Bragalone named Offensive Player of the Year, leading nine from Lehigh on All-PL teams
11/21/2017 10:04:00 AM | Football
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh junior running back Dominick Bragalone was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, leading the way for the nine Mountain Hawks who were recognized with All-Patriot League honors as the league announced its major awards and all-league teams.
The Football Championship Subdivision's leader in rushing touchdowns (18) and total touchdowns (21), Bragalone also ranks second in the FCS with 1,313 rushing yards as he gives Lehigh its second straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year award after quarterback Nick Shafnisky won the award last year.
Bragalone is now a three-time first team All-Patriot League selection. The South Williamsport, Pa. native played a major role in Lehigh's run to its 12th Patriot League title after rushing for 976 yards and 13 touchdowns in the Mountain Hawks' six league games. He has eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark in seven consecutive games, including all six league games, including a pair of 200-yard efforts: a career-high 218-yard showing at Fordham, and a 201-yard, career-best four-touchdown effort versus Holy Cross.
The first Lehigh player to record three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Bragalone enters the postseason just 204 yards shy of Lehigh's career record of 3,696, held by Rabih Abdullah '97.
In addition to Bragalone's major award, senior wide receiver Troy Pelletier became just the third four-time All-Patriot League selection in Lehigh history following his third-straight first-team honor. Pelletier has re-written Lehigh and Patriot League record books in his senior season, establishing school records for career receptions and yards, and league records for career receptions and touchdown catches. Pelletier has 95 receptions for 1,198 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017. He needs five catches to break Lehigh's single season record and 76 yards to become the Patriot League's career yardage leader.
Both Bragalone and Pelletier were named finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in the FCS, on Monday.
Senior offensive tackles Zach Duffy and Tim O'Hara joined Bragalone in becoming three-time all-league selections. Duffy made the first team for the second straight year, while O'Hara garners his first first-team honor. Senior center Brandon Short earned his second straight all-league nod and made the first team for the first time. Together, the three linemen have helped pave the way for the fifth-ranked offense in the FCS. Lehigh is averaging over 150 rushing yards and nearly 325 passing yards per game while also averaging more than 36 points per game.
Senior wide receiver Gatlin Casey garnered his second consecutive first team honor. Despite being limited by injuries in the middle of the season, Casey managed to lead Lehigh with 11 touchdown receptions, while also contributing 49 catches for 747 yards.
The lone first time honoree among Lehigh's nine all-league selections is junior Brad Mayes who was named the first team quarterback. Mayes guided the Patriot League's top offense and one of the best in the FCS in his first season as a starter. He has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,553 yards and 28 touchdowns. Mayes has seven 300-yard passing games this season and has thrown at least two touchdown passes in nine of 11 games. He enters the playoffs off a 397-yard, three-touchdown MVP performance in Lehigh's Patriot League title-clinching win over Lafayette.
In addition to its seven members of the first team offense, Lehigh had a pair of second team selections in junior kicker Ed Mish and senior defensive lineman Tyler Cavenas.
Mish was the first team kicker and punter a season ago. Despite missing some time and being limited by injury at other points, Mish has made 34-of-36 extra points and 5-of-6 field goals. He scored 49 points, including two double-digit scoring games during league play, while also becoming Lehigh's career leader with 136 made extra points.
Cavenas earned his second consecutive second team honor. He leads the Mountain Hawks with 8.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks while ranking fourth on the team with 46 tackles from his defensive tackle position. Cavenas also has a fumble recovery and a pair of blocked kicks to his credit this season.
Colgate claimed a pair of major awards with Grant Breneman named Rookie of the Year and Dan Hunt named Coach of the Year. Bucknell's Abdullah Anderson was voted Defensive Player of the Year.
The All-Patriot League teams and major awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
The Mountain Hawks (5-6, 5-1 Patriot League) enter the postseason having won five of their last six games. Lehigh will visit No. 10/11 Stony Brook in the first round of the FCS Playoffs. Game time is set for 2 p.m. Saturday from Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in Stony Brook, N.Y. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 via the WatchESPN app. Audio coverage will be available on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) beginning at 1 p.m.
