PAC Players to Watch

LATROBE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--After winning its second-straight Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) football title last fall, Westminster College was tabbed as the favorite in the league heading into the 2022 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 Wednesday afternoon at PAC Football Media Day, hosted by Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania for the 15th-straight year. 

Westminster collected 19 first-place votes and totaled 366 points to headline the poll.

“It is an honor,” said ninth-year head coach Scott Benzel. “Obviously so competitive, in terms of the league and the teams that are represented. To have them think we potentially could be the flagship for the conference, it is a good accomplishment. But it is, as the football cliché goes, preseason and we have to go out and prove it."

Joining Benzel at PAC Media Day Tuesday was senior offensive tackle Gabriel Cleveland (Cumming, Ga. | South Forsyth).

Washington & Jefferson College finished second with seven first-place votes and 346 points while Carnegie Mellon University was third with 10 first-place votes and 336 points. Grove City College was fourth (278), Case Western Reserve University was fifth (268), Saint Vincent College was sixth (202), Geneva College was seventh (174), Allegheny College was eighth (173), Waynesburg University was ninth (110), Bethany College was 10th (83) and Thiel College was 11th (40). 

Following a brief welcome from PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko, Ed Farrell was honored 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.

Farrell arrived in Mercer County by way of working in the then-Public Relations office (later, "Media Services") at Thiel College on Sept. 21, 1977 and was at the College for almost four years, the first three of which he served as sports information director both for Thiel and the PAC. He subsequently worked for newspapers for approximately 40 years, including the Jefferson (Ohio) Gazette, Greenville (Pa.) Record-Argus, Franklin (Pa.) News-Herald, and Sharon (Pa.) Herald--the latter, three months into his 27th year. 

A native of the Philadelphia area, Farrell graduated from then-Bishop Egan High (1972), Bucks County Community College (1974) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1976) with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He later took graduate courses at then-Slippery Rock State College. 

Farrell is the father of three grown children: Shawn Robert, 39; Christopher Jordan ("Jordy"), 38, and Elysa Patrice (36), all of whom were born and raised in Greenville. Jordy and Elysa both graduated from Thiel on May 3, 2008. Farrell also enjoys spending time with his longtime girlfriend, Renee Hartwell.

Farrell, who will turn 68 years old on October 10, has been playing "Senior" baseball for approximately the last 15 years and is currently on the rosters of four teams, including 50-, 58-, 65- and 70-year-old age groups. 

The 2022 football season opens on Saturday, September 3. Conference play begins on Saturday, September 17. 
 

2022 PAC Football Preseason Poll (Predicted order of finish)
School (first-place votes)	Points	2021 Record (PAC)
1. Westminster College	366 (19)	8-3 (8-1)
2. Washington & Jefferson College	346 (7)	8-3 (7-2)
3. Carnegie Mellon University	336 (10)	8-2 (8-1)
4. Grove City College	278	8-3 (6-3)
5. Case Western Reserve University	268	6-4 (5-4)
6. Saint Vincent College	202	5-6 (4-5)
7. Geneva College	174	4-6 (4-5)
8. Allegheny College	173	3-7 (N/A)
9. Waynesburg University	110	2-8 (2-7)
10. Bethany College	83	1-9 (1-8)
11. Thiel College	40	0-10 (0-9)

2022 PAC Football Players to Watch

Allegheny
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Hudson Alread	Sr.	DB	Victor, N.Y. | Victor
Azariah Beaugard	Jr.	DB	Santa Clarita, Calif. | Saugus
Jack Johnson	Jr.	QB	Hingham, Mass. | Hingham/Milford Academy
Declan O'Brien	Jr.	WR	Irwin, Pa. | Norwin
Chris Rubino	Jr.	DL	Monaca, Pa.| The Kiski School
Jack Turner	Jr.	OL	Sewickley, Pa. | North Allegheny

 

Bethany
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Jordan Aldridge	Sr.	DE	Wheeling, W.Va. | Wheeling Park
Aaron Baird	Sr.	OL	Midway, Pa. | Fort Cherry
Rondell Lewis	Jr.	LB	Beachwood, Ohio | Beachwood
De'Vaughn McWhorter	Sr.	WR	Wheeling, W.Va. | Wheeling Park
Brennon Smith	Jr.	LB	McDonald, Pa. | Fort Cherry
Colton Stoneman	Sr.	RB	West Farmington, Ohio | LaBrae

 

