W&J headlines PAC preseason football poll 8/6/2019 3:30:00 PM Composite Schedule PAC Players to Watch 2018 PAC Statistics Q-and-A videos from PAC Football Media Day (On-Demand, courtesy PAC Sports Network) LATROBE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--For the 11th time since 2000, the Washington & Jefferson College football program was tabbed the favorite in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). The results of the league’s annual preseason poll, voted on by PAC head coaches, sports information directors and members of the media, were announced Tuesday afternoon at PAC Football Media Day, hosted for the 13th-straight year by Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. W&J collected 23 first-place votes and totaled 298 points to headline the poll. "It is our expectation to compete for the conference title. The preseason rankings are based on expectations and past results,” said W&J 17th-year head coach Mike Sirianni. “We will have to earn it on the field each week. We will expect to be improved this season. With that being said, teams across the conference will be improved as well." Joining Sirianni at PAC Media Day Tuesday was senior running back Jordan West (Washington, Pa. | Washington). “It is an honor to be selected at the top of the conference in the preseason poll,” West said. “It will take a lot of hard work and focus to finish as the PAC champions at the end of the season.” Case Western Reserve University finished second with six first-place votes and 277 points and was followed by Westminster College in third place with two first-place votes and 241 points. Following a brief welcome from PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko, Westminster Director of Athletics Jim Dafler introduced Dr. David Barner, professor of broadcast communications and chair of the School of Communication at Westminster, as this year’s recipient of the Dow Carnahan Media Award. Carnahan, a longtime supporter and friend of the PAC, passed away unexpectedly on April 29, 2016. The award is presented annually to a distinguished member of the media or on-campus representative for his or her commendable service while covering and promoting the conference’s student-athletes, coaches and programs. Entering his 39th year at Westminster, Dr. Barner has served as department chair since 1994. A devoted supporter of Westminster and its athletic programs, he was presented with the College’s Honorary Titan Award for significant contributions to the athletic program in 1999. He has taught a variety of courses throughout his career while encouraging students to involve themselves in a variety of broadcasting experiences both on-air and behind-the-scenes. In addition to hosting a weekly public service interview show titled "Roundtable" on the College’s radio station, WWNW, 88.9-FM, and serving as the play-by-play announcer for Titan football and basketball, Dr. Barner is also a co-advisor of The Holcad, Westminster’s award-winning, weekly student newspaper that allows students to gain valuable experiences managing, editing and delivering information to the community. Dr. Barner earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Shippensburg University before completing his doctorate in educational communications at the University of Pittsburgh. The 2019 football season opens on Thursday, September 5 when Capital University travels to Westminster College. 2019 PAC Football Preseason Poll (Predicted order of finish) School (first-place votes) Points 2018 Record (PAC) 1. Washington & Jefferson College (23) 298 9-2 (8-1) 2. Case Western Reserve University (6) 277 8-2 (7-2) 3. Westminster College (2) 241 7-4 (7-2) 4. Grove City College 219 8-3 (6-3) 5. Carnegie Mellon University 194 6-4 (5-4) 6. Bethany College 138 5-5 (5-4) 7. Waynesburg University 118 4-6 (4-5) 8. Geneva College 98 2-8 (2-7) 9. Saint Vincent College 77 1-9 (1-8) 10. Thiel College 45 0-10 (0-9) 2019 PAC Football Players to Watch Bethany Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Carlin Bason Sr. QB Gaithersburg, Md. | Gaithersburg Chas Blango Sr. DL Pittsburgh, Pa. | Mount Lebanon Daniel Gibson Sr. DL Braddock, Pa. | Woodland Hills Braylon Sibley Jr. OL McKinney, Texas | McKinney North Raekwon Wright Sr. RB Baltimore, Md. | Patterson Carnegie Mellon Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Chris Haas Sr. RB Coronado, Calif. | Coronado Anthony Kennon Sr. CB Lancaster, Mass. | Nashoba Regional Michael Lohmeier Sr. DE Clarendon Hills, Ill. | Hinsdale Central Willie Richter Sr. WR/RET Leander, Texas | Cedar Park Long Tran Sr. DE Harrisburg, Pa. | Susquehanna Township Case Western Reserve Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Cameron Brown Sr. DE Westlake, Ohio | Westlake Patrick Crossey Sr. S Pittsburgh, Pa. | Plum Travis Johnson Jr. LB Zanesville, Ohio | Bishop Rosencrans Colt Morgan Jr. WR Wooster, Ohio | Wooster Drew Saxton So. QB South Fayette, Pa. | South Fayette Geneva Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Tyler Cann Sr. LB Lehighton, Pa. | Lehighton Justin Loughrie Sr. RB Wellsburg, W.Va. | Brooke Nick Monteleone Sr. RB East Palestine, Ohio | East Palestine Torrin Sallis Sr. LB Moon Township, Pa. | Moon Tre Weiler Sr. OL White Oak, Pa. | McKeesport Grove City Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Cody Gustafson Jr. WR Newburg, Pa. | Newburg Parker Kilgore So. LB Glenshaw, Pa. | Shaler Patrick Mark Jr. FS Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. | Wellington Wesley Schools Sr. RB Port Jervis, N.Y. | Port Jervis Sal Spinosa Sr. OL Kensington, N.H. | Exeter Saint Vincent Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Izaak Gray Sr. DL Indiana, Pa. | Indiana Cody Henry Sr. DL Latrobe, Pa. | Greater Latrobe Keith Kalp Jr. WR Mount Pleasant, Pa. | Mount Pleasant Mike Stasko Jr. RB Lehighton, Pa. | Palmerton Mike Turner Jr. Jr. LB Fort Walton Beach, Fla. | Choctawhatchee Thiel Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Yoseph Bekele Sr. WR Silver Springs, Md. | Paint Branch Matt Crawford Sr. LB Greenville, Pa. | Greenville Trou Johnson Jr. CB Penn Hills, Pa. | Penn Hills Alex Porco Sr. LB Verona, Pa. | Central Catholic Zach Young Sr. OL McKeesport, Pa. | South Allegheny Washington & Jefferson Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Jacob Adams Sr. QB Louisville, Ohio | Louisville Nick Getz Sr. LB Tyrone, Pa. | Tyrone Keith Knowell Jr. DL McKeesport, Pa. | McKeesport Jordan West Sr. RB Washington, Pa. | Washington Andrew Wolf Jr. WR Ashland, Ohio | Hillsdale Waynesburg Name Yr. Pos. Hometown | High School Nick Moretti Sr. WR Washington, Pa. | Trinit Alex Paulina Sr. OL Canonsburg, Pa. | Canon-McMillan Tyler Perone Sr. QB Venetia, Pa. | Seton LaSalle Brennan Sefick Sr. DB Pittsburgh, Pa. | North Catholic Tyler Smith Sr. LB Poland, Ohio | Poland Westminster Name Yr. Pos. Hometown |High School Connor Cox Sr. WR Ridge, Md. | Leonardtown Paul Gonzalez Sr. LB Miami, Fla. | Florida Christian Brady Hogue Sr. OL Sharpsville, Pa. | Sharpsville Joey Lane Sr. DT Frederick, Md. | Oakdale Cameron Mika Jr. OL Apollo, Pa. | Kiski Area —top—