All-PAC football teams, award winners announced

11/15/2022 2:30:00 AM

GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released its All-PAC football teams and annual award winners Tuesday afternoon. The All-PAC teams and yearly award winners are determined, by vote, of the league’s 11 head coaches.

Westminster College senior running back Ryan Gomes (Tampa, Fla. | Walter L. Sickles) earned PAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, while PAC Defensive Player of the Year honors went to Westminster College graduate student defensive lineman Brayden Thimons (Natrona Heights, Pa. | Highlands) for the second-straight season. Grove City College freshman linebacker Ben Bladel (Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon) was selected as the league’s Newcomer of the Year. 

Carnegie Mellon University first-year head coach Ryan Larsen was voted the PAC Coach of the Year.

Gomes is the PAC's current rushing leader with 1,024 yards on 224 attempts. He has eight rushing touchdowns, the third-highest total in the league this season. Gomes has also caught 13 passes for 108 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 60 points scored this season rank fourth in the PAC. He posted 100 or more rushing yards five times this season, going for a career-best 194 yards in a 42-3 win over Bethany College on September 10. 

Gomes is Westminster's first 1,000-yard rusher since Dominique McKinley ran for 1,262 yards in 2015.

An All-PAC Honorable Mention selection in 2021, Gomes has 1,976 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on 435 attempts in 26 career games. He is Westminster's first PAC Offensive Player of the Year since Scott Froelich in 2003. 

Thimons, a three-time All-PAC First Team selection, ranks third in the league with 16.0 tackles for loss and fourth in sacks with 8.5. His 16.0 tackles for loss rank 33rd in Division III while his 8.5 sacks rank 43rd. He currently has 59 total tackles (42 solo). He has also scored three rushing touchdowns this season. Thimons posted five tackes (4 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks in Westminster's 41-6 win over Thiel College on Oct. 15. 

In 25 career games at Westminster Thimons has totaled 47.0 tackles for loss and 25.0 sacks. 

Bladel appeared in all 10 of Grove City's games this fall, totaling 44 tackles (19 solo), 10.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. In a 55-17 victory over Geneva College on Sept. 10 he finished with six tackles (3 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. In Grove City's 55-7 win at Bethany on Oct. 8 Bladel returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown. 

Bladel is Grove City's first Newcomer of the Year award winner since Cody Gustafson in 2017. 

Larsen guided Carnegie Mellon to its second-straight PAC title, and first outright conference championship since 1985, after finishing the regular season 10-0 overall and 8-0 in league play. This year's PAC title is the ninth for Carnegie Mellon. The Tartans also received the PAC's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Championship. The PAC is one of 27 conferences granted automatic qualification (Pool A) to the Division III Championship. It will be Carnegie Mellon's eighth all-time appearance in the Division III Championship. 

Carnegie Mellon, No. 15 in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Coaches' Poll and No. 19 in the latest D3football.com Top 25, is riding a 17-game winning streak, the longest active streak across all NCAA divisions. 

Carnegie Mellon will host DePauw University (9-1), the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) champion, in the Division III Championship first round Saturday. Kickoff at Gesling Stadium in Pittsburgh is slated for 12 p.m. 

In addition to Carnegie Mellon representing the PAC in the Division III Championship, three PAC programs secured invitations to compete in this year’s Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Bowl series this Saturday: Grove City (7-3) will host Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham (6-4) of the Middle Atlantic Conference in the James Lynah Bowl at Robert E. Thorn Field in Grove City; Washington & Jefferson College (8-2) will host Hobart College (7-3) of the Liberty League in the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl at Cameron Stadium in Washington; and Westminster (7-3) will travel to SUNY Brockport (7-3) of the Empire 8 for the Clayton Chapman Bowl at Bob Boozer Field in Brockport, N.Y. All three ECAC Bowl series games are scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. 

