Daily Local News - Year End: The top DLN sports stories for 2014
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Team News - WCU Football Among DLN Top Stories of 2014
The Golden Rams' 11-2 season and advance to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs was among the Daily Local News top sports stories of 2014. It was the second consecutive appearance in the playoffs for West Chester and head coach Bill Zwaan picked up his 100th win at West Chester along the way.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Team News - 2014 Season Review - Overall
Okay, let’s be honest. When a college football team loses over 40% of its offense due to graduation, there’s concern going into the next season. Such was the case with the departure of Rondell White after the 2013 season who led the Golden Rams on both rushing with 1,989 yards and receiving with 843 yards. But the 2014 team firmly answered that question by setting a school record with 500 yards per game, finishing with a record of 11-2 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Offensively, sixth-year signal caller Sean McCartney was poised as usual and heavily used his three favorite receivers in Tim Brown, Mike Doty and Erick Brundidge. Brandon Monk provided good balance in the running game and Eddie Elliott continues to be a dual threat. The offensive line performed well despite three new starters with two of them being underclassmen.
The defensive review eluded to several teams not playing their best quarterback against West Chester. Let’s examine that more closely. In week two, Mercyhurst started redshirt sophomore Zach Emerick, and brought in junior Brendan Boylan after halftime. Boylan would go on to start the Lakers’ nine remaining games and become a Harlon Hill nominee. When Shippensburg came to West Chester for homecoming, redshirt freshman Ryan Zapoticky got his only start of the season, and when Chris Lawshe entered the game, he didn’t attempt a pass due to the injury that prevented him from starting.
East Stroudsburg Harlon Hill nominee Matt Soltes didn’t play against West Chester due to an injury he incurred two weeks prior against Kutztown. In the final week of the regular season, Indiana started redshirt freshman Eddie Stockett for the first time in 2014 in lieu of graduate student Chase Haslett who threw for over 2,000 yards this season. And in the first round of the playoffs, Slippery Rock was forced to play redshirt sophomore Zack Newsock over senior Jared Buck due to an injury Buck received in the PSAC championship game the prior week.
So what does all of that mean? Well on one hand, the Golden Ram defense got a break. Or five breaks to be exact. But on the other hand, it says something about the West Chester football program. Think back to 2010 when starting quarterback Mike Mattei got hurt and was forced to miss the nationally televised Thursday night game against Shippensburg. McCartney got his first collegiate start and threw for 444 yards and five touchdowns. Or in 2012, when the roles were reversed and McCartney suffered a season ending injury in the opener at Delaware. Mattei led West Chester to seven wins over the remaining ten games and finished among the top ten in the WCU record book in almost every single season passing category. And even last year at Shippensburg when McCartney went down early in the contest. First Drew Loughery and then redshirt freshman Andrew Derr came in to win the game. Obviously injuries happen and teams have to resort to backup players, but 2014 showed that at least five teams aren’t as deep or as prepared as what West Chester is. Having depth and preparation at every position is something that Golden Rams fans should not take for granted.
The bottom line is 2014 was a season with double digit wins and a trip to the playoffs, both of which happened for the second season in a row. And at Indiana, head coach Bill Zwaan earned his 100th win at West Chester.
Offensively, sixth-year signal caller Sean McCartney was poised as usual and heavily used his three favorite receivers in Tim Brown, Mike Doty and Erick Brundidge. Brandon Monk provided good balance in the running game and Eddie Elliott continues to be a dual threat. The offensive line performed well despite three new starters with two of them being underclassmen.
.jpg)
The defensive review eluded to several teams not playing their best quarterback against West Chester. Let’s examine that more closely. In week two, Mercyhurst started redshirt sophomore Zach Emerick, and brought in junior Brendan Boylan after halftime. Boylan would go on to start the Lakers’ nine remaining games and become a Harlon Hill nominee. When Shippensburg came to West Chester for homecoming, redshirt freshman Ryan Zapoticky got his only start of the season, and when Chris Lawshe entered the game, he didn’t attempt a pass due to the injury that prevented him from starting.
East Stroudsburg Harlon Hill nominee Matt Soltes didn’t play against West Chester due to an injury he incurred two weeks prior against Kutztown. In the final week of the regular season, Indiana started redshirt freshman Eddie Stockett for the first time in 2014 in lieu of graduate student Chase Haslett who threw for over 2,000 yards this season. And in the first round of the playoffs, Slippery Rock was forced to play redshirt sophomore Zack Newsock over senior Jared Buck due to an injury Buck received in the PSAC championship game the prior week.
