On Campus: Marian Central alums Paglialong, Thiergood to play in First Responder Bowl

The biggest question mark on the Air Force football team this fall was the offensive line, a unit that lost all five starters from a year ago.

“At the beginning of the season, we all identified ourselves as the weakest group on the team because we were so young,” Marian Central graduate Thor Paglialong said. “It’s been a journey.”

Thanks to new faces including Paglialong, a sophomore center who has played in eight games – starting three – the Falcons have soared.

Air Force boasts the top rushing offense in the nation this season at 340.8 yards a game and its offensive line was one of 13 semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, giving to college football’s top O-line group. Paglialong is one of nine different lineman to start a game this season.

“We wanted to be the best unit on the team by the end of the season,” Paglialong said. “We used that as motivation and fuel.”

Paglialong and fellow Marian Central grad Jayden Thiergood, a sophomore defensive tackle for the Falcons, will complete their season Tuesday in Dallas as Air Force (9-3) faces Louisville (6-6) in the First Responder Bowl (2:15 p.m., ESPN).

Along the Falcons’ defensive front, Thiergood has started the last three games and has sacks in back-to-back games.

“To me, it’s a great opportunity for me to understand the whole game,” Thiergood said of his recent starts. “That’s something I’m really trying to take in.”

In the team’s 3-4 defensive alignment, Thiergood has made an impact and helped create a pass rush from the interior.

“I’m banging in there with the guards and centers mostly,” he said. “It gives me a greater opportunity to make plays. The coaches really like my speed. They see that being my biggest advantage, and I try to use that every day.”

With Thiergood in the starting lineup, the Falcons have 13 sacks in the past three games. For the season, their 35 sacks rank fourth in the 12-team Mountain West Conference.

On offense, Air Force has rushed for 400 or more yards in a game five different times, a testament to how quickly the new faces up front have come together.

“It’s been a great experience,” Paglialong said of making an impact on the field. “I’m really honored and lucky to be there. I’ve just been working, and I hope I can see more (reps).”

UConn’s Wuensch honored: University of Connecticut setter McKayla Wuensch (Marian Central) was recognized Dec. 13 with a spot on the seven-player All-National Invitational Volleyball Championship team.

Wuensch led the Huskies to the Final Four of the NIVC this month, posting 156 assists in four matches. For the season, she average 9.65 assists per set and won the Big East Setter of the Year awards. She also surpassed 2,000 assists in her career, which has spanned time at Nevada, Wichita State and UConn.

Wesleyan among Top 5: Huntley grad Ryan Sroka has played in every game this season and made for starts for the Illinois Wesleyan men’s basketball team, which is ranked No. 4 by D3Hoops.com.

The 6-foot-5 Sroka is averaging 4.5 points and 3.7 rebounds a game from his guard spot. He had season highs of 11 points and seven rebounds Dec. 1 in an 83-50 win against the University of Chicago.

Bowl bonanza: The college football bowl season began this month. Among the local players taking part was Prairie Ridge grad Samson Evans, who rushed for a team-high 52 yards and a touchdown for Eastern Michigan in the Eagles’ 56-20 loss to Liberty in the Dec. 18 Lending Tree Bowl. Evans finished the season for EMU (7-6) with 13 rushing touchdowns, the second-most among any Mid-American Conference player. … Trevor Keegan (Crystal Lake South) has started 10 games at guard for No. 2 Michigan this season. The Wolverines face No. 3 Georgia in a national playoff semifinal Dec. 31 in the Orange Bowl. Keegan and his linemates were honored Dec. 21 with the Joe Moore Award, given to college football’s best offensive line. … Richmond-Burton grad Dalton Wagner has started nine games at offensive tackle for Arkansas (7-4) this season. The Razorbacks will face Penn State Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl. … Senior nose tackle Ray Vohasek (McHenry East) has started every game this season at nose tackle for North Carolina (6-6), which plays South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C.

Running at Miami: Richmond-Burton grads Emma Langlois and John Kellum ran cross country this fall at the University of Miami.

Langlois helped the Hurricanes’ women’s team post their best finish in school history at the NCAA South Regional last month. Miami placed 13th as a team with Langlois finishing third on her team with a 6-kilometer time of 22 minutes, 4.89 seconds, which was good for 90th place as an individual.

Kellum competed at three events, finishing sixth on the team with a season-best 8K time of 29:25.6 at the Florida State XC Open in September.

• Barry Bottino writes about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at barryoncampus@hotmail.com and follow @BarryOnCampus on Twitter.