CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Lehigh senior running back Dominick Bragalone has been selected as the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Colgate junior defensive lineman Nick Wheeler was named the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, when the League office announced its preseason major awards, poll and all-League team on Thursday.
2018 Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Dominick Bragalone, Lehigh, Sr., RB
*Led NCAA FCS and the Patriot League with 1,388 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns during his junior season. Bragalone is now 10th in Patriot League history with 3,567 career rushing yards.
*Named the 13th consensus All-American in Patriot League football history following the 2017 season in addition to being named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year.
*A three-time First Team All-Patriot League selection and the first running back in Lehigh history to eclipse 1,000-yards in three consecutive seasons.
2018 Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Wheeler, Colgate, Jr., DL
*Led the Patriot League and finished third in the FCS in sacks (11.5), while also leading the League with 15.5 tackles for loss.
*Selected a First Team All-Patriot League and First Team All-ECAC FCS selection.
*Helped Colgate to the best scoring defense (17.5 ppg) and rushing defense (115.4 yards/game) in the Patriot League.
Colgate Tops the 2018 Patriot League Preseason Coaches’ Poll
After earning a share of the Patriot League title in 2017, Colgate was picked to finish atop the League in the 2018 preseason coaches’ poll, accumulating 71 points, including 11 first-place votes. The 2017 Patriot League Coach of the Year Dan Hunt has nine starters returning on both offense and defense, including sophomore quarterback Grant Breneman (1,594 pass yards, 18 TD passes), the 2017 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, and Wheeler, the preseason defensive player of the year.
Co-champion Lehigh, coming off back-to-back FCS Playoff berths, placed second with 63 points and the remaining three first-place votes. Head Coach Andy Coen loses all-League receivers Troy Pelletier and Gatlin Casey, but does have Bragalone and last season’s League-leading passer, senior quarterback Brad Mayes (3,886 passing yards, 31 TD passes) back in the fold to lead the Mountain Hawks’ explosive offense.
Fordham (45) and Holy Cross (40), were selected to finish third and fourth, respectively, as each program will be under the direction of a new head coach, who will have to replace an all-time League leader on offense. Rams’ first-year head coach Joe Conlin will look to utilize his squad’s talent on both sides of the ball to replace Patriot League all-time leading rusher and scorer Chase Edmonds (5,862 rushing yards, 444 points), who was selected in the fourth-round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. The Crusaders’ Bob Chesney will also look to the experience on his team to make up for the loss of graduated quarterback Peter Pujals, who concluded his career in Worcester second in League history in career passing yards (11,695).
Bucknell (31) and Lafayette (31) finished in a tie for fifth-place, with both squads returning key players to defenses that ranked among the best in League play. Georgetown was selected seventh in the poll, but will feature plenty of young talent on offense and defense
2018 Patriot League Preseason Poll
1. Colgate, 71 points (11 first-place votes)
2. Lehigh, 63 (3)
3. Fordham, 45
4. Holy Cross, 40
T5. Bucknell, 31
T5. Lafayette, 31
7. Georgetown, 13
Raiders Place League-High 10 on the Preseason All-League Team
Colgate placed a League-high 10 student-athletes on the preseason All-Patriot League Team, including five on defense led by Wheeler. Fordham finished with five players named on the preseason all-League team, while Holy Cross and Lafayette garnered four selections apiece. Three Mountain Hawks made the preseason all-League offense with Bragalone and last season’s League-leading passer senior quarterback Brad Mayes. The Hoyas and Bison each had two student-athletes voted onto the squad. Georgetown’s junior defensive lineman Khristian Tate is a two-time all-League selection, while Bucknell’s senior punter Alex Pechin was the 2017 Patriot League Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Twenty-two of the 30 Preseason All-Patriot League selections were named first- or second-team all-League members in 2017. Nine student-athletes on both the preseason offense and defense are returning all-League performers. All four special teams’ selections earned all-League accolades last season.
Voting for the preseason major awards, poll, and the all-League team was conducted by the Patriot League football head coaches and football sports information directors, who could not vote for their own players.
2018 Patriot League Football Preseason All-League Team
Offense
QB: Brad Mayes, Lehigh (Sr.)*
RB: Dom Bragalone, Lehigh (Sr.)*
RB: James Holland, Jr, Colgate (Sr.)*
FB: Will Eisler, Lafayette (Sr.)*
WR: Thomas Ives, Colgate (Sr.)*
WR: Austin Longi, Fordham (Sr.)*
WR: Blaise Bell, Holy Cross (Sr.)*
TE: Isaiah Searight, Fordham (Sr.)*
OL: Pat Finn, Bucknell (Sr.)
OL: Max Hartzman, Colgate (Sr.)
OL: Jovaun Woolford, Colgate (Sr.)*
OL: Dominic Lombard, Fordham (Sr.)
OL: Chris Fournier, Lehigh (So.)
Defense#
DL: Nick Wheeler, Colgate (Jr.)*
DL: Khristian Tate, Georgetown (Jr.)*
DL: Teddy Capsis, Holy Cross (Sr.)*
DL: Neil Vorster, Holy Cross (Sr.)
DL: Anthony Giudice, Lafayette, (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.)*
Special Teams
PK: Chris Puzzi, Colgate (Jr.)*
P: Alex Pechin, Bucknell (Sr.)*
RS: CJ Amill, Lafayette (Sr.)*
Non-Specialist Player: Ahmad Wilson, Georgetown (So.)*
*2017 All-Patriot League selection
#Second-Team has five defensive linemen due to a tie in the voting
The Patriot League football season begins on Saturday, September 1 with all seven teams in action, including a League matchup featuring Holy Cross at Colgate (1 p.m.) on
Stadium. Lehigh hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) (12:30 p.m.) and Bucknell welcomes William & Mary in a pair of games featured on the
Patriot League Network (PLN). Georgetown travels to Marist (1 p.m.), Lafayette plays at Sacred Heart (6 p.m.) and Fordham opens the season at FBS-opponent Charlotte (6 p.m.). For the complete 2018 Patriot League Football composite schedule
CLICK HERE.
MORE PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL PRESEASON COVERAGE
Bucknell Football Places Two on Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Tate, Wilson Named to Patriot League Football Preseason Team
Bragalone Named Preseason Player of the Year; Joined by Mayes, Fournier on All-League Team
Four Lafayette Seniors Selected to Preseason All-PL Football Team
Five Rams Named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team
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.