The Golden Ram Football Club will be meeting on Thursday at 7:45pm at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester. The meeting will begin immediately following the Bill Zwaan Football Show which is also held at Timothy's starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM. The meeting will not be broadcast.
According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show,
senior everything back Eddie Elliott and
senior long snapper Charles Kuklinski
will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show.
In West Chester's 48-3 win over Millersville, Elliott had six carries for 94 yards including a 64-yard touchdown. He also hauled in three catches for another 30 yards. Currently Elliott is second on the team in both rushing yards (202) and receiving yards (199).
Kuklinski is in his fourth season as West Chester's reliable long snapper .
Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Game Report - West Chester 48 - Millersville 3
Although the final score showed 48-3, it certainly didn’t feel like the Golden Rams dominated the game. West Chester led only 7-0 after the first quarter and the lead didn’t reach 27 until the final minute of the first half. But when Eddie Elliott scrambled his way 64 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second half, it was time for West Chester to run out the clock, which they proceeded to do.
The game did mark a host of “firsts” for the West Chester football team, including:
The game did mark a host of “firsts” for the West Chester football team, including:
- First time this season that West Chester kicked off to start the game as they took the wind at their back and the defense forced a three-and-out.
- First touchdown of the season for tight end Tim Brown as he took a short fourth and four pass from Pat Moriarty, shook off one would-be tackler and bowled over a second on his way to the 22-yard score.
- First time West Chester has been flagged for not surrendering after losing a helmet. Everyone has seen a player’s helmet come off during a game and the rule that was instituted a few years ago in Article 9.a requires that player to leave the field for one play. But there’s another part of that rule - Article 9.c - that states that it’s a penalty if a player who loses his helmet continues to participate in the play. So when center Devan LaBau’s helmet came off on the Golden Ram’s second possession, and he continued to play to the whistle as every player is coached to do, flags rained down from three officials for the personal foul.
- First time this season that West Chester held an opponent to fewer than 375 yards of offense and 35 points.
- First collegiate reception for Marcus Sydnor when he hauled in an eight-yard toss from Alec Werner for a first down.
- First collegiate sacks for sophomore Kevin Duggan and true freshman Zack Hockman.
- First time this season that Millersville’s defense didn’t register a sack. The Marauders entered the game leading the PSAC with 14, but the West Chester offensive line kept the quarterbacks clean.
- First time Ralph Reeves’ name, which is spelled the same as the late actor Christopher Reeves, was pronounced by the stadium announcer like New York Jet’s cornerback Darrelle Revis. What made this pronunciation so noticeable is that he led the team with six tackles and a quarterback hurry, all which came in the first half.
- First touchdown for Werner in purple and gold as he scored on a six-yard scamper.
West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Tops Millersville In East Opener, 48-3
Millersville Athletic Site - West Chester Defeats Millersville
Daily Local News - WCU thumps Millersville
Lancaster Online - West Chester delivers fierce blow to Millersville
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Club News - September 24 Meeting
The Golden Ram Football Club will be meeting on Thursday at 7:45pm at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester. The meeting will begin immediately following the Bill Zwaan Football Show which is also held at Timothy's starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM. The meeting will not be broadcast.
According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, sophomore running back Jarel Elder and junior cornerback Ted Patton will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In West Chester's 48-38 win over Seton Hill, Elder gained 247 yards rushing and 84 yards receiving and scored four touchdowns to earn PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week honors. In that same game, Patton had five total tackles, including two tackles for loss. His first quarter interception and 34-yard return set up West Chester's first touchdown of the game.
Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live.
According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, sophomore running back Jarel Elder and junior cornerback Ted Patton will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In West Chester's 48-38 win over Seton Hill, Elder gained 247 yards rushing and 84 yards receiving and scored four touchdowns to earn PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week honors. In that same game, Patton had five total tackles, including two tackles for loss. His first quarter interception and 34-yard return set up West Chester's first touchdown of the game.
Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Game Preview - Millersville
The Golden Rams (1-2) look to even their record when they travel to Millersville (0-3) on Saturday. Kickoff at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium is scheduled for 1:00pm.
Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 65-17. Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan remains perfect against the Marauders in his 12 years at West Chester. Head coach Greg Breitbach (2-23) is in his third year at the helm of the Marauders. So far this season, Millersville lost to Division III Ursinus in a five overtime affair, before falling on the road to both undefeated Clarion and Slippery Rock.
