W&J routs Waynesburg, earns NCAA playoff berth
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Washington & Jefferson’s Matt Girting sacks Waynesburg’s Jake Dougherty in the end zone for a safety during a game at Cameron Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Washington & Jefferson running back Jordan West will be a key component to the offense this year.
Observer-Reporter
The annual football game between Presidents’ Athletic Conference rivals Washington & Jefferson and Waynesburg will not be played this fall. The PAC announced Friday that it will move all high-contact sports, such as football, to the spring 2021.
Washington & Jefferson’s Braydon Toy finds a opening as Waynesburg’s Bryce Allen,left, and Brent Blacharczk go in for the tackle during a game at W&J's Cameron Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017.
It was an efficient and highly productive three hours of college football for Washington & Jefferson.
On a cold Saturday afternoon at Cameron Stadium, records fell, points were produced and a playoff berth was secured for the Presidents from a 42-0 rout of rival Waynesburg in the annual game labeled the Backyard Brawl.
Consider:
• The Presidents finished the regular season at 10-0, 8-0 in the conference. W&J and Case Western Reserve finished as co-champions of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. The Presidents received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs by winning the tiebreaker (strength of schedule). Case Western is expected to make the playoffs when the pairings are announced today.
- W&J capped a perfect regular season for the 13th time in school history and first time since 2007.
- Mike Sirianni became the winningest head coach in W&J history with his 138th victory, one more than John Luckhardt.
- J
- esse Zubik, who caught 13 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, became the PAC career receiving leader with 272
- catches.
- W&J’s defense recorded its first shutout of the season and scored a safety when Waynesburg quarterback Jake Dougherty was sacked in the end zone by Matt Girting. Cornerback O’Shea Anderson returned an interception for a touchdown.
- This will be the Presidents’ 25th venture into the Division III playoffs.
“We have a chance to make some noise,” said Sirianni, “so we’ll see who we draw (Sunday). We’d like to play at home. We think we earned the right to play at home. We’re 10-0, ran the table, scheduled tough out-of-conference opponents . . . but you never know what (the NCAA) is going to do.”
Sophomore quarterback Jake Adams was outstanding, completing 23 of 30 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns.
“I thought we played well on offense,” said Adams. “We came out with our foot on the gas and played well.”
W&J scored all 42 points in the first half and Zubik opened the scoring with a 4-yard reception 1:41 into the game. He would add a 66-yarder as time expire in the first quarter to give W&J a 23-0 lead. Zubik has 272 career receptions for 4,558 yards.
“I read in the pregame notes that I was getting close,” said Zubik. “Jake (Adams) and I are getting better each week. It’s been three weeks with Jake and we’re getting better and better. Jake is getting more and more confidence.”
Adams has thrown six touchdowns in the past four games, including the game-winner in overtime against Westminster.
“He made some really good throws,” said Sirianni. “He’s gotten better each week. “
But Sirianni moved quickly to douse any quarterback controversy flames, proclaiming senior Alex Rowse the starter if the doctors give the OK.
“He’s a special kid who has had a special year,” Sirianni said of Rowse. “He’s picked us up and beat Westminster single-handedly. It’s nice to have two quarterbacks. It shows where our focus is in the playoffs and it shows the future is in pretty good hands.”
The Presidents had 40 seniors play their last regular-season game, more than any other school in Division III.
“That’s why we are 10-0, because of our senior leadership.” Sirianni said.
Waynesburg came into the game on a two-game winning streak. But W&J limited the Yellow Jackets to only 164 total yards and stifling a running attack that had produced nearly 500 yards the past two games to 64 yards on 42 carries, a 1.5-yard average.
“They have great athletes and it’s tough to cover them all,” said Waynesburg interim coach Chris Smithley. “When you watch their offense, it seems like they have 14 guys on the field. … I wish we would have played in the first half the way we played in the second half. This is a big game and we were riding some momentum and we faced adversity. We didn’t really overcome it until the third quarter. But we were running out of time.”
W&J’s defense turned the Yellow Jackets away in the red zone twice in the second half to preserve the first shutout since a 17-0 win over Thiel in 2012.
“We’ve been talking about a shutout all season,” said Anderson. “It was satisfying to get it in that final week.”
W&J held Dougherty to a 10-for-19 day and 100 yards and just 13 yards on 17 carries.
“They beat up on us but I thought playing this team last was good for us because they are where we want to be at,” said Dougherty. “In seeing how good they are, how well they play together and the culture they have, that’s where we want to get to.”
W&J presented Sirianni a plaque for reaching 138 wins. He received a phone call from Luckhardt this week.
“I really appreciated that,” said Sirianni. “Coach Luckhardt is the best coach here. He went to the Stagg Bowl twice. Coach (Todd) Young has been here for all these wins, too.”