2022 PAC Award Winners
PAC Offensive Player of the Year: Westminster senior running back Ryan Gomes (Tampa, Fla. | Walter L. Sickles)
PAC Defensive Player of the Year: Westminster graduate student defensive lineman Brayden Thimons (Natrona Heights, Pa. | Highlands)
PAC Newcomer of the Year: Grove City freshman linebacker Ben Bladel (Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon)
PAC Coach of the Year: Carnegie Mellon first-year head coach Ryan Larsen
 
All-PAC First Team (Offense)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Ty Spaltholz Carnegie Mellon Sr. South Milwaukee, Wis. | South Milwaukee
OL Joshua Blamer Case Western Reserve Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Seton LaSalle
OL Vinny LePre Grove City Sr. Pine Grove, Pa. | Pine Grove
OL Angelo Fratini W&J Sr. Burgettstown, Pa. | Burgettstown
OL Gabe Cleveland Westminster Gr. Cumming, Ga. | South Forsyth
TE/HB/FB Johnny O’Rourke W&J Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Pittsburgh Central Catholic
WR Hilton McClain Jr. Geneva Jr. Belle Glade, Fla. | Royal Palm Beach
WR Scott Fraser Grove City Jr. Butler, Pa. | Knoch
QB Drew Saxton Case Western Reserve Sr. South Fayette, Pa. | South Fayette
RB Justin Flack Waynesburg Sr. Derry, Pa. | Derry
RB Ryan Gomes Westminster Sr. Tampa, Fla. | Walter L. Sickles
A-P Molayo Irefin Saint Vincent Jr. Bowie, Md. | Archbishop Spalding
 
All-PAC First Team (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Ben Coyne Carnegie Mellon Sr. McDonald, Pa. | South Fayette
DL Dawson Dietz W&J So. Allison Park, Pa. | Hampton
DL Alex Keith W&J Sr. Hartville, Ohio | Lake
DL Brayden Thimons Westminster Gr. Natrona Heights, Pa. | Highlands
LB Robert Coury Carnegie Mellon Jr. Phillipsburg N.J. | Phillipsburg
LB Ben Bladel Grove City Fr. Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon
LB Justin Johns W&J Jr. Murrysville, Pa. | Franklin Regional
LB Ian Barr Westminster Gr. State College, Pa. | State College
DB Adrian Williams Carnegie Mellon Jr. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
DB Drew Ehrlich W&J Sr. Annapolis, Md. | Gilman School
DB Brice Butler Westminster So. Farrell, Pa. | Farrell
DB Bryce Thomas Westminster Gr. Saint Marys, Ga. | Camden County
 
All-PAC First Team (Special Teams)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Cole Hanna Carnegie Mellon Gr. Peachtree Corners, Ga. | Norcross (S.C.)
P Chevy Dawson Westminster Sr. Port St. Lucie, Fla. | Centennial
RET Molayo Irefin Saint Vincent Jr. Bowie, Md. | Archbishop Spalding
 
All-PAC Second Team (Offense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Jace Merritt Case Western Reserve Jr. Fort Worth, Texas | Nolan Catholic
OL Andy Mellinger Geneva Jr. White Oak, Pa. | McKeesport
OL Nate Brady Grove City Jr. Birdsboro, Pa. | Exeter Township
OL Tyler Caragein W&J Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Keystone Oaks
OL Chase Espen Waynesburg Sr. St. Clairsville, Ohio | St. Clairsville
TE/HB/FB Rob Tamburrino Grove City Jr. Rock Creek, Ohio | Notre Dame Cathedral Latin
WR Kris Hughes Carnegie Mellon Gr. Springboro, Ohio | Springboro
WR Dakota Romantino Waynesburg So. Charleroi, Pa. | Charleroi
QB Logan Pfeuffer Grove City So. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
RB Tre’Jour Owens Bethany Sr. Baltimore, Md. | Edmondson Westside
RB Antonio Orsini Case Western Reserve Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Upper St. Clair
A-P Chevy Dawson Westminster Sr. Port St. Lucie, Fla. | Centennial
 