Last 10 Meetings:
Last Meeting:
09/27/2014 West Chester 62 - Millersville 7
The Golden Rams dominated on both sides of the ball in a rout of the Marauders on Family Day in West Chester. Eddie Elliott, Brandon Monk and Jarel Elder each rushed for at least 60 yards and a touchdown. Shannon Mayer and Jim Hurley each had at least three catches for a total of 50 yards or more. Drew Formica had nine total tackles and Kevin Malone had six solo tackles. Andrew Cohen had a field day - six tackles, two sacks, one pass breakup and two quarterback hurries. The defense logged a total of ten tackles for loss.
Scouting the Opponent:
Redshirt freshman Blake Cahill started the season at quarterback, he split time with classmate J.J. Paige against Clarion, and yielded almost all of the playing time to Paige last week at Slippery Rock. In his short playing time, Paige (24 of 43 for 231 yards, 2 TD's, 2 int's) has shown to be more effective than Cahill (14 for 47 for 69 yards, 1 TD and 1 int). Sean Quarterman (9 catches for 68 yards and 1 touchdown) and Kevin Wiggins (10 catches, 64 yards) are Millersville's top receivers, although freshman running back Phil Overton (8 catches, 70 yards, 2 touchdowns, 113 yards rushing) is their go-to guy.
Millersville's defense does have five interceptions, led by safety P.J. Santos (10 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery). They also lead the PSAC in sacks with 14 as a team, led by linebackers Sene Polamalu (11 total tackles, 2.5 sacks), Sean Dugan (19 total tackles, 2.0 sacks), and Brandon Lopez (12 total tackles, 2.0 sacks). Logan Kinser (11 total tackles, 2.0 sacks) leads the defensive line. Safety Rasheed Johnson (34 total tackles) is among the conference leaders in total tackles and cornerback Joey Pham is among the PSAC leaders in passes defended with four. Punter Evan Stahl is averaging 39 yards per punt while forcing five fair catches and landing five inside the opponents' 20.
Analysis:
Millersville ranks last in the PSAC in almost every offensive category - scoring, rushing, passing, total yards, first downs, and third down conversion rate - so the Marauders appear to be just what the Golden Ram defense needs. Then again, with West Chester yielding over 38 points per game, Millersville may be thinking West Chester's defense is just what they need as well. The Marauders have a total of four touchdowns after their first three games; Elder had four touchdowns by himself against Seton Hill. Millersville also ranks last in the conference in sacks allowed with 14 through three games, so look for Cohen to extend his West Chester career record. West Chester has won the last eight meetings by an average score of 51-10 and there's no reason to think this year should be much different.
Notes - There is one change to the depth chart for the Millersville game. Cohen has been moved to defensive end, the position that he played last year. This has likely been done to improve the thus far anemic pass rush, as West Chester has registered only three sacks this season, which is near the bottom of the conference. This is bad news for sophomore John Dubyk and redshirt freshman Ch'aim Smith who will drop down on the rotation. The beneficiary of the move will be sophomore tackle Josh Ganzelli who will assume Cohen's position in the middle. Despite seeing limited minutes through the first three games, the 300lb Ganzelli is seventh on the team in tackles with 11, including two tackles for loss.
Game Coverage:
Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 65-17. Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan remains perfect against the Marauders in his 12 years at West Chester. Head coach Greg Breitbach (2-23) is in his third year at the helm of the Marauders. So far this season, Millersville lost to Division III Ursinus in a five overtime affair, before falling on the road to both undefeated Clarion and Slippery Rock.
Last 10 Meetings:
|
Year
|
H/A
|
W/L
|
Score
|
Year
|
H/A
|
W/L
|
Score
|
2005
|
Away
|
Win
|
27-7
|
2010
|
Home
|
Win
|
45-14
|
2006
|
Home
|
Win
|
54-27
|
2011
|
Away
|
Win
|
49-13
|
2007
|
Away
|
Win
|
42-14
|
2012
|
Home
|
Win
|
56-14
|
2008
|
Home
|
Win
|
41-10
|
2013
|
Away
|
Win
|
48-3
|
2009
|
Away
|
Win
|
63-10
|
2014
|
Home
|
Win
|
62-7
|
Last Meeting:
09/27/2014 West Chester 62 - Millersville 7
The Golden Rams dominated on both sides of the ball in a rout of the Marauders on Family Day in West Chester. Eddie Elliott, Brandon Monk and Jarel Elder each rushed for at least 60 yards and a touchdown. Shannon Mayer and Jim Hurley each had at least three catches for a total of 50 yards or more. Drew Formica had nine total tackles and Kevin Malone had six solo tackles. Andrew Cohen had a field day - six tackles, two sacks, one pass breakup and two quarterback hurries. The defense logged a total of ten tackles for loss.
