2024 All-PAC Football Teams, Award Winners Announced

11/21/2024 7:30:00 PM

TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - The 2024 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. 

Earning PAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row was Washington & Jefferson College senior quarterback Jacob Pugh, while collecting Defensive Player of the Year was W&J senior defensive lineman Dawson Dietz. The 2024 conference's Newcomer of the Year is Westminster College freshman defensive back Lamont Austin.

W&J, one of three teams to share the PAC title this season, had three major award winners. Joining Pugh and Dietz with PAC hardware was Presidents' head coach Mike Sirianni, who was voted the league's Coach of the Year. 

The first PAC Offensive Player of the Year repeat winner since Grove City College wide receiver Cody Gustafson in the Covid spring season of 2021 and then fall of 2021, Pugh is also the first quarterback to win in consecutive years since W&J signal caller Jason Baer in 1995 and 1996.

After an incredible year in 2023 to earn his first Player of the Year honor, Pugh actually topped those numbers this year. He led the PAC in completions (218), completion percentage (70.6), passing yards (3,011), touchdowns (39) and passing efficiency (190.8). In addition to ranking first in the PAC in those categories, Pugh also sits among the nation's elite, as he is fourth in Division III in passing yards and touchdowns, ninth in passing efficiency and 11th in completion percentage. A three-time PAC Offensive Player of the Week selection, Pugh threw for four or more TDs in six games this season, while also going over 300+ yards in four games.

Pugh's career numbers rank him among the best to play the quarterback position in PAC history. His 39 TD tosses this year are the second-most in a single-season behind only fellow W&J QB Bobby Swallow, who threw 46 in 2007. Pugh has also thrown for 92 career touchdowns, which is fifth most in conference history, and with 7,397 career passing yards, Pugh needs just 87 more to crack the top 10 all-time in the conference record book.

Dietz's award marks the first time a W&J defensive player has won a yearly conference award since defensive lineman Matt Szcypinski was the overall PAC Player of the Year in 1994. The senior defensive lineman posted 63 tackles overall while leading the league in tackles for loss with 22.5 and sacks with 13. Twice named PAC Defensive Player of the Week, Dietz had multiple sacks in five contests during the year, with perhaps his top effort coming in the Nov. 2nd win at Case Western Reserve when he posted 3.5 sacks along with eight stops.

Like Pugh, Dietz will go down as one of the top players in the PAC record books. Now a three-time First Team All-PAC selection, Dietz's 57 career tackles-for-loss place him sixth in the PAC all-time, while his 30.5 career ranks is eighth-most ever in the conference.

Austin's top Newcomer award makes him the second Westminster player to earn it and first since current Titan senior DB Kevin Wright (West Palm Beach, Fla./Seminole Ridge) was the winner in 2021. Austin notched 27 tackles while playing in all 10 games, including 22 solos. He snared a team-high three interceptions and was second on the team with four break-ups. He earned PAC Newcomer of the Week following the Titans' 17-14 win over Case Western Reserve Oct. 26 after he made a season-high seven and sealed the win with an interception and 71-yard runback with under 20 seconds to play. Austin helped Westminster finish third in the PAC in scoring defense (15.3) and passing defense (147.6).

This Coach of the Year award for Sirianni is the eighth in his 22 years guiding the Presidents and first since 2017. W&J finished 9-1 overall and in the PAC this season to finish as tri-champions in the conference, their 27th league title in program history and first since 2018. The nine wins also marks three straight years with 9+ victories for the Presidents and 15th campaign with that many wins in his 22 years, as Sirianni has compiled a 194-45 career record.

With PAC tri-champions for the first time since 1998 in W&J, Grove City and Carnegie Mellon, the conference is also sending three teams to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time ever. W&J earned the PAC's automatic bid through a tiebreaker, while Carnegie Mellon and Grove City earned at-large bids and the PAC tri-champions all received byes into the second round on Nov. 30. Carnegie Mellon will be at home in their second round game, hosting Centre College at Gesling Stadium on the 30th, while Grove City and W&J will both be on the road for their opening playoff games. The Wolverines will travel to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., and the Presidents will play at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va.

