All-PAC Football Teams, Award Winners Announced

11/16/2023 7:30:00 PM

TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - The All-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) football teams and annual award winners, determined through voting by the league's 11 head coaches, were released Thursday night. The teams were first revealed during an announcement show through the PAC Sports Network. 

The PAC Offensive Player of the Year award went to Washington & Jefferson College junior quarterback Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson). Collecting Defensive Player of the Year laurels was Grove City College sophomore linebacker Ben Bladel (Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon) and the conference's Newcomer of the Year winner is Allegheny College freshman defensive back David Williams (Boca Raton, Fla. | Boca Raton).

The PAC champions Grove City claimed two of the major awards, as in addition to Bladel's recognition, Wolverines' head coach Andrew DiDonato was chosen as the PAC Coach of the Year.

Pugh is the top quarterback in nearly every PAC passing category this season, including passing yards (2,753), touchdowns (32), completion percentage (64.5) and passing efficiency (177.2).  The 32 passing TDs put him 10th in NCAA Division III, his passing efficiency has Pugh ranked 14th in the nation and the junior signal-caller is 16th in passing yards.

An Honorable Mention All-PAC selection a season ago, Pugh started all 10 games for the Presidents this season and threw for 290 or more yards in half of those, marked by a career-high 396 at Grove City Sept. 30. He threw five TDs in the win at Bethany College Sept. 9 and tossed four scoring strikes in victories over Allegheny Oct. 7 and Waynesburg Nov. 11. Pugh, the 12th W&J player since 1986 to earn Offensive Player of the Year status and the first since Bobby Swallow in 2008, also added 158 rushing yards on the season and scored three TDs on the ground.

Bladel has won two awards in his two years in a Grove City uniform, as he was the PAC Newcomer of the Year a season ago. The second-year linebacker was a difference maker from start to finish in this championship season for the Wolverines. Grove City had a PAC-leading 34 sacks as a team and Bladel collected 15 of those, tied for second-most in Division III. In addition, he made 21 tackles-for-loss, also a PAC-high and fourth-most in the nation. Bladel also tied for the conference-lead with four forced fumbles.

The first Grove City player to earn PAC Defensive Player of the Year, Bladel closed his season with four sacks in the Wolverines' 31-0 win over Thiel Nov. 11 in the Mercer County Cup game in the regular season finale. He had multiple sacks in four of his last five games, including the Oct. 28th win over Bethany College when Bladel recorded five tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt, which he also returned five yards for a touchdown in the 56-14 triumph.

Williams quickly developed into one of the top corners in the conference in his initial season at Allegheny. He tied for third in the PAC with 13 pass break-ups, which included a pair of interceptions, one in the win at Waynesburg University Sept. 2 and the other in the Oct. 21 win over Thiel. Williams also made 21 tackles this year, highlighted by a season-best five in the Oct. 7 game at W&J in which he also matched a season-high with three pass break-ups.

This marks the first major football award earned by an Allegheny player since the Gators returned to the PAC prior to the 2022-23 year. Williams' recognition does continue a recent trend with the PAC Newcomer of the Year Award, as a defensive back has now received the top first-year player honor in the conference four of the last five years.

In a season of many firsts for Grove City, DiDonato winning PAC Coach of the Year is not one of them, as he won the award previously in 2018. Among the firsts this year for the Wolverines includes the intitial 10-0 record in program history, dating back to 1892. Grove City also captured their first PAC championship since 1998 and with that, secured the program's first bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs in program history as well. 

Grove City, who is No. 16 in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Coaches' Poll and No. 18 in this week's D3football.com Top 25, will go on the road this weekend to play at Susquehanna University in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. Also 10-0 this season, the River Hawks were champions of the Landmark Conference this season and are ranked 10th in the AFCA poll and No. 9 in the D3football.com rankings. Kickoff in Selinsgrove, Pa. is set for 12 pm on Saturday.

