CALIFORNIA (Sept. 29) – For the second time this month, the California (PA) football team garnered a pair of weekly honors from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) on Monday afternoon, as junior punter
Andrew Gonzalez was chosen West Special Teams Athlete of the Week and junior wide receiver
D'Avay Johnson was lauded with West Offensive Athlete of the Week.
Gonzalez and Johnson helped the Vulcans capture a 45-38 win over then-No. 4 Slippery Rock on Saturday night in the opening week of divisional play. The victory marked the second in program history over a team featured in the top five of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 poll. Cal is now one of two remaining undefeated programs in the 15-team PSAC and remains one of four unbeaten teams in Super Region One, which is comprised of 43 programs over four conferences.
Gonzalez averaged 42.7 yards on three punts with a long of 50 yards at Slippery Rock, as Cal won on the road in the series for the first time since 2009. He registered his long of 50 yards in the final minutes of the second quarter that forced The Rock to start at its 32-yard line with 2:22 left before halftime.
In his first year as the punter, Gonzalez ranks third in the league with an average of 40.2 yards per punt. He has placed five of his 15 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line and registered three punts of at least 50 yards with a long of 60 yards in Week 2.
Johnson established season highs with six receptions for 134 yards and one touchdown on Saturday night, as the Vulcans ended a 29-game night home winning streak for The Rock. He caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in the opening minute of the second quarter to give the Vulcans a 28-14 lead. All six of his catches at Slippery Rock resulted in first downs, including a 30-yard reception on the eventual game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.
A team captain, Johnson leads the team with 296 receiving yards on 19 catches with one touchdown. He ranks among the top 10 in the conference with a career-high 74.0 receiving yards per game after recording his fourth career 100-yard performance on Saturday.
Cal returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 4, when it hosts Seton Hill in Week 5 at Adamson Stadium with kickoff at 12 p.m.