BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Colgate freshman quarterback Michael Brescia collected two of the Patriot League GEICO weekly football awards when the League office announced the final weekly honors of the season on Monday. Lehigh claimed two weekly accolades after earning the victory in Rivalry 157.
Brescia captured Patriot League Football GEICO Offensive Player of the Week in addition to collecting his third-consecutive rookie of the week honor. The Hinsdale, Ill. native threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 162 yards and two more scores in the Raiders’ win over Fordham.
Lehigh graduate student linebacker Pete Haffner received Patriot League Football GEICO Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second straight week after recording 12 tackles, one sack and a quarterback hurry in Lehigh’s 17-10 win over Lafayette in Rivalry 157.
Mountain Hawks’ sophomore running back Jack DiPietro claimed Patriot League GEICO Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a punt that was returned for a touchdown in addition to earning Rivalry 157 MVP honors.
Bucknell sophomore linebacker Blake Leake, freshman wide receiver Mason Muir, Georgetown junior quarterback Tyler Knoop, Holy Cross senior placekicker Derek Ng, sophomore quarterback Marco Siderman, freshman wide receiver Justin Shorter, senior defensive lineman Benton Whitley and Lafayette junior linebacker Marco Olivas all received honorable mentions for their performances on Saturday.
The Patriot League football players of the week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s sports information directors, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
2021 Patriot League Football Standings (as of Nov. 21)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| Holy Cross* |
6-0 |
1.000 |
9-2 |
.818 |
| Colgate |
5-1 |
.833 |
5-6 |
.455 |
| Fordham |
4-2 |
.667 |
6-5 |
.545 |
| Lehigh |
3-3 |
.500 |
3-8 |
.273 |
| Lafayette |
2-4 |
.333 |
3-8 |
.273 |
| Georgetown |
1-5 |
.167 |
2-8 |
.200 |
| Bucknell |
0-6 |
.000 |
1-10 |
.100 |
*Claimed the Patriot League title and the automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs
Patriot League Composite Schedule
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL GEICO OFFENSIVE PLAYER & ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Michael Brescia, Colgate, Fr., QB, Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central
*Brescia threw for a career-high 193 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 162 yards and two more scores in Colgate’s 45-31 victory over Fordham.
*The freshman quarterback led four scoring drives to help the Raiders erase a seven-point deficit late in the second quarter, helping Colgate finish the regular season 5-1.
*Brescia posted his second-straight 100-yard passing and 100-yard rushing game and third-consecutive game with two rushing touchdowns.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL GEICO DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Pete Haffner, Lehigh, Gr., LB, State College, Pa./State College
*Haffner finished with a season-high 12 tackles, one sack and a quarterback hurry to lead the Mountain Hawks a 17-10 over Lafayette in Rivalry 157.
*Haffner and the Lehigh defense held Lafayette to 278 yards of total offense, marking the fourth-consecutive opponent that the Mountain Hawks have held under 300 yards.
*The State College, Pa. native finished second on his team with 6.5 TFLs despite being limited to six games due to injury.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL GEICO SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jack DiPietro, Lehigh, Jr., RB, Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central
*DiPietro blocked a punt that was returned for a 12-yard touchdown late in the second quarter to put the Mountain Hawks in front 14-7 in their eventual 17-10 win over Lafayette.
*The junior running back was named the MVP of Rivalry 157 after having a hand in both of Lehigh’s touchdowns. He also caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
*Lehigh has blocked five punts this season, tied for the top mark in the FCS.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Blake Leake, Bucknell, So., LB, Culpepper, Va./Eastern View
*Leake recorded a career-high 16 tackles and had one sack for a loss of 10 yards in Bucknell’s loss to Patriot League champion Holy Cross.
Mason Muir, Bucknell, Fr., WR, Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich
Muir led the Bison with five receptions and 50 receiving yards in addition to catching his second collegiate touchdown in Bucknell’s loss to Patriot League champion Holy Cross.
Tyler Knoop., Georgetown, Jr., QB, North Richland Hills, Texas/Fort Worth Christian
*Knoop rushed for a career-high 122 yards on 13 carries, including a 55-yard touchdown, in the Hoyas 28-21 loss to Morgan State. The touchdown was the first of Knoop’s career.
