Westmoreland County campus clippings: Justin Johns, Justin Huss among PAC players to watch

Justin Johns and Justin Huss — one on defense and the other on offense and special teams — could play critical roles this season for the Washington & Jefferson football team, which will open the season No. 2 in the Presidents’ Athletic Association preseason rankings.

A senior linebacker out of Franklin Regional, Johns was a D3football.com All-Region 2 Third Team pick, and a firs-team All-PAC selection.

Johns (6-foot-2, 220) led the conference with 87 tackles, including 18 in a 31-14 victory over Grove City, an interception, two forced fumbles, and a sack.

Huss, a senior running back and kick returner out of Derry, played only four games because of an injury and rushed for 226 yards and a touchdown, and caught 16 passes for 133 yards and two TDs.

In 2021, he was a Hansen All-American first-team kick returner, and a D3Football.com All-Region 2 second-team returner. Add to that second-team All-ECAC Division II and first-team All-PAC accolades.

Other PAC players to watch from the area include Allegheny senior wide receiver Declan O’Brien (Norwin), Saint Vincent senior lineman C.J. Ciecierski (Franklin Regional), Thiel senior linebacker Jared Curcio (Kiski Area), and Waynesburg grad student running back Justin Flack (Derry) and senior lineman Alex Torrance (Ligonier Valley).

O’Brien has 91 receptions in 20 career games, including 59 for 691 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Flack was one of the top rushers in the PAC last year, collecting a team-best 648 yards and four touchdowns on 159 carries.

He has rushed for 1,128 yards over the last two years.

Two-time defending conference champion Carnegie Mellon (11-1, 8-0) is the top-ranked team in the preseason poll.

Westminster is No. 3, Grove City fourth and Case Western Reserve fifth.

Saint Vincent checked in at No. 6.

Women’s tennis

Seton Hill: Megan (Hudak) Satira will take over as head coach of a team for which she used to play.

“I’m very excited to get back to Seton Hill University where I played for four years and had great memories with all my teammates and my former coaches,” Satira said in a news release. “I’m looking forward to working with the university staff and the current and new student athletes.”

Satira will stay on as Penn-Trafford’s girls coach, a position she’s held since 2017, while leading the Griffins. She also coached the Penn-Trafford boys in 2020.

Satira works as a personal trainer at Anytime Fitness in Murrysville.

When she played at Seton Hill, Satira was a four-year starter at the No. 1 singles and doubles spots.

She graduated in 2015 and spent two years as a grad assistant coach.

Baseball

Seton Hill: Former standout catcher Vinny Rauso will join his alma mater’s coaching staff as a graduate assistant.

Rauso will work with catchers and hitters, and help with strength and conditioning.

He will replace Tyler Sullivan, who is leaving after five seasons to coach at Eastern Michigan. Rauso had a stellar 2023 season, earning PSAC Tournament MVP, along with PSAC West first-team and all-region honors.

Rauso, who helped lead Seton Hill to the NCAA Division II World Series in 2021, batted .356 with 31 doubles, nine home runs and 103 RBIs for his career.