Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh Welcomes Four Additions to Football Class of 2021
6/21/2017 4:01:00 PM | Football
Release:Â Lehigh Announces 15 As Part Of Football Class Of 2021
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head coach Andy Coen has announced the addition of four student-athletes to Lehigh's 2017 recruiting class. The additions of offensive lineman Matt Fest, tight end Chris Renna, linebacker Erik Slater and defensive lineman Zachary Troxell increase the size of Lehigh's Class of 2021 to 19. The initial 15 members of the class were announced on National Signing Day in February.
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Three of the four additions hail from New Jersey, including Troxell, who attended Phillipsburg High School, just across the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border. Fest comes from New Hope, Pa., a mere hour from Lehigh's campus.
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(6/21/2017) Football additions to Class of 2021
Fest becomes the third offensive lineman in the incoming class. He is a three-time first team All-League and three-time All-Area selection for New Hope-Solebury High School. A two-time second-team All-State selection, Fest played on a pair of league and district championship teams and also lettered in wrestling, where he was a league champion and district runner-up.
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Renna hails from Mt. Laurel, N.J. and prepped at The Hun School, which also produced rising juniors Donavon Harris and Thomas Zuewsky. A member of the All-MADL and All-New Jersey Prep School teams, Renna will add to Lehigh's depth at tight end. His Hun School team won 22 straight games at one point and three consecutive MADL championships. Renna also was a four-year letter winner in lacrosse.
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Slater comes to Lehigh from Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, N.J. and becomes the third linebacker in the incoming class. He was first team All-County and second team All-State as a senior. As a junior, Slater's high school team won a state title and Northern New Jersey Team of the Year honors. Slater was also an all-league performer in baseball and basketball.
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Troxell was a three-year starter at both tight end and defensive end at Phillipsburg and will work as a defensive end for the Mountain Hawks. He earned All-Conference honors as a senior and was part of a pair of New Jersey North 2, Group 4 state championship teams. Troxell was also a four-year starter in basketball and honorable mention All-Conference performer as a junior for the Stateliners.
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The Mountain Hawks are coming off a 9-3 campaign in 2016 that featured the program's 11th Patriot League football championship and ECAC FCS Team of the Year honors. Lehigh will open preseason camp in early August and will begin the regular season with an expected top 25 showdown against Villanova at Goodman Stadium on Saturday, September 2.
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Matt Fest – OL; 6-3/265; New Hope, Pa./New Hope-Solebury; Arts and Sciences
Three-time first team All-League… Three-time All-area selection… Two-time All-Eastern PA selection… League 6 Defensive MVP… Two-time second team All-State… Member of two-time District Championship team in 2013 and 2015… Member of two-time league championship team in 2013 and 2016… 2016 league champion and district runner-up in wrestling… Mini Maxwell Award winner… Honor Roll every semester… National Honor Society member… Eagle Scout… Black belt.
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Coen on Fest: "Matt had a great career at New Hope-Solebury. He is very physical and can play multiple positions along the offensive line. His best football is yet to come."
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Chris Renna – TE; 6-2/220; Mt. Laurel, N.J./The Hun School; Business
All-MADL and all-NJ Prep teams… Team won 22 straight games and won MADL championship three straight years… Team was ranked No. 1 prep school by Max Preps… Four-year letter winner for lacrosse… Honor roll student.
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Coen on Renna: "Chris is a very strong all-around athlete as evidenced by his successes in football and lacrosse in high school. He plays physical and can catch and run."
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Erik Slater – LB; 6-2/225; Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan; Arts and SciencesÂ
In 2016 was first team All-County and second team All-State… Was part of 2016 North I Group-3 state championship runner-up team… was part of 2015 North I Group 4 state championship team that also won North NJ Team of the Year… also first team All-League in both baseball and basketball in 2016.
Coen on Slater: "Erik is a physical and versatile linebacker who may be able to help us on special teams early on."
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Zachary Troxell – DL; 6-2/230; Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg; Business
Three-year starter on both sides of field… first team Mid-State 38 conference in 2016… was part of 2013 and 2014 New Jersey North 2, Group 4 state championship team… 2016 honorable mention for Skyland Conference for basketball… four-year starter in basketball… AP Scholar… member of National Honor Society.
