Lake Fong, Post-Gazette Ryan Mendel's running has helped take some of the pressure off young Washington & Jefferson quarterback Bobby Swallow. Click photo for larger image. LAST WEEK REVISITED Individual and team highlights in district college last week: Duquesne's Tom Sochacki, a senior from Shady Side Academy who had two goals in a 3-2 overtime victory against Xavier and a goal in a 2-1 victory against Dayton, was named to the College Soccer News National team of the Week. IUP's Sarah Romasco, a freshman from Ambridge, scored four goals in a 10-1 soccer victory against Clarion to set a school record for most goals in a game against a Division II opponent. IUP (13-4, 9-1 PSAC West), ranked 14th in the National Soccer Coaches Association poll, has the most conference wins in a season in school history. The Saint Vincent women's volleyball team has set school records with 15 consecutive match wins and 45 consecutive game wins. Edinboro's Tim Flynn will be one of the coaches in the NWCA All-Star Classic Nov. 20 in Dallas, which pits the country's top two Division I wrestlers in each weight class. Grove City, led by freshman Nicole Andreini who won the No. 1 singles title, captured its 20th consecutive Presidents' Athletic Conference women's tennis championships. The Wolverines won eight of the nine singles and doubles titles. Washington & Jefferson's Kyle Sidebotham kicked a 29-yard field goal in a 52-18 victory against Grove City to become the school's career leader with 28. He surpasses the 27 Luke Ravenstahl, Pittsburgh's mayor, had from 2000-03. Sidebotham also is the school's all-time leading scorer for a kicker with 258 points.

In the days after a 32-14 loss to Salisbury State in the season opener, Washington & Jefferson coach Mike Sirianni spent a lot of time on his cell phone calling former players.

"I invited them to come to practices and our next game to talk to the players. At least 20 of them came back to show support for this team," he said. "Because 115 of our 140 players are freshmen and sophomores, I didn't think they understood the tradition of W&J football. I wanted to let them know what wearing a W&J uniform means. I wanted them to be proud of it.

"A lot of them didn't get it."

Sirianni credits the pep talks for helping W&J come together for a 22-10 victory against Allegheny that changed the course of the season for the Presidents. They have now won six in a row heading into Saturday's game against visiting Waynesburg, which will determine the champion of the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

Waynesburg (4-4) has won four consecutive games and is atop the standings at 4-0. W&J is 3-0.

"Our story is very similar to Waynesburg," Sirianni said. "But Waynesburg started slow against better competition than we did."

W&J's transformation can be traced to the rapid development of sophomore quarterback Bobby Swallow, who made his first collegiate start against Salisbury State. Swallow had respectable numbers against Salisbury State, completing 17 of 25 for 157 yards and a touchdown, but he threw two interceptions and, at times, was indecisive and held the ball too long in the pocket.

"After the opener, we were worried," Sirianni said. "Not only were we beaten, we were beaten soundly. It was as close as 32-14. [Swallow and I] talked about the fact it was his first game and we talked about taking care of the ball."

Swallow has thrown only two interceptions the past six games, and for the season he has completed 74 percent of his passes for 1,278 yards and 12 touchdowns.

"He's becoming more confident with every pass he throws," Sirianni said. "He's getting more comfortable, and we're giving him more and more to work with every week. We have a veteran offensive line and we decided, let's run behind them and make it that much easier for Bobby."

Ryan Mendel leads the team with 853 yards rushing (5.0 per carry average) and 12 touchdowns.

Sirianni is pleased with the maturation of his young offense, but a senior-laden defense started poorly and is just beginning to live up to expectations.

"Some of the times we're afraid to make a play. Maybe they felt they had to carry the load because I put some pressure on them in preseason by saying it would be OK to win games 10-7. Maybe they felt like they can't give up the big play," he said. "We just want them to go out there, run around, smack some people and have some fun."

The six-game win streak has kept W&J's hopes alive of earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

"Every game has been a playoff game for us because we don't have the luxury of losing another game," Sirianni said. "The players know it's one and out. They understand that. I think they know a lot more about W&J football today than they did six weeks ago."

The playoff picture

Youngstown State (6-2), which slipped five notches to No. 10 in the I-AA scholarship poll, can earn an automatic bid to the playoffs as champion of the Gateway Football Conference. But the Penguins must play No. 3 Illinois State Saturday, No. 19 Southern Illinois Nov. 4 and No. 11 Western Kentucky. Another loss could damage Youngstown State's chances of getting an at-large invitation.

Robert Morris (5-3) must run the table and have things break its way around the league to finish first in the Northeast Conference and lock up a spot against the Pioneer League champion in the inaugural Gridiron Classic, Dec. 2.

California (6-2) is sixth and IUP (6-1) eighth in the Northeast Region ranking. The top six teams qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs. The winner of the California-IUP game Nov. 11 should finish high enough to reach the playoffs.

Carnegie Mellon (7-0) most likely will have to be undefeated to receive an at-large bid for its first appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs since 1990. Washington & Jefferson (6-1) has a better reputation than CMU and can expect to get an at-large bid with a 9-1 record.