W&J rolls over Westminster
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington & Jefferson’s Owen Petrisek, a Bentworth graduate, breaks past Westminster’s Dayshawn Elliot for a 27-yard touchdown run during Saturday’s game at Cameron Stadium.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington & Jefferson running back Troy Volpatti fights off a tackle attempt by Westminster’s Matthew Randza during Saturday’s game.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington & Jefferson's Zach Cernuto celebrates after scoring a touchdown during Saturday's game against Westminster.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Westminster's Matthew Randza (12) closes in on W&J running back Justin Huss as Huss runs for a first down in Saturday's game.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
W&J wide receiver John Peduzzi is caught from behind by Westminster's Matthew Randza (12) after pulling in a reception from Jake Pugh during Saturday's game at Cameron Stadium.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
W&J running back and Bentworth graduate Owen Petrisek celebrates a touchdown he scored with teammate Seth Kuhns during the Presidents' 48-3 victory over Westminster on Saturday at Cameron Stadium.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
W&J head coach Mike Sirianni speaks to his team after Saturday's game against Westminster at Cameron Stadium. The Presidents won the game, 48-3.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington & Jefferson head coach Mike Siriani had plenty to smile about Saturday in the Presidents' 48-3 victory over Westminster at Cameron Stadium.
At this year’s PAC media day, head coach Mike Sirianni said the Washington & Jefferson football team could not just be a good team if the Presidents wanted to get back to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
The Presidents would have to be better. Better than last year’s 9-2 record. Better than the team that lost to Carnegie Mellon and Case Western Reserve during last year’s regular season.
Fans got a look at what a better W&J team looked like Saturday afternoon at Cameron Stadium with a 48-3 dismantling of Westminster in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference game.
“We’re not 48-3 better than them,” said Sirianni. “In the first half, they had a touchdown called back. We got some breaks in the first half. They’re going to win some games.”
H-back Zach Cernuto had a career game, scoring three touchdowns, and caught three passes for 33 yards for W&J (3-0, 3-0).
“I’ve had some three-touchdown games in high school but never in college,” said Cernuto, a graduate of Southmoreland High School. “I think we’re putting it all together. Offense and defense. The defense is playing great as usual. Offensively, we’re picking it up better. We’re playing more like a team.”
Quarterback Jacob Pugh completed 15 of 23 attempts for 242 yards. He hit Cernuto with a 5-yard scoring pass and Raymond Holmes for a 7-yard score in the third quarter to make it 34-3.
Owen Petrisek, a graduate of Bentworth High School, came off the bench and ran for two touchdowns, a 27-yarder and 49-yard romp in the fourth quarter. Troy Volpatti had a 10-yard scoring run to start the second half.
“I want to say yes, it was a surprise to go out and beat them the way we did,” Pugh said. “They’ve had our number. We beat them last year, but before that, they won four straight. They are a great program and are coached really well.
“Our offense line played really well. We ran the ball really well. I’m proud of the way we played. Coach is right. We’re a good team. We want to be great. We’ll get there.”
The W&J defense made three stops of Westminster inside the red zone. Inside linebacker Justin Jones had a team-high nine tackles.
“We’re just not a very good football team right now,” said Westminster head coach Scott Benzel. “We’re banged up, we’re inexperienced and we have to grow up. I don’t think anyone expects to get beat 48-3.”
For Westminster (1-2, 1-2), the game was lost in the first half. The Titans had a touchdown pass called back because of a penalty and muffed a punt, which W&J recovered.
Midway through the second quarter, Westminster drove to the W&J 13-yard line. On fourth down, a Ty McGowan pass to Chevy Dawson was caught for a first down but Dawson fumbled the football and Avery Keith recovered for W&J.
W&J’s defense held Westminster to 136 yards of total yards and recovered two fumbles. W&J rolled up 243 yards of total offense and did not turn the ball over in the first half.
Cernuto, who came into the game with one touchdown, tripled that amount in one half of play.
Cernuto opened the scoring with a 1-yard run five minutes into the game, then scored on a 5-yard pass from Pugh to make it 14-0 with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Cernuto’s third touchdown was another 1-yard run that made it 21-0.