PAC Players to Watch

LATROBE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--After winning its first-ever Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) football title last spring, Westminster College was tabbed as the favorite in the league heading into the 2021 fall season. 

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 by Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. for the 14th-straight year. 

Westminster collected 21 first-place votes and totaled 316 points to headline the poll.

“We are honored and humbled to be picked preseason number one. I believe that distinction is more of a reward for our spring season. Moving forward and preparing for the 2021 fall season is our team's main focus. We are eager to compete," said eighth-year head coach Scott Benzel. 

Joining Benzel at PAC Media Day Tuesday was senior linebacker Ian Barr (State College, Pa. | State College). 

“I’m very excited (about being picked No. 1 in the preseason) and it shows that our work is being recognized. I can’t wait to go out and prove why we got that ranking." 

Washington & Jefferson College finished second with six first-place votes and 299 points. Case Western Reserve University followed in third place with seven first-place votes and 281 points and was followed by Grove City College in fourth (1 first-place vote, 229 pts.). 

Following a brief welcome from PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko, Ken Wunderley (2020) and Hugh Ringer (2021) were honored as recipients 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.

"Stats" Wunderley has been a freelance writer covering high school and college sports since 1992, working almost exclusively with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Tri-State Sports & News Service. For six years he managed the Post-Gazette's "Sports Town" site, which provided in-depth coverage of local schools, sports and student-athletes. 

In 2016 Wunderley was inducted as a media contributor to the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the Southwestern Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame (2003) and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Pennsylvania Chapter for Lifetime Service to Wrestling (2010). 

Wunderley has compiled a comprehensive Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) historical website, which includes an archive of all high school sports dating back as early as 1907. The historical site is currently looking for a sponsor.

Wunderley earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University. 

Ringer, affectionately known as “The Voice of the Tomcats”, has served as Thiel’s play-by-play announcer on its football broadcasts since the 2004 season when the College began its partnership with News Talk 790 AM WPIC, a Cumulus station, to deliver multi-platform radio broadcasts. He and color commentator Don Achenbach ’77 will be entering their 13th season calling Thiel football games this fall.

Ringer has worked in a variety of roles with the Sharon, Pa.-based station since the 1960’s. He and Bob Greenburg, sports director and sales manager at WPIC, have hosted the weekly PIC Sportline show since 1988.

On Oct. 1 Ringer will be honored with the Meritorious Service and Commitment Award at Thiel’s Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet. The award is presented to an individual or organization whose generosity and enthusiastic support has provided enrichment to all of Thiel Athletics.

Ringer taught English at Mercer High School for 32 years and was the Athletic Director for 22 years before retiring in 2004. He has also served as the head coach of Mercer’s speech team since 1972.

Ringer was inducted into Mercer’s Academic Hall of Fame in 2009.

Ringer earned a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University and master’s degree from Westminster.

The 2021 football season opens on Friday, September 3 when Carnegie Mellon travels to Whitworth University and Bethany travels to Hiram College. 
 

2021 PAC Football Preseason Poll (Predicted order of finish)
School (first-place votes)	Points	2020-21 Record (PAC)
1. Westminster College (21)	316	5-0 (3-0)
2. Washington & Jefferson College (6)	299	3-1 (2-0)
3. Case Western Reserve University (7)	281	Did not play
4. Grove City College (1)	229	2-2 (1-2)
5. Carnegie Mellon University	213	2-2 (1-2)
6. Geneva College	156	2-3 (1-2)
7. Saint Vincent College	144	2-2 (2-1)
8. Bethany College	113	1-2 (1-1)
9. Waynesburg University	63	0-5 (0-3)
10. Thiel College	56	Did not play

2021 PAC Football Players to Watch

Bethany
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Danny Gilbert	Sr.	DB	Miami, Fla. | South Dade Adult Center
De'Vaughn McWhorter	Jr.	WR	Wheeling, W.Va. | Wheeling Park
Dom Salinetro	Sr.	QB	Landisburg, Pa. | West Derry
Brennan Secrist	So.	WR	Weirton, W.Va. | Madonna
Colton Stoneman	Jr.	RB	West Farmington, Ohio | LaBrae
Dadrick Vickers	Jr.	DB	Miami Gardens, Fla. | Miami Norland

 

