tackles (94) and tackles for loss (13.0), while leading a Raiders’ defense that ranks as the nation’s best in scoring defense (5.7 points allowed/game) and total defense (201.7 yards/game).
Hunt earned his third coach of the year accolade, and appropriately became the first League head coach to earn the award since it was named for Colgate Hall of Famer Dick Biddle on Monday. Hunt served under Biddle for the legendary coach’s entire 19-year head coaching tenure at Colgate. In 2018, Hunt guided the Raiders to a historic season, tying the single-season FCS record for shutouts (5), while outscoring opponents 301-57. Hunt’s Raiders finished No. 7 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 9 in the STATS FCS Poll, and will be a top-eight seed in the FCS Playoffs, becoming the first Patriot League team to earn a first-round bye since Lehigh in 2011.
Lehigh senior running back Dom Bragalone – the 2017 Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Year – became the 16th Patriot League football student-athlete to earn all-League status four times and just the third to be named to the first-team each year, joining Holy Cross defensive back Dave Murphy (1986-89) and Colgate quarterback Ryan Vena (1996-1999). He finished second in the League with 757 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Bragalone, who was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2015, is one of three former League rookies of the year to make the all-League team, along with Colgate senior first-team defensive back/return specialist Abu Daramy-Swaray (2016) and Raiders first-team quarterback Grant Breneman (2017).
Twenty-four members of the 2018 All-Patriot League First and Second Teams are multi-year honorees. Bucknell senior punter Alex Pechin, Colgate’s Holland, senior defensive back Tyler Castillo, Fordham senior tight end Isaiah Searight, Georgetown junior defensive lineman Khristian Tate, Lafayette senior linebacker Jerry Powe and Lehigh punter/placekicker Ed Mish are all three-time all-League selections.
Fifteen student-athletes make the all-League squad for the second time:
Bucknell: senior defensive back Bryan Marine and sophomore linebacker Simeon Page;
Colgate: Daramy-Swaray, senior offensive lineman Scott Hirshman, senior receiver Thomas Ives, junior placekicker Chris Puzzi, junior defensive lineman Nick Wheeler and senior defensive back Alec Wisniewski;
Fordham: sophomore linebacker Glenn Cunningham, senior receiver Austin Longi and senior defensive back Dylan Mabin;
Georgetown: sophomore linebacker Ahmad Wilson;
Holy Cross: senior defensive lineman Teddy Capsis;
Lafayette: senior running back/return specialist CJ Amill and senior H-back Will Eisler.
Colgate claimed a League-leading 19 spots on the two all-League teams, with Lafayette placing nine on the team followed by Fordham, Georgetown and Holy Cross tied with six apiece. Bucknell (5) and Lehigh (4) round out the all-League-by-team numbers. Thirty-two of the 58 all-League selections were seniors, with 12 juniors, 12 sophomores and two freshmen receiving all-League distinction.
The Major Awards and All-League teams were voted on by the seven Patriot League football head coaches who could not vote for their student-athletes or themselves.
2018 Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Year
James Holland Jr., Colgate, Sr., RB, Royal Palm Beach, Fla./The Kings Academy
*Holland led the Patriot League while finishing among the FCS leaders in rushing yards (1,065), rushing yards per game (106.5), rushing touchdowns (12) total touchdowns (14), and rush yards per carry (6.23).
*The five-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week had five games with more than 100 rushing yards and four games with two or more touchdowns.
*Holland is a three-time All-Patriot League selection and two-time first-team honoree.
*The Royal Palm Beach, Fla. native is a candidate for the Walter Payton Award for the FCS national offensive player of the year.
2018 Patriot League Football Defensive Player of the Year
T.J. Holl, Colgate, Sr., LB, Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley
*Holl is second in the Patriot League and 21st in the FCS averaging 9.4 tackles per game, while placing among the League and national leaders with 1.3 tackles for loss per game, having registered at least a half tackle for loss in each of Colgate’s 10 games.
*He also tallied 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three pass breakups and one blocked kick and was a two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week.
*Holl has anchored a Colgate defense that has been among the nation’s best, leading the FCS in scoring defense (5.7 points allowed/game), total defense (201.7 yards/game), team passing efficiency defense (82.02) and placing third in rushing defense (77.1 yards/game)
2018 Patriot League Football Rookie of the Year
Malik Hamm, Lafayette, Fr., DL, Baltimore, Md./City College
*Hamm finished second in the Patriot League and 18th in the FCS in sacks (0.77/game), and third in the Patriot League and 27th in the FCS in tackles for loss (1.4/game).
*The freshman defensive lineman compiled 58 tackles (37 solo) while adding two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and five quarterback hurries.