In addition to Grove City representing the PAC in the NCAA Division III playoffs, two other PAC programs earned invitations to this year's Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Bowl series this Saturday. Carnegie Mellon (9-1) will host SUNY-Brockport (8-2) in the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl at Gesling Stadium in Pittsburgh Saturday at 5 pm, while W&J will play the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (7-2) in the James Lynah Bowl at Cameron Stadium in Washington at 12 pm. 

2023 PAC Award Winners
PAC Offensive Player of the Year: W&J junior quarterback Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson)
PAC Defensive Player of the Year: Grove City sophomore linebacker Ben Bladel (Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon)
PAC Newcomer of the Year: Allegheny freshman defensive back David Williams (Boca Raton, Fla. | Boca Raton)
PAC Coach of the Year: Grove City head coach Andrew DiDonato
 
 All-PAC First Team (Offense)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Sam Alligood Carnegie Mellon So. La Jolla, Calif. | La Jolla Country Day School
OL Jace Merritt Case Western Reserve Sr. Fort Worth, Texas | Nolan Catholic
OL Vinny LePre Grove City 5th Pine Grove, Pa. | Pine Grove
OL Brady Brungard Grove City Jr. New Middletown, Ohio | Springfield Local
OL Angelo Fratini W&J Gr. Burgettstown, Pa. | Burgettstown
TE/HB/FB Zach Cernuto W&J Jr. Scottdale, Pa. | Southmoreland
WR Declan O'Brien Allegheny Sr. Irwin, Pa. | Norwin
WR Scott Fraser Grove City Sr. Butler, Pa. | Knoch
WR John Peduzzi W&J So. Hilton Head, S.C. | Hilton Head Christian Acad.
QB Jacob Pugh W&J Jr. Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson
RB Nico Flati Grove City Jr. Aliquippa, Pa. | West Allegheny
A-P Noah Coyne Case Western Reserve Jr. Painesville, Ohio | Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin
 
 All-PAC First Team (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Mitchell Stokey Carnegie Mellon Jr. New Philadelphia, Ohio | New Philadelphia
DL Kaden Tong Case Western Reserve Sr. Powell, Ohio | Olentangy Liberty
DL Bryce Spolnik Grove City Jr. McDonald, Pa. | South Fayette
DL Dawson Dietz W&J Jr. Allison Park, Pa. | Hampton
LB Robert Coury Carnegie Mellon Sr. Phillipsburg N.J. | Phillipsburg
LB Thomas Coury Carnegie Mellon Sr. Phillipsburg N.J. | Phillipsburg
LB Ben Bladel Grove City So. Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon
LB Tanner Volpatti W&J Sr. Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
DB Adrian Williams Carnegie Mellon Sr. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
DB Dominic Sais Case Western Reserve Jr. Los Lunas, N.M. | St. Pius X
DB Gabe Dunlap Grove City Sr. Harrison City, Pa. | Penn Trafford
DB Brice Butler Westminster Jr. Farrell, Pa. | Farrell
 
 All-PAC First Team (Special Teams)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Justin Caputo Carnegie Mellon So. Bridgeville, Pa. | South Fayette
P Joseph Rhodes V Case Western Reserve Jr. Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. | Palos Verdes Peninsula
RET Hilton McClain, Jr. Geneva Jr. Belle Glade, Fla. | Royal Palm Beach
 
 All-PAC Second Team (Offense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Jack Turner Allegheny Sr. Sewickley, Pa. | North Allegheny
OL Hunter Campbell Carnegie Mellon Sr. Downers Grove, Ill. | Downers Grove North
OL Andy Mellinger Geneva Sr. White Oak, Pa. | McKeesport
OL Adam Kozera W&J Sr. Sharpsburg, Pa. | Pittsburgh Central Catholic
OL Frank Cortazzo IV Waynesburg Sr. McKeesport, Pa. | South Allegheny
TE/HB/FB Robert Tamburrino Grove City Sr. Rock Creek, Ohio | Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin
WR Hilton McClain, Jr. Geneva Jr. Belle Glade, Fla. | Royal Palm Beach
WR Jacob Macosko W&J So. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
WR Jalen Royal-Eiland Westminster So. Youngstown, Ohio | Mineral Ridge
QB Logan Pfeuffer Grove City Jr. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
RB Tre Vasiliadis Carnegie Mellon Sr. Great Falls, Va. | Langley
A-P Willem Bouma Carnegie Mellon So. Carpinteria, Calif. | Cate School
 
