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Presidents ready for 'toughest region'
jtuscano@observer-reporter.com
If it's November, then that can mean only one thing for Washington & Jefferson College's football team.
It's playoff time.
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Kickoff is noon Saturday.
The Presidents, who have nine undefeated seasons in the school's 116-year history, will make their 19th playoff appearance in the last 23 years.
North Carolina Wesleyan (8-2) is champion of the USA South Conference and became the first team to go through that conference's schedule with an undefeated record, 7-0.
"We expected that," W&J head coach Mike Sirianni said of the matchup. "Our region is the toughest region. No one got moved. No one needed to be moved."
Wesley (9-1) received the No. 2 seed, Muhlenberg (10-0) the third seed and Mary Hardin-Baylor (9-1) the No. 4 seed. If W&J wins its first-round game, the Presidents will play the winner of the first-round game between Trinity, Texas (9-1) and Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Mary Hardin-Baylor was ranked fifth and Muhlenberg 15th in the last d3football.com Top 25 Poll.
"I was surprised Mary Hardin-Baylor got the fourth seed," Sirianni said. "I thought they might get a third. But after last year, when we weren't matched up against Carnegie Mellon, nothing surprises me anymore."
W&J, which captured its 22nd Presidents' Athletic Conference championship but first that came with an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs, is joined by three other No. 1 seeds: Mount Union (10-1), the defending Division III champion; Central (10-0) and Wisconsin-Whitewater; in the 32-team bracket.
The five-week playoff culminates with the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 15 in Salem, Va.
W&J has made the finals twice, in 1992 and '94, but has never won a title.
"Anything less than being in Salem in a few weeks is a disappointment," said W&J defensive back Todd Keenan. "We expect to be there. We know what we have to do and we'll prepare for it."
As the No. 1 seed, W&J could have three home games before the national semifinals. But the going will be difficult as three of the top eight teams in the d3football.com top 25 are in the bracket.
"If you don't come out and play in the playoffs, you're not going to win," Sirianni said. "One through 32, every team is going to present some problems and every team is going to be good.
"It's a neat time of the year and our kids should be excited. We're definitely excited to be in it and we'll see what happens."