Derek Ng, Holy Cross, Sr., PK, Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
*Ng went 6-for-6 on PAT attempts and connected on a 39-yard field goal in the Crusaders’ 45-6 win over Bucknell to seal an undefeated record in League play.
Marco Siderman, Holy Cross, So., QB, Agoura Hills, Calif./Westlake
*Siderman completed 8-of-12 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in Holy Cross’s 45-6 victory over Bucknell.
Justin Shorter, Holy Cross, Fr., WR, Swedesboro, N.J./Blair Academy
*Shorter caught two passes for 43 yards and two touchdown passes, his first two scores of the year, in Holy Cross’s 45-6 win over Bucknell.
Benton Whitley, Holy Cross, Sr., DL, Springfield, Mass./Minnechaug Regional
*Whitley recorded 3.0 TFLs, including one sack, for a loss of 16 yards in Holy Cross’s 45-6 win over Bucknell. He also forced a fumble and posted two quarterback hurries to help the Crusaders seal and an undefeated League record.
Marco Olivas, Lafayette, Jr., LB, Fort Worth, Texas/Fossil Ridge
*Olivas finished with 13 tackles while helping a Lafayette defense hold the Mountain Hawks to 61 rushing yards in the 157th meeting between the two programs.
Offensive Player of the Week
9.6 – Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, So., QB
9.13 – Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr., QB
9.20 – Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, So., QB
9.27 – Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr., QB
10.4 – Trey Sneed, Fordham, Sr., RB
10.11 – Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr., QB
10.18 – Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr. QB
10.25 - Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr. QB
11.1 – Julius Young, Lafayette, Jr., WR
11.8 – Ayir Asante, Holy Cross, Sr., WR
11.15 – Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, So., QB
11.22 – Michael Brescia, Colgate, Fr., QB
Defensive Player of the Week
9.6 – Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham, Sr., LB
9.13 – Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham, Sr. LB
9.20 – Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, Jr., LB
9.27 – Billy Shaeffer, Lafayette, Sr., LB
10.4 – Jonathan Searcy, Bucknell, Jr., S
10.11 – Marco Olivas, Lafayette, Jr., LB
10.18 – Liam Anderson, Holy Cross, Sr., LB
10.25 - James Conway, Fordham, Fr., LB
11.1 – Malik Hamm, Lafayette, Sr., DL
11.8 – Mike DeNucci, Lehigh, So., LB
11.15 – Pete Haffner, Lehigh, Gr., LB
11.22 – Pete Haffner, Lehigh, Gr., LB
Special Teams Player of the Week
9.6 – Derek Ng, Holy Cross, Jr., PK
9.13 – Conor Hunt, Georgetown, So., P/PK
9.20 – Derek Ng, Holy Cross, Jr., PK
9.27 – Jacob Jaworski, Colgate, So., PK
10.4 – Nick Leinenweber, Fordham, Jr., PK
10.11 – Micah Pettit, Lafayette, Fr., PK
10.18 – Will Gruber, Colgate, Sr., DB/RS
10.25 - Will Gruber, Colgate, Sr., DB/RS
11.1 – Derek Ng, Holy Cross, Sr., PK
11.8 – Dylan Van Dusen, Lehigh, Jr., PK
11.15 – Dylan Van Dusen, Lehigh, Jr., PK
11.22 – Jack DiPietro, Lehigh, So., RB
Rookie of the Week
9.6 – Justin Fisher, Bucknell, Fr., DL
9.13 – James Conway, Fordham, Fr., LB
9.20 – James Conway, Fordham, Fr., LB
9.27 – Ah-Shaun Davis, Lafayette, Fr., QB
10.4 – Ah-Shaun Davis, Lafayette, Fr., QB
10.11 – James Conway, Fordham, Fr., LB
10.18 – Justin Shorter, Holy Cross, Fr., WR
10.25 – Ethan Grady, Bucknell, Fr., QB
11.1 – Michael Brescia, Colgate, Fr., QB
11.8 – James Conway, Fordham, Fr., LB
11.15 – Michael Brescia, Colgate, Fr., QB
11.22 – Michael Brescia, Colgate, Fr., QB
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete 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.