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
2017 Football Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Dom Bragalone, Lehigh, Jr., RB
Defensive Player of the Year: Abdullah Anderson, Bucknell, Sr., DL
Rookie of the Year: Grant Breneman, Colgate, Fr., QB
Coach of the Year: Dan Hunt, Colgate
Teams sorted alphabetically by school
2017 Football All-Patriot League Teams
First-Team Offense^
QB: Brad Mayes, Lehigh, Jr.,
RB: James Holland Jr., Colgate, Sr.
RB: Dom Bragalone, Lehigh, Jr.
FB/HB: Will Eisler, Lafayette, Jr.
WR: Austin Longi, Fordham, Jr.
WR: Gatlin Casey, Lehigh, Sr.
WR: Troy Pelletier, Lehigh, Sr.
TE: Dylan Wadsworth, Lafayette, Sr.
OL: Ryan Paulish, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Jovaun Woolford, Colgate, Jr.
OL: Anthony Coyle, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Zach Duffy, Lehigh, Sr.
OL: Tim O'Hara, Lehigh, Sr.
OL: Brandon Short, Lehigh, Sr.
PK: Chris Puzzi, Colgate, So.
RS: C.J. Amill, Lafayette, Jr
First-Team Defense%
DL: Abdullah Anderson, Bucknell, Sr.
DL: Pat Afriyie, Colgate, Sr.
DL: Nick Wheeler, Colgate, So.
DL: Khristian Tate, Georgetown, So.
LB: Ben Richard, Bucknell, Sr.
LB: Mark Pyles, Bucknell, Sr.
LB: Nick McBeath, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB: Brandon Bryant, Lafayette, Sr.
DB: Abu Daramy-Swaray, Colgate, So.
DB: Tyler Castillo, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Alec Wisniewski, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Dylan Mabin, Fordham, Jr.
DB: Phillip Parham, Lafayette, Sr.
P: Alex Pechin, Bucknell, Jr.
Special Teams Non-Specialist (STNS): Ahmad Wilson, Georgetown, Fr. LB
Second-Team Offense#
QB: Peter Pujals, Holy Cross, Sr.
RB: Alex Mathews, Colgate, So.
RB: Chase Edmonds, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Thomas Ives, Colgate, Jr.
WR: Michael Dereus, Georgetown, So.
WR: Blaise Bell, Holy Cross, Sr.
TE: Isaiah Searight, Fordham, Jr.
OL: Chase Watkins, Bucknell, Sr.
OL: Scott Hirshman, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Ben Hartman, Fordham, Sr.
OL: James Murray, Holy Cross, Sr.
PK: John Burdick, Bucknell, Sr.
PK: Ed Mish, Lehigh, Jr.
RS: Isaac Ellsworth, Georgetown, Sr.
Second-Team Defense%
DL: Teddy Capsis, Holy Cross, Jr.
DL: Jack Kutschke, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL: Tyler Cavenas, Lehigh, Sr.
DL: Matt Rothrock, Lafayette, Sr.
LB: Simeon Page, Bucknell, Fr.
LB: Trent Williams, Colgate, Sr.
LB: Glenn Cunningham, Fordham, Fr.
LB: Jerry Powe, Lafayette, Jr.
DB: Colin Jonov, Bucknell, Sr.
DB: Antonio Jackson, Fordham, Jr.
DB: David Akere, Georgetown, Sr.
DB: Eric Mitchell, Lafayette, So.
P: Michael Turk, Lafayette, Fr.
STNS: Jack McCabe, Holy Cross, Jr., LB
^ Six first-team offensive lineman due to a tie in voting; four offensive lineman chosen for second-team
& Five first-team defensive backs due to a tie in voting
# Two placekickers due to a tie in voting
% Four second-team defensive backs due to a tie in voting
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh junior running back Dominick Bragalone was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, leading the way for the nine Mountain Hawks who were recognized with All-Patriot League honors as the league announced its major awards and all-league teams.