Scouting the Opponent:
Millersville's defense does have five interceptions, led by safety P.J. Santos (10 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery). They also lead the PSAC in sacks with 14 as a team, led by linebackers Sene Polamalu (11 total tackles, 2.5 sacks), Sean Dugan (19 total tackles, 2.0 sacks), and Brandon Lopez (12 total tackles, 2.0 sacks). Logan Kinser (11 total tackles, 2.0 sacks) leads the defensive line. Safety Rasheed Johnson (34 total tackles) is among the conference leaders in total tackles and cornerback Joey Pham is among the PSAC leaders in passes defended with four. Punter Evan Stahl is averaging 39 yards per punt while forcing five fair catches and landing five inside the opponents' 20.
Analysis:
Notes - There is one change to the depth chart for the Millersville game. Cohen has been moved to defensive end, the position that he played last year. This has likely been done to improve the thus far anemic pass rush, as West Chester has registered only three sacks this season, which is near the bottom of the conference. This is bad news for sophomore John Dubyk and redshirt freshman Ch'aim Smith who will drop down on the rotation. The beneficiary of the move will be sophomore tackle Josh Ganzelli who will assume Cohen's position in the middle. Despite seeing limited minutes through the first three games, the 300lb Ganzelli is seventh on the team in tackles with 11, including two tackles for loss.
Game Coverage:
PSAC Site - Football - Week 4 Notes
Millersville Athletic Site - Marauders Return Home to Host West Chester
KYW Newsradio - West Chester Visits Millersville Saturday
Daily Local News - Millersville comes at the right time for WCU
D2football - PSAC Columnist - Previewing Week 4 in the PSAC
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Player News - Elder Named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week
For his efforts in West Chester's 48-38 win over visiting Seton Hill, sophomore running back Jarel Elder has been named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week. Elder had 25 carries for 247 yards and three touchdowns to go along with eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also returned two kickoffs for 34 yards to give him 365 all-purpose yards for the game. Trailing 38-34 with under three minutes to play, Elder rushed for touchdowns of 2 and 51 yards to account for the final score and the Golden Rams' first victory of the season.
PSAC Site - PSAC Athletes of the Week - 9/20
West Chester Athletic Site - Jarel Elder Named PSAC East Offensive Player Of The Week
KYW Newsradio - West Chester RB Jarel Elder’s Career Day
Allentown Morning Call - Elder earns PSAC recognition after monster performance for West Chester
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Game Report - West Chester 48 - Seton Hill 38
Tight end Tim Brown made his first appearance of the season, but it was Jarel Elder who accounted for over half of West Chester's 638 yards in the Golden Rams' 48-38 win over visiting Seton Hill in a hard fought battle.
It wasn't like Brown wasn't in the game plan. He was thrown to seven times in the contest including the first play from scrimmage (who coudldn't see that coming). However, Pat Moriarty's passes were out of Brown's reach except for one key 23-yard catch on a third and 20 play on West Chester's second touchdown drive. Moriarty's final numbers were not bad - 20 of 38 for 302 yards and three touchdowns - but only a handful of those completions were downfield, including a 59-yard bomb to Jim Hurley. Most of those passing yards came after the catch with Elder accounting for 84 yards on 8 catches. Even completions to Eddie Elliott (3 for 33 yards) and Eerin Young (2 for 23 yards) were short yardage in nature.
But the real spark on offense was Elder. With senior Brandon Monk not dressed due to an injury incurred last week at Mercyhurst, Elder carried the ball 25 times for 247 yards and three scores. That's the sixth best rushing game in West Chester history and his 365 all-purpose yards is third-best all time.
