Penn Cambria senior to play football at Washington & Jefferson
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CRESSON, Pa. – With his older brother already on the Washington & Jefferson College football team, Penn Cambria senior Dayne Summerville got an inside look into how the program operates.
He enjoyed following the squad as a spectator in the stands. Now, he will aid the Presidents as he officially committed to the football program Thursday afternoon.
“Just going to some of the games and watching them play was awesome,” Summerville said. “They’ve won a lot of conference championships. From a point of view up in the stands, it was awesome to watch. It would be really awesome to play on the field with them. I feel as if the coaches and the players are going to be there for me at all times and push me to my limits and where I can be. When I went out there to visit, I felt like it was where I was meant to be and play football.”
Summerville will join his older brother, Eli, who is a sophomore offensive lineman at Washington & Jefferson, which competes at the NCAA Division III level. The Presidents won their 28th Presidents’ Athletic Conference title in 2025 and played in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Joining his brother on the offensive line was an added bonus.
“I’ve very pumped about it,” Dayne Summerville said. “Ever since he’s been down there, he’s loved it. He’s become a better person. He’s really grown up a lot.
“He’s become a really great athlete.
“I feel like with me going there and me possibly being beside him on the line is a pretty cool experience because that doesn’t happen with a lot of players.”
Summerville, who was named to the 2025 Tribune-Democrat All-Area and Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference West first team and will play in this year’s Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association small-school all-star game (Class 1A-3A), is undecided on a major.
He was a force in helping the Panthers win District 6 Class 3A titles and advancing to the PIAA semifinals in 2024 and 2025.
“He’s a team-first guy,” Penn Cambria coach Jason Grassi said of Summerville, who is 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds. “He’s been here for four years.
“He’s worked hard in the weight room. He never missed a day in the weight room. He never missed a practice. You can always count on him to be there and be one of the leaders of our team. His brother is there, which will help him get his feet wet a little bit and show him the ropes on how things are run. I think he’s going to do very well there.
“That’s a prestigious program.”
Summerville combined brute strength and agility to help Penn Cambria employ a diverse offense.
“As big as he is, he’s great on his down blocks,” Grassi said. “His feet are good enough that he can reach block and get outside. We run a lot of stretch stuff to the outside. He can get the guy on the outside. That’s a compliment to the work he put into it.
“He’s only going to get better.
“He’s just scratching the surface right now of what he’s going to become.”
Summerville will likely play guard or tackle on the offensive line. Washington & Jefferson is led by coach Mike Sirianni, whose younger brother, Nick Sirianni, leads the Philadelphia Eagles.
Playing college football was important to Summerville.
“I was debating about it, but it was tough taking that helmet off one last time when we lost to Avonworth,” Summerville said of the 2025 PIAA Class 3A semifinal loss to the eventual state champions.
“I feel as if I wanted to go play college football because I’d miss it too much.
“I want to keep on grinding, keep on putting my body on the line to play football for a school that I love.”
He enjoys setting the tone at the line of scrimmage.
“I love blocking for my team,” Summerville said. “Being on the offensive line gives me a reason to protect the quarterback so that way they don’t get sacked or get TFLed or anything like that – same with the running backs, too. I just feel great playing up front. I love it. I feel like they are the tone-setters because they also help out with the run game a lot. When you have to grind it tough, they get it done most of the time. That’s why I like playing up front.”
Many of Summerville’s family members, teammates and coaches were present during the ceremony.
“I would also like to thank my family and my teammates that I will always remember as brothers for the years that I played with them,” Summerville said.
“It was a fun ride. I thank my family, my coaches and my friends, all of them for what they have done and how they supported me for the past 14 years.
“I really appreciate for what they did. I thank them a whole bunch.”
Summerville is the son of Michael and Dawn Summerville.
Jake Oswalt is a copy editor for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TheWizOfOz11.
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