All-PAC Second Team (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Mitchell Stokey Carnegie Mellon So. New Philadelphia, Ohio | New Philadelphia
DL Kaden Tong Case Western Reserve Jr. Powell, Ohio | Olentangy Liberty
DL James Parenti Grove City Sr. Hilliards, Pa. | Moniteau
DL Tyree Reeder Westminster Gr. Youngstown, Ohio | Ursuline
LB Thomas Coury Carnegie Mellon Jr. Phillipsburg N.J. | Phillipsburg
LB Marco Toth Case Western Reserve Jr. Mentor, Ohio | Mentor
LB Parker Kilgore Grove City Sr. Glenshaw, Pa. | Shaler
LB Nicholas Treloar Westminster Gr. New Castle, Pa. | New Castle
DB Aryan Hegde Carnegie Mellon Sr. Brambleton, Va. | Rock Ridge
DB Nate Cikalo Case Western Reserve So. Avon Lake, Ohio | Avon Lake
DB Damian Lomeli Geneva Jr. Tampa, Fla. | Gaither
DB Ahmad Shaw Saint Vincent Sr. Fairfax, Va. | Hayfield
 
All-PAC Second Team (Special Teams)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Nick Morrow Grove City Sr. Moon Township, Pa. | Moon
P Casey Jaeb Carnegie Mellon Sr. San Jose, Calif. / Bellarmine College Prep.
RET Hilton McClain Jr. Geneva Jr. Belle Glade, Fla. | Royal Palm Beach
 
All-PAC Honorable Mention (Offense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Carson Messemer Allegheny So. Schenectady, N.Y. | Schalmont
OL Kajell Whyte Bethany Sr. Trenton, N.J. | Mater Dei Prep.
OL Hunter Campbell Carnegie Mellon Jr. Downers Grove, Ill. | Downers Grove North
OL Eric White Geneva Sr. Annapolis, Md. | Annapolis
OL Dylan Lane Grove City So. Pendergrass, Ga. | Mill Creek
OL Nathan Bettwy Saint Vincent Jr. Duncansville, Pa. | Hollidaysburg
OL Dominick Knierman Thiel Sr. Espyville, Pa. | Conneaut
OL Leon Middleton W&J Sr. Waldorf, Md. | Thomas Stone
OL Devin Little Westminster Sr. Beaver Falls, Pa. | Beaver Falls
TE/HB/FB Matt Evert Carnegie Mellon So. Roswell, Ga. | Milton
TE/HB/FB Donny Pattison Thiel Sr. Bradford, Pa. | Bradford
WR Declan O’Brien Allegheny Jr. Irwin, Pa. | Norwin
WR Ethan Dahlem Case Western Reserve So. Upper St. Clair, Pa. | Upper St. Clair
WR John Peduzzi W&J Fr. Hilton Head, S.C. Hilton Head Christian Acad.
WR Anthony Rosati W&J So. Chardon, Ohio | Perry
WR Ty Eilam Westminster Jr. Sharon, Pa. | Sharon
WR Jalen Washington Westminster So. Orlando, Fla. | Dr. Phillips
QB Brady Walker Saint Vincent Sr. Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway
QB Jacob Pugh W&J So. Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson
QB Tyler Raines Waynesburg Sr. Columbia, Md. | Long Reach
QB Cole Konieczka  Westminster Gr. Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon
RB Tre Vasiliadis Carnegie Mellon Jr. Great Falls, Va. | Langley
RB Nico Flati Grove City So. Aliquippa, Pa. | West Allegheny
RB D.J. Gray Jr. Saint Vincent So. Beachwood, Ohio | Beachwood
RB Nick Hall Waynesburg Gr. Fayette City, Pa. | Belle Vernon
A-P Brutus Ogilvie Geneva So. Salem, Ohio | United
A-P Joey Guida Grove City So. Allentown, Pa. | Parkland
 