Cornerback Ted Patton, who had two nice tackles for loss on quick out passes, got things started when he picked off a Seton Hill pass and returned it 34 yards to the Seton Hill 10. Moriarty completed a dump off pass to Elder who raced into the end zone. Brendan Paulison converted his first of six PAT's to go along with his two field goals to give West Chester the 7-0 lead.
Seton Hill's offense was fairly well contained early on, but they started to find one-on-one match-ups and their receivers got behind the Golden Ram secondary as three of their touchdowns came on passes of 43, 52 and 37 yards. Unlike last year's contest when West Chester's defense controlled the entire contest, the Golden Ram defense didn't assert itself until West Chester reclaimed the lead 41-38 with under three minutes left in the game. Andrew Cohen had two quarterback hurries and Brandon Pepper had a pick. After Elder scooted 51 yards for his fourth score of the game, Cohen registered a sack and Nydair Rouse notched an interception to end the contest.
Notes - Besides Monk, also not dressed for the game were defensive back Blaise Schieler and linebacker Tyler Morrissey. H-back Brandon Spatz dressed but did not participate...Left tackle Doug Gilbert left the game briefly, but returned to action. Right tackle Vince Lostracco left and did not return...Former Golden Ram kicking star Shawn Leo was on the sidelines with the current kickers...Despite being converted to wide receiver, Elliott had seven carries for 85 yards, including a sparkling 26-yard run. He finished the game with 118 all-purpose yards...Besides his sack, Cohen was credited with three quarterback hurries and pass breakup...Drew Formica and Kevin Duggan were the leading tacklers with six apiece.
It wasn't like Brown wasn't in the game plan. He was thrown to seven times in the contest including the first play from scrimmage (who coudldn't see that coming). However, Pat Moriarty's passes were out of Brown's reach except for one key 23-yard catch on a third and 20 play on West Chester's second touchdown drive. Moriarty's final numbers were not bad - 20 of 38 for 302 yards and three touchdowns - but only a handful of those completions were downfield, including a 59-yard bomb to Jim Hurley. Most of those passing yards came after the catch with Elder accounting for 84 yards on 8 catches. Even completions to Eddie Elliott (3 for 33 yards) and Eerin Young (2 for 23 yards) were short yardage in nature.
But the real spark on offense was Elder. With senior Brandon Monk not dressed due to an injury incurred last week at Mercyhurst, Elder carried the ball 25 times for 247 yards and three scores. That's the sixth best rushing game in West Chester history and his 365 all-purpose yards is third-best all time.
Cornerback Ted Patton, who had two nice tackles for loss on quick out passes, got things started when he picked off a Seton Hill pass and returned it 34 yards to the Seton Hill 10. Moriarty completed a dump off pass to Elder who raced into the end zone. Brendan Paulison converted his first of six PAT's to go along with his two field goals to give West Chester the 7-0 lead.
Seton Hill's offense was fairly well contained early on, but they started to find one-on-one match-ups and their receivers got behind the Golden Ram secondary as three of their touchdowns came on passes of 43, 52 and 37 yards. Unlike last year's contest when West Chester's defense controlled the entire contest, the Golden Ram defense didn't assert itself until West Chester reclaimed the lead 41-38 with under three minutes left in the game. Andrew Cohen had two quarterback hurries and Brandon Pepper had a pick. After Elder scooted 51 yards for his fourth score of the game, Cohen registered a sack and Nydair Rouse notched an interception to end the contest.
Notes - Besides Monk, also not dressed for the game were defensive back Blaise Schieler and linebacker Tyler Morrissey. H-back Brandon Spatz dressed but did not participate...Left tackle Doug Gilbert left the game briefly, but returned to action. Right tackle Vince Lostracco left and did not return...Former Golden Ram kicking star Shawn Leo was on the sidelines with the current kickers...Despite being converted to wide receiver, Elliott had seven carries for 85 yards, including a sparkling 26-yard run. He finished the game with 118 all-purpose yards...Besides his sack, Cohen was credited with three quarterback hurries and pass breakup...Drew Formica and Kevin Duggan were the leading tacklers with six apiece.
