BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lafayette junior running back Kente Edwards and Holy Cross junior linebacker Cam Santee earned Patriot League Football Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, when the League office announced weekly awards, presented by Credit Union 1, on Monday. The Crusaders claimed one additional honor, and Bucknell collected one weekly accolade.
Leopards’ junior running back Kente Edwards earned Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Week for the third straight week and the sixth time this season, after posting his second straight career-high rushing total with 265 yards and two touchdowns in the Leopards’ 35-28 win at Richmond.
Crusaders’ junior linebacker Cam Santee was named Patriot League Football Defensive Player of the Week for the second time. He recorded 10 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in Holy Cross’ 37-20 win at Bucknell.
Holy Cross senior placekicker Luis Palenzuela earned Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week. He matched a career-high with 13 points after going 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts, including a career-long 46-yarder. He also hit all four of his PATs.
Bucknell freshman quarterback Nicholas Penuvchev was selected Patriot League Rookie of the Week. He threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns in the Bison’s loss against Holy Cross.
Bucknell junior wide receiver Sam Milligan, Georgetown junior defensive lineman Cooper Blomstrom and senior quarterback Dez Thomas II, Holy Cross senior running back Nyeoti Punni, Lafayette sophomore cornerback Ryan Gadson, Lehigh kicker/punter Connor Poole, Richmond senior wide receiver Ja’Vion Griffin and sophomore linebacker Peyton Seelmann received honorable mentions for their performances last week.
The Patriot League football players of the week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s football athletics communications contacts, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
2025 Patriot League Football Standings (as of November 17)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| No. 4/4 Lehigh |
6-0 |
1.000 |
11-0 |
1.000 |
| No. 24/rv Lafayette |
6-0 |
1.000 |
8-3 |
.727 |
| Georgetown |
3-3 |
.500 |
6-5 |
.545 |
| Richmond |
3-4 |
.429 |
6-5 |
.545 |
| Colgate |
2-4 |
.333 |
4-7 |
.364 |
| Holy Cross |
2-4 |
.333 |
2-9 |
.182 |
| Bucknell |
2-4 |
.333 |
5-6 |
.455 |
| Fordham |
1-6 |
.143 |
1-10 |
.091 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE |
ONLINE STATS
Patriot League Football Credit Union 1 Offensive Player of the Week
Kente Edwards, Lafayette, Jr., RB, Annandale, N.J./North Hunterdon
*Edwards posted a career-high rushing effort for the second straight week, finishing with 265 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in the Leopards’ 35-28 win at Richmond.
*He had second-half touchdown runs of 61 and 70 yards to help Lafayette hold off a Spiders’ comeback and improve to 6-0 in Patriot League play for the first time in program history.
*His League-leading 17 rushing touchdowns broke a single-season Lafayette record, while his 1,297 rushing yards are fourth in the FCS.
Patriot League Football Credit Union 1 Defensive Player of the Week
Cam Santee, Holy Cross, Jr., LB, Avon, Ohio/Avon
*Santee posted a team-high 10 tackles, eight solo, with two sacks and two forced fumbles in Holy Cross’ 37-20 win at Bucknell.
*His first forced fumble led to a Crusaders’ field goal, and his second led to a five-yard touchdown run.
*The junior linebacker eclipsed 100 tackles (104) this season and leads the League with 13.0 TFLs.
Patriot League Football Credit Union 1 Special Teams Player of the Week
Luis Palenzuela, Holy Cross, Sr., PK, Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus
*Palenzuela went 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts and connected on all four of his PAT attempts in Holy Cross’ 37-20 win over Bucknell.
*The senior placekicker connected on field goals from 44, 24 and a career-long 46 yards.
*His 13 points matched a career-high, marking his first game with three made field goals.
Patriot League Football Credit Union 1 Rookie of the Week
Nicholas Penuvchev, Bucknell, Fr., QB, Toronto, Ontario/St. Mike’s/Canisius HS/Suffield Academy
*Penuvchev completed 13-of-22 passes for 237 yards and two touchdown passes after being pressed into action in the second half of a loss against Holy Cross.
*The freshman quarterback, having previously taken one collegiate snap, threw his first collegiate touchdown pass in the third quarter to make it a one-score game.
*He completed a 55-yard touchdown pass to Sam Milligan in the fourth quarter.
Honorable Mentions
Sam Milligan, Bucknell, Jr., WR, Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven
*Milligan caught five passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns in Bucknell’s loss against Holy Cross. The junior wide receiver had touchdown receptions of 25 and 55 yards in the second half. His 10 touchdown receptions lead the Patriot League.
Cooper Blomstrom, Georgetown, Jr., DL, Dover, N.H./St. Paul’s School
*Blomstrom finished with six tackles, 4.5 sacks for a loss of 24 yards and two forced fumbles to help Georgetown to a 14-0 victory over Fordham. The junior defensive lineman’s 4.5 sacks are a career-high and a League season-high. He led the Hoyas’ defense in recording their first shutout since last season and limiting the Rams to 26 rushing yards.
