SALEM, Va. -- Bates football senior quarterback Brendan Costa is set to become the first Bobcat in program history to compete in the Dream Bowl, a postseason senior All-Star game for small school standouts, set for this Saturday at 7pm. 

Costa (Westport, Mass.) will be joined at the 10th annual Dream Bowl by Bates Senior Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Custavious Patterson. Patterson has had the distinction of serving as a head coach in the Dream Bowl each of the last seven years. The Dream Bowl, which is held at Salem Stadium in Virginia, is played each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But this year it was moved up two days due to weather concerns.

Patterson will coach the "Patriots" as they take on the "Crusaders." In a twist, Costa is expected to line up at wide receiver for the Patriots, although he may play some quarterback as well. He's been preparing to play receiver by working out with Bobcat quarterback junior Liam Foley (Foxboro, Mass.). 

"I've always been a little shorter and just a little bit more nimble than other quarterbacks, so I've just been working on my routes, working on my hands, trying to get accustomed to a new position," Costa said. "It's going to feel different, but I don't think it's anything that I can't do for sure." 

Patterson is excited for Costa to get this opportunity to put his talents to the test against elite FCS and Division II competition. 

"I'm very curious to see him against some of the best players in America and see how this transition to receiver works out for him," Patterson said. "We're going to do everything to put him in position to showcase his abilities, to put him in the best position to get the exposure he deserves."

Costa and Patterson have been a dynamic duo the last few years and this is one last chance for them to work together. Costa is also happy that he gets to play again after he missed the final game of his senior season due to illness. 

"Coach Patterson and I have a great relationship," Costa said. "We're always in the film room together, always in his office together, just breaking down film, talking about what we want to do. He gave me a lot more power this season to look at the field and make the decisions that I wanted to make and I think it worked out." 

Costa received Second Team All-NESCAC honors after a brilliant senior season that saw him break Bates' single-season records for total offense (2,063) and passing yards (1,680). He is the second Bates quarterback to receive All-NESCAC recognition since the awards began in 2000, following Trevor Smith '13 in 2012.

In Week 3, Costa led Bates to a 33-10 win at Tufts, the Bobcats' first victory over the Jumbos since 2013, accounting for 367 yards of offense (254 yards passing, 113 rushing) and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). His performance earned him Division II/III Gold Helmet by the New England Football Writers that week. 

In what would be his final game with the Bobcats in Week 8, Costa threw four touchdown passes in the second half as Bates defeated Bowdoin 25-24, twice overcoming a 10-plus-point deficit in the half.