The Football Championship Subdivision's leader in rushing touchdowns (18) and total touchdowns (21), Bragalone also ranks second in the FCS with 1,313 rushing yards as he gives Lehigh its second straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year award after quarterback Nick Shafnisky won the award last year.
Bragalone is now a three-time first team All-Patriot League selection. The South Williamsport, Pa. native played a major role in Lehigh's run to its 12th Patriot League title after rushing for 976 yards and 13 touchdowns in the Mountain Hawks' six league games. He has eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark in seven consecutive games, including all six league games, including a pair of 200-yard efforts: a career-high 218-yard showing at Fordham, and a 201-yard, career-best four-touchdown effort versus Holy Cross.
The first Lehigh player to record three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Bragalone enters the postseason just 204 yards shy of Lehigh's career record of 3,696, held by Rabih Abdullah '97.
In addition to Bragalone's major award, senior wide receiver Troy Pelletier became just the third four-time All-Patriot League selection in Lehigh history following his third-straight first-team honor. Pelletier has re-written Lehigh and Patriot League record books in his senior season, establishing school records for career receptions and yards, and league records for career receptions and touchdown catches. Pelletier has 95 receptions for 1,198 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017. He needs five catches to break Lehigh's single season record and 76 yards to become the Patriot League's career yardage leader.
Both Bragalone and Pelletier were named finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in the FCS, on Monday.
Senior offensive tackles Zach Duffy and Tim O'Hara joined Bragalone in becoming three-time all-league selections. Duffy made the first team for the second straight year, while O'Hara garners his first first-team honor. Senior center Brandon Short earned his second straight all-league nod and made the first team for the first time. Together, the three linemen have helped pave the way for the fifth-ranked offense in the FCS. Lehigh is averaging over 150 rushing yards and nearly 325 passing yards per game while also averaging more than 36 points per game.
Senior wide receiver Gatlin Casey garnered his second consecutive first team honor. Despite being limited by injuries in the middle of the season, Casey managed to lead Lehigh with 11 touchdown receptions, while also contributing 49 catches for 747 yards.
The lone first time honoree among Lehigh's nine all-league selections is junior Brad Mayes who was named the first team quarterback. Mayes guided the Patriot League's top offense and one of the best in the FCS in his first season as a starter. He has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,553 yards and 28 touchdowns. Mayes has seven 300-yard passing games this season and has thrown at least two touchdown passes in nine of 11 games. He enters the playoffs off a 397-yard, three-touchdown MVP performance in Lehigh's Patriot League title-clinching win over Lafayette.
In addition to its seven members of the first team offense, Lehigh had a pair of second team selections in junior kicker Ed Mish and senior defensive lineman Tyler Cavenas.
Mish was the first team kicker and punter a season ago. Despite missing some time and being limited by injury at other points, Mish has made 34-of-36 extra points and 5-of-6 field goals. He scored 49 points, including two double-digit scoring games during league play, while also becoming Lehigh's career leader with 136 made extra points.
Cavenas earned his second consecutive second team honor. He leads the Mountain Hawks with 8.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks while ranking fourth on the team with 46 tackles from his defensive tackle position. Cavenas also has a fumble recovery and a pair of blocked kicks to his credit this season.
Colgate claimed a pair of major awards with Grant Breneman named Rookie of the Year and Dan Hunt named Coach of the Year. Bucknell's Abdullah Anderson was voted Defensive Player of the Year.
The All-Patriot League teams and major awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
The Mountain Hawks (5-6, 5-1 Patriot League) enter the postseason having won five of their last six games. Lehigh will visit No. 10/11 Stony Brook in the first round of the FCS Playoffs. Game time is set for 2 p.m. Saturday from Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in Stony Brook, N.Y. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 via the WatchESPN app. Audio coverage will be available on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) beginning at 1 p.m.