Carnegie Mellon
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Kevin Arcia	Sr.	DB	Doral, Fla. | Doral Academy Charter
Robert Coury	Jr.	LB	Phillipsburg, N.J. | Phillipsburg
Thomas Coury	So.	LB	Phillipsburg, N.J. | Phillipsburg
Ben Coyne	Sr.	DE	McDonald, Pa. | South Fayette
Kris Hughes	Sr.	WR	Springboro, Ohio | Springboro
Tre Vasiliadis	Jr.	RB	Great Falls, Va. | Langley

 

Case Western Reserve
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Nate Cikalo	So.	LB	Avon Lake, Ohio | Avon Lake
Lucas DeCaro	Sr.	WR	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Mount Lebanon
Antonio Orsini	Sr.	RB	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Upper St. Clair
Drew Saxton	Sr.	QB	South Fayette, Pa. | South Fayette
Colin Schuster	Gr.	DB	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Minooka Community (Ill.)
Kaden Tong	Jr.	DL	Powell, Ohio | Olentangy Liberty

 

Geneva
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
James Clark	Jr.	DB	Farfax, Va. | Wakefield
Tyler Lippiatt	Jr.	RB	Salem, Ohio | United
Andy Mellinger	Jr.	OL	White Oak, Pa. | McKeesport
Nicolas Ottaviani	Sr.	LB	Beaver Falls, Pa. | Riverside
Jared Ozias	Sr.	TE	Connellsville, Pa. | Connellsville
Haddon Schlarbaum	Jr.	DL	Riverview, Fla. | Newsome

 

Grove City
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Gabe Dunlap	Jr.	DB	Harrison City, Pa. | Penn-Trafford
Ryan Fleming	Sr.	LB	Bridgeville, Pa. | North Fayette
Scott Fraser	Jr.	WR	Butler, Pa. | Knoch
Ryan Heckathorn	Jr.	WR	Beaver Falls, Pa. | Blackhawk
Parker Kilgore	Sr.	LB	Glenshaw, Pa. | Shaler
Vinny LePre	Sr.	OL	Pine Grove, Pa. | Pine Grove

 

Saint Vincent
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Nathan Bettwy	Jr.	OL	Hollidaysburg, Pa. | Hollidaysburg
C.J. Ciecierski	Jr.	OL	Murrysville, Pa. | Franklin Regional
Molayo Irefin	Jr.	WR	Bowie, Md. | Archbishop Spalding
Joanes Polynice	So.	LB	Winter Garden, Fla. | West Orange
Jaden Pratt	So.	DB	Odenton, Md. | Arundel
Brady Walker	Sr.	QB	Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway

 

Thiel
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Donnovan Blue	Sr.	WR	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Penn Hills
Luke Faber	So.	DE	Greenville, Pa. | Reynolds
Christian Good	So.	OL	Carlisle, Pa. | Carlisle
Randall Miller	So.	DB	Mineral Ridge, Ohio | Mineral Ridge
Chad Morningstar	So.	DL	Saxton, Pa. | Tussey Mountain
Andre Rodgers	So.	WR	Euclid, Ohio | Benedictine

   

Washington & Jefferson
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Drew Ehrlich	Sr.	DB	Annapolis, Md. | Gilman School
Angelo Fratini	Sr.	OL	Burgettstown, Pa. | Burgettstown
Justin Huss	Jr.	RB	Derry, Pa. | Derry
Alex Keith	Sr.	DL	Hartville, Ohio | Lake
Leon Middleton	Sr.	OL	Waldorf, Md. | Thomas Stone
Tanner Volpatti	Sr.	LB	Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park

 

Waynesburg
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown | High School
Jesse Cain	Sr.	DB	Hedgesville, W.Va. | Hedgesville
James Davis	So.	DB	Kersey, Pa. | Saint Mary's
Justin Flack	Sr.	RB	Derry, Pa. | Derry
Nick Hall	Sr.	RB	Fayette City, Pa. | Belle Vernon
Tyler Raines	Sr.	QB	Columbia, Md. | Long Reach
Dakota Romantino	So.	WR	Charleroi, Pa. | Charleroi

 

Westminster
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown |High School
Ian Barr	Sr.	LB	State College, Pa. | State College
Joshua Byers	Sr.	K/P	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Canon-McMillan
Gabriel Cleveland	Sr.	OL	Cumming, Ga. | South Forsyth
Cole Konieczka	Sr.	QB	Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon
Brayden Thimons	Sr.	DL	Natrona Heights, Pa. | Highlands
Bryce Thomas	Sr.	DB	Saint Marys, Ga. | Camden County

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