WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College football team finished with a 9-2 overall record and finished in a tie for second place last season in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The year was highlighted by a quartet of marquee wins. W&J bookended the year with a pair of strong out of conference wins including a 35-18 triumph over Hobart in the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl in the season finale.
The winning season was the 39th consecutive for W&J, which marks the third longest active streak among NCAA schools. The Presidents will open the 2023 schedule with a road contest against Saint Vincent College on Sept. 2. The 10-game regular season will be exclusively conference contests.
2022 SEASON IN REVIEW
W&J put together another strong season by recording a 9-2 overall record and a 6-2 mark in PAC play.
Despite another successful season, the Presidents suffered a pair of setbacks by a combined nine points. The two losses contributed to W&J missing out on a conference title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
"Nine wins is nothing to complain about," head coach
Mike Sirianni said. "That being said we need to get back to being great. We were a really good team in 2022 but we want to be great in 2023."
In the season opener, the Presidents raced out to an early lead en route to a 35-26 win over visiting John Carroll University in a non-conference game at Cameron Stadium. W&J built up a 28-7 lead midway through the third quarter behind a pair of touchdown runs by
Zach Cernuto. The Blue Streaks trimmed the deficit into single digits in the second half. However, the Presidents forced a pair of turnovers to seal the victory.
Tyler Sabo recorded a pair of interceptions to aid the W&J defense.
A strong ground game helped W&J roll offensively in a 52-21 road rout of Saint Vincent in week two. W&J showed great balance offensively, as they rushed for 287 yards and passed for 252 in the win. The Presidents jumped all over Saint Vincent, scoring the game's first four touchdowns to take a 28-0 lead en route to its ninth straight win in the head-to-head series.
Justin Huss rushed for 116 yards and totaled two touchdowns in the victory over the Bearcats.
After totaling 87 points over the first two weeks of the season, W&J's offense went cold in a week three loss at Case Western Reserve. The Presidents went 0-for-14 on third down and failed to score twice in the red zone during a disappointing 14-10 loss to the Spartans.
Dawson Dietz paced the Presidents with a strong defensive effort in the setback, as he finished with nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
W&J responded from the adversity with three-consecutive victories. The winning streak started with a 50-7 romp over Bethany College at Cameron Stadium. W&J found the end zone four times in the first quarter as they claimed their eighth straight win over the Bison.
Anthony Rosati hauled in a pair of touchdown receptions and amassed 100 yards receiving.
The Presidents followed the Bethany win with a commanding 66-14 win over Allegheny.
Jacob Pugh rushed for three touchdowns and the W&J defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns as the Red and Black collected a dominant homecoming win over the Gators. The meeting was the first between the two programs since 2006, as Allegheny rejoined the PAC last fall.
Perhaps the most satisfying win in 2022 came in its Oct. 8 matchup at Westminster. The Presidents scored all 17 of its points in the fourth quarter as the Red and Black rallied to knock off rival Westminster College by a 17-14 score at Harold Burry Stadium.
Johnny O'Rourke caught a pair of touchdown passes in the victory for the Presidents, who snapped a four-game losing streak to the Titans. The last eight meetings between the two programs have all been decided by a seven points or less. W&J limited the Titans to just 11 first downs, 71 yards rushing and 112 yards passing. W&J had four sacks and forced 11 punts.
Riding a three-game winning streak, W&J welcomed Carnegie Mellon to town on Oct. 15. The Tartans outlasted the Presidents by a 12-7 score in a defensive struggle at Cameron Stadium. The highly-anticipated matchup ultimately decided the conference championship. Despite not scoring an offensive touchdown, CMU was able to use a 42-yard interception return for touchdown by Logan Young to escape with the victory. Neither team reached 300 yards of total offense.
W&J ripped off three-straight wins to conclude the regular season at 8-2 overall. The Presidents shut out Thiel (55-0) and Waynesburg (56-0) during that stretch. Sandwiched in between was a 31-14 win over Grove City. The Presidents led the Wolverines by double digits at halftime before adding a pair of third quarter scores to pull away for the decisive victory. Pugh tossed four touchdowns and
Justin Johns made a career-high 18 tackles defensively.
The Presidents rolled up 28 second quarter points en route to a 35-18 victory over visiting Hobart College in the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl. Pugh tossed three first half touchdown passes as W&J eased its way to victory.
Tanner Volpatti earned bowl MVP honors with 11 tackles and an interception. The victory improved W&J to 5-1 all time in ECAC Bowl games.
A total of 17 student-athletes were honored on the 2022 All-Presidents' Athletic Conference Teams. The Presidents placed six student-athletes on the All-PAC First Team, which included offensive lineman
Angelo Fratini and tight end
John O'Rourke, offensively. Defensively, W&J placed four on the first team, which were defensive lineman
Alex Keith, defensive lineman
Dawson Dietz, linebacker
Justin Johns and
Drew Ehrlich (Annapolis, Md./Gilman School).
A total of 17 Presidents earned selection to the 2021 All-PAC Football teams. W&J matched the league-high with seven First Team honorees. The seven players earning All-PAC First Team status were wide receiver Wolf, offensive lineman
Angelo Fratini (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown), defensive lineman
Alex Keith (Hartville, Ohio/Lake), linebacker Sean Doran (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock), defensive back
Drew Ehrlich (Annapolis, Md./Gilman School), punter Jacob Sarver (Sarver, Pa./Freeport) and return specialist
Justin Huss (Derry, Pa./Derry).
Dietz, Ehrlich, Johns and Keith earned All-Region honors from D3football.com. Dietz later was selected as a First Team All-American by the organization following his terrific breakout season. Dietz became W&J's 25th D3football.com All-America selection by the organization since 1999.
Team Captains: Angelo Fratini,
Justin Johns,
Jacob Pugh,
Tanner Volpatti
Fratini and Volpatti, both fifth-year players, enter their second year serving as captains. Johns and Pugh both will be captains for the first time in 2023.
"Obviously as players anytime you return multi-year starters it is a plus," Sirianni said. "They both have a chip on their shoulder to improve and get us back to the NCAA playoffs."
Position-by-Position Breakdown:
OFFENSE
W&J finished second in points per game and first in passing offense last fall. The Presidents averaged 37.6 points per contest and went 8-0 when they scored 30 or more points. However, they were just 1-2 when they were limited to less than 30 points. Offensively, the Presidents return seven starters and most of their key skill players from a season ago.
Quarterback
Jacob Pugh (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) grabbed the reigns midway through the season last fall and looks to build off a performance that earned his Honorable Mention last fall.
Pugh finished the season that saw him toss 12 touchdowns and rack up 1,155 passing yards. Pugh also rushed for a team-high seven touchdowns. He earned PAC Offensive Player of the Week laurels following his four touchdown performance in a 31-14 win over Grove City on Nov. 5. He also passed for three touchdown passes in the ECAC bowl win over Hobart on Nov. 19.
"Jake Pugh is a great leader. He holds himself and everyone else accountable," Sirianni said. "He is a true dual threat quarterback. He is a Jalen Hurts type of player for us. We intend to use his entire skill set."
Gerrit Hinsdale (Clymer, N.Y. / Panama),
Kellan Stahl (Johnstown, Pa. / Richland) and
Trey Holsman (Yardley, Pa. / Archbishop Wood) also return at the quarterback position. Hinsdale is the only player among that group with varsity experience.
Running Back / H-Back
W&J returns plenty of options at the running back spot.
Raymond Holmes (Verona, Pa./Serra Catholic) paced the Presidents with 498 yards last fall. The soon-to-be junior found the end zone five times. Holmes rushed for 60 yards or more four times.
Troy Volpatti (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) emerged as a threat during the latter half of the season. Volpatti rushed for two touchdowns and 277 yards on just 48 carries. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and earned PAC Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 14 after he rushed for 139 yards versus Waynesburg.
Justin Huss (Derry, Pa./Derry Area) returns after missing most of last season due to injury. Huss, who entered last fall as the lead back, hopes to add another dimension to the back field. He caught at least five passes in each of the first three games and rushed for 116 yards in a week two win at Saint Vincent.
Owen Petrisek (Ellsworth, Pa./Bentworth) and
Kobe DeRosa (New Castle, Pa./Laurel) also saw action at the position and return this fall.
Zach Cernuto (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) returns at the h-back role. Cernuto totaled seven touchdowns last season (four rushing, three receiving). Cernuto found the end zone twice in the season opener versus John Carroll and twice in the season finale bowl win versus Hobart. His skill set gives W&J some flexibility as it enters 2023.
Wide Receiver
W&J returns some key pieces in the receiving corps.
John Peduzzi (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian Academy) enjoyed a breakout initial season with the Presidents. The All-PAC honorable mention performer led the team with 54 receptions, 915 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. Peduzzi surpassed 100-yard mark on four occasions, including an eight-catch, 131-yard performance a win over Grove City.
Anthony Rosati (Chadron, Ohio/Perry) put together a productive season. Rosati filled the stat sheet with 48 receptions for 535 yards and three touchdowns. An All-PAC Honorable Mention choice, Rosati caught at least five passes in five separate games.
Jacob Macosko (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) and
Karson Kline (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield) are among the others returning hoping for a bigger role in 2023.
When asked about his returning group at running back and wide receiver, Sirianni said that continuity will continue to be a factor in the development of that offensive unity.
"That they have played together is an obvious advantage," Sirianni said. "They continue to improve and work together as a unit."
Offensive Line
A pair of returning starters,
Angelo Fratini (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) and
Grant Cullen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic), return to head up the efforts of the offensive line.
One of the most experienced players on the offense is Fratini. The senior has started all 37 games since arriving at W&J as a freshman in 2019. He earned D3football.com All-America Second Team recognition as a sophomore and is a three-time All-PAC First Team selection.
Cullen took over the reigns as the starting center last fall and helped W&J matriculate through a successful season. He will once again be relied upon to play a crucial role for the unit.
Adam Kozera (Sharpsburg, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) had earned a starting spot at guard last fall before suffering a season-ending injury in week two. Kozera's return looks to help W&J solidify its offensive line after several losses amongst the starting group.
Eddie Nicotra (Cranberry Township, Pa./North Catholic),
Michael Dungey (Colombus, Ohio/Harvest Prep), and
Elijah Staub (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) are among the reutrners who should figure into the mix at offensive line.
"Our offensive line has to improve and be more consistent," Sirianni said. "We need to control games with our offensive line."
DEFENSE
The W&J defense will look to continue its run as one of the best in not only the PAC but in all of Division III Football.
"Our defense has been the strength of our team the last few seasons," Sirianni said. "We are very strong down the center of our defense. We have a chance to be dominant on that side of the ball."
Defensive Line
W&J returns a strong group up front for 2023. Leading that group is a 2022 D3football.com All-America in
Dawson Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton), who looks to build off of an outstanding season last fall. The rising junior has been lauded as a preseason All-America by multiple media outlets. Dietz racked up 83 tackles (44 solo) and 23.5 tackles for loss last fall. His 11 sacks ranked as second most on a defense that ranked 15th in Division III in team sacks.
Another returning starter,
Jaren Thimons (Valencia, Pa./North Catholic), also looks to build off of a strong sophomore season. Thimons posted 38 tackles (8.5 tackles for loss) to go along with 5.5 sacks last fall in his first season as a starter.
Avery Keith (Hartville, Ohio/Lake) joins the mix as a transfer from Walsh University in Ohio. Keith appeared in 13 games in two seasons with the Cavaliers. Keith made 24 tackles including two for loss last season.
Sean Berardino (Millersville, Md./Archbishop Spalding),
Zach Valentine (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler Area),
James Dawodu (Upper Marlboro, Md./Largo),
Aidan Thomas (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) and
Logan Schwartz (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) will all look to build upon their contributions in reserve roles from a season ago.
Linebacker
The Presidents return both starters at the position, as All-PAC honorees
Justin Johns (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) and
Tanner Volpatti (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) both are back in 2023.
Johns collected First Team All-PAC honors and was a Third Team All-Region 2 selection by D3football.com last season. He posted a conference-leading 102 tackles, 6.0 which went for loss, during the 2022 campaign. The rising senior added two forced fumbles, a sack, a fumble recovery and an interception to his stat totals. He racked up a career-high 18 tackles in a win over Grove City on Nov. 5. Johns will serve as one of the team captains for the upcoming 2023 campaign.
Volpatti returns after collecting his second-straight All-PAC honor. The senior ranked third on the team with 52 tackles. He had 5.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Volpatti was selected as Most Valuable Player of the 2022 ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl.
Keaton Hall (Dover, Ohio/Dover) is among the returners who will look to fill roles at the position. Hall, a strong special teams player and reserve linebacker, has combined to make 47 tackles over the past two seasons.
