jtuscano@observer-reporter.com
There is a delicious subplot to the season-opening football game for Washington & Jefferson College.
The Presidents, who are the preseason favorite to win the Presidents’ Athletic Conference title, open a promising season against Geneva at Cameron Stadium Saturday night.
That’s the same Geneva College that PAC officials tried for years to lure into the conference, the same Geneva that hung onto its association with the NAIA while just about every other school in Western Pennsylvania was cutting ties, the same Geneva that has not played W&J in 22 years.
The Golden Tornadoes are provisional members of the PAC while their scholarship players make their way out of the program. And they would like nothing better than to ruin the Presidents’ opener in much the way they did Thiel’s in a 20-3 thumping last week.
At least Geneva’s win over Thiel got the attention of W&J’s coaching staff.
“They still have scholarship players in their system but we’re not going to back down from them,” said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni. “Our kids believe they can win. It’s going to be a good game and the start of a good rivalry.”
Geneva’s defense held Thiel to minus-25 yards rushing and defensive end Brian Wilson had a phenomenal game. He led the Golden Tornadoes with 10 tackles, including seven for losses. Wilson also had three sacks, recovered a fumble and batted down a pass.
“This is a really good team,” Sirianni said. “Wilson can play.”
W&J, which holds a 33-19-2 edge in the series, will try to dent that defense with quarterback Bobby Swallow, tailback Kevin Mathews and wide receiver Tom McCafferty. The trio helped propel the Presidents to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs last year.
“Bobby has looked good (in camp),” said Sirianni. “We’ll go at it the same (way this season), establish the running game and take the pressure off him.”
W&J could have an unusual situation in the secondary. For the first time in at least three decades, the Presidents could have brothers starting together on defense.
Sophomore Mike Sedunov and his freshman brother, Craig, could be the starting safeties when they kick it off at 7 p.m. Mike Sedunov is a transfer from Duquesne and Craig walked on at Pitt last month but changed his mind. Both came from Yough High School.
“We recruited them both, when they were in high school,” Sirianni said. “Mike didn’t like Duquesne and then called us. He had a good freshman year. We’re happy to have both.”
Waynesburg at Wooster
Friends and family of Waynesburg head coach Rick Shepas will get a chance to make a short drive to see him coach again when the Yellow Jackets travel to Wooster.
Wooster is about 25 miles from Massillon, where Shepas coached at the legendary Washington High School before coming to Waynesburg.
Shepas is sure to show off running back Robert Heller, a Ringgold graduate who rushed for 230 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-10 victory over Muskingum in Week 1.
Even quarterback Andy Lauterbach got into the act, ripping off a 74-yard run in his first career start. It was the high point for Lauterbach, who completed only four of 16 passes for 40 yards and was intercepted once.
Senior linebacker Brendon Steele is off to a fast start for the Yellow Jackets, registering 10 tackles. Senior safety Stefon Strothers had eight tackles, an interception, broke up three passes and hurried the quarterback once. For that effort, he was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week.
Bloomsburg at California
The offense has teetered and tottered but the defense has been superb in the first two games for California University. That’s why the Vulcans have won both games.
The Vulcans will need both to perform well if they hope to knock off Bloomsburg in a PSAC cross-over game at Adamson Stadium.
Cal enters the game ranked No. 19 and Bloomsburg is No. 12 after knocking off C.W. Post, 42-28. Senior running back Jamar Brittingham rushed for five touchdowns and sophomore quarterback Dan Latorre completed 16 of 20 passes for 282 yards.
They will test a Vulcans’ defense that has allowed just 267 total yards combined and produced four turnovers in the first two games. Linebackers Josh Zunic and Brian Mohr have combined for 37 tackles and Darren Burns has 61/2 quarterback sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown.