Marranca
Joseph Marranca was named first-team, All-Patriot League tight end this week for his efforts in Lehigh University’s championship football season.
Marranca, fellow Wyoming Area graduate Aaron Crossley, and the rest of the Mountain Hawks are headed to the NCAA Football Championship Series.
Lehigh completed its sixth perfect regular season, won its 14th Patriot League titl,e and matched school records for wins in a season and consecutive wins at 12.
Marranca is regarded as an outstanding run blocker and also caught 11 passes for 91 yards.
The 6-foot-1, 240-pound junior had two catches for 17 yards in a 42-32 victory at rival Lafayette Nov. 22 to lock up the championship and 12-0 regular season.
Marranca played in 11 games as a freshman, then played all 13 games, including six starts, last season. He caught one pass for six yards as a sophomore.
Crossley carried the ball in 11 of this season’s wins, the exception being the Lafayette game.
The sophomore running back carried 40 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns. He also made three tackles.
Crossley had a season-high 29 yards on six carries Nov. 8 against Holy Cross. He had a 2-yard touchdown on his only carry the next week against Colgate.
As a freshman, Crossley carried 30 times for 208 yards, including an 84-yard touchdown against Colgate, and caught a pass for nine yards.
Lehigh is hosting a National Collegiate Athletic Association playoff game for the third time in school history, but is home for a second-round game for the first time ever. The Mountain Hawks have the fifth seed in the 24-team tournament and will play Saturday at noon against the winner of the Villanova-Harvard game.