Defensive Back
Aaron Carothers (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) and
Bruno Fabrycki (New Salem, Pa./Albert Gallatin) made 11 starts and 9 starts, respectively in 2022. Carothers recorded 29 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception. Fabrycki registered 17 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups.
Mason Kasprack (South Park, Pa./South Park) also saw time at the position as a reserve last fall.
The safety positions are up for grabs after the graduation of
Tyler Sabo and
Dillon Rebuck.
Zachai Simmons (Hawthorne, N.J./Linsly (W.Va)) appeared in 10 games and made 15 tackles a season ago. He could get the first crack at starting time at the position.
Braden Gennock (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) and
Brandon Brown (Monessen, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) will look for an increased roles. Both appeared in nine games last season with the bulk of their time coming on special teams.
A trio of transfers,
Carson Laconi (Butler, Pa./North Catholic),
Marcus Harrell Jr. (Bedford, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) and
Levi Swartz (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) all enter the mix at defensive back.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The kicking and return game is a bit unknown at this time.
Ricky Hunter (Freeport, Pa./Freeport) returns after seeing time as the team's kickoff specialist in addition to seeing game reps as place kicker and punter.
A variety of players should figure to battle for the opportunity to return kicks/punts this fall. Huss is one option with another being Swartz, who transferred over from Allegheny, where he made an impact in the return game last fall as a freshman.
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
The 10-game regular season features matchups with each of the members of the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The 2023 season will mark the 132nd season of football for the Red and Black.
We don't care. 10 faceless opponents. That's our motto. If you worry about the guy next to you- doesn't matter who you play.
The Presidents open the campaign with a road trip to Latrobe, Pa. on Sept. 2 where the Presidents will face Saint Vincent with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Chuck Noll Field.
On Saturday, Sept. 9, the Presidents travel to Bethany College for a 1 p.m. kickoff. This marks the first road game against the Bison since the 2018 season.
The Presidents welcome Westminster (Sept. 16) and Thiel (Sept. 23) for back-to-back games at Cameron Stadium. In conjunction with the game versus the Titans, W&J will celebrate Hall of Fame Weekend as it inducts its Class of 2023. Both contests are set for 1 p.m. kickoffs.
W&J will face a stiff road test on Sept. 30 when they head to Grove City for a 2 p.m. kickoff. W&J has won 10-straight meetings against the Wolverines, a streak that dates back to 2012.
The Presidents return to Cameron Stadium to host Allegheny College on Oct. 7. The game will serve as the annual homecoming game for W&J.
Following its bye week, W&J faces a pair of critical games in back-to-back weeks. The Presidents travel to reigning PAC champion Carnegie Mellon on Oct. 21 for a 7 p.m. game under the lights at Gesling Stadium. Following the clash with the Tartans, W&J welcomes Case Western Reserve to Cameron Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 28. The matchup will be the first home contest against the Spartans since a thrilling 44-36 victory in 2018.
W&J then heads to Beaver Falls for an afternoon game against Geneva on Nov. 4. The following week, W&J concludes the regular season with Senior Day against Waynesburg University on Nov. 11.
The Presidents enter the 2023 slate with 772 all-time victories, a total which ranks as third most in NCAA Division III. The Presidents have posted 39 consecutive winning seasons, a streak that dates back to the 1984 season.
W&J will be under the direction of
Mike Sirianni, who enters his 21st season leading the program. Sirianni, one of NCAA football's most successful head coaches and the winningest football coach in W&J history, has compiled a 176-42 record (.807) during his time in Washington.
| 2023 PAC Football Preseason Poll (Predicted order of finish) |
| School |
Points (first place votes) |
2022 Record (PAC) |
| 1. Carnegie Mellon University |
415 (36) |
11-1 (8-0) |
| 2. Washington & Jefferson College |
363 (1) |
9-2 (6-2) |
| 3. Westminster College |
326 |
7-3 (6-2) |
| 4. Grove City College |
312 (1) |
8-3 (5-3) |
| 5. Case Western Reserve University |
283 |
6-4 (5-3) |
| 6. Saint Vincent College |
204 |
5-5 (5-3) |
| 7. Waynesburg University |
179 |
4-6 (3-5) |
| 8. Geneva College |
152 |
3-7 (3-5) |
| 9. Allegheny College |
145 |
3-7 (2-6) |
| 10. Thiel College |
72 |
1-9 (1-7) |
| 11. Bethany College |
57 |
1-9 (0-8) |
PAC Players To Watch
