Westmoreland campus clippings: Seton Hill's Jaylen McDuffie earns postseason honors

The all-time leading tackler in Seton Hill program history, Jaylen McDuffie was one of the most disruptive football players in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this season.

Conference coaches not only gameplanned for the 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior linebacker, but they also voted for him.

McDuffie was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year.

He also was named to the All-PSAC West First Team.

McDuffie led the PSAC in tackle for loss (21) and sacks (11). He had 118 total stops and eight quarterback hurries.

His tackles record stands at 363.

Allegheny: Senior receiver Declan O’Brien (Norwin) was an All-PAC honorable mention selection. O’Brien led the Gators with 49 receptions for 691 yards and six touchdowns.

Duquesne: Sophomore linebacker Gianni Rizzo (Norwin) registered five tackles, two for loss, and a pass breakup as the Dukes blanked Wagner, 33-0.

Grove City: Freshman running back Ian Demeri (Penn-Trafford) had a 4-yard touchdown as the Wolverines topped FDU-FLorham, 31-14, in the Eastern College Athletic Conference James Lynah Bowl.

Mercyhurst: Redshirt junior Dustin Shoaf (Yough) made the All-PSAC West Second Team. Shoaf rushed for 446 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a season-high 103 yards on 29 carries and a score against Edinboro.

St. Francis (Pa.): The FCS playoffs will mark a reunion for several local players and former high school teammates.

Redshirt junior quarterback Justin Sliwoski (Hempfield) and sophomore lineman Cole Graham (Hempfield) will go against Spartans alumni Braden Brose, a fifth-year tight end, and junior Fintan Brose of Delaware. Key sophomore lineman Wylie Spiker (Ligonier Valley) also will join St. Francis in the tournament.

The teams will play Saturday in the opening round.

Saint Vincent: Junior Molayo Irefin was named to the All-PAC First Team as an all-purpose back and kick/punt returner.

His teammate, senior cornerback Ahmad Shaw, made the second team.

Irefin was a standout receiver, pulling in 62 receptions and eight touchdowns, and averaged 27.2 yards per kick return and had a 100-yard return for a touchdown against Geneva. He also had the longest punt return in SVC history with an 85-yard return for a touchdown against Stevenson.

Washington & Jefferson: Junior linebacker Justin Johns (Franklin Regional) was rewarded for a career season by being named to the All-PAC First Team. He had a conference-best 87 tackles, including a career-high 18 stops in a win over Grove City.

Sophomore tight end Zach Cernuto (Southmoreland) rushed for a career-high 73 yards and two touchdowns as the Presidents defeated Hobart, 35-18, in the ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl.

He scored on a 32-yard run in the second quarter.

Cernuto has seven touchdowns this season: four receiving and three on the ground.

Junior linebacker Justin Johns (Franklin Regional) powered the defense with 15 tackles.

Waynesburg: Senior running back Justin Flack (Derry) was named to the All-PAC First Team after he ranked third in the conference with 811 rushing yards. He ran for a PAC-best 11 touchdowns.

William & Mary: Junior safety Marcus Barnes (Jeannette) made four tackles as the Tribe clinched the Continental Athletic Conference title with a 37-26 win over Richmond.

The victory secured the first 10-win season in 129 years for the Tribe (10-1), who earned the No. 5 seed in the FCS playoffs.

Barnes is third on the team with 55 tackles, and has two interceptions.

Wrestling

Seton Hill: Senior 184-pounder Brandon Matthews was named the PSAC Wrestling Athlete of the Week.

He went 3-0 at the Seton Hill Duals and helped lead the Griffins to a win over No 20 Belmont Abbey.

Men’s cross country

Cal (Pa.): Senior Mason Jobe (Greensburg Salem) finished 35th at the NCAA Division II Regional Championships with a time 30 minutes, 38.8 seconds in Mansfield. He the was second-best finisher for the Vulcans.

Women’s cross country

Cal (Pa.): Junior Malia Anderson (Greensburg Salem) took eighth place at the NCAA Division II Regional Championships. Her time of 22:14.3 was good enough to make the top 10 in a field of more than 160.

Anderson made a strong final kick. She was 10th at the four-kilometer mark.

She earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association all-region honors.

Men’s swimming

Saint Vincent: Freshman Jacob Dzurica (Hempfield) broke the program’s 200-yard backstroke record in a weekend meet against Malone, completing the event in 1:56.29. He was named the PAC Rookie of the Week.

Women’s swimming

Cal (Pa.): Senior Emily Bednar (Mt. Pleasant) took 23rd place in a time of 1:15.53, and freshman Ashlyn Hornick (Mt. Pleasant) was 24th (1:16.13) at the TYR Invitational.

Gannon: Junior Francesca (Hempfield) finished 29th at the Magnus Cup in Cleveland with a time of 2:13.97 in the 200-yard butterfly, and teammate Madalyn Myers (Franklin Regional) swam the 1,650 freestyle in 17:52.80, good for 12th.

Washington & Jefferson: Junior Amanda Graves (Penn-Trafford) posted a pair of first-place finishes in a 97.5-57.5 win over Pitt-Bradford. She took the 100-yard backstroke (1:09.01) and the 50-yard freestyle (27.87).

Women’s bowling

Saint Vincent: Freshman Abby Justice was named the AMCC Bowler of the Week. She helped lead the Bearcats to a 5-0 mark at the Unicorn Invitational at Penn State Altoona. She recorded a strike on 44% of her attempts.

SVC was 22-1 and took a 21-match winning streak into the weekend.