So what does all of that mean? Well on one hand, the Golden Ram defense got a break. Or five breaks to be exact. But on the other hand, it says something about the West Chester football program. Think back to 2010 when starting quarterback Mike Mattei got hurt and was forced to miss the nationally televised Thursday night game against Shippensburg. McCartney got his first collegiate start and threw for 444 yards and five touchdowns. Or in 2012, when the roles were reversed and McCartney suffered a season ending injury in the opener at Delaware. Mattei led West Chester to seven wins over the remaining ten games and finished among the top ten in the WCU record book in almost every single season passing category. And even last year at Shippensburg when McCartney went down early in the contest. First Drew Loughery and then redshirt freshman Andrew Derr came in to win the game. Obviously injuries happen and teams have to resort to backup players, but 2014 showed that at least five teams aren’t as deep or as prepared as what West Chester is. Having depth and preparation at every position is something that Golden Rams fans should not take for granted.
The bottom line is 2014 was a season with double digit wins and a trip to the playoffs, both of which happened for the second season in a row. And at Indiana, head coach Bill Zwaan earned his 100th win at West Chester.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Teams News - 2014 Season Review - Offense
The Golden Ram offense was the best in school history and one of the best in the country. Categorical national rankings include: 44th in rushing (193.6 yards/game), 16th in passing (306.7 yards/game), 8th in passing efficiency (163.98), 11th in total offense (500.3 yards/game), 14th in scoring (39.8 points/game), 7th in third-down conversion (49.4%), 6th in first downs (321). While the 2014 Golden Ram team didn't accumulate more total yards for the season than last year's team, keep in mind that last year West Chester played two more games in the playoffs. This year's squad crushed the school record for yards per game at 500.3 easily surpassing the previous record of 465.7 set in 1998. They also claimed the record for most yards in a single game when they rolled up 691 yards in the second round of the playoffs at Concord. The previous record of 672 at Kutztown was set in 1972.
Only Bloomsburg, which dominated all facets of the game, held the Golden Rams to fewer than 28 points this season.
Offensive Line
Four of the front five received conference honors. Senior center Derek Schatz appeared on the first team All-PSAC offense for the second year and senior left guard James Colivas appeared on the first team this year after making the second last year. Sophomore left tackle Doug Gilbert was named first team All-PSAC East while senior right guard Antoine Bland was named to the second team. Although both Gilbert and Bland had playing time last year, 2014 was their first season as starters. Redshirt freshmen Vince Lostracco and Michael Unger split time at right tackle with Lostracco claiming the starting role and a bulk of the playing time. Schatz was also named second team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1, fourth team Beyond Sports Network All-American and All-ECAC while Gilbert was named third team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1.
The offensive line lost three seniors after last season and three more after this season. So there was a desperate need to get the new players some playing time. With many games having their outcomes determined long before the clock showed triple zeros,it allowed the coaches to get the youngsters on the field. This proved valuable when Bland was injured during the Lock Have game and redshirt freshman Tyler Drob not only finished that game but also started and played the entire game at Kutztown. Redshirt freshman center Devan LaBau and true freshman Alex Host also received plenty of real game action. Overall, the entire offensive line only allowed 16 sacks this season which was good for 27th in the country at 1.23 sacks per game. Not factored into that ranking was the fact that West Chester threw the ball 445 times. The teams ranked first and second in this category - Harding (0.18) and Lenoir-Rhyne (0.33) only threw the ball 86 and 93 times respectively. West Chester was 6th in Division II in fewest tackles for loss allowed with 4.08 per game, which was also best among PSAC East teams.
Quarterback
The list of accolades for senior quarterback Sean McCartney is long. He broke two records that had stood for 20 years by throwing for 3,744 yards and 42 touchdowns. Those numbers were good for 7th and 1st in the country and his quarterback efficiency rating of 163.4 was good for 7th in Division II. He was award several conference, regional and national awards, including finishing fifth in the Harlon Hill balloting.
