PSAC Players of the Week
PSAC Western Division Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week
Brayden Long, Slippery Rock, Quarterback, Senior
Long threw for 399 yards with four touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks in a 38-22 road win at Clarion. The 399 yards are the second most in a game in the PSAC West this season and the four TD passes tie for the most in a single-game by any QB in the league this year. Long connected with seven different receivers and SRU had five players with at least 31 receiving yards in the game.
PSAC Western Division Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week
Maurice Massey, IUP, Wide Receiver, Redshirt Junior
Massey had a standout game in IUP's 35-7 win over Gannon last Saturday, hauling in six catches for 181 yards and three touchdowns. His first TD was a 38 yarder from QB Hunter Karst and gave IUP a 14-7 lead. His other two scores came in the second half, with a third-quarter 52-yard TD and another 38 yard effort in the fourth quarter.
PSAC Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Wilfredo Diaz, Edinboro, Linebacker, Redshirt Sophomore
Diaz continued to impress with his play in the Scots 24-22 victory over Seton Hill. Diaz recorded 18 tackles, seven of them solo, with 2.5 for a loss in addition to a sack. He also forced a fumble and had a pass breakup. Diaz led the Edinboro defense that helped hold Seton Hill's Ky'Ron Craggette, the PSAC rushing leader, to his lowest rushing total of the season at just 63 yards.
PSAC Western Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Mason Yohn, Slippery Rock, K/P, Sophomore
Yohn, who is SRU's everyday punter, took over as placekicker for the first time this season and was perfect in a 38-22 win at Clarion. He went 5-for-5 on PAT kicks and connected on a 36-yard field goal to give SRU its first made field goal since week three at Shippensburg.
PSAC Eastern Division Offensive Athlete of the Week
John Siggins, East Stroudsburg, Wide Receiver,Senior
Siggins had a historic day, breaking ESU's receiving yards record for a half with 205 yards and three touchdowns in the first half against Shippensburg. He finished tied for second all-time in a single game with 239 yards and secured four touchdowns in total. Siggins recorded the fifth-most receiving yards in an NCAA DII game this season, on just eight receptions--and tallied the most yards on eight receptions this season in all of Division II. He played only three quarters and was pulled prior to the start of the fourth.
PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Eden Johnson, Kutztown, Linebacker,Redshirt Sophomore
Johnson led Kutztown with six tackles (three solo), a sack, and returned a first-quarter interception 38 yards for a touchdown as the Golden Bears improved to 9-0 on the season and clinched their second straight PSAC East title with a 49-17 victory at Millersville on Saturday. Following a pick six by fellow linebacker Jalen DeVose on Millersville's first possession, Johnson made it two interceptions for touchdowns in as many Marauder drives when he picked off quarterback Ryan Zeltt and took it 38 yards to the house for a quick 14-0 lead. Johnson and the first team defense allowed just three points in the first half as Kutztown built a 49-3 lead. The Golden Bears finished with four interceptions for the second straight game while totaling four sacks and nine tackles for loss.
PSAC Eastern Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Sean Henry, West Chester, Kicker, Senior
Henry what was likely his final home game in John A. Farrell Stadium, going 3-for-3 on extra points while also hitting a pair of 30+-yard (34, 31) field goals to account for nine of the Golden Rams 27 points in the win over Lock Haven, 27-16. The senior also handled kickoff duties as usual, registering a pair of touchbacks to help neutralize LHU's kick return unit.
photo from PSAC
The Kutztown Golden Bears were selected No. 1 in the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s East Division Football Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Kutztown earned six first-place votes and is coming off the best season in program history, advancing to the NCAA semifinals after a program-best 12 wins and its second PSAC title in the last three seasons. The Golden Bears led the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 16.7 points per game and recorded five victories against nationally-ranked teams in 2023.