In addition to three teams representing the PAC in the NCAA Division III playoffs, Westminster College earned the PAC's spot in the Opendorse Bowl Series, which will be played on November 23 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The Titans will play Marietta College from the Ohio Athletic Conference in the Extra Points Bowl at 6 pm on the 23rd, marking Westminster's fifth postseason appearance in the last six years.

2024 PAC Award Winners
PAC Offensive Player of the Year: W&J senior quarterback Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson)
PAC Defensive Player of the Year: W&J senior defensive line Dawson Dietz (Allison Park, Pa. | Hampton)
PAC Newcomer of the Year: Westminster freshman defensive back Lamont Austin (Sharon, Pa. | Sharon)
PAC Coach of the Year: W&J head coach Mike Sirianni
 
 All-PAC First Team (Offense)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Hunter Campbell Carnegie Mellon Gr. Downers Grove, Ill. | Downers Grove North
OL Tony Thivener Case Western Reserve Sr. Columbus, Ohio | Bishop Hartley
OL Brady Brungard Grove City Sr. New Middletown, Ohio | Springfield Local
OL Adam Kozera W&J 5yr Sharpsburg, Pa. | Pittsburgh Central Catholic
OL Matthew Howard Westminster Sr. Grove City, Pa. | Grove City
TE/HB/FB Zach Cernuto W&J Sr. Scottdale, Pa. | Southmoreland
WR Scott Fraser Grove City 5yr Butler, Pa. | Knoch
WR Jacob Macosko W&J Jr. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
QB Jacob Pugh W&J Sr. Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson
RB Nico Flati Grove City Sr. Aliquippa, Pa. | West Allegheny
RB Zayne Cawley Waynesburg Jr. Huntingtown, Md. | Huntingtown
A-P Brite Cannon Westminster Fr. Parkland, Fla. | Monarch
 
 All-PAC First Team (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Mitchell Stokey Carnegie Mellon Sr. New Philadelphia, Ohio | New Philadelphia
DL AJ Dudowski Case Western Reserve Gr. Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
DL Dawson Dietz W&J Sr. Allison Park, Pa. | Hampton
DL Avery Keith W&J Sr. Hartville, Ohio | Lake
LB Robert Coury Carnegie Mellon Gr. Phillipsburg N.J. | Phillipsburg
LB Thomas Coury Carnegie Mellon Gr. Phillipsburg N.J. | Phillipsburg
LB Ben Bladel Grove City Jr. Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon
LB Justin Johns W&J 5yr Murrysville, Pa. | Franklin Regional
DB Adrian Williams Carnegie Mellon Gr. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
DB Jason Muench Grove City Sr. Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
DB Brice Butler Westminster Sr. Farrell, Pa. | Farrell
DB Kevin Wright Westminster Sr. West Palm Beach, Fla. | Seminole Ridge
 
 All-PAC First Team (Special Teams)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Justin Caputo Carnegie Mellon Jr. Bridgeville, Pa. | South Fayette
P Dan Berube Grove City Sr. Chesapeake, Va. | Greenbrier Christian
RET Brite Cannon Westminster Fr. Parkland, Fla. | Monarch
 
 All-PAC Second Team (Offense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Charlie Katarincic Carnegie Mellon Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Choate Rosemay Hall (W. Va.)
OL Owen Myer Case Western Reserve Jr. Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson
OL Luke Jollie Grove City Jr. Jeannette, Pa. | Penn Trafford
OL Elijah Staub W&J Jr. Hanover, Pa. | Delone Catholic
OL Jacob Brisky Waynesburg Jr. Latrobe, Pa. | Greater Latrobe
TE/HB/FB Matt Evert Carnegie Mellon Sr. Roswell, Ga. | Milton
WR Noah Coyne Case Western Reserve Sr. Painsville, Ohio | Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin
WR John Peduzzi W&J Jr. Hilton Head, S.C. | Hilton Head Christian Academy
QB Ben Mills Carnegie Mellon Gr. The Woodlands, Texas | Woodlands
RB Tre Vasiliadis Carnegie Mellon Gr. Great Falls, Va. | Langley
RB Ryan Gomes Westminster Gr. Tampa, Fla. | Walter L. Sickles
A-P Ethan Dahlem Case Western Reserve Sr. Upper St. Clair, Pa. | Upper St. Clair
 