*Hamm was selected Patriot League Rookie of the Week on Oct. 29 for his 3.0-tackle for loss, 3.0-sack performance at Fordham.
*The Baltimore, Md. native is a candidate for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the national FCS freshman of the year.
2018 Patriot League Football Dick Biddle Coach of the Year
Dan Hunt, Colgate
*Hunt guided Colgate to a national top-10 ranking in the FCS Coaches’ Poll (No. 7) and the STATS FCS Poll (No. 9), while leading the Raiders the program’s 10th Patriot League Championship and a first-round bye in the FCS Playoffs.
*Colgate tied South Carolina State’s 40-year old FCS record with five shutouts this season, going 29-consecutive quarters from the fourth quarter in the Raiders’ Sept. 1 opening game until the second quarter of its game at Lehigh on Nov. 10 without allowing an opposing touchdown.
*Colgate led the Patriot League and finished among the FCS leaders in scoring offense (30.1 points/game), scoring defense (5.7 points/game - Leads the FCS), total offense (364.5 yards/game), and total defense (201.7 yards/game – Leads the FCS).
*Hunt is a candidate for the Eddie Robinson Trophy, awarded to the national FCS coach of the year.
2018 Football Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: James Holland Jr., Colgate, Sr., RB
Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Holl, Colgate, Sr., LB
Rookie of the Year: Malik Hamm, Lafayette, Fr., DL
Dick Biddle Coach of the Year: Dan Hunt, Colgate
2018 Football All-Patriot League Teams
First-Team Offense^&
QB: Grant Breneman, Colgate, So.
RB: James Holland Jr., Colgate, Sr.
RB: Dom Bragalone, Lehigh, Sr.
FB/HB: Will Eisler, Lafayette, Sr.
WR: Owen Rockett, Colgate, Sr.
WR: Austin Longi, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Jorge Portorreal, Lehigh, So.
TE: Isaiah Searight, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Scott Hirshman, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Max Hartzman, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Jack Badovinac, Colgate, So.
OL: Brian Foley, Holy Cross, So.
OL: Brett Boddy, Holy Cross, Sr.
OL: Jake Marotti, Lafayette, Jr.
PK: Chris Puzzi, Colgate, Jr.
RS: Abu Daramy-Swaray, Colgate, Jr.
RS CJ Amill, Lafayette, Sr.
First-Team Defense
DL: Simeon Page, Bucknell, So.
DL: Nick Wheeler, Colgate, Jr.
DL: Khristian Tate, Georgetown, Jr.
DL: Teddy Capsis, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB: T.J. Holl, Colgate, Sr.
LB: Glenn Cunningham, Fordham, So.
LB: Ryan Brady, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB: Jerry Powe, Lafayette, Sr.
DB: Tyler Castillo, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Abu Daramy-Swaray, Colgate, Jr.
DB: Alec Wisniewski, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Dylan Mabin, Fordham, Sr.
P: Alex Pechin, Bucknell, Sr.
Special Teams Non-Specialist: Nick Alvarez, Colgate, Sr.
Second-Team Offense%
QB: Geoff Wade, Holy Cross, Sr.
RB: Domenic Cozier, Holy Cross, Jr.
RB: CJ Amill, Lafayette, Sr.
WR: Alan Butler, Bucknell, Sr.
WR: Thomas Ives, Colgate, Sr.
WR: Martin Dorsey, Holy Cross, Sr.
WR: Nick Pearson, Lafayette, Jr.
TE: Nick Diaco, Colgate, Jr.
OL: Pat Finn, Bucknell, Sr.
OL: Charlie Holsopple, Colgate, Jr.
OL: Nick Zakelj, Fordham, So.
OL: Kevin Zataveski, Lafayette, Sr.
PK: Andrew Mevis, Fordham, So
Second-Team Defense
DL: Chuck Moore, Colgate, Sr.
DL: Owen Kessler, Georgetown, So.
DL: Duval Paul, Georgetown, So.
DL: Malik Hamm, Lafayette, Fr.
LB: Nick Ioanilli, Colgate, Jr.
LB: Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham, Fr.
LB: Wesley Bowers, Georgetown, So.
LB: Michael Root, Lafayette, Sr.
DB: Bryan Marine, Bucknell, Sr.
DB: Jethro Francois, Georgetown, Sr.
DB: Yasir Thomas, Lafayette, Jr.
DB: Sam McCloskey, Lehigh, Sr.
P: Ed Mish, Lehigh, Sr.
Special Teams Non-Specialist: Ahmad Wilson, Georgetown, So.
^ Six first-team offensive lineman due to a tie in voting; four offensive linemen chosen for second-team
& Two first-team return specialists due to a tie in voting; none selected for second-team
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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.