Eleven Mountain Hawks earn all-league recognition
11/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Lehigh, ranked No. 22 in both The Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today polls, is one of three Patriot League schools (along with Colgate and Lafayette) to place eleven student-athletes on the all-league teams.
For the second straight season, eight Mountain Hawks were named to the first team. Offensively, four Lehigh seniors earned first team laurels: running back Eric Rath, wide receiver Gerran Walker, and offensive linemen Adam Selmasska and Tom Toth. Rath, a second team selection in 2004, was the league’s leading scorer, accounting for 108 points on 18 touchdowns. He ranks fourth nationally in scoring at almost ten points per game.
On the defensive side of the ball, four Lehigh players have earned spots on the first team. Defensive lineman Royce Morgan, linebacker Anthony Graziani, safety Kaloma Cardwell, and cornerback Andrew Nelson – all seniors – have led the way for the Mountain Hawks’ defensive efforts in 2005. The Mountain Hawks led the Patriot League in defending the run, and Lehigh registered more sacks (36) than any other team in the league. Morgan finished the season with six sacks and two forced fumbles. Graziani, the team leader in tackles with 82, makes his second consecutive first team appearance. Cardwell, a two-time captain, registered 69 tackles this year, after being a second team selection a season ago. Nelson, a 2004 second team selection, made one of this year’s top defensive plays, intercepting a Colgate pass at the line of scrimmage and racing 31 yards for a critical touchdown in a road win over the eventual league champs.
Three more Mountain Hawks earned second team recognition, including two juniors and a freshman. Junior offensive lineman John Reese and kicker Justin Musiek, along with freshman punter Jason Leo, all captured league honors. Reese, Lehigh’s starting center, helped open up holes for Lehigh’s ground game, a unit that averaged over 160 rushing yards per game. Musiek led the Patriot League in scoring amongst kickers this year, averaging over six points per game. He connected on a league-best 42 extra points and nine field goals. Leo took over the punting duties early in the season, and did not disappoint. Leo averaged over 37 yards per punt in 2005, and he also kicked four field goals against
Holy Cross senior running back and kick return man Steve Silva was named both the Patriot League offensive player of the year as well as the special teams player of the year. Colgate senior linebacker Jared Nepa was the defensive player of the year, and running back Jordan Scott was the rookie of the year. Raiders head coach Dick Biddle captured coach of the year honors.
Lehigh finished the 2005 season with an 8-3 overall record and a 4-2 mark against league opposition. The Mountain Hawks are one of only two schools in Division I-AA (along with Montana) to have won eight or more games in each of the last eight seasons.