 All-PAC Second Team (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Kaden Tong Case Western Reserve Gr. Powell, Ohio | Olentangy Liberty
DL Bryce Spolnik Grove City Sr. McDonald, Pa. | South Fayette
DL Chad Morningstar Thiel Sr. Saxton, Pa. | Tussey Mountain
DL Jean Garry Joseph Westminster Sr. North Miami, Fla. | Ebenezer Christian
LB Logan Young Carnegie Mellon Gr. Moon Township, Pa. | Moon Area
LB Caleb Brubaker Grove City Jr. Mechanicsburg, Pa. | Mechanicsburg
LB Jack Jollie Grove City Jr. Jeannette, Pa. | Penn Trafford
LB Dylan Sleva Westminster Jr. Moon Township, Pa. | Moon Area
DB Nolan Pitsenberger Carnegie Mellon Sr. Earlysville, Va. | Albemarle
DB Osi Chukwuocha Case Western Reserve Jr. Wilmington, Del. | Wilmington Friends
DB Boden Davidson Grove City Jr. Scottsdale, Ariz. | Scottsdale Christian
DB Zachai Simmons W&J Sr. Hawthorne, N.J. | Linsly (W.Va.)
 
 All-PAC Second Team (Special Teams)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Daniel Sullivan Grove City So. Simsbury, Conn. | Simsbury
P Ben Mills Carnegie Mellon Gr. The Woodlands, Texas | Woodlands
RET DJ Johnson Carnegie Mellon So. Cleveland Heights, Ohio | Hawken School
 
 All-PAC Honorable Mention (Offense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
OL Carson Messemer Allegheny Sr. Schenectady, N.Y. | Schalmont
OL Michael Fath Carnegie Mellon Sr. Lower Gwynedd, Pa. | Wissahickon
OL Garrett Doherty Carnegie Mellon Sr. Boxford, Mass. | Milton Academy
OL Peter Kelly Case Western Reserve Gr. Niskayuna, N.Y. | Niskayuna
OL Roman Costanza Geneva So. McMurray, Pa. | Peters Township
OL Nathan Brady Grove City 5yr Birdsboro, Pa. | Exeter Township
OL Dalton Foore Grove City Sr. Shippensburg, Pa. | Shippensburg
OL Grant Cullen W&J Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Pittsburgh Central Catholic
OL Grant Murin Waynesburg So. Greensboro, Pa. | Mapletown
OL Braden Mika Westminster So. Vandergrift, Pa. | Kiski Area
TE/HB/FB Sean-Michael James Case Western Reserve Sr. Hartville, Ohio | Lake
TE/HB/FB Robert Tamburrino Grove City 5yr Rock Creek, Ohio | Notre Dame Cathedral Latin
TE/HB/FB Raymond Holmes W&J Sr. Verona, Pa. | Serra Catholic
WR Chris Gisewhite Allegheny Jr. Corpus Christi, Texas | Flour Bluff
WR Reece Kolke Carnegie Mellon So. Hinsdale, Ill. | Hinsdale Central
WR Brendan McCullough Carnegie Mellon So. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
WR Dylan Cave Case Western Reserve Jr.  Malvern, Pa. | Great Valley 
WR Tyler Richmond Waynesburg So. Carmichaels, Pa. | Carmichaels
WR Jalen Washington Westminster Sr. Orlando, Fla. | Dr. Phillips
QB Brett Phillips Bethany Fr. Wheeling, W. Va. | Wheeling Park
QB Alex Fromberg Case Western Reserve Sr. Bridgewater, N.J. | Bridgewater-Raritan
QB Logan Pfeuffer Grove City Sr. Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
QB Ty McGowan Westminster Jr. Moon Township, Pa. | Moon Area
RB David Reid Geneva Jr. Goldsboro, N.C. | Charles B. Aycock
RB Billy Beck Saint Vincent Sr. St. Mary's, Pa. | St. Mary's
RB Deon Logan Thiel Sr. Richmond, Va. | James River
RB Kobe Derosa W&J Jr. New Castle, Pa. | Laurel
A-P Ray Adames Bethany Fr. Parsons, W. Va. | Tucker County
A-P Willem Bouma Carnegie Mellon Jr. Carpinteria, Calif. | Cate School
A-P Daniel Sullivan Grove City So. Simsbury, Conn. | Simsbury
 
