D3football.com Names W&J's Sirianni South Region Coach of the Year; Nine Players Lauded With All-South Region Honors 12/4/2012 6:13:22 PM GREENVILLE, Pa. – Washington & Jefferson College head coach Mike Sirianni was selected as the 2012 D3football.com South Region Coach of the Year while nine Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) student-athletes were recognized on the D3football.com All-South Region Team. The D3football.com All-South Region awards were released Tuesday. Sirianni, who recently completed his 10th season as the Presidents head coach, ranks fifth among active head coaches from all NCAA divisions with a .816 winning percentage (93-21). He was named the PAC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in October after leading the Presidents to their fourth PAC Championship and seventh NCAA playoff appearance. W&J senior running back Tim McNerney (Butler, Pa./Knoch), named to the Third Team (Offense), was a posthumous honoree following his tragic death on October 4. He carried the ball 89 times for 461 yards and eight touchdowns in four games and was a consensus First Team All-PAC selection following the 2012 season. During his career, McNerney ranks among the all-time leaders at W&J with 2,336 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns, while he added 35 receptions for 216 yards. Thomas More College senior safety Zach Autenrieb (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) was a First Team (Defense) selection. Autenrieb, named the 2012 PAC Player of the Year, finished the season with 48 tackles (36 solo, 12 assisted) and a Division III-leading eight interceptions. With his eight interceptions in 2012 Autenrieb finished his career with 32 interceptions, establishing a new NCAA Division III career interception record. Earlier today Autenrieb was named one of the four finalists for the 2012 Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III by Jostens and the J-Club of St. John's University of Minnesota. Autenrieb is a four-time All-South Region selection, earning Second Team honors in 2009 and 2011 and Third Team recognition in 2010. Waynesburg University senior tight end Adam Moses (Fairview Park, Ohio/Lutheran West) was named a First Team (Offense) pick after pulling in a team-high 38 catches for 364 yards and a Yellow Jacket-best six touchdown receptions. Moses was also an All-South Region First Team selection in 2010. Earning Second Team honors were Thomas More senior defensive end Jay Volker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) and Waynesburg senior wide receiver Christian Jackson (Coraopolis, Pa./Cornell), who was selected as a returner. Volker totaled 63 tackles (41 solo, 22 assisted), including 24.5 for a loss and six sacks, to go along with a pair of forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Volker was a Third Team All-South Region pick in 2010. Jackson currently ranks second among Division III kickoff return leaders, finishing the season with a 30.7 yards per return average. He was second among Waynesburg receivers with 37 catches for 500 yards and five touchdowns. Selected to the Third Team (Offense) were W&J junior wide receiver Alex Baroffio (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) and junior kicker Eric Eberle (Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata) and Grove City College senior guard Josh Bermann (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline). Baroffio finished the season as the league leader and ranks 14th among Division III wide receivers in receptions per game (8.7). Baroffio caught 78 passes, the fifth-highest, single-season total in school history, for 679 yards and five touchdowns. He enters his senior year ranked fifth all-time at W&J with 178 career receptions. Baroffio earned All-South Region Second Team honors following the 2011 season. Eberle connected on 11-of-14 field-goal attempts, including a 3-of-3 mark from beyond 40 yards, and 31-of-32 extra points. He became the first Presidents’ kicker since current City of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl ’03 to connect on at least 10 field goals in a season. Eberle kicked a 44-yard field goal against Thiel, the longest by a Presidents’ kicker since Mike Evan '97 in 1995. He also ranked third in the PAC in yards per punt (37.0). Bermann anchored Grove City's offensive line in 2012, starting all 10 games at right guard. A team co-captain, Bermann's efforts helped senior tailback Shane Kaclik (Mars, Pa./Mars) lead the PAC in rushing with 1,098 yards. Grove City also led the conference in average time of possession (32:41) and red zone scoring as the Wolverines scored on 31 of their 37 (84 percent) trips inside the opposition's 20-yard line. Thiel College senior defensive end Tim Taylor (Girard, Pa./Cathedral Prep.) was named the Third Team (Defense). Taylor finished his collegiate career as Thiel's all-time career leader in sacks (34.5) and tackles for loss (66.5). He also established a new single-season record for sacks (13.5) in 2012, surpassing Jason Diley's record of 12.0 that stood since 1995. He finished his season tied for fourth among Division III counterparts with an average of 1.35 sacks per game and tied for sixth with a 2.2 tackles for loss per game average. Taylor totaled 53 tackles and 22.0 tackles for loss on the season. The All-South Region teams, selected in balloting by South Region sports information directors and D3football.com staff, were chosen from 230 nominations by Division III member schools. A total of 77 players were selected.