Like Lehigh Football on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
2017 Football Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Dom Bragalone, Lehigh, Jr., RB
Defensive Player of the Year: Abdullah Anderson, Bucknell, Sr., DL
Rookie of the Year: Grant Breneman, Colgate, Fr., QB
Coach of the Year: Dan Hunt, Colgate
Teams sorted alphabetically by school
2017 Football All-Patriot League Teams
First-Team Offense^
QB: Brad Mayes, Lehigh, Jr.,
RB: James Holland Jr., Colgate, Sr.
RB: Dom Bragalone, Lehigh, Jr.
FB/HB: Will Eisler, Lafayette, Jr.
WR: Austin Longi, Fordham, Jr.
WR: Gatlin Casey, Lehigh, Sr.
WR: Troy Pelletier, Lehigh, Sr.
TE: Dylan Wadsworth, Lafayette, Sr.
OL: Ryan Paulish, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Jovaun Woolford, Colgate, Jr.
OL: Anthony Coyle, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Zach Duffy, Lehigh, Sr.
OL: Tim O'Hara, Lehigh, Sr.
OL: Brandon Short, Lehigh, Sr.
PK: Chris Puzzi, Colgate, So.
RS: C.J. Amill, Lafayette, Jr
First-Team Defense%
DL: Abdullah Anderson, Bucknell, Sr.
DL: Pat Afriyie, Colgate, Sr.
DL: Nick Wheeler, Colgate, So.
DL: Khristian Tate, Georgetown, So.
LB: Ben Richard, Bucknell, Sr.
LB: Mark Pyles, Bucknell, Sr.
LB: Nick McBeath, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB: Brandon Bryant, Lafayette, Sr.
DB: Abu Daramy-Swaray, Colgate, So.
DB: Tyler Castillo, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Alec Wisniewski, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Dylan Mabin, Fordham, Jr.
DB: Phillip Parham, Lafayette, Sr.
P: Alex Pechin, Bucknell, Jr.
Special Teams Non-Specialist (STNS): Ahmad Wilson, Georgetown, Fr. LB
Second-Team Offense#
QB: Peter Pujals, Holy Cross, Sr.
RB: Alex Mathews, Colgate, So.
RB: Chase Edmonds, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Thomas Ives, Colgate, Jr.
WR: Michael Dereus, Georgetown, So.
WR: Blaise Bell, Holy Cross, Sr.
TE: Isaiah Searight, Fordham, Jr.
OL: Chase Watkins, Bucknell, Sr.
OL: Scott Hirshman, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Ben Hartman, Fordham, Sr.
OL: James Murray, Holy Cross, Sr.
PK: John Burdick, Bucknell, Sr.
PK: Ed Mish, Lehigh, Jr.
RS: Isaac Ellsworth, Georgetown, Sr.
Second-Team Defense%
DL: Teddy Capsis, Holy Cross, Jr.
DL: Jack Kutschke, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL: Tyler Cavenas, Lehigh, Sr.
DL: Matt Rothrock, Lafayette, Sr.
LB: Simeon Page, Bucknell, Fr.
LB: Trent Williams, Colgate, Sr.
LB: Glenn Cunningham, Fordham, Fr.
LB: Jerry Powe, Lafayette, Jr.
DB: Colin Jonov, Bucknell, Sr.
DB: Antonio Jackson, Fordham, Jr.
DB: David Akere, Georgetown, Sr.
DB: Eric Mitchell, Lafayette, So.
P: Michael Turk, Lafayette, Fr.
STNS: Jack McCabe, Holy Cross, Jr., LB
^ Six first-team offensive lineman due to a tie in voting; four offensive lineman chosen for second-team
& Five first-team defensive backs due to a tie in voting
# Two placekickers due to a tie in voting
% Four second-team defensive backs due to a tie in voting
Players Mentioned
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