Dez Thomas II, Georgetown, Sr., QB, Houston, Texas/Vista Ridge
*Thomas completed 18-of-28 passes for 136 yards and two touchdown passes in Georgetown’s 14-0 victory over Fordham. The senior quarterback also rushed for 34 yards.
Nyeoti Punni, Holy Cross, Sr., RB, Lebanon, N.H./Lebanon
*Punni rushed for a career-high 131 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns in Holy Cross’ 37-20 win at Bucknell. He had touchdown runs of 15 and 53 yards to help the Crusaders post season-highs in points, rushing yards and total yards.
Ryan Gadson, Lafayette, So., CB, Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot
*Gadson registered a team-high nine tackles and broke up a career-high five passes in Lafayette’s 35-28 victory at Richmond. His 60 tackles lead the Leopards.
Connor Poole, Lehigh, So., K/P, Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport
*Poole scored a season-high nine points, connecting on field goals of 30 and 32 yards in addition to hitting all three of his PAT attempts in a win against Colgate. He also averaged 35.2 yards per punt on four attempts during a windy game in Hamilton, N.Y.
Ja’Vion Griffin, Richmond, Sr., WR, Williamston, N.C./Riverside Martin
*Griffin caught a career-high 10 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown for his second straight 100-yard game in Richmond’s 35-28 loss against Lafayette. The senior wide receiver caught a 32-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to bring the Spiders within seven points.
Peyton Seelmann, Richmond, So., LB, Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover
*Seelmann led the Spiders with seven tackles and had a 67-yard interception return in a loss against Lafayette.
Offensive Player of the Week
9.1 – Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate, Sr., WR
9.8 – Kente Edwards, Lafayette, Jr., RB
9.15 - Kente Edwards, Lafayette, Jr., RB
9.22 – Kente Edwards, Lafayette, Jr., RB
9.29 – Geoffrey Jamiel, Lehigh, Sr., WR
10.6 – Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, 5th, QB
10.13 – Dean DeNobile, Lafayette, Sr., QB
10.20 – Reed Swanson, Colgate, Jr., WR
10.27 – Hayden Johnson, Lehigh, So., QB
11.3 - Kente Edwards, Lafayette, Jr., RB
11.10 – Kente Edwards, Lafayette, Jr., RB
11.17 - Kente Edwards, Lafayette, Jr., RB
Defensive Player of the Week
9.1 – Tymir Wynn, Colgate, Jr., DB
9.8 – GianCarlo Rufo, Georgetown, Jr., LB
9.15 – Tyler Ochojski, Lehigh, Sr., LB
9.22 – Cam Santee, Holy Cross, Jr., LB
9.29 – James Conway, Fordham, Gr., LB
10.6 – Trooper Price, Colgate, Sr., LB
10.13 – Matt Spatny, Lehigh, Sr., DL
10.20 - James Conway, Fordham, Gr., LB
10.27 – Naiteitei Mose, Georgetown, Sr., LB
11.3 – Tyler Ochojski, Lehigh, Sr., LB
11.10 – Donovan Hoilette, Richmond, Sr., DE
11.17 – Cam Santee, Holy Cross, Jr., LB
Special Teams Player of the Week
9.1 – Alijah Cason, Holy Cross, So., WR/KR
9.8 – Nicholas Dunneman, Georgetown, Sr., WR/RS
9.15 – Connor Poole, Lehigh, So., P/K
9.22 – Nick Garrido, Lehigh, Sr., K
9.29 – Nick Garrido, Lehigh, Sr., K
10.6 – Max Mosey, Holy Cross, Sr., WR/PR
10.13 – Ja’Vion Griffin, Richmond, Sr., WR/PR
10.20 – Ethan Moss, Holy Cross, So., P
10.27 - Max Mosey, Holy Cross, Sr., WR/PR
11.3 – Luke Vogeler, Colgate, Jr., PK
11.10 – Jack Simonetta, Lafayette, Jr., PK
11.17 – Luis Palenzuela, Holy Cross, Sr., PK
Rookie of the Week
9.1 – Brian Allen, Georgetown, Fr., DB
9.8 – Dean Mangiocavallo, Georgetown, Fr., DL
9.15 – Zachary Corna, Bucknell, Fr., S
9.22 – Joseph Williams, Holy Cross, Fr., RB
9.29 – Yohan-Li Louis, Fordham, Fr., RB
10.6 – James Schlendorf, Bucknell, Fr., DB
10.13 – Ned Gray, Richmond, Fr., P
10.20 – Brian Lloyd, Georgetown, Fr., DB
10.27 – Lincoln Fisher, Holy Cross, Fr., WR
11.3 – Matt Fogler, Colgate, Fy., WR
11.10 - Matt Fogler, Colgate, Fy., WR
11.17 – Nicholas Penuvchev, Bucknell, 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 who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.