All-PAC Honorable Mention (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Chris Rubino Allegheny Jr. Monaca, Pa. | The Kiski School
DL Tsi Fofang Bethany So. Fort Washington, Md. | Friendly
DL Luke Faber Thiel So. Greenville, Pa. | Reynolds
DL Chad Morningstar Thiel So. Saxton, Pa. | Tussey Mountain
DL Jaren Thimons W&J So. Valencia, Pa. | North Catholic
DL Joel Zellem Waynesburg Sr. Beaver Falls, Pa. | Riverside
LB Logan Young Carnegie Mellon Jr. Moon Township, Pa. | Moon
LB Nicolas Ottaviani Geneva Sr. Beaver Falls, Pa. | Riverside
LB Curtis Freyermuth Grove City Sr. Meadville, Pa. | Cochranton
LB Joanes Polynice Saint Vincent So. Winter Garden, Fla. | West Orange
LB Tanner Volpatti W&J Sr. Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
LB Jarred Kohl Westminster Sr. York, Pa. | York Catholic
DB David Babb Allegheny So. Pembroke Pines, Fla. | Chaminade Madonna
DB Shawn Wheeler Bethany Jr. Houston, Pa. | Chartiers-Houston
DB Jackson Lajoie Carnegie Mellon So. Garland, Texas | Sachse
DB D.J. Wolf Case Western Reserve Sr. Mentor, Ohio | Mentor
DB O’Neal Cotton Geneva Sr. Oklahoma City, Okla. | Putnam City West
DB Nik Grabiec Grove City Sr. Newport, Pa. | Newport
DB Jaden Edmonds Saint Vincent So. Marietta, Ga. | Sprayberry
DB Ethan Facey Saint Vincent So. Gambrills, Md. | Arundel
DB Dillon Rebuck W&J Sr. Louisville, Ohio | Louisville
DB Tyler Sabo W&J Sr. Aliquippa, Pa. | Hopewell
DB Corte Williams Westminster Jr. Sharon, Pa. | Sharon
 
All-PAC Honorable Mention (Special Teams)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Deven Wyandt W&J Fr. Altoona, Pa. | Bishop Guilfoyle
P Joseph Rhodes V Case Western Reserve So. Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. | Palos Verdes Peninsula
P Jared Custer Grove City Sr. Apollo, Pa. | Kiski
P Deven Wyandt W&J Fr. Altoona, Pa. | Bishop Guilfoyle
RET Andre Rodgers Thiel So. Euclid, Ohio | Benedictine
RET Ian Hansen W&J Fr. Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson

PAC Sportsmanship Team
What is the PAC Sportsmanship Team?
The PAC Sportsmanship Teams were established to recognize student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior and are an ongoing effort to recognize and encourage positive sportsmanship among all PAC teams.
 
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DB David Babb Allegheny So. Pembroke Pines, Fla. | Chaminade Madonna
OL Aaron Baird Bethany Sr. Midway, Pa. | Fort Cherry
LB Zach Martens Carnegie Mellon Sr. Franklin, Wis. | Franklin
QB Drew Saxton Case Western Reserve Sr. South Fayette, Pa. | South Fayette
DL Elijah Burch Geneva Gr. Warren, Ohio | Warren G. Harding
LB Ryan Fleming Grove City Sr. Bridgeville, Pa. | South Fayette
DB Kyle Coombe Saint Vincent Gr. Daleville, Va. | Lord Botetort
DB Jared Curcio Thiel Jr. Avonmore, Pa. | Kiski
LB Adam Rudzinski W&J Sr. Export, Pa. | Franklin Regional
DL Michael McVicker Waynesburg Gr. Ligonier, Pa. | Ligonier Valley
QB Cole Konieczka  Westminster Gr. Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon