PAC Players to Watch

 LATROBE, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - After winning its third Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) football championship in program history last fall, Grove City College was selected as the favorite in the league heading into the 2024 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, Pennsylvania for the 17th straight year.

Grove City, led by ninth-year head coach Andrew DiDonato, secured 29 first-place votes and 444 total points in the poll.

Joining DiDonato at PAC Media Day Tuesday was senior quarterback Logan Pfeuffer (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township).

“Polls are a reflection of last year and this is a reminder of how special the 2023 season was,” said DiDonato. “After 0-10 (in 2016), we said focus on vision, not circumstance and we say the same thing after going 10-0. So we are excited to get back to focus on our vision and lay one brick each day.”

Carnegie Mellon University was selected second with eight first place votes and 417 points, while Washington & Jefferson College was picked third with three first-place votes and 378 points. Coming in fourth was Case Western Reserve University with 335 points, followed by Westminster College with the final two first-place votes and 310 points, Allegheny College (219), Geneva College (192), Saint Vincent College (154), Waynesburg University (133), Thiel College (129) and Bethany College (61).

The event started with a brief welcome from PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko, which was followed by Bob Barrickman being honored posthumously 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.

An award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Barrickman was a household name for over 40 years in the greater Pittsburgh area before he passed away in December 2022. He worked as a sports writer for the Beaver County Times, and also was employed with the Pittsburgh Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In addition, he worked with local radio stations, including WBVP, as well as the MSA/TribLive Network, where he covered local high schools, as well as Geneva College athletics, for more than four decades.

The 2024 football season opens on Saturday, September 7th with five conference match-ups on the schedule. 
 

2024 PAC Football Preseason Poll (Predicted order of finish)
School	Points (first place votes)	2023 Record (PAC)
1. Grove City College	444 (29)	11-1 (10-0)
2. Carnegie Mellon University	417 (8)	10-1 (9-1)
3. Washington & Jefferson College	378 (3)	9-2 (8-2)
4. Case Western Reserve University	335	7-3 (7-3)
5. Westminster College	310 (2)	6-4 (6-4)
6. Allegheny College	219	3-7 (3-7)
7. Geneva College	192	4-6 (4-6)
8. Saint Vincent College	154	3-7 (3-7)
9. Waynesburg University	133	2-8 (2-8)
10. Thiel College	129	3-7 (3-7)
11. Bethany College	61	0-10 (0-10)

2024 PAC Football Players to Watch

Allegheny - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Braden Layer & LB Zach Altenbaugh
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Zach Altenbaugh	5th	LB	Industry, Pa./Western Beaver
David Babb	Sr.	DB	Pembroke Pines, Fla./Chaminade Madonna
Jack Johnson	5th	QB	Hingham, Mass./Hingham/Milford Academy
Vital Joseph II	Sr.	DB	Humble, Texas/Summer Creek
Carson Messemer	Sr.	OL	Schenectady, N.Y./Schalmont
Nigel Williams	5th	DL	Buffalo, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara

 

Bethany - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Brandon Robinson & RB TJ Owensby
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Tsi Fofang	Sr.	DL	Fort Washington, Md./Friendly
Luke Hilyard	So.	RB	Pittsburgh, Pa./Avonworth
Cole McCabe	So.	OL	Dennison, Ohio/Claymont
TJ Owensby	Sr.	RB	Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota West
Grant Snyder	So.	DL	Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg

 

Carnegie Mellon - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Ryan Larsen & LB Logan Young
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Robert Coury	Grad.	LB	Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg
Thomas Coury	Grad.	LB	Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg
Ben Mills	Grad.	QB	The Woodlands, Texas/Woodlands
Tre Vasiliadis	Grad.	RB	Great Falls, Va./Langley
Adrian Williams	Grad.	DB	Venetia, Pa./Peters Township

 