 All-PAC Second Team (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Thor Truelson Carnegie Mellon Sr. Fort Worth, Texas | Trinity Valley
DL Luke Faber Thiel Jr. Greenville, Pa. | Reynolds
DL Avery Keith W&J Jr. Hartville, Ohio | Lake
DL Daniel Thimons Westminster Gr. Tarentum, Pa. | Highlands
LB Sean Torres Case Western Reserve Sr. Naperville, Ill. | Benet Academy
LB Gabe Trexler Geneva Jr. Macungie, Pa. | Emmaus
LB Justin Johns W&J Sr. Murrysville, Pa. | Franklin Regional
LB Dylan Sleva Westminster So. Moon Township, Pa. | Moon
DB Aryan Hegde Carnegie Mellon Sr. Brambleton, Va. | Rock Ridge
DB Dominic Magliocco Grove City Sr. McKees Rocks, Pa. | Montour
DB Donelle Thomas Thiel Sr. Miramar, Fla. | Miami Carol
DB Zachai Simmons W&J Jr. Hawthorne, N.J. | Linsly (W.Va.)
 
 All-PAC Second Team (Special Teams)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Caleb Kuechly Grove City So. West Chester, Ohio | Mars Hill
P Kyle Murray Saint Vincent So. Altoona, Pa. | Altoona
RET Gabe Dunlap Grove City Sr. Harrison City, Pa. | Penn Trafford
 
 All-PAC Honorable Mention (Offense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Cole McCabe Bethany Fr. Dennison, Ohio | Claymont
OL Dustin Moss Carnegie Mellon Sr. Thornhurst, Pa. | North Pocono
OL Owen Myer Case Western Reserve So. Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson
OL Eric White Geneva Gr. Annapolis, Md. | Annapolis
OL Dalton Foore Grove City Jr. Shippensburg, Pa. | Shippensburg
OL Nathan Brady Grove City Sr. Birdsboro, Pa. | Exeter Township
OL Eddie Nicotra W&J Jr. Cranberry Twp., Pa. | North Catholic
OL Braden Mika Westminster Fr. Apollo, Pa. | Kiski
OL Matthew Howard Westminster Jr. Grove City, Pa. | Grove City
TE/HB/FB Austin Williams Allegheny Jr. Warsaw, N.Y. | Warsaw Central
TE/HB/FB Danny Moynihan Carnegie Mellon So. Jenkintown, Pa. | Abington
TE/HB/FB Jared Ozias Geneva Sr. Connellsville, Pa. | Connellsville
TE/HB/FB Raymond Holmes W&J Jr. Verona, Pa. | Serra Catholic
TE/HB/FB Damon Maul Westminster 5th Portage, Pa. | Cambria Heights
WR Michael Wojkowski Case Western Reserve Sr. Painesville, Ohio | Riverside
WR Kaelib McElroy Saint Vincent Sr. Hagerstown, Md. | North Hagerstown
WR Chase Lawler Thiel Jr.  Etters, Pa. | Red Land
WR Dakota Romantino Waynesburg Jr. Charleroi, Pa. | Charleroi
WR Isaac Trout Waynesburg So. Ruffsdale, Pa. | Southmoreland
QB Jack Johnson Allegheny Sr. Hingham, Mass. | Hingham/Milford Academy
QB Ben Mills Carnegie Mellon Sr. The Woodlands, Texas | Woodlands
QB Alex Fromberg Case Western Reserve Sr. Bridgewater, N.J. | Bridgewater-Raritan
QB Ty McGowan Westminster So. Moon Township, Pa. | Moon
RB Kyrie Miller Allegheny Sr. Bolivar, Pa. | Ligonier Valley
RB Gage Duesler Case Western Reserve Jr. Avon Lake, Ohio | Avon Lake
RB Logan Kent Geneva So. Johnstown, Pa. | Conemaugh Valley
RB Josh Syster Geneva Jr. Clymer, Pa. | Purchase Line
RB Clayton Parrish Grove City 5th Mercer, Pa. | West Middlesex
RB Andrew Plowden Thiel Sr. Homewood, Pa. | Penn Hills Charter
RB Zane Cawley Waynesburg So. Huntingtown, Md. | Huntingtown
RB Ryan Gomes Westminster 5th Tampa, Fla. | Walter L. Sickles
A-P Anthony Rosati W&J Jr. Chardon, Ohio | Perry
A-P Justin Flack Waynesburg Gr. Derry, Pa. | Derry
A-P Chevy Dawson Westminster 5th Port St. Lucie, Fla. | Centennial
 
