NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport defensive standouts Ben James and Jake Herzog were both named Academic All-District on Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors (CoSIDA). James and Herzog as well as the rest of the Captains are preparing to conclude the 2019 season on the road Saturday at Wesley College in Dover, Delaware.

James, a senior lineman from Virginia Beach, is a Psychology major with a GPA of 3.82. He was a first team All-Conference selection last year in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and was also an All-State honoree. James was named the Defensive Lineman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Richmond following his junior season. He has recorded 55 tackles and 5.5 sacks this season to give him 15 for his career, just 2.5 sacks shy of the all-time school record.

Herzog, a junior defensive back from Springfield, is a Criminology major with a 3.79 GPA. He joined the Captains squad this season and leads the team with six interceptions. He is just one away from the all-time single season record for picks, and has also posted 27 tackles.

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The Captains have a 2-7 overall record and a mark of 2-4 in the NJAC heading into Saturday's finale at Wesley. The Wolverines are 8-1 and 5-1 and are ranked 12th in the country. Wesley has won four straight games since losing their only game of the year to Salisbury on October 12th, 45-38. The meeting will be the seventh all-time of the programs, and the Wolverines hold a 4-2 lead in the series.

Christopher Newport is coming off a 27-23 loss at home to Rowan last Saturday. Wesley defeated Kean last week, 27-13, and the Wolverines have a chance to gain an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The 32-team field will be announced on Sunday by the NCAA, and Salisbury (7-1, 6-0) has already captured the NJAC's title and automatic bid.

Last year, the Captains and Wolverines concluded the regular season at TowneBank Stadium, and the Captains recorded an exciting 16-14 victory. Senior kicker Dylan Curran scored all 16 points in the game for the Captains with three field goals, a touchdown run, and an extra point. Wesley recorded a 31-14 triumph over the Captains two seasons ago in Dover.

The final game of 2019 will mark the final in a Captains uniform for 14 student-athletes. Saturday's game kicks off at 1:00 p.m. at Scott D. Miller Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on the Christopher Newport/Pepsi Radio Network (Xtra 99.1 FM) with the pre-game show beginning at 12:30 p.m. 

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