BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Holy Cross’ Joseph Williams (So., RB) and Villanova’s Omari Bursey (So., LB) claimed Patriot League Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, when the League office announced honors on Monday. Colgate’s Luke Vogeler (Sr., PK) took home Special Teams Player of the Week and Peyton Way (Fy., WR) earned Rookie of the Week honors.  
 
The Patriot League football players of the week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s football athletics communications staff, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
 
Patriot League Football Offensive Player of the Week
Joseph Williams, Holy Cross, So., RB, Clarksburg, Md./Good Counsel
*Williams turned in a career performance with 206 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries in Holy Cross’ 33-14 win over No. 19/21 Richmond.
*The sophomore running back rushed for a 21-yard touchdown in the first quarter, a 3-yard touchdown in the second and a 62-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to hand the Spiders their second League loss.
*He is second in the Patriot League with 850 rushing yards and tied for second with seven rushing touchdowns through nine games.

Patriot League Football Defensive Player of the Week
Omari Bursey, Villanova, So., LB, Broomfield, Colo./Legacy
*Bursey returned an interception for a 27-yard touchdown in the first quarter to extend Villanova’s lead in its 44-21 win over Lafayette.
*He finished with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss of eight yards (TFLs) and one sack.
*The Wildcats defense limited Lafayette to 264 total yards, including 109 rushing yards.

Patriot League Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Luke Vogeler, Colgate, Sr., PK, Caledonia, Mich./Caledonia
*Vogeler made all three field-goal attempts and all four PATs to account for 13 points in Colgate’s 37-0 win over William & Mary.
*The senior placekicker became the Raiders’ career leader in made field goals (36).
 
Patriot League Football Rookie of the Week
Peyton Way, Colgate, Fy., WR, New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford
*Way turned in a career performance, finishing with 10 receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns in Colgate’s 37-0 win over William & Mary.
*The first-year receiver caught a 27-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to extend the Raiders lead to 14-0. He opened the third quarter with an eight-yard touchdown reception.
*His 141-yard receiving performance is the fourth-highest in the Patriot League this season, while his 10 receptions are tied for fourth among top single-game performances in the League this season.
 
Honorable Mentions
Brandon Biagiarelli, Bucknell, Jr., LB, Pittsburgh, Pa./Avonworth
*Biagiarelli finished with a career-high 16 tackles, including 11 solo stops, 2.0 TFLs and one sack in a 31-30 loss to No. 20/19 Lehigh.
 
Sam Milligan, Bucknell, Sr., WR, Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven
*Milligan scored a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the Bison’s 31-30 loss to No. 20/19 Lehigh.
*The senior receiver had nine receptions for 122 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown catch with two seconds left in the game to bring the Bison within one point. The touchdown reception made Milligan Bucknell’s career leader in touchdown receptions.
 
Christian Magliacano, Colgate, Jr., LB, Berkeley Heights, N.J./St. Joseph Prep
*Magliacano recorded a team-high eight tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry to lead the Raiders’ defense that limited William & Mary to 142 yards of total offense and no points in a 37-0 win.
 
Adam Due, Holy Cross, Sr., LB, Prosper, Texas/Prosper
*Due finished with 14 tackles and one sack in Holy Cross’ 33-14 win over No. 19/21 Richmond. He helped the Crusaders’ defense hold the Spiders scoreless over the final three quarters to help defeat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2022.
 
Connor Poole, Lehigh, Jr., PK/P, Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport
*Poole connected on a 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to put the Mountain Hawks up by seven points and connected on all four PATs in Lehigh’s 31-30 win over Bucknell. He averaged 46.2 yards per punt on five attempts with a long of 59. He placed two punts inside the Bison 20-yard line.
 
Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Sr., RB, Palm Harbor, Fla./East Lake
*Yoder rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries to lead Lehigh to a 31-30 victory over Bucknell. The senior running back scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and passed Dom Bragalone to become Lehigh’s career rushing leader and move to eighth in Patriot League history with 4,338 yards.
 
Dominic LeBlanc, Villanova, So., PK, Dawsonville, Ga./Dawson County
*LeBlanc connected on field goals from 40, 30 and 27 yards and hit all five of his PATs to account for 14 points in Villanova’s 44-21 win over Lafayette.

Offensive Player of the Week
8.31 – Danny Shaban, Colgate, Jr., RB
9.7 – Matt Fogler, Colgate, So., WR
9.14 – Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Sr., RB
9.21 – Yohan-Li Louis, Fordham, So., RB
9.28 – David Lynch, Holy Cross, Jr., QB
10.5 – Ashten Snelsire, Richmond, Sr., QB
10.12 – Clay Ash, Georgetown, Jr., RB
10.19 – Gavin Beard, Georgetown, Fr., QB
10.26 - Gavin Beard, Georgetown, Fr., QB
11.2 – Joseph Williams, Holy Cross, So., RB
 
Defensive Player of the Week
8.31 – Cade Ellis, William & Mary, Fr., S
9.7 – Omari Bursey, Villanova, So., LB
9.14 – Trooper Price, Colgate, Sr., LB
9.21 – Adam Due, Holy Cross, Sr., LB
9.28 – Trooper Price, Colgate, Sr., LB
10.5 – Tymir Wynn, Colgate, Sr., DB
10.12 – Wedner Cadet, Georgetown, Gr., CB
10.19 – Jalen Edwards, Lafayette, Sr., DB
10.26 – Blake Houser, Richmond, Jr., LB
11.2 – Omari Bursey, Villanova, So., LB
 
Special Teams Player of the Week
8.31 – Max Lipinski, William & Mary, Jr., PK
9.7 - Max Lipinski, William & Mary, Jr., PK
9.14 – Luke Vogeler, Colgate, Sr., PK
9.21 – Connor Poole, Lehigh, Jr., K/P
9.28 - Connor Poole, Lehigh, Jr., K/P
10.5 – Ned Gray, Richmond, So., P
10.12 – Jack Reuter, William & Mary, Jr., RB
10.19 – Jack Simonetta, Lafayette, Sr., PK
10.26 – Jack Simonetta, Lafayette, Sr., PK
11.2 - Luke Vogeler, Colgate, Sr., PK

Rookie of the Week
8.31 – Cade Ellis, William & Mary, Fr., S
9.7 – Khylil Johnson, William & Mary, Fr., WR
9.14 – Langston Blair, Bucknell, Fr., CB
9.21 – Kyle Bitsko, Richmond, Fr., PK
9.28 – Caleb Naumann, Colgate, Fy., RB
10.5 – Caleb Geronomi, Richmond, Fr., DB
10.12 – AJ Revella, Fordham, Fr., LB
10.19 – Gavin Beard, Georgetown, Fr., QB
10.26 - Gavin Beard, Georgetown, Fr., QB
11.2 – Peyton Way, Colgate, Fy., WR
 
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.