Thomas More lands top spot on PAC preseason football poll 8/6/2014 4:08:56 PM Photo Gallery 2014 PAC Players to Watch Media Day Q&A Videos PAC 60th anniversary football team LATROBE, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – For the fifth time since joining the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) the Thomas More College football program has been tabbed as the league favorite, according to the 2014 PAC Preseason Football Poll, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches, sports information directors, and media panel. The preseason poll was announced this afternoon at PAC Football Media Day, hosted by Saint Vincent College at the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion in Latrobe, Pa. Thomas More garnered 29 first-place votes and a total of 367 points to headline this year’s preseason poll. Washington & Jefferson College was second with two first-place votes and 330 points, followed by Waynesburg University in third place with one first-place vote and 293 points. Case Western Reserve University was picked to finish fourth with one first-place vote and 246 points, followed by Bethany College in fifth with one first-place vote and 202 points. Geneva College was picked to finish sixth (200), followed by Carnegie Mellon University in seventh (157), Grove City College in eighth (154), Thiel College in ninth (149), Westminster College in 10th (96), and Saint Vincent in 11th (46). Thomas More and seventh-year head coach Jim Hilvert earned a share of the conference title in 2013, finishing the season 9-1 overall and 7-1 in PAC action. Heading into the 2014 season the Saints have either claimed outright or shared a PAC football title five times since joining the league in 2005. "Being selected number one in the PAC’s preseason poll is a credit to both our past and present players. We still have to go out every Saturday and play with a chip on our shoulder. When adversity presents itself during the season, we need to be able to overcome it. We have to come together as a team and have championship intensity every single day to achieve all of our 2014 goals,” said Hilvert. The Saints were also picked as PAC preseason football favorites heading into the 2009-2012 seasons. Also announced at this afternoon’s Media Day was the PAC’s 60th anniversary football team. The PAC, formally organized in 1955 by Case Institute of Technology, Western Reserve University, John Carroll University, and Wayne State University, is celebrating its 60th anniversary throughout the 2014-15 academic year. The 60th anniversary celebratory team was created to honor outstanding PAC student-athletes that have competed as members of both present, and past, PAC-affiliated institutions. The league football schedule gets underway on Saturday, Sept. 6, with the PAC Kickoff 2014 matchup and 29th Annual Academic Bowl between Carnegie Mellon and Case Western Reserve at DiSanto Field in Cleveland (7 p.m.). The Spartans and Tartans have met annually since 1970, but the matchup wasn't designated as the Academic Bowl until 1986. Carnegie Mellon and Case Western Reserve are in their first seasons as affiliate members of the PAC in football, but are no strangers to the PAC. Case Western Reserve is a charter member of the PAC and competed for league championships until the 1983-84 academic year, while Carnegie Mellon held its PAC membership between 1972 and 1990. 2014 PAC Football Preseason Poll School (first-place votes) Points 2013 Record (PAC) 1. Thomas More College (29) 367 9-1 (7-1) 2. Washington & Jefferson College (2) 330 8-3 (7-1) 3. Waynesburg University (1) 293 7-4 (5-3) 4. Case Western Reserve University (1) 246 5-4 5. Bethany College (1) 202 4-6 (4-4) 6. Geneva College 200 5-5 (4-4) 7. Carnegie Mellon University 157 3-7 8. Grove City College 154 5-5 (3-5) 9. Thiel College 149 3-7 (3-5) 10. Westminster College 96 4-6 (3-5) 11. Saint Vincent College 46 0-10 (0-8) 2014 PAC Football Players to Watch Bethany Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Phil Acrie Sr. RB Pittsburgh, Pa. / Linsley Stephen Amic Sr. K/P McDonald, Pa. / West Allegheny Eric Blinn Jr. WR Beaver, Pa. / Western Beaver Wyssmy Despagne Sr. DB Riverdale, Md. / Parkdale Khallid Pierce So. DE Youngstown, Ohio / Ursuline Carnegie Mellon Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Alex D'Angelo Sr. OLB Chagrin Falls, Ohio / St. Edward Vince Demarchi Jr. CB Chesterland, Ohio / West Geauga Dustin Schneider Sr. DL Hampton, N.J. / North Hunterdon Tim Swanson Sr. WR Millburn, N.J. / Millburn Troy Witt Jr. RB Cranberry Twp., Pa. / Seneca Valley Case Western Reserve Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Billy Beecher Sr. QB Palmyra, Pa. / Palmyra Area Everett Dishong Jr. OLB Chagrin Falls, Ohio / Chagrin Falls Sean Lapcevic Sr. WR Presto, Pa. / Chartiers Valley Gavin Sandidge Jr. ILB Pittsburgh, Pa. / Central Catholic Justin Williams Jr. DE Irwin, Pa. / Penn-Trafford Geneva Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Lemuel Fuller Jr. QB/WR Forest Park, Ga. / Forest Park Dylan Jones Jr. RB New Castle, Pa. / Laurel Tim Martin So. DB Moon Twp., Pa. / Moon Ed Schuster Sr. DB/P Winter Springs, Fla. / Winter Springs Grove City Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Steve Maskrey Jr. TB Cranesville, Pa. / Northwestern Josh Peach Jr. QB Hartville, Ohio / Lake Jason Skyrm Sr. OLB Harleysville, Pa. / Souderton Bobby Tuttle Jr. ILB Pittsburgh, Pa. / Upper Saint Clair Saint Vincent Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Dwayne Brown Jr. DB Baltimore, Md. / Mount St Joseph Matt Duffey Sr. WR Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan Renny LaRue-Holloman Jr. SS Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel Mike Mackowick Sr. OL Monroeville, Pa. / Central Catholic Nick Revis Sr. LB North Huntingdon, Pa. / Norwin Thiel Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Jason Crystol Sr. OL Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway Martae Hainesworth Sr. DB Warren, Ohio / Warren JFK Cody McClelland Sr. DE Sarver, Pa. / Freeport Josh Potter Jr. RB Chipley, Fla. / Chipley Wes Schmidt Sr. MLB Kittanning, Pa. / Kittanning Thomas More Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Erick Butler Jr. DL Eminence, Ky. / Henry County Jake Fishburn Sr. DB Cincinnati, Ohio / Elder Domonique Hayden Sr. RB Lexington, Ky. / Lexington Christian Academy Jake Henderson Jr. OL Fort Wright, Ky. / Covington Catholic Ryan Winkler Sr. WR Independence, Ky. / Simon Kenton Washington & Jefferson Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Max Creighan Sr. WR Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills Zack Crossey Jr. OL Irwin, Pa. / Penn-Trafford Jared Pratt Sr. LB Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park Jon Turner Jr. DE Freeport, Pa. / Freeport John Wanner Sr. OL Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills Waynesburg Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Andrew English Sr. WR East Liverpool, Ohio / East Liverpool Carter Hill Sr. QB Columbiana, Ohio / Crestview John Sikora Jr. LB Campbell, Ohio / Campbell Memorial Bernie Thompson Sr. WR Loomis, Ohio / Union Local J.T. Thompson Sr. DL East Liverpool, Ohio / East Liverpool Westminster Name Yr. Pos. Hometown / High School Richard Ellabie Sr. DL New Wilmington, Pa. / Kennedy Christian Nick Fiorentino Jr. OL Franklin, Pa. / Franklin Jared Heck Sr. DB Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Hills Corey Neill Sr. LB Aliquippa, Pa. / Central Valley Jacob Schnelbach Jr. P Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bishop Canevin