By Corey J. Corbin
Allied News Sports Editor
LATROBE — The world of football is full of jinxes.
There’s the Sports Illustrated jinx; there’s the Madden Football curse; and the least famous one of all — but just as bad — the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Media Day jinx.
The first two are well documented nationally, but the PAC jinx is becoming just as well known regionally.
In each of the past five years, the PAC football team picked to win the conference by the conference’s coaches, sports information directors and media personnel has failed to win the conference.
Consider that good news for Grove City, Thiel and Westminster colleges and not so good news for defending conference titlist Washington and Jefferson, who return 44 letterwinners from a 10-2 team.
The Presidents, who advanced to the Division III second round in 2006 and finished conference play unde- feated at 6-0, easily outdistanced Waynesburg 196-148 in voting at the conference’s media day in Saint Vincent College’s Westmoreland Room Tuesday afternoon.
Rounding out the conference were Thiel (147), Thomas More (115), Grove City (73), Bethany (68) and Westminster (67).
“We are honored to be selected as the preseason favorite, but the last four preseason poll leaders have not won the title, including us twice,” W&J; fifth year coach Mike Sirianni said. “We are going to work hard starting in a few weeks and we hope the voting is correct at the end of the season.”
Coming off a 5-5 season, the Thiel Tomcats could contend for the conference title if its offensive line gels early and sophomore quarterback Willie Bova utilizes his full potential.
Thiel returns just two experienced blockers for running backs senior Steve Minton (537 yards and six touchdowns) and junior Danny Hess (445 yards and five scores).
“We’re young up front and looking to solidify the quarterback position,” said Thiel coach Jack Leipheimer, who returns 16 starters and 29 letterwinners from 2006. “We have a chance to be solid offensively if the offensive line grows up early. It’s no secret we’re counting on Steve and Danny to carry the load for us offensively this fall. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have than those two.”
The Grove City College Wolverines return 12 starters — six apiece both offensively and defensively — and 28 letterwinners for its 113th year of competition under 24th year head coach Chris Smith.
The Wolverines return sophomore quarterback Andrew DiDonato, senior running backs Ian Tobin and Matt Weil; and two-time all-conference center Matt Gregg.
“We have a talented team coming back and we had our most productive spring,” Smith said. “We got better as the year went on. We want to keep it simple. We want to follow our plan and do the work that is necessary.”
Jeff Hand and his Westminster Titans are looking to get better in 2007 after going through growing pains in 2006.
Last year, the Titans broke in freshman and sophomores — none of whom were returning starters — at key positions during last year’s 2-8 campaign.
“Our hopes are that the experienced gained from the 2006 season by our group of young talented players will help them mature and improve the program,” said Hand, who welcomes back 18 starters. “We have good experience on the offensive line, but we’re very thin there. Our receiving corps are very experienced, while our running backs and quarterbacks are inexperienced and young, but they have a lot of potential.”
Also at the media day, PAC commissioner Joe Onderko announced the conference had earned automatic qualifer status for the Division III football tournament this fall.
“The automatic bid is going to be great for all of us,” Waynesburg coach Rick Shepas said. “We’ll have a chance to get another team (into the national tournament) now.”
Sirianni disagreed.
“I have a differing feelings on it,” he said. “The PAC will have a difficult time getting a second bid, because the PAC champ always got in anyways. But it is for other sports in the conference.”
Notes: PAC provisional members Geneva and Saint Vincent were predicted to post 4-4 and 1-7 records against conference foes in 2007. ... According to Sirianni, the PAC went 1-3 in the DIII tournament between 1996 and 2000, while posting a 5-6 record between 2001 and 2006.
Sports
W&J selected to finish 1st in football at PAC Media Day
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