West Chester Athletic Site - Big Fourth Quarter Leads West Chester Past Seton Hill, 48-38
Seton Hill Athletic Site - Griffins Battle but Fall at West Chester, 48-38
Daily Local News - WCU calls on its Elder for win
Post-Gazette - Seton Hill loses shootout on the road
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Player News - NCAA Reinstates Tim Brown
Brown has received preseason All-American honors from both D2Football.com and HERO Sports. In June, he was rated the number one small school (non FBS) tight end in the 2016 NFL draft. Last season, Brown led the Golden Rams in all receiving categories with 53 catches for 1,059 yards and 17 scores. His receiving yards and touchdowns were tops in the country among tight ends. Brown was named first team All-PSAC East, first team Super Region One by Daktronics, first team Super Region One by Beyond Sports Network, first team Super Region One by Don Hansen Football Gazette, second team All-American by Daktronics and Beyond Sports Network, and first team All-American by Don Hansen Football Gazette. In 2013, Brown snared 20 passes for 429 yards and five touchdowns with three of those touchdowns coming in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Daily Local News - NCAA reinstates WCU’s Brown
West Chester Athletic Site - Tim Brown Waiver Approved By NCAA; WCU Hosts Seton Hill Saturday
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Club News - September 17 Meeting
The Golden Ram Football Club will be meeting on Thursday at 7:45pm at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester. The meeting will begin immediately following the Bill Zwaan Football Show which is also held at Timothy's starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM. The meeting will not be broadcast.
According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, senior wide receiver Adam Dempsey and senior defensive lineman Barry Lyons will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. At Mercyhurst, Dempsey had two catches for 51 yards with both resulting in first downs. His second catch went for 22 yards and came on a third and 15 in the Golden Rams' final drive of the game. Dempsey also had a 21-yard touchdown for West Chester's final touchdown of the game. Lyons had five total tackles in the game including a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry.
Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live.
According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, senior wide receiver Adam Dempsey and senior defensive lineman Barry Lyons will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. At Mercyhurst, Dempsey had two catches for 51 yards with both resulting in first downs. His second catch went for 22 yards and came on a third and 15 in the Golden Rams' final drive of the game. Dempsey also had a 21-yard touchdown for West Chester's final touchdown of the game. Lyons had five total tackles in the game including a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry.
Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Game Preview - Seton Hill
The Golden Rams (0-2) celebrate Hall of Fame Day and Family Day when they host the Seton Hill Griffins (1-1) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm.
Series History:
West Chester owns a 1-0 lead in the series after defeating Seton Hill 45-10 last year.
Last Meeting:
09/20/2014 West Chester 45 - Seton Hill 10
The Golden Rams rode a strong defensive effort and shrugged off a sluggish offensive start to handle the Griffins in Greensburg, PA in the first ever meeting between the two teams. Seton Hill gained a total of 236 yards with over half of that coming on their final three possessions. Pete Galiano, Andrew Cohen and Josh Ganzelli all registered tackles for loss. Brandon Pepper registered five total tackles as did Galiano. Meanwhile, the offense rolled up 546 total yards with Brandon Monk eclipsing 100 yards to go along with a touchdown. Jarel Elder picked up 49 yards on the ground and Eddie Elliott had 21 rushing and 39 receiving. Seton Hill was also hurt by 13 penalties for 100 yards.
Scouting the Opponent:
Seton Hill opened the season with a 64-14 loss at Shippensburg before defeating Lock Haven 27-10 last week. Quarterback Dan Pietrangelo has taken over the position full time this season after splitting time last year. Against the Golden Rams last year, Pietrangelo was 7 of 13 for 75 yards and took two sacks. So far this season, he's 46 of 82 for 438 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions.
His top target is wide receiver Jarvis McClam who has 13 catches for 122 yards and is also dangerous as a kick returner. Senior Eric Brown and freshman Ardell Brown each have seven receptions. Running back Brandon Stout is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has amassed 185 yards over the first two games of the season. The Griffins have surrendered five sacks during the first two games, so it might be a good opportunity for the front four or a blitzing linebacker.
Defensively, Seton Hill already has four interceptions with two of them by safety Richardo Housen. Linebacker Nicholas Boynton may only be 5'9", but he leads the team in tackles with 20 including two tackles for loss. Cornerback Phillip Moreland was All-PSAC West last season and has seven tackles and three pass breakups so far this year. Defensive end Daniel Gonzalez is a force up front with 2.5 tackles for loss.
Analysis:
Upon winning the opening coin toss, most teams elect to defer the choice to the second half while West Chester almost always takes the ball. But hold your breath on the opening kickoff. Two weeks ago, the Golden Rams were whistled for a personal foul and last week there was an altercation although no flag was thrown.
