CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The 2017 All-Patriot League First and Second Teams and major award winners were announced by the League office on Tuesday.
 
Lehigh junior running back Dom Bragalone was selected as the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year after leading the NCAA Division I Football Championship Series in scoring (11.5 points per game), total touchdowns (21) and rushing touchdowns (18), while helping the Mountain Hawks earn their second-straight berth in the FCS Playoffs. Bragalone, who rushed for a League leading 1,313 yards, is also a candidate for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award, given annually to the nation’s best offensive player.
 
Bucknell senior defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson was voted Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year after finishing with 42 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss (TFL), while helping the Bison to the League’s best total defense (294.6 yards allowed per game). Anderson is a four-time All-Patriot League selection.
 
A five-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, Colgate freshman quarterback Grant Breneman earns Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors, while finishing second in the League in pass efficiency (135.3). The freshman signal-caller threw 18 touchdown passes and rushed for six, while throwing just five interceptions; a League-low among quarterbacks with more than eight starts. Raiders’ Head Coach Dan Hunt earned Patriot League Coach of the Year honors for the second time in three years, after leading his squad to a 7-4 record and a share of the League championship. Hunt is also a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, given to the national coach of the year.
 
Colgate led all schools with 13 all-League selections, including nine on the first-team. Lehigh and Lafayette tied with nine all-League members apiece; the Mountain Hawks had seven on the first-team offense, while Lafayette had five first-team honorees. Fordham and Bucknell both placed eight on the two squads, while Holy Cross had seven selections and Georgetown earned five spots on the first and second all-League teams. The squad is made up of 33 seniors, 15 juniors, seven sophomores and four freshmen.
 
Anderson, Fordham senior running back Chase Edmonds and Lehigh senior wide receiver Troy Pelletier bring the list of four-time All-Patriot League honorees to 15. Bragalone and Lehigh senior offensive linemen Zach Duffy and Tim O’Hara, Bucknell senior linebackers Ben Richard and Mark Pyles, Colgate senior lineman Pat Afriyie, Fordham senior offensive lineman Anthony Coyle and Holy Cross senior quarterback Peter Pujals each make the all-League team for the third time. The team features an additional 15 two-time all-League selections.
 
Lehigh junior Brad Mayes (323.0 passing yards/game) is the second-consecutive Mountain Hawk quarterback to be named to the first-team and is joined in the backfield by Bragalone, two-time all-League selection Colgate junior running back James Holland Jr. (80.2 rushing yards/game) and Lafayette junior fullback Will Eisler. Pelletier – the Patriot League’s career leader in receptions (318) and touchdown receptions (36) – makes the first-team for the third-consecutive season, while teammate Gatlin Casey (747 rec. yards, 11 rec. TDs) earns a first-team nod for the second-straight year. Fordham junior wide receiver Austin Longi (68.3 rec. yards/game) captured all-League honors for the second time. Lafayette senior tight end Dylan Wadsworth (41 rec., 333 yards) was picked for the first-team for the second time. Due to a tie in voting, the first-team offensive line features six players. Coyle, Duffy and Colgate senior Ryan Paulish were first-team selections last season, while O’Hara and Lehigh senior teammate Brandon Short were 2016 second-team picks. Colgate junior Jovaun Woolford claimed his first all-League honor.
 
Anderson and Afriyie are joined on the first-team defensive line by Colgate sophomore Nick Wheeler (15.5 TFL, 11.5 sacks) and Georgetown sophomore Khristian Tate (13.0 TFL, 2 TDs). Lafayette senior linebacker Brandon Bryant, the Patriot League tackles leader (133 tackles), and Holy Cross senior linebacker Nick McBeath (114 tackles, 13.0 TFLs) are joined in the first-team linebacker corps by Bucknell’s Richard (77 tackles) and Pyles (73 tackles). The first-team defensive backfield is made up of five players due to a tie in voting, including Lafayette senior cornerback Phillip Parham, who finished among the FCS’s leaders with seven interceptions, and Fordham junior Dylan Mabin, who tied Parham for the League lead with 19 passes defended. Colgate placed a trio of defensive backs on the team; seniors Tyler Castillo (8 pass breakups, 2 interceptions) and Alec Wisniewski (58 tackles, 3 INTs) and 2016 Rookie of the Year Abu Daramy-Swaray (51 tackles).
 
Colgate sophomore Chris Puzzi (9-of-12 FGs, 38-of-40 PATs) was selected as the first-team placekicker, while Lafayette junior return specialist C.J. Amill (29.4 yards/KO return) also earns a spot on the first-team. Bucknell junior punter Alex Pechin led the League and finished among the FCS leaders in yards per punt (45.1) to make the first-team, while Georgetown freshman linebacker Ahmad Wilson was selected the first-team special teams’ non-specialist.
 
A pair of Patriot League career leaders highlight the second-team offense, including Pujals, who became just the second quarterback in League history to top 11,000 career passing yards and Edmonds, the League’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards (7,314), rushing yards (5,862), total touchdowns (74) and rushing touchdowns (67). Fordham junior tight end Isaiah Searight (452 rec. yards, 4 TDs) and senior offensive lineman Ben Hartman and Holy Cross senior offensive lineman James Murray each earned a spot on the second-team for the second-consecutive season. Colgate sophomore Alex Mathews (578 yards, 6 TDs), junior wide receiver Thomas Ives (353 rec. yards, 7 TDs) and senior offensive lineman Scott Hirshman, Georgetown sophomore wide receiver Michael Dereus (46 rec., 696 rec. yards, 5 TDs) and Holy Cross senior wide receiver Blaise Bell (601 rec. yards, 8 TDs) each collected second-team accolades for the first time.
 
The second-team defensive line features a pair of Crusaders’ with senior Jack Kutschke (12.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks) and junior Teddy Capsis (8.5 TFLs, 6.0 sacks), along with Lehigh senior defensive lineman Tyler Cavenas (45 tackles), a second-team selection last season, and Lafayette senior Matt Rothrock (26 tackles, 3.0 TFLs), a second-team selection in 2015. Lafayette junior Jerry Powe (70 tackles) makes the second-team as a linebacker, after earning a spot on last season’s second-team as a defensive back. Colgate senior linebacker Trent Williams (54 tackles) receives his first all-League honor, along with a pair of freshmen, including Bucknell’s Simeon Page (13.0 TFLs, 9.0 sacks) and Fordham’s Glenn Cunningham (82 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks). Bucknell senior defensive back Colin Jonov (2 INT’s returned for TDs), Fordham junior Antonio Jackson (4 INTs), Georgetown senior David Akere (99 tackles) and Lafayette sophomore Eric Mitchell (10 passes defended) make up the second-team defensive backfield.
 
Two second-team placekicker were selected due to a tie in voting with Bucknell senior John Burdick (14-of-17 PATs, 14-of-20 FGs) and 2016 first-team selection Ed Mish (34-of-36 PATs, 5-of-6 FGs) of Lehigh. Georgetown return specialist Isaac Ellsworth (24.7 yards/KO return) makes the all-League team for the first time, as does Lafayette freshman punter Michael Turk (42.7 yards/punt) and Holy Cross junior linebacker Jack McCabe, who was selected as a special teams non-specialist.
 
The All-Patriot League teams and major awards were voted on by Patriot League football head coaches, who could not vote for their own student-athletes or themselves.
 
2017 Football Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Dom Bragalone, Lehigh, Jr., RB
Defensive Player of the Year: Abdullah Anderson, Bucknell, Sr., DL
Rookie of the Year: Grant Breneman, Colgate, Fr., QB
Coach of the Year: Dan Hunt, Colgate
 
Teams sorted alphabetically by school
 
2017 Football All-Patriot League Teams
First-Team Offense^
QB: Brad Mayes, Lehigh, Jr.,
RB: James Holland Jr., Colgate, Sr.
RB: Dom Bragalone, Lehigh, Jr.
FB/HB: Will Eisler, Lafayette, Jr.
WR: Austin Longi, Fordham, Jr.
WR: Gatlin Casey, Lehigh, Sr.
WR: Troy Pelletier, Lehigh, Sr.
TE: Dylan Wadsworth, Lafayette, Sr.
OL: Ryan Paulish, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Jovaun Woolford, Colgate, Jr.
OL: Anthony Coyle, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Zach Duffy, Lehigh, Sr.
OL: Tim O’Hara, Lehigh, Sr.
OL: Brandon Short, Lehigh, Sr.
PK: Chris Puzzi, Colgate, So.
RS: C.J. Amill, Lafayette, Jr
 
First-Team Defense%
DL: Abdullah Anderson, Bucknell, Sr.
DL: Pat Afriyie, Colgate, Sr.
DL: Nick Wheeler, Colgate, So.
DL: Khristian Tate, Georgetown, So.
LB: Ben Richard, Bucknell, Sr.
LB: Mark Pyles, Bucknell, Sr.
LB: Nick McBeath, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB: Brandon Bryant, Lafayette, Sr.
DB: Abu Daramy-Swaray, Colgate, So.
DB: Tyler Castillo, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Alec Wisniewski, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Dylan Mabin, Fordham, Jr.
DB: Phillip Parham, Lafayette, Sr.
P: Alex Pechin, Bucknell, Jr.
Special Teams Non-Specialist (STNS): Ahmad Wilson, Georgetown, Fr. LB
 
Second-Team Offense#
QB: Peter Pujals, Holy Cross, Sr.
RB: Alex Mathews, Colgate, So.
RB: Chase Edmonds, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Thomas Ives, Colgate, Jr.
WR: Michael Dereus, Georgetown, So.
WR: Blaise Bell, Holy Cross, Sr.
TE: Isaiah Searight, Fordham, Jr.
OL: Chase Watkins, Bucknell, Sr.
OL: Scott Hirshman, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Ben Hartman, Fordham, Sr.
OL: James Murray, Holy Cross, Sr.
PK: John Burdick, Bucknell, Sr.
PK: Ed Mish, Lehigh, Jr.
RS: Isaac Ellsworth, Georgetown, Sr.
 
Second-Team Defense%
DL: Teddy Capsis, Holy Cross, Jr.
DL: Jack Kutschke, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL: Tyler Cavenas, Lehigh, Sr.
DL: Matt Rothrock, Lafayette, Sr.
LB: Simeon Page, Bucknell, Fr.
LB: Trent Williams, Colgate, Sr.
LB: Glenn Cunningham, Fordham, Fr.
LB: Jerry Powe, Lafayette, Jr.
DB: Colin Jonov, Bucknell, Sr.
DB: Antonio Jackson, Fordham, Jr.
DB: David Akere, Georgetown, Sr.
DB: Eric Mitchell, Lafayette, So.
P: Michael Turk, Lafayette, Fr.
STNS: Jack McCabe, Holy Cross, Jr., LB
 
 
^ Six first-team offensive lineman due to a tie in voting; four offensive lineman chosen for second-team
& Five first-team defensive backs due to a tie in voting
# Two placekickers due to a tie in voting
% Four second-team defensive backs due to a tie in voting
 
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.