By Mark Ambrogi
In his wildest dreams, Brandon Yosha never expected to play in Yankee Stadium. Certainly understandable since the Carmel resident’s talent is running the football not the bases.
Yosha, a Lehigh University sophomore running back, will play in the 150th meeting between Lafayette College and Lehigh on Nov. 22 at Yankee Stadium. The game, which will be televised by the CBS Sports Network, is just billed as The Rivalry.
“It’s a huge game,” said Yosha, a 2012 Cathedral High School graduate. “Our coach said that week of the game is a season in its own. It’s the most played rivalry in college football.”
It’s not only the most played but also has the longest streak of consecutive games between teams with this being the 118th consecutive meeting. Yosha said he has 10 to 15 family members and friends coming to see him play in Yankee Stadium. The game is sold out with nearly 50,000 expected.
“Never in my life did I think I’d be playing in Yankee Stadium,” Yosha said “There’s only been a few football games there.”
Yosha said the players understand the importance between the Patriot League game between in-state Pennsylvania rivals. Lehigh is in Bethleham while Lafayette is in Easton, about 11 miles apart. Lafayette leads the series 77-67-5.
On his official visit last year, Lehigh played Lafayette for the Patriot League championship. After the game, he talked to Lehigh coach Andy Coen about the rivalry and that this year’s game would be in Yankee Stadium. Yosha committed the next day.
Yosha went around the campus the night before the game last year.
“It’s just a huge spectacle,” Yosha said. “There are so many things to do on the campus throughout the week before the game and there are so many traditions.”
Lafayette won last year, breaking a string of Lehigh’s five consecutive victories.
“For them to get two in a row would be big for Lafayette but we’re not going to let that happen,” Yosha said.
Yosha began the season as the starting running back but suffered a knee injury in the third game and was didn’t play for a month. Yosha played in six games, mostly on special teams, as a true freshman walk-on for the University of Miami in 2012. But after a coaching change, Yosha didn’t think he would get as many chances and decided to transfer.
“I’m enjoying it here and I’m making the most out of it academically and athletically,” said Yosha, who rushed for 760 yards as a senior in 2011 for Class 4A state champion Irish.
Yosha was a highly rated prospect nationally before he tore his ACL and meniscus in his knee in a 7-on-7 game before his junior season at Cathedral.