Case Western Reserve - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Greg Debeljak & WR Noah Coyne
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Nate Cikalo	Sr.	DB	Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake
Noah Coyne	Sr.	WR	Painesville, Ohio/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin
Alex Fromberg	Sr.	QB	Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan
Joseph Rhodes V	Sr.	P	Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula
Dominic Sais	Sr.	DB	Los Lunas, N.M./St. Pius X
Kaden Tong	Grad.	DL	Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty

 

Geneva - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Geno DeMarco & LB Reed Gordon
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Alex Gonzalez	Sr.	DL	Laredo, Texas/Alexander
Reed Gordon	Jr.	LB	Boonsboro, Md./Boonsboro
Darin Myers	Sr.	TE/QB	Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island
David Reid	Jr.	RB	Goldsboro, N.C./Ayock
Cameron Smith	Sr.	DB	New Castle, Pa./Laurel
Gabe Trexler	Sr.	LB	Macungie, Pa./Emmaus

 

Grove City - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Andrew DiDonato & QB Logan Pfeuffer
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Ben Bladel	Jr.	LB	Moon Township, Pa./Moon
Brady Brungard	Sr.	C	New Middletown, Ohio/Springfield Local
Nico Flati	Sr.	RB	Aliquippa, Pa./West Allegheny
Scott Fraser	5th	WR	Butler, Pa./Knoch
Logan Pfeuffer	Sr.	QB	Venetia, Pa./Peters Township
Brady Spolnik	Sr.	DL	McDonald, Pa./South Fayette

 

Saint Vincent- Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Aaron Smetanka & LB Wiley Purrey
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Evan Brozenich	Sr.	DB	Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg
KeShawn Davis	Sr.	OLB	Rankin, Pa./Woodland Hills
Jeffrey Downs	Sr.	WR	Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional
Matthew Esdelle	Sr.	WR	Clarksburg, Md./Clarksburg
Payton Hrehovchak	Sr.	DL	Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe
Wiley Purry	Sr.	ILB	Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Polytechnic

 

Thiel - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Sam Bauman & DL Luke Faber
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Luke Faber	Sr.	DL	Greenville, Pa./Reynolds
Chase Lawler	Sr.	WR	Etters, Pa./Red Land
Deon Logan	Sr.	RB	Richmond, Va./James River
Justin Logan	Sr.	DB	North Chesterfield, Va./James River
Chad Morningstar	Sr.	DL	Saxton, Pa./Tussey Mountain

   

Washington & Jefferson - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Mike Sirianni & LB Justin Johns
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Zach Cernuto	Sr.	TE	Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland
Dawson Dietz	Sr.	DL	Allison Park, Pa./Hampton
Avery Keith	Sr.	DL	Hartville, Ohio/Lake
Jacob Pugh	Sr.	QB	Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson
John Peduzzi	Jr.	WR	Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian Academy
Zachai Simmons	Sr.	DB	Hawthorne, N.J./Linsly (W.Va.)

 

Waynesburg - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Dr. Cornelius Coleman & DB Brennan Boron
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Brennan Boron	Sr.	DB	St. Mary's, W.Va./St. Mary's
Jacob Brisky	Jr.	OL	Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe
Zayne Cawley	Jr.	RB	Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown
Jemuel Cypress	Sr.	LB	Seat Pleasant, Md./Charles Herbert Flowers
Isaac Trout	Jr.	WR	Ruffs Dale, Pa./Southmoreland

 

Westminster - Media Day Interviews with Head Coach Scott Benzel & QB Ty McGowan
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Taite Beachy	Jr.	WR	Moon Township, Pa./Moon
Bryce Butler	Sr.	DB	Farrell, Pa./Farrell
Ty Eilam	Sr.	WR	Sharon, Pa./Sharon
Ty McGowan	Jr.	QB	Moon Township, Pa./Moon
Dylan Sleva	Jr.	LB	Moon Township, Pa./Moon
Kevin Wright	Sr.	DB	West Palm Beach, Fla./Seminole Ridge

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