Shepherd, voted No. 2 in the East to break a streak of three consecutive years at No. 1 in the Preseason Poll, was 9-3 overall last season (5-2 in PSAC play) and ranked fourth in the conference in scoring (31.4 points per game).
The No. 3 team in the poll is East Stroudsburg, which returns 16 starters from a team that qualified for the NCAA postseason and compiled a 9-3 overall record (5-2 PSAC). The Warriors ranked third in the conference in scoring (32.3 PPG) and rushing (167.5 YPG).
New head coach Duke Greco comes on board to lead No. 4 West Chester this fall. The Golden Rams (6-5 overall, 3-4 in conference play in 2023) return dual threat QB Cooper Jordan, part of nine returning starters from an offense that ranked sixth in the conference in total offense (356.5 yards per game.)
Lock Haven, ranked No. 5 in this year’s poll, has rapidly improved and notched its first five-win season since 1982 last fall. Plenty of talent returns for third year head coach Dan Mulrooney, notably on defense, where the Bald Eagles ranked second in the conference in sacks and was fourth-best against the run, allowing just 116.3 yards per game.
Millersville comes in at No. 6 in this year’s poll. It was a tale of close losses for the Marauders in 2023, losing four games by one score or less. Key players QB Rob Footman and RB Jaheim Morris return for the 2024 campaign.
Shippensburg enters 2024 as the No. 7 ranked teaml, but boasted the No. 1-ranked overall defense in the conference with only 287.4 yards allowed per game. The Raiders also return six starters on offense and four on defense.
Bloomsburg ranks No. 8 and returns eight of its top-10 tacklers as well as a group of veterans on the offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in the PSAC in 2023.
2024 PSAC Football East Division Preseason Poll
1. Kutztown (6)
2. Shepherd (1)
3. East Stroudsburg (1)
4. West Chester
5. Lock Haven
6. Millersville
7. Shippensburg
8. Bloomsburg
*number of first-place votes in parentheses
phot from psac
Slippery Rock University’s selected No. 1 in the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s West Division Football Preseason Poll, voted by the leagues head coaches
In 2023, The Rock accumulated a 12-2 overall record (7-0 in conference play) and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals. Slippery Rock collected a maximum six first-place votes in the 2024 poll and returns plenty of talent, including PSAC West and Super Region One Offensive Athlete of the Year Brayden Long at quarterback and All-American tight end Kam Kruzelyak. Defensively, All-American defensive backs Josh Stokes and Eddie Faulkner IV return to bolster that unit.
California was voted No. 2 in this year’s poll. The Vulcans earned the team’s most wins (6) in PSAC West play since the 2016 season last fall and was 7-3 overall. QB Davis Black and WR Eric Willis III return to an offense that ranked second in the conference in scoring at 34.7 PPG.
IUP, voted as No. 3 in the 2024 poll, closed the 2023 season with a pair of road wins to complete its 13th consecutive winning season. The Crimson Hawks were PSAC champions in 2022 and were the top team in last year’s poll but return plenty of veterans as they try to improve on 2023’s 6-5 overall record.
Gannon finished third in the always-tough PSAC West in 2023 with a 5-2 conference record (5-6 overall) and comes in at No. 4 in this year’s poll. The Golden Knights return lots of talent across the offensive line and linebacking corps.
Seton Hill won four straight games to close out 2023 (6-5 overall record, 4-3 PSAC) and looks to keep the momentum going, ranked No. 5 in the 2024 poll. The defense returns seven starters, including six of the front seven.
No. 6 Edinboro brings back four starters on the offensive line and six players with starting experience on defense as they look to improve on last year’s 3-8 record.
The Golden Eagles of Clarion were voted No. 7 in the poll, but return 16 total starters (eight on defense, six on offense, and two on special teams.)
2024 PSAC Football West Division Preseason Poll
1. Slippery Rock (6)
2. California
3. IUP (1)
4. Gannon
5. Seton Hill
6. Edinboro
7. Clarion
*number of first-place votes in parentheses