Dec 18, 2019 4 min read

Players honored

The postseason accolades continued to roll in for the Washington & Jefferson College football team Wednesday when sophomore Joey Koroly of Trinity and senior defensive lineman Mike Williams were recognized with All-Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III honors.

Koroly was named a First Team selection by the ECAC as a return specialist while Williams secured Second Team honors for his work on the defensive line.

Koroly was previously honored as a First Team All-South Region selection by D3football.com, a First Team All-PAC honoree at returner, an honorable mention pick by the PAC as a defensive back and a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.

The sophomore recorded three returns for touchdowns in 2019, two of which were kickoffs (98 vs. Thiel, 85 vs. Waynesburg) and one punt for a score (54 vs. Bethany). His 98-yard kick return for touchdown against the Tomcats in week two established a new school record for longest kick return.

Williams earned D3football.com Team of the Week honors following a week one win over then nationally-ranked Wittenberg University. Williams posted 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown against the Tigers. Williams was named Most Valuable Player of the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl after guiding the Presidents to a 20-17 victory over Ithaca. Williams recorded six tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and his first career interception against the Bombers.

• Waynesburg senior Brennan Sefick was honored as a second-team defensive back on this year’s squad.

Sefick, a two-time second-team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), tied for ninth in the conference in passes defended (nine), which also tied for the highest mark on the team. He led Waynesburg with three interceptions while adding 27 totals tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss. Sefick was one of many that helped contribute to the PAC-leading Waynesburg pass defense, which allowed just 110.9 passing yards per game and eight touchdowns, which were also the fewest in the conference. The 110.9 passing yards allowed per game was the second-lowest total in all of Division III.

In the NBA

Kendrick Nunn scored 26 points to help the Miami Heat hand the Philadelphia 76ers their first home loss of the season, 108-104 on Wednesday night.

The 76ers had been 14-0 at home, including a 113-86 victory over the Heat last month.

• Kyle Lowry had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double and Toronto had an 11-0 run in the third quarter on its way to a 112-95 win over Detroit.

The Raptors were without guard Fred VanVleet because of right knee injury. Then center Marc Gasol left in the first quarter with a left hamstring strain. Toronto still had enough firepower to handle the Pistons.

Jags fire Coughlin

The Jacksonville Jaguars fired top executive Tom Coughlin on Wednesday, parting ways with the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach a little more than a day after the NFL Players Union took a sledgehammer to his reputation.

Coughlin served as executive vice president of football operations since 2017. It was his second stint with Jacksonville, the expansion franchise he helped build from the ground up in the mid-1990s.

The unbending taskmaster had been in trouble for weeks because of the team’s sagging record and several questionable roster moves. The NFLPA seemingly forced owner Shad Khan’s hand after an arbitrator’s decision to undo millions in fines imposed by Coughlin himself.

The NFLPA said Monday that more than 25% of player grievances filed in the last two years have been against the Jaguars. The union’s take: “You as players may want to consider this when you have a chance to select your next club.”

“I determined earlier this fall that making this move at the conclusion of the 2019 season would be in everyone’s best interests,” Khan said in a statement. “But, in recent days, I reconsidered and decided to make this change immediately.

“I thank Tom for his efforts, not only over the past three years but for all he did from our very first season, 25 years ago, to put the Jacksonville Jaguars on the map.”

Khan said general manager Dave Caldwell and head coach Doug Marrone will each report directly to him on an interim basis.