 All-PAC Honorable Mention (Defense)
Pos.  Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
DL Josh Salisbury Allegheny Sr. Edinboro, Pa. | General McLane
DL Amarion Williams Bethany Jr. Miami, Fla. | South Dade
DL Coltin Hill Geneva So. New Castle, Pa. | Laurel
DL Kobe Bonanno Grove City Sr. New Bethlehem, Pa. | Redbank Valley
DL Luke Faber Thiel Sr. Greenville, Pa. | Reynolds
DL Mason Manos Westminster Jr. Neshannock, Pa. | Neshannock
LB Coltin Colucci Allegheny Jr. Brewster, Ohio | Fairless
LB Sonny Fox Bethany Jr. Barberton, Ohio | Barberton
LB Evan Roper Carnegie Mellon Sr. Barrington, Ill. | Barrington Community
LB Sean Torres Case Western Reserve Gr. Naperville, Ill. | Benet Academy
LB Gabe Troch Case Western Reserve Gr. Raleigh, N.C. | Millbrook
LB Nathan Parker Saint Vincent Fr. Brockport, N.Y. | Brockport
LB Wiley Purry Saint Vincent Sr. Long Beach, Calif. | Long Beach Polytechnic
LB Jaellen Rose Thiel Sr. Midlothian, Va. | James River
LB Jemuel Cypress Waynesburg Jr. Seat Pleasant, Md. | Charles Herbert Flowers
DB Vital Joseph II Allegheny Sr. Humble, Texas | Summer Creek
DB Jackson Lajoie Carnegie Mellon Sr. Garland, Texas | Sachse
DB Nate Cikalo Case Western Reserve Sr. Avon Lake, Ohio | Avon Lake
DB Ryan Montgomery Grove City Jr. Harrisville, Pa. | Slippery Rock
DB Robbie Labuda Saint Vincent So. Acme, Pa. | Mount Pleasant
DB Justin Logan Thiel Sr. North Chesterfield, Va. | James River
DB Brandon Brown W&J 5yr Monessen, Pa. | Greensburg Central Catholic
DB Angelo Volomino W&J Jr. Jefferson Hills, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson
DB Brennan Boron Waynesburg Sr. St. Mary's W. Va. | St. Mary's
DB Lamont Austin Westminster Fr. Sharon, Pa. | Sharon
 All-PAC Honorable Mention (Special Teams)
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown | High School
K Adam Koscielicki Saint Vincent Sr. Loveland, Ohio | Loveland
K Deven Wyandt W&J Jr. Altoona, Pa. | Bishop Guilfoyle
P Trevor Brncic Allegheny Sr. Export, Pa. | Franklin Regional
P Joseph Rhodes V Case Western Reserve Sr. Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. | Palos Verdes Peninsula
P Daishaun Alexander Saint Vincent So. Greensburg, Pa. | Greensburg Salem
RET Boden Davidson Grove City Jr. Scottsdale, Ariz. | Scottsdale Christian
RET Jayveerh White Thiel So. Sharon, Pa. | Sharon