Sophomore signal caller Andrew Derr primarily came in to finish games or to provide an additional running threat. For the season, Derr was 15 of 27 for 243 yards and 4 touchdowns for an efficiency rating of 172.6. These are numbers that a starter might get in a single game, but such was the situation this season with McCartney and the offense being so good. Derr proved last year that he can start (Cheyney) and come through in the clutch (Shippensburg). This year, he also netted 60 yards on 20 carries. Redshirt freshman Pat Moriarty took snaps to finish several games, but did not throw a pass.
Wide Receiver
Although eight different players registered double digit receptions, the "big three" carried over half of the load. Tight end Tim Brown (53 catches, 1,059 yards, 17 TD's) registered 16 catches for 380 yards and five touchdowns in West Chester's two playoff games, and was named first team All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1, second team Beyond Sports Network All-American, second team Daktronics All-American and All-ECAC.
Wide receiver Mike Doty (52 catches, 798 yards, 11 TD's) received second team All-PSAC East honors and Erick Brundidge (40 catches, 798 yards, 8 TD's) provided a deep threat. Brown (7 catches, 164 yards) and Doty (5 catches, 108 yards) both ecplised the 100-yard receiving mark in the first round playoff game against Slippery Rock; Brundidge and Tim Keyser did it last season against Kutztown.
Sophomore Shannon Mayer (25 catches, 247 yards, 3 TD's), junior Adam Dempsey (21 catches, 171 yards, 1 TD), and sophomore Jim Hurley (10 catches, 143 yards) provided alternatives in the passing game. And although junior tight end Shawn Driggins (6 catches, 69 yards, 3 TD's) is primarily used in the running game, he had touchdown catches in both the first and last game of the season.
Running Back
Many wondered how the West Chester running game would fare with Rondell White moving on. Well the answer was clearly "quite well". Junior Brandon Monk (214 carries, 1,296 yards, 9 TD's, 23 catches, 278 yards, 2 TD's) carried a bulk of the load, but classmate Eddie Elliott (129 carries, 639 yards, 5 TD's, 26 catches, 328 yards, 1 TD) was also a major factor. Monk had a monster game at East Stroudsburg, rushing for 257 yards and two touchdowns. And both Monk (122) and Elliott (116) went over a hundred yards in the second round playoff game at Concord. Monk and White pulled off the feat at Millersville last year. Monk earned first team All-PSAC East honors while Elliott received second team All-PSAC East recognition.
Redshirt freshmen Jarel Elder (89 carries, 452 yards, 3 TD's, 3 catches, 42 yards) and Anthony Brown (26 carries, 127 yards) showed that they were ready to play if called on to do so. Fullback Camille Max (2 carries, 7 yards, 1 TD), primarily used as a blocking back and special teams, did score a touchdown against Cheyney.
Offensive Line
Four of the front five received conference honors. Senior center Derek Schatz appeared on the first team All-PSAC offense for the second year and senior left guard James Colivas appeared on the first team this year after making the second last year. Sophomore left tackle Doug Gilbert was named first team All-PSAC East while senior right guard Antoine Bland was named to the second team. Although both Gilbert and Bland had playing time last year, 2014 was their first season as starters. Redshirt freshmen Vince Lostracco and Michael Unger split time at right tackle with Lostracco claiming the starting role and a bulk of the playing time. Schatz was also named second team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1, fourth team Beyond Sports Network All-American and All-ECAC while Gilbert was named third team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1.
.jpg)
.jpg)
The offensive line lost three seniors after last season and three more after this season. So there was a desperate need to get the new players some playing time. With many games having their outcomes determined long before the clock showed triple zeros,it allowed the coaches to get the youngsters on the field. This proved valuable when Bland was injured during the Lock Have game and redshirt freshman Tyler Drob not only finished that game but also started and played the entire game at Kutztown. Redshirt freshman center Devan LaBau and true freshman Alex Host also received plenty of real game action. Overall, the entire offensive line only allowed 16 sacks this season which was good for 27th in the country at 1.23 sacks per game. Not factored into that ranking was the fact that West Chester threw the ball 445 times. The teams ranked first and second in this category - Harding (0.18) and Lenoir-Rhyne (0.33) only threw the ball 86 and 93 times respectively. West Chester was 6th in Division II in fewest tackles for loss allowed with 4.08 per game, which was also best among PSAC East teams.