 All-PAC Honorable Mention (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Nigel Williams Allegheny Sr. Buffalo, N.Y. | Cardinal O'Hara
DL Eric Hoeffel Carnegie Mellon Sr. Cincinnati, Ohio | Madeira
DL AJ Dudowski Case Western Reserve Sr. Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
DL Mike Kelly Case Western Reserve Gr. Pittsford, N.Y. | Pittsford Mendon
DL Kobe Bonanno Grove City Jr. New Bethlehem, Pa. | Redbank Valley
DL Max Pisula Saint Vincent Sr. Scottdale, Pa. | Greensburg Central Catholic
DL Chad Morningstar Thiel Jr. Saxton, Pa. | Tussey Mountain
DL Chase Nicomatti Waynesburg Sr. Port Vue, Pa. | South Allegheny
DL Joel Zellem Waynesburg Sr. Beaver Falls, Pa. | Riverside
DL Carter Chinn Westminster Sr. Grove City, Pa. | Grove City
LB Malcom Denomme Allegheny Jr. Edgewood, N.M. | Moriarty
LB Rondell Lewis Bethany Sr. Beachwood, Ohio | Beachwood
LB Logan Young Carnegie Mellon Sr. Moon Township, Pa. | Moon
LB Evan Roper Carnegie Mellon Jr. Barrington, Ill. | Barrington Community
LB Ryan Fleming Grove City Gr. Bridgeville, Pa. | South Fayette
LB Jack Jollie Grove City So. Jeannette, Pa. | Penn Trafford
LB Wiley Purry Saint Vincent Jr. Long Beach, Calif. | Long Beach Polytechnic
LB Nathan Sullivan Saint Vincent Sr. Elizabeth, Pa. | Elizabeth Forward
LB Jaquaivis Valle-Smith Waynesburg Sr. Orlando, Fla. | Winter Park
DB David Williams Allegheny Fr. Boca Raton, Fla. | Boca Raton
DB Dadrick Vickers Bethany Sr. Miami Gardens, Fla. | Miami Norland
DB Jackson Lajoie Carnegie Mellon Jr. Garland, Texas | Sachse
DB Nate Cikalo Case Western Reserve Jr. Avon Lake, Ohio | Avon Lake
DB Dan Guzevich Geneva So. Bloomsburg, Pa. | Bloomsburg Area
DB Ethan Facey Saint Vincent Jr. Gambrills, Md. | Arundel
DB Justin Logan Thiel Jr. North Chesterfield, Va. | James River
DB Brennan Boron Waynesburg Jr. St. Mary's, W.Va. | St. Marys
DB Monroe Mohler Waynesburg Sr. Union, W.Va. | James Monroe
DB Kevin Wright Westminster Jr. West Palm Beach, Fla. | Seminole Ridge
DB Corte Williams Westminster Sr. Sharon, Pa. | Sharon
 All-PAC Honorable Mention (Special Teams)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Ricky Hunter W&J Sr. Freeport, Pa. | Freeport
K/P Ricco Sastoque Waynesburg So. Concord, N.C. | Northwest Cabbarus
P Kaveh Wojtowich Carnegie Mellon Sr. Irvine, Calif. | Portola
RET Jayden Thorpe Allegheny Fr. Fayetteville, N.C. | North Hardin (Ky.)
RET Dominic Voiland Carnegie Mellon Jr. Grafton, Wis. | Grafton