LATROBE, Pa. – The 2019 football season officially got underway on Tuesday at Saint Vincent College when the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) hosted its media day.  Head Coach Geno DeMarco, beginning his 27^th season as the head coach of the Golden Tornadoes, and senior linebacker Tyler Cann (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton), a returning 1^st Team All-PAC and 2^nd Team National Christian College Athletic Association All-American, represented Geneva at the event of the ten conference football schools.

At the end of the event, the PAC announced its preseason poll, as voted on by the coaches and media, and Washington & Jefferson was named the preseason favorite, receiving 23 of the 31 first place votes.  The Presidents are coming off back-to-back PAC championships.  Geneva was picked in eighth place, which is where it finished last season.

Geneva returns nine starters on both offense and defense, giving Coach DeMarco a veteran group to lean on as the Golden Tornadoes try to rebound from their 2-8 record last season.  Over the past two seasons, Geneva has lost seven games by one score, and another five games by two scores, indicating the Golden Tornadoes are not that far from taking a step forward this season.

Cann leads the way defensively among that veteran group of returning starters.  He tied for the lead in the PAC with six interceptions, while also leading the team with 84 tackles.  Senior linebacker Torrin Sallis (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) also returns off back-to-back seasons in which he was named an all-conference performer.  Sophomore defensive lineman Jacob Robertson (Mansfield, Ohio/Lucas) is also back after being named an all-conference performer with a team-high six sacks.

Offensively, Geneva has a big hole to fill after the graduation of all-time leading rusher Trewon Marshall (Leetsdale, Pa./Quaker Valley), but the Golden Tornadoes boast several veteran players to help fill that void.  Senior Justin Loughrie (Wellsburg, W.Va./Brooke) and junior Frankie Centofanti (New Middletown, Ohio/Springfield Local) both return in the backfield after receiving all-conference recognition last season.  Geneva will also get a boost from the return of senior running back Nick Monteleone (East Palestine, Ohio/East Palestine), who suffered a season-ending injury in the first game last year.  Two seasons ago, Monteleone was an all-conference performer after averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

Geneva will also have a veteran group along the offensively line returning, a key to the success of Geneva's triple option attack.  Senior Tre Weiler (White Oak, Pa.), a 2^nd Team All-PAC selection last season, along with senior Jason Clark (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway), a three-year starter, are among four starters returning along the line.

The Golden Tornadoes report back to campus this coming Monday, August 12, to begin preseason camp.  Geneva opens its season on the road against Mount St. Joseph on September 7, with the kickoff slated for 1:30 p.m.  Geneva's home opener is the following week against Carnegie Mellon at 7:00 p.m. on September 14.


Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 115 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the top engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God's Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today's world.