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Coen on Troxell: "Zac was a strong two-way player at Phillipsburg and will join our defensive line. He can really run and is a very smart football player."
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head coach Andy Coen has announced the addition of four student-athletes to Lehigh's 2017 recruiting class. The additions of offensive lineman Matt Fest, tight end Chris Renna, linebacker Erik Slater and defensive lineman Zachary Troxell increase the size of Lehigh's Class of 2021 to 19. The initial 15 members of the class were announced on National Signing Day in February.
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Three of the four additions hail from New Jersey, including Troxell, who attended Phillipsburg High School, just across the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border. Fest comes from New Hope, Pa., a mere hour from Lehigh's campus.
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Fest becomes the third offensive lineman in the incoming class. He is a three-time first team All-League and three-time All-Area selection for New Hope-Solebury High School. A two-time second-team All-State selection, Fest played on a pair of league and district championship teams and also lettered in wrestling, where he was a league champion and district runner-up.
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Renna hails from Mt. Laurel, N.J. and prepped at The Hun School, which also produced rising juniors Donavon Harris and Thomas Zuewsky. A member of the All-MADL and All-New Jersey Prep School teams, Renna will add to Lehigh's depth at tight end. His Hun School team won 22 straight games at one point and three consecutive MADL championships. Renna also was a four-year letter winner in lacrosse.
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Slater comes to Lehigh from Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, N.J. and becomes the third linebacker in the incoming class. He was first team All-County and second team All-State as a senior. As a junior, Slater's high school team won a state title and Northern New Jersey Team of the Year honors. Slater was also an all-league performer in baseball and basketball.
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Troxell was a three-year starter at both tight end and defensive end at Phillipsburg and will work as a defensive end for the Mountain Hawks. He earned All-Conference honors as a senior and was part of a pair of New Jersey North 2, Group 4 state championship teams. Troxell was also a four-year starter in basketball and honorable mention All-Conference performer as a junior for the Stateliners.
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The Mountain Hawks are coming off a 9-3 campaign in 2016 that featured the program's 11th Patriot League football championship and ECAC FCS Team of the Year honors. Lehigh will open preseason camp in early August and will begin the regular season with an expected top 25 showdown against Villanova at Goodman Stadium on Saturday, September 2.
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Matt Fest – OL; 6-3/265; New Hope, Pa./New Hope-Solebury; Arts and Sciences
Three-time first team All-League… Three-time All-area selection… Two-time All-Eastern PA selection… League 6 Defensive MVP… Two-time second team All-State… Member of two-time District Championship team in 2013 and 2015… Member of two-time league championship team in 2013 and 2016… 2016 league champion and district runner-up in wrestling… Mini Maxwell Award winner… Honor Roll every semester… National Honor Society member… Eagle Scout… Black belt.
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Coen on Fest: "Matt had a great career at New Hope-Solebury. He is very physical and can play multiple positions along the offensive line. His best football is yet to come."
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Chris Renna – TE; 6-2/220; Mt. Laurel, N.J./The Hun School; Business
All-MADL and all-NJ Prep teams… Team won 22 straight games and won MADL championship three straight years… Team was ranked No. 1 prep school by Max Preps… Four-year letter winner for lacrosse… Honor roll student.
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Coen on Renna: "Chris is a very strong all-around athlete as evidenced by his successes in football and lacrosse in high school. He plays physical and can catch and run."
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Erik Slater – LB; 6-2/225; Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan; Arts and SciencesÂ
In 2016 was first team All-County and second team All-State… Was part of 2016 North I Group-3 state championship runner-up team… was part of 2015 North I Group 4 state championship team that also won North NJ Team of the Year… also first team All-League in both baseball and basketball in 2016.
Coen on Slater: "Erik is a physical and versatile linebacker who may be able to help us on special teams early on."
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Zachary Troxell – DL; 6-2/230; Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg; Business
Three-year starter on both sides of field… first team Mid-State 38 conference in 2016… was part of 2013 and 2014 New Jersey North 2, Group 4 state championship team… 2016 honorable mention for Skyland Conference for basketball… four-year starter in basketball… AP Scholar… member of National Honor Society.
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Coen on Troxell: "Zac was a strong two-way player at Phillipsburg and will join our defensive line. He can really run and is a very smart football player."
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