Seneca Valley grad Mike Sklarsky expected the Washington & Jefferson College football team to have a great season, but he still wanted more.

The Presidents set a school record for victories when the posted a 12-1 mark after in reaching the NCAA Division III quarterfinals before losing to Mary Hardin-Baylor 52-16 last Saturday.

It was the school's first trip to the quarterfinals since 1995.

Sklarsky, a Cranberry Township resident, thought the team could do better than that this season.

"Actually, one of our goals was to make it to the Stagg Bowl," said Sklarsky on the Division III national championship game. "We fell a little bit short, but it was a good ride."

Sklarsky, a 5-foot-11, 230-pound linebacker, finished the campaign as the second-leading tackler with 75½, 10½ for losses. He also had a pair of sacks, three forced fumbles and recovered another fumble.

"We felt we could win (the national title) at the beginning," said Sklarsky. "After the season ended and were undefeated, everyone thought we had a chance to win the national championship."

But the team did pull off a pair of post-season wins, a 55-48 double-overtime shootout against Bridgewater (Va.) and a 24-14 victory over Christopher Newport (Va.).

Sklarsky had five solo tackles and assisted on three others in the first game. He recorded three solos and five assists in the second.

In the loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor, Sklarsky had six solo tackles and assisted on three others.

"I think, offensively, we haven't seen anything like that all year," said Sklarsky. "They were a powerhouse. It seemed like anything that could have gone wrong did."

Presidents coach Mike Sirianni was certainly pleased with his team's performance this year, including that of Sklarsky.

"He had a great year," said Sirianni. "He was an all-conference pick and had a tremendous year. He's got a great attitude and is a hard-nosed kid.

"Mike's a very physical kid. He won't back down from anyone. He's got great feet and runs sideline to sideline," Sirianni added.

Sklarsky made great strides this year while working under first-year defensive coordinator John Klein.

"(Klein) has a lot more experience to the game," said Sklarsky. "Overall, he's just a great coach. He's more experienced and is able to teach it better."

Said Sirianni, "Mike's really improved. He's up in the office watching film, which will only make him a better player next year."

The Presidents were just a couple steps away from the Division III national championship game, but their best squad might be yet to come.

"It was a great year and I want the kids to be extremely happy," said Sirianni. "But I want the younger kids to know that the ultimate goal is to win a national championship.

"I always felt that potentially, we'd have a better chance next year. We're losing some great seniors, but we have 17 starters back," Sirianni added.

Look for Sklarsky to be highlighting the Presidents' defensive charge.

"We have a lot of players back," said Sklarsky. "And, we have a chip on our shoulders and want to go farther."

"His motor never quits," said Sirianni. "He plays hard the whole game and that's as a junior. I'm expecting him to have a great senior year."