Carnegie Mellon
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Ben Armbrester	Sr.	WR	Grad Rapids, Mich. | Forest Hills Eastern
Bobby Coury	So.	LB	Phillipsburg, N.J. | Phillipsburg
Tommy Coury	So.	DB	Phillipsburg, N.J. | Phillipsburg
Kris Hughes	Sr.	WR	Springboro, Ohio | Springboro
Sean Knight	Sr.	DB	New Canaan, Conn. | New Canaan
Sean Pogorelc	Sr.	OL	Centreville, Va. | Chantilly

 

Case Western Reserve
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Michael Amadio	Sr.	LB	Charlotte, N.C. | William Amos Hough
Donald Day III	Sr.	RB	Glen Burnie, Md. | St. Mary's
Colt Morgan	Sr.	WR	Wooster, Ohio | Wooster
Anthony Polizzi	Gr.	OL	Brockport, N.Y. | Brockport
Drew Saxton	Sr.	QB	South Fayette, Pa. | South Fayette
Colin Schuster	Sr.	DB	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Minooka Community (Ill.)

 

Geneva
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Dakota Allen	Sr.	LB	Plant City, Fla. | Newsome
James Clark	So.	DB	Farfax, Va. | Wakefield
Lucas Lamer	Sr.	OL	Brackenridge, Pa. | Highlands
Amos Luptak	Sr.	QB	Sewickley, Pa. | Quaker Valley
Nick Monteleone	Sr.	RB	East Palestine, Ohio | East Palestine
Giovanni Segura	Sr.	DL	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Brentwood

 

Grove City
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
R.J. Debo	Jr.	DL	New Brighton, Pa. | New Brighton
Josh Ehst	Sr.	QB	Douglassville, Pa. | Daniel Boone
Cody Gustafson	Sr.	WR	Newburg, Pa. | Newburg
Parker Kilgore	Sr.	LB	Glenshaw, Pa. | Shaler
Patrick Mark	Sr.	DB	Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. | Wellington
Nick Morrow	Sr.	K	Moon Township, Pa. | Moon

 

Saint Vincent
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Kyle Coombe	Sr.	DB	Daleville, Va. | Lord Botetourt
Jared Gonzalez	So.	K/P	Lakeland, Fla. | Kathleen
Keith Kalp	Gr.	WR	Mount Pleasant, Pa. | Mount Pleasant
Cam Norris	Gr.	LB	Roaring Spring, Pa. | Central
Jack Poling	Jr.	LB	Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional
Brady Walker	Jr.	QB	Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway

 

Thiel
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Marlon Brown	Sr.	QB	White Plains, Md. | St. Charles
Dominick Knierman	Jr.	DL	Espyville, Pa. | Conneaut
Donny Pattison	Jr.	LB	Bradford, Pa. | Bradford
Andrew Plowden	Jr.	LB	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Penn Hills Charter
Jake Reddick	So.	WR	Grove City, Pa. | Grove City
Ryan Stiles	Sr.	DT	Anchorage, Alaska | Service

   

Washington & Jefferson
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Sean Doran	Sr.	LB	New Castle, Pa. | Neshannock
Max Garda	Sr.	DB	Burrell, Pa. | Lower Burrell
Alex Keith	Jr.	DL	Hartville, Ohio | Lake
Keith Knowell	Sr.	DL	McKeesport, Pa. | McKeesport
Joey Koroly	Jr.	RB	Washington, Pa. | Trinity
Andrew Wolf	Sr.	WR	Ashland, Ohio | Hillsdale

 

Waynesburg
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Lucas Donley	Jr.	DL	St. Clairsville, Ohio | Union Local
Justin Flack	Jr.	RB	Derry, Pa. | Derry
Eric McDowell	Sr.	OL	Shady Side, Md. | Bishop McNamara
Luke Menges	Sr.	DB	Bethesda, Ohio | Union Local
Tyler Raines	Jr.	QB	Columbia, Md. | Long Reach
Caleb Stevens	Sr.	DL	New Brighton, Pa. | New Brighton

 

Westminster
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown |High School
Frank Antuono	Sr.	DL/QB	New Castle, Pa. | Neshannock
Ian Barr	Sr.	LB	State College, Pa. | State College
Cole Konieczka	Sr.	QB	Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon
Devin Little	Jr.	OL	Beaver Falls, Pa. | Beaver Falls
Brayden Thimons	Sr.	DL	Natrona Heights, Pa. | Highlands
Bryce Thomas	Sr.	DB	Saint Marys, Ga. | Camden County

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