Are you ready for some football? W&J, Waynesburg are
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
The football teams at Washington & Jefferson and Waynesburg will play their first game since 2019 tonight when they meet at John F. Wiley Stadium to begin the Presidents’ Athletic Conference schedule. The season was delayed from fall 2020 because of the coronovirus pandemic.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Mike Sirianni has won at least eight games with W&J since 2012, except the COVID-19 year of 2020.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Waynesburg and head coach Chris Smithley will try to end the season with two consecutive wins.
If it’s March, then it must be football season, right?
And if it’s March 26, then W&J must be playing Waynesburg in its annual rivalry game, right?
Well, the timing might be a little off but these two proud programs are getting together tonight at John F. Wiley Stadium to open the spring football season.
Kickoff is 7 p.m.
This will be the first snap of the football in anger in 16 months for these two teams and each will play a 5-game schedule that will decide the finalists of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.
The long delay was caused by the nasty COVID-19 pandemic, which shuttered not only football but all fall sports in the PAC and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The PAC decided to resume play in the spring and the PSAC decided to wait until next fall.
“It feels great to be back,” said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni. “Safety first, but it’s great to be back. My initial feeling about starting back up in the spring was that’s great but let’s protect or players because they are going to play in the fall and there is going to be an NCAA playoff in the fall. Ultimately, we would like to win a national championship. You can’t play for one in the spring.
“But I’ve changed my tune. We’re going to play as hard as we can and if someone gets hurt, they get hurt. We’re going to play these five games with all-out effort. We’re going to play to win and part of that is ours are itching to play. My focus was on John Carroll in the fall. Now, my focus is these five games and let’s win them for our seniors.”
W&J will have 10 seniors and five starters who won’t be playing because of violation of school COVID-19 rules.
Other rules for W&J home games include:
Washington & Jefferson College will continue to adhere to all federal, state, county and city policies, including mandatory masks at all times in W&J stadiums.
At all outdoor sport venues, each student-athlete on the active roster will be provided two, non-transferrable season tickets for home events for parents. Parent spectators must possess proof of tickets for each game
Parent spectators must sit in marked areas in designated seating areas of each facility and no visiting team spectators will be allowed at any events, per Presidents’ Athletic Conference policy.
Waynesburg will have no visiting fans. Each player will be allowed a pass to provide a fan into the game and passes will be allotted to certain staff at Waynesburg.
“It’s a sacrifice. You have to be disciplined,” said Sirianni. “I like going out to dinner and to the movies with my wife and I haven’t done that for a year and a month.”
Just 30 miles to the south, Waynesburg is looking to shake off the effects of a 1-9 season in 2019.
“Everybody’s excited. Everybody is looking forward to getting back on the field,” said Waynesburg head coach Chris Smithley. “It’s just a different world we’re living in here. We’re looking to get better one snap at a time. Now, we get a chance to do that against a team with a different colored jersey and we’re thankful for that.”
Smithley said playing W&J first just means you have to be flexible. Waynesburg was supposed to open the season March 19 with Carnegie-Mellon but the gamewas postponed until next Thursday at Wiley Stadium.
“It’s been a journey,” said Smithley. “We’re taking it one step at a time and approach it the same way every day.”
W&J will unveil a new quarterback, Justin Heacock, a junior from New Concord, Ohio. Heacock was a backup to Jacob Adams, a two-year starter. Heacock completed 27 of 43 passes for 319 yards. He had two interceptions and one touchdown.
“I don’t have any nerves. I feel like we’re prepared,” said Heacock. “We’ll just go out and have some fun.”
Heacock has good bloodlines. His father was head football coach at Muskingum from 1988 to 1995, compiling a record of 37-49-2.
His uncle Jon is the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Iowa State and was the head coach at Youngstown State from 2001 to 2009, compiling a record of 60-44.
His uncle Jim served as the head coach at Illinois State from 1988 to 1995, compiling a record of 37-49-2, and was later the defensive coordinator at Ohio State.
W&J returns Trinity graduate Joey Koroly at tailback and junior wide receiver Andrew Wolf.
Waynesburg welcomes back junior Mason Schrenker at quarterback but Smithley is eager to see what Towson transfer Tyler Raines can do.
“Mason has been doing a great job,” said Smithley. “He’s taken a lot of steps forward.”
Sophomore Justin Flack is expected to carry the load in the running game with Nick Hall of Belle Vernon his back-up.