BETHLEHEM, Pa. –Holy Cross captured three of the four Patriot League GEICO football weekly awards when the League office announced honors. Bucknell claimed one weekly accolade.
Holy Cross sophomore linebacker Jacob Dobbs was named the Patriot League Football GEICO Defensive Player of the Week after making a game-high 12 tackles in the Crusaders’ 34-24 victory over North Division rival Fordham. Freshman quarterback Matthew Sluka received rookie of the week honors after accounting for three touchdowns in the comeback win. Freshman cornerback Terrence Spence earned special teams player of the week honors after his blocked punt and touchdown against the Rams.
Bucknell junior wide receiver Brandon Sanders was named the GEICO Offensive Player of the Week after catching 12 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the Bison’s 38-13 victory over Southern Division foe Lafayette.
Bucknell freshman linebacker Blake Leake, senior linebacker Simeon Page and senior placekicker Ethan Torres, along with Fordham junior quarterback Tim DeMorat 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.
2020-21 Patriot League Spring Football Standings
| School |
DIV. |
DIV. PCT. |
PL |
PL PCT. |
| NORTH |
|
|
|
|
| Holy Cross |
1-0 |
1.000 |
2-0 |
1.000 |
| Colgate |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-1 |
.000 |
| Fordham |
0-1 |
.000 |
0-1 |
.000 |
| SOUTH |
|
|
|
|
| Bucknell |
1-0 |
1.000 |
1-0 |
1.000 |
| Lehigh |
0-0 |
.000 |
0-1 |
.000 |
| Lafayette |
0-1 |
.000 |
1-1 |
.500 |
Week Four Games
Saturday, April 3
Lehigh at Lafayette (ESPN+), 12:30 p.m.
Bucknell at Holy Cross (ESPN+), 1 p.m.
Colgate at Fordham (ESPN+), 4 p.m.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brandon Sanders, Bucknell, Jr., WR, Downingtown, Pa./St. Joseph’s Prep
*Sanders caught 12 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns to lead Bucknell to a 38-13 victory over Lafayette on Saturday.
*He became the second Bucknell receiver to eclipse 170 yards since 1993 and was two receptions shy of his Bison program record.
*Sanders caught his first touchdown pass from senior quarterback Logan Bitikofer on Bucknell’s first possession of the third quarter, then caught his second early in the fourth quarter from junior quarterback Tarrin Earle.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, So., LB, Macomb, Mich./De La Salle Collegiate
*Dobbs finished with 12 tackles, including nine solo tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a half-sack in Holy Cross’s 34-24 victory over Fordham.
*Dobbs and the Crusaders’ defense held the Rams’ offense to 10 second-half points to allow the comeback.
*Holy Cross’s defense held Fordham to 86 rushing yards in the important North Division win.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Terrence Spence, Holy Cross, Fr., CB, Ringwood, N.J./St. Joseph Regional
*Spence blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter of Holy Cross’s 34-24 victory over the Rams.
*His blocked punt recovery for a touchdown came at the 4:04 mark in the second quarter to bring the Crusaders within one point of Fordham going into the half.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FOOTBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, Fr., QB, Locust Valley, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial
*Sluka rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one to lead Holy Cross to a 34-24 comeback victory against Fordham.
*The freshman quarterback rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and completed 2-for-3 passes for 33 yards and a touchdown.
*His 145 rushing yards were the most by a Crusaders’ freshman since 1976, while his 12.1 yards per carry was the second-best single-game average in program history.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Blake Leake, Bucknell, Fr., LB, Culpepper, Va./Eastern View
*Leake returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown to help seal Bucknell’s 38-13 victory over Lafayette.
Simeon Page, Bucknell, Sr., LB, Riverton, Utah/Riverton (USAFA Prep)
*Page finished with three tackles, 1.0 sack and one interception to lead the Bison defense in a 38-13 victory over Lafayette.
Ethan Torres, Bucknell, Sr., PK, Great Falls, Va./Bishop O’Connell
*Torres went 5-for-5 on extra-point attempts and connected on a career-long 38-yard field goal in Bucknell’s 38-13 victory over Lafayette.
Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Jr., QB, Merritt Island, Fla./Viera
* DeMorat threw for a League season-high 440 yards and two touchdown passes and an interception while completing 39-of-56 pass attempts. His 440 passing yards are the third-highest single-game total in Rams’ program history.
Offensive Player of the Week
3.15 – Cole Northrup, Lafayette, Sr., QB
3.22 – Not awarded
3.29 – Brandon Sanders, Bucknell, Jr., WR
Defensive Player of the Week
3.15 – Jordan Jackson, Holy Cross, Sr., DL
3.22 – Not awarded
3.29 – Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, So., LB
Special Teams Player of the Week
3.15 – Derek Ng, Holy Cross, Jr., PK
3.22 – Not awarded
3.29 – Terrence Spence, Holy Cross, Fr., CB
Rookie of the Week
3.15 – Marcus Joseph, Lafayette, Fr., DL
3.22 – Not awarded
3.29 – Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, Fr., QB
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth 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.