Aug 3, 2021 3 min read

LATROBE – If Washington & Jefferson College’s football team wants to get back on the PAC winning track, then the Presidents will have to plow through Westminster.

At the PAC media day, the Titans came away with 21 first-place votes from the media, head coaches and sports information directors, making them the team to beat this season.

W&J was second with six first-place votes and 299 points. Case Western Reserve was third with seven first-place votes and 281 points. Grove City got the final first-place vote, finishing with 229 points, placing fourth.

Waynesburg was ninth in the 10-team league.

“We are honored and humbled to be picked preseason No. 1. I believe that distinction is more of a reward for our spring season. Moving forward and preparing for the fall season is our team’s main focus. We are eager to compete,” said eighth-year head coach Scott Benzel, who led the Titans to their first PAC title in the spring.

It came in the form of a 27-20 victory in April’s PAC championship game. The season was cut to five games to determine the PAC champion, because of the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down football in the fall.

“It’s an honor to be at Westminster, where we won national championships, had All-America players, we’ve had undefeated seasons,” said Benzel. “The great internal pressure for the program is walking down the halls and seeing all national championship trophies. I was talking to Coach (Joe) Fusco last week and he continues to tell me he’s with me win or draw.”

W&J meanwhile had to deal with the COVID-19 virus taking away three players for the shortened season and tailback Joey Koroly for the Westminster game. W&J quarterback Justin Heacock had his worst game as a college quarterback, throwing three interceptions Westminster eventually turned into touchdowns.

“Our defense should have been mad at the offensive coordinator,” said Mike Sirianni, who is the team’s head coach when he’s not being bothered as the team’s offensive coordinator.

“The (defense) did enough, times 10, to win that football game. We lost that game on offense. It could have been said the same for the season before. Our defense has been lights out for the last two seasons. This might be the two best defenses we’ve ever had here.”

W&J will have other problems to worry about early in the season. The Presidents will scrimmage national powerhouse Mount Union twice and open the season at John Carroll Sept. 4.

Before the coaches’ session got underway, two awards were handed out. Because there was no fall season, Ken “Stats” Wunderley and Thiel play-by-play radio man Hugh Ringer were presented with the Dow Carnahan Media Award.

Wunderley has been a freelance writer for a number of newspapers, including the Observer-Reporter. He is a member of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame (2003) and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Pennsylvania Chapter for Lifetime Service to Wrestling (2010).

Presidents’ Athletic Conference

Preseason Poll

1. Westminster

2. Washington & Jefferson

3. Case Western Reserve

4. Grove City

5. Carnegie Mellon

6. Geneva

7. Saint Vincent

8. Bethany

9. Waynesburg

10. Thiel