Sirianni shares PAC’s Coach of Year award
Observer-Reporter
Mike Sirianni got W&J off to a strong start to the season, a 21-14 win over No. 11 John Carroll.
Washington & Jefferson football head coach Mike Sirianni was named Presidents’ Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year and 15 Presidents were recognized on the All-PAC team, the league announced Tuesday.
Sirianni shared the award with Case Western Reserve’s 14th-year head coach Greg Debeljak.
In his 15th season as head coach, Sirianni has guided the Presidents to a 10-0 record and 8-0 PAC mark. It’s the Presidents’ 13th undefeated regular season (third under Sirianni) and 25th PAC championship (seventh under Sirianni). W&J will play John Hopkins in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs Saturday at Cameron Stadium. It is W&J’s 25th appearance in the tournament field and the 10th time under Sirianni.
Six Presidents garnered first team All-PAC recognition: senior cornerback O’Shea Anderson, senior defensive end Tom Marra, senior safety Luke Merhaut, senior linebacker Nick Murgo, senior offensive lineman Andrew Reo and senior wide receiver Jesse Zubik. Second team recognition went to senior offensive lineman Matt Babbit.
Anderson leads the conference with 16 passes defended and six interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. Marra is tied for second in the PAC with a team-leading and career-high 16 tackles for loss to go with five sacks. Merhaut is second on the team with 63 tackles while Murgo, who has the third most career tackles among active Division III players (391), leads the Presidents and is sixth in the conference with 87 tackles, plus three sacks, three interceptions, three pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Zubik, one of the most prolific wide receivers in Division III history, has had another strong season as he has broken the PAC career yards and receiving touchdowns records as well as the W&J career receptions mark. He has 65 receptions for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns to go with career numbers of 272 catches, 4,558 yards and 51 touchdowns in 42 games. Reo and Babbit are integral parts of an offensive line that paved the way for the No. 2 offense in the PAC (476.0 yards per game) and No. 3 scoring offense (38.0 points per game).
Waynesburg did not have a first team selection. Junior defensive back Justin Willkow was named to the second team after intercepting two passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and having a team-leading four pass breakups.
Eight from W&J received honorable mention: junior offensive lineman Phillip Bobich, senior tight end Jake Cullen, senior wide receiver Cody Hearst, senior defensive lineman Freddie McKissick, sophomore defensive lineman Jeffrey Oxner, junior linebacker Zac Quattrone, senior quarterback Alex Rowse and junior safety Zach Royba.
Waynesburg’s honorable mention selections were junior linebacker John-Glen Davis, senior linebacker Brent Blacharczyk, senior linebacker Tristan Sandrosky, senior defensive lineman James Roundtree III, sophomore offensive lineman Alex Paulina, sophomore all-purpose player Chad Walker, senior punter R.J. Leon and freshman kick returner JaWuan Jones.
Case Western Reserve senior quarterback Rob was named the PAC Offensive Most Valuable Player, and PAC Defensive Most Valuable Player honors went to Westminster senior defensive back Todd Jeter. Grove City freshman wide receiver Cody Gustafson was named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year.