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Dartmouth announces captains

HANOVER —  Dartmouth has announced the four captains that will lead the Big Green football team this fall: fifth-years Tanner Cross, Derek Kyler and Niko Mermigas, along with senior Robbie Mangas.

Cross, a 6-1, 220-pound linebacker from Fort Smith, Ark., was a prominent reserve at middle linebacker for the 2019 Dartmouth squad that won a share of its conference-record 19th Ivy League title. Appearing in all 10 games, he had 14 tackles, including an assisted stop for a loss, one interception and a blocked punt. For his career, Cross has played in 20 games and made 22 tackles.

A 6-0, 180-pound quarterback from DeKalb, Ill., Kyler is Dartmouth’s most accurate passer in program history having completed 68.2 percent of his passes (193-of-283) for 2,437 yards and 25 touchdowns with just five interceptions. In the previous two seasons, he split time behind center with Jared Gerbino as the duo made for a potent weapon, leading the Big Green to the second-highest scoring team in the league both years while among the top 25 in the FCS as well. Kyler is also adept at running the ball, gaining nearly four yards per carry on his 78 career attempts.

Mermigas, a 6-0, 200-pound safety from Wexford, Pa., is the Big Green’s second-leading returning tackler from the 2019 campaign, starting all 10 games with 47 stops to his name as well as an interception and five pass breakups. An All-Ivy honorable mention as a junior, Mermigas has played all but four games during his career in Hanover, making 62 tackles, two for a loss, with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

A big-play tight end, Mangas will be one of Kyler’s primary targets this fall. A 6-4, 260-pound native of Chantilly, Va., has played in 19 of the 20 games thus far in his career, using his soft hands to haul in 13 passes for 312 yards (24.0 yards per reception) and three touchdowns. He is also an adept blocker, contributing to the Ivy League’s top-ranked rushing offense in 2019.

Dartmouth opens the 2021 season Sept. 18 at Valparaiso for the first meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.

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NOTES: This is the fourth time that Dartmouth will have four captains and the first time since the 2007 team (Justin Cottrell, Jared Dowdakin, Taylor Layman and Ian Wilson). … The two other years with four were 2004 (Ryan Conger, Chris Dodds, Chris Little, Clayton Smith) and 1999 (Reggie Belhomme, Caleb Moore, Thomas Reusser and Kyle Schroeder).

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