MARIETTA, Ohio – Marietta College Head Football Coach
Andy Waddle announced the captains for the Pioneers' upcoming 2023 football season.
Running back
Bryce Agnew (Cleveland, Ohio/Berea-Midpark) and defensive lineman
Chance Knight (Bridgeport, Ohio/The Linsly School) were honored as the team's leaders for the 2023 football campaign. Agnew is a three-time first team All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree and earned fourth team All-American honors last fall. Knight was named to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference first team last year and also earned All-Region first team honors.
Agnew put together another great season last year as he led the OAC in yards per game (137.6), paving the way for a 1,300-yard-plus rushing season. Agnew also scored 16 total touchdowns, with 15 of those as rushing touchdowns, placing him third in the conference. If Agnew can equal his success from 2022, he can place himself in at least the top three all-time in rushing yards and attempts and he is 18 touchdowns away from tying Dante Brown's total of 54.
"Bryce was nearly a unanimous pick by the team," said Coach Waddle of his running back. "Beyond the statistics, he's just really the heart and soul of the offense. He get's tons of respect from teammates and the coaching staff. He also gets respect from our opponents, too. He's an outstanding person to help lead this program."
Knight had a standout season in 2022. He was fourth the OAC with 9.5 sacks, behind teammate
Drake Neuberger's (Norwalk, Ohio/Norwalk) 15.5 sacks. Knight also collected 17 tackles for loss, which was good for fifth in the conference, and forced one fumble on the season. Knight was one of eight OAC football players named to Lindy's Preseason Division III All-America list.
"Chance had an outstanding season last year," said Coach Waddle. "He's consistent. He's a hard worker whether it's on the field during the season or in the weight room in the off season. He gets a lot of respect from his teammates and he will do a great job of rallying the troops on defense. He will continue to set the bar high on what the defensive line can accomplish this season."
This marks the third consecutive year that Agnew was chosen as a team captain by his fellow teammates. This will be Knight first year with the honor, replacing the recently graduated Neuberger who was captain for the past two seasons.
The Pioneers open this season at home against St. John Fisher on September 2nd at 1:00 p.m.
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
