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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh first-year wide receiver Geoffrey Jamiel was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year and four Mountain Hawks were named to all-league teams as the Patriot League announced its football all-league teams and major awards on Tuesday. Senior safety TyGee Leach was named first team All-Patriot League for the third consecutive season, while Lehigh’s second team honorees included senior defensive lineman Mikhari Sibblis, senior linebacker Nate Norris and junior linebacker Mike DeNucci.
The Patriot League major awards and all-league teams are voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Jamiel becomes just the third Lehigh football player to win the league’s Rookie of the Year award and the first since Dom Bragalone won it in 2015. Lehigh’s leading receiver in 2022, Jamiel hauled in 53 passes for 649 yards and a touchdown. He caught at least three passes in each of Lehigh’s 11 games this season, with a high of seven against Bucknell in October. Jamiel had a season-high 91 receiving yards at Lafayette last weekend and scored his lone touchdown of the season on a 39-yard screen pass at Holy Cross on Nov. 5. During the season, Jamiel was a two-time Patriot League rookie of the Week.
Four of Lehigh’s top five tacklers defensively were honored, with Leach earning his third straight first-team nod.
Leach ranked third on the Mountain Hawks with 78 tackles and added 11.5 tackles for loss to rank second on the team. He picked off a pass at Princeton in late September and was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week following a 14-tackle, three-tackle for loss effort in Lehigh’s 21-19 win at Georgetown on Sept. 10. Leach matched a career high with three tackles for loss at Lafayette on Saturday.
Sibblis was a second team honoree for the second consecutive season. A team captain, Sibblis finished with 40 tackles, six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2022. Sibblis made a season-high eight tackles in Lehigh’s opener at Villanova and added five tackles and 1.5 sacks at Princeton.
Lehigh’s top tackler, DeNucci earns his first career all-league recognition. DeNucci finished with 93 tackles, including 16.5 for loss, and 8.5 sacks as he led the Mountain Hawks in all three categories. Last month, DeNucci was named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS. He was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week after recording 11 tackles and three sacks at Princeton on Sept. 24.
A sixth-year senior, Norris ranked second on the Mountain Hawks with 83 tackles and added six tackles for loss and 3.5 tacks. Norris was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 14 after making a career-high 14 tackles along with 1.5 sacks and the game-clinching interception in Lehigh’s 36-33 win over Colgate. He added a pair of pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his final season in the brown and white.
The other major awards went to Fordham quarterback Tim DeMorat (Offensive Player of the Year), Lafayette defensive lineman Malik Hamm (Defensive Player of the Year) and Holy Cross’ Bob Chesney (Coach of the Year).
2022 Patriot League Football Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr., QB
Defensive Player of the Year: Malik Hamm, Lafayette, 5th., DL
Rookie of the Year: Geoffrey Jamiel, Lehigh, Fr., WR
Dick Biddle Coach of the Year: Bob Chesney, Holy Cross
2022 All Patriot League Football First Team
First Team Offense (15)
QB: Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr.
QB: Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, Jr.
RB: Trey Sneed, Fordham, Gr.
RB: Peter Oliver, Holy Cross, 5th
WR: Dequece Carter, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Fotis Kokosioulis, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Jalen Coker, Holy Cross, Jr.
TE: Mason Gilbert, Lafayette, Jr.
OL: Phil Saleh, Fordham, Sr.
OL: CJ Hanson, Holy Cross, Sr.
OL: Luke Newman, Holy Cross, Jr.
O: Nick Olsofka, Holy Cross, 5th
OL: Eric Schon, Holy Cross, Jr.
PK: Derek Ng, Holy Cross, 5th
RS: Justin Shorter, Holy Cross, Sun.
First Team Defense (14)
DL: Jon Coste, Fordham, Sr.
DL: Dan Kuznetsov, Holy Cross, 5th
DL: Malik Hamm, Lafayette, 5th
DL: Damon Washington, Lafayette, Sr.
LB: Liam Anderson, Holy Cross, 5th
LB: James Conway, Fordham, So.
LB: Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham, Gr.
LB: Marco Olivas, Lafayette, Sr.
DB: Devin Haskins, Holy Cross, Sr.
DB: John Smith, Holy Cross, Sr.
DB: DaRon Gilbert, Lafayette, Sr.
DB: TyGee Leach, Lehigh, Sr.
P: Shelby Pruett, Colgate, Sun.
Special Teams Non-Specialist: Devin Haskins, Holy Cross, Sr.
2022 All Patriot League Football Second Team
Second Team Offense (17) *
QB: Pierce Holley, Georgetown, Sr.
RB: Julius Loughridge, Fordham, Sun.
RB: Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross, Sun.
WR: Mekai Felton, Fordham, Jr.
WR: MJ Wright, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Joshua Tomas, Georgetown, Gr.
TE: Sean Morris, Holy Cross, Sr.
OL: Ethan Pitzel, Bucknell, Jr.
OL: Bardhyl Gashi, Colgate, Jr.
OL: Ryan Joyce, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Lucas Portes, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Mac Hollensteiner, Georgetown, Sr.
Directed by: Talati Polamalu, Georgetown, Sr.
O: Grady Smith, Holy Cross, 5th
PK: Spencer Biscoe, Colgate, Sun.
PK: Brandon Peskin, Fordham, So.
RS: Mason Gudger, Georgetown, Fr.
Second Team Defense (16) *
DL: Coleman Coco, Colgate, Sr.
DL: Ibrahim Kamara, Georgetown, Sr.
DL: Jyaire Stevens, Lafayette, Sr.
DL: Mikhari Sibblis, Lehigh, Sr.
LB: Ben Allen, Bucknell, Sr.
LB: Tyler Flick, Colgate, Sr.
LB: Justin Fonteneaux, Georgetown, Gr.
LB: Mike DeNucci, Lehigh, Jr.
LB: Nate Norris, Lehigh, Sr.
DB: Brent Jackson, Bucknell, Sr.
DB: Gavin Pringle, Bucknell, Sr.
DB: Mikey Jarmolovich, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Stephen Williams II, Fordham, Sr.
DB: Wedner Cadet, Georgetown, Fr.
P: Patrick Haughney, Holy Cross, Sr.
STNS: Brock Biestek, Georgetown, Sun.
*Additional players selected to the second-team offense and defense due to ties in the voting
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