.jpg)
Quarterback
The list of accolades for senior quarterback Sean McCartney is long. He broke two records that had stood for 20 years by throwing for 3,744 yards and 42 touchdowns. Those numbers were good for 7th and 1st in the country and his quarterback efficiency rating of 163.4 was good for 7th in Division II. He was award several conference, regional and national awards, including finishing fifth in the Harlon Hill balloting.
Sophomore signal caller Andrew Derr primarily came in to finish games or to provide an additional running threat. For the season, Derr was 15 of 27 for 243 yards and 4 touchdowns for an efficiency rating of 172.6. These are numbers that a starter might get in a single game, but such was the situation this season with McCartney and the offense being so good. Derr proved last year that he can start (Cheyney) and come through in the clutch (Shippensburg). This year, he also netted 60 yards on 20 carries. Redshirt freshman Pat Moriarty took snaps to finish several games, but did not throw a pass.
Wide Receiver
Although eight different players registered double digit receptions, the "big three" carried over half of the load. Tight end Tim Brown (53 catches, 1,059 yards, 17 TD's) registered 16 catches for 380 yards and five touchdowns in West Chester's two playoff games, and was named first team All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1, second team Beyond Sports Network All-American, second team Daktronics All-American and All-ECAC.
Wide receiver Mike Doty (52 catches, 798 yards, 11 TD's) received second team All-PSAC East honors and Erick Brundidge (40 catches, 798 yards, 8 TD's) provided a deep threat. Brown (7 catches, 164 yards) and Doty (5 catches, 108 yards) both ecplised the 100-yard receiving mark in the first round playoff game against Slippery Rock; Brundidge and Tim Keyser did it last season against Kutztown.
Sophomore Shannon Mayer (25 catches, 247 yards, 3 TD's), junior Adam Dempsey (21 catches, 171 yards, 1 TD), and sophomore Jim Hurley (10 catches, 143 yards) provided alternatives in the passing game. And although junior tight end Shawn Driggins (6 catches, 69 yards, 3 TD's) is primarily used in the running game, he had touchdown catches in both the first and last game of the season.
.jpg)
Running Back
Many wondered how the West Chester running game would fare with Rondell White moving on. Well the answer was clearly "quite well". Junior Brandon Monk (214 carries, 1,296 yards, 9 TD's, 23 catches, 278 yards, 2 TD's) carried a bulk of the load, but classmate Eddie Elliott (129 carries, 639 yards, 5 TD's, 26 catches, 328 yards, 1 TD) was also a major factor. Monk had a monster game at East Stroudsburg, rushing for 257 yards and two touchdowns. And both Monk (122) and Elliott (116) went over a hundred yards in the second round playoff game at Concord. Monk and White pulled off the feat at Millersville last year. Monk earned first team All-PSAC East honors while Elliott received second team All-PSAC East recognition.
Redshirt freshmen Jarel Elder (89 carries, 452 yards, 3 TD's, 3 catches, 42 yards) and Anthony Brown (26 carries, 127 yards) showed that they were ready to play if called on to do so. Fullback Camille Max (2 carries, 7 yards, 1 TD), primarily used as a blocking back and special teams, did score a touchdown against Cheyney.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Teams News - 2014 Season Review - Defense
The Golden Ram defense was absolutely great in 11 games this season. Unfortunately, West Chester played 13 games and opponents scored 92 points in the two that were lost. Even so, the defense ranked second in the PSAC in points allowed with 20.4. West Chester held opponents scoreless in 22 of the 52 quarters played, again with Bloomsburg and Concord scoring in each period of their games. And consider that Mercyhurst, Seton Hill, Lock Haven, Shippensburg and Slippery Rock scored a total of 49 points late in their games when the outcome was determined and the Golden Ram backups were getting some snaps.
With five of eight defensive linemen not returning from last year's squad, there were concerns about how the line would perform. Well rushing yardage allowed was exactly the same as 2013 and West Chester was second in the PSAC in sacks, so the front seven did their job. Passing yards allowed fell about 20 yards from last year, which was good enough to lead the entire PSAC, but that is most likely attributed to West Chester's opponents. Mercyhurst, Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg, Indiana and Slippery Rock all had winning records for the season, and the Golden Rams defeated them all, but none had their best signal caller in action when facing West Chester.
Statistically, the best game for the defense was Cheyney which managed only three first downs and 47 total yards, setting new school records in both of those categories. But fans were most impressed with the effort against Slippery Rock in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. The PSAC champions entered the game boasting 231 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground, but were held to just 31 yards and no touchdowns rushing. And the Rock gained 99 of their 158 total yards on their final two possessions after West Chester held a 46-6 lead.
Sophomore Shaquil Ryder (54 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 3 QB hurries) and junior Barry Lyons (31 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss) held the starting defensive tackle positions while graduate student Jamiel Sims (12 total tackles in 6 games) and redshirt freshman Josh Ganzelli (19 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss) provided backup.
Providing backup at linebacker were Ralph Reeves (28 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss) and redshirt freshman Dan Sherry (20 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss) . When Williams suffered a brutal leg injury at Seton Hill, true freshman Sean Steinmetz (18 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss) was pressed into action as well.
Although tackling isn't his favorite part of the game, free safety Brandon Pepper (39 total tackles, 4 pass breakups) was tied for seventh on the team. Sophomore Pete Galiano (37 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss) was one of the team's top special teams players, but was also very valuable in nickel and dime packages. Speedy sophomore Kyle Keyser (24 total tackles) contributed primarily on special teams as he learns coverage responsibilities in the secondary.
Cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz (39 total tackles, team high 5 interceptions, team high 11 pass breakups) had a season that met everyone's expectations. The co-captain was often called on to cover the opponent's best receiver one-on-one and did so quite well. He finished the season third in the PSAC in interceptions (5), seventh in pass breakups (11) and third in passes defended (16). Shabazz was named first team All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1, second team Beyond Sports Network All-American, ECAC Division II All-Star and a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award.
The other corner was manned by Blaise Schieler (23 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups). Also contributing in the secondary was Lafayette transfer DeOliver Davis (16 total tackles, 4 pass breakups).
With five of eight defensive linemen not returning from last year's squad, there were concerns about how the line would perform. Well rushing yardage allowed was exactly the same as 2013 and West Chester was second in the PSAC in sacks, so the front seven did their job. Passing yards allowed fell about 20 yards from last year, which was good enough to lead the entire PSAC, but that is most likely attributed to West Chester's opponents. Mercyhurst, Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg, Indiana and Slippery Rock all had winning records for the season, and the Golden Rams defeated them all, but none had their best signal caller in action when facing West Chester.
Statistically, the best game for the defense was Cheyney which managed only three first downs and 47 total yards, setting new school records in both of those categories. But fans were most impressed with the effort against Slippery Rock in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. The PSAC champions entered the game boasting 231 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground, but were held to just 31 yards and no touchdowns rushing. And the Rock gained 99 of their 158 total yards on their final two possessions after West Chester held a 46-6 lead.
Defensive Line
.jpg)
Sophomore Shaquil Ryder (54 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 3 QB hurries) and junior Barry Lyons (31 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss) held the starting defensive tackle positions while graduate student Jamiel Sims (12 total tackles in 6 games) and redshirt freshman Josh Ganzelli (19 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss) provided backup.
Linebackers
Providing backup at linebacker were Ralph Reeves (28 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss) and redshirt freshman Dan Sherry (20 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss) . When Williams suffered a brutal leg injury at Seton Hill, true freshman Sean Steinmetz (18 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss) was pressed into action as well.
Secondary
.jpg)
Although tackling isn't his favorite part of the game, free safety Brandon Pepper (39 total tackles, 4 pass breakups) was tied for seventh on the team. Sophomore Pete Galiano (37 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss) was one of the team's top special teams players, but was also very valuable in nickel and dime packages. Speedy sophomore Kyle Keyser (24 total tackles) contributed primarily on special teams as he learns coverage responsibilities in the secondary.
Cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz (39 total tackles, team high 5 interceptions, team high 11 pass breakups) had a season that met everyone's expectations. The co-captain was often called on to cover the opponent's best receiver one-on-one and did so quite well. He finished the season third in the PSAC in interceptions (5), seventh in pass breakups (11) and third in passes defended (16). Shabazz was named first team All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1, second team Beyond Sports Network All-American, ECAC Division II All-Star and a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award.
The other corner was manned by Blaise Schieler (23 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups). Also contributing in the secondary was Lafayette transfer DeOliver Davis (16 total tackles, 4 pass breakups).