Saturday starts a string of three games against opponents that went a combined 6-27 last season and 5-28 the year before that. So it certainly seems like this is the time for the Golden Rams to right the ship. But the Golden Ram defense has shown vulnerabilities against both the run and the pass, and Seton Hill is fairly balanced in their approach. Offensively, the Golden Rams moved the ball quite well at Mercyhurst before the rain came in. As long as they eliminate turnovers, points should not be a problem.
Game Coverage:
Series History:
West Chester owns a 1-0 lead in the series after defeating Seton Hill 45-10 last year.
Last Meeting:
09/20/2014 West Chester 45 - Seton Hill 10
The Golden Rams rode a strong defensive effort and shrugged off a sluggish offensive start to handle the Griffins in Greensburg, PA in the first ever meeting between the two teams. Seton Hill gained a total of 236 yards with over half of that coming on their final three possessions. Pete Galiano, Andrew Cohen and Josh Ganzelli all registered tackles for loss. Brandon Pepper registered five total tackles as did Galiano. Meanwhile, the offense rolled up 546 total yards with Brandon Monk eclipsing 100 yards to go along with a touchdown. Jarel Elder picked up 49 yards on the ground and Eddie Elliott had 21 rushing and 39 receiving. Seton Hill was also hurt by 13 penalties for 100 yards.
Scouting the Opponent:
Defensively, Seton Hill already has four interceptions with two of them by safety Richardo Housen. Linebacker Nicholas Boynton may only be 5'9", but he leads the team in tackles with 20 including two tackles for loss. Cornerback Phillip Moreland was All-PSAC West last season and has seven tackles and three pass breakups so far this year. Defensive end Daniel Gonzalez is a force up front with 2.5 tackles for loss.
Analysis:
Game Coverage:
PSAC Site - Football - Week 3 Notes
KYW Newsradio - West Chester Hosts Seton Hill, Looking For First Win
D2football - PSAC Columnist - Previewing Week 3 in the PSAC
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Game Report - Mercyhurst 37 - West Chester 35
The West Chester football team sent their fans on an emotional roller coaster in Erie, and by the end of the ride, they were all a little nauseous as the Mercyhurst Lakers upended the visitors 37-35.
West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Falls To Mercyhurst, 37-35
Mercyhurst Athletic Site - Football Improves To 2-0 After Thrilling 37-35 Victory Over Visiting West Chester
Daily Local News - West Chester falls in wild finish
GoErie.com - Mercyhurst wins in wet and wild finish
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Club News - September 10 Meeting
The Golden Ram Football Club will be meeting on Thursday at 7:45pm at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester. The meeting will begin immediately following the Bill Zwaan Football Show which is also held at Timothy's starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM. The meeting will not be broadcast.
According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, junior defensive back Kevin Malone and junior wide receiver A.J. DePietro will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. Against Lenoir-Rhyne, Malone registered three solo tackles and two assisted tackles. His pass breakup on third down midway through the second quarter forced a Bear punt that led to West Chester's first score. Last season, Malone notched 32 total tackles and had an interception against New Haven. DePietro made his first collegiate reception against Lenoir-Rhyne on Thursday night, a nine-yard touchdown from Pat Moriarty. DePietro made his second catch count as well, a 45-yard catch and run from Alec Werner for the second touchdown of his career.
Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live.
According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, junior defensive back Kevin Malone and junior wide receiver A.J. DePietro will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. Against Lenoir-Rhyne, Malone registered three solo tackles and two assisted tackles. His pass breakup on third down midway through the second quarter forced a Bear punt that led to West Chester's first score. Last season, Malone notched 32 total tackles and had an interception against New Haven. DePietro made his first collegiate reception against Lenoir-Rhyne on Thursday night, a nine-yard touchdown from Pat Moriarty. DePietro made his second catch count as well, a 45-yard catch and run from Alec Werner for the second touchdown of his career.
Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Game Preview - Mercyhurst
For the second year in a row, West Chester (0-1) opens conference play with PSAC opponent Mercyhurst Lakers (1-0). Unlike last year, however, this year's game will be played at Tullio Field in Erie at noon on Saturday. Mercyhurst is coming off a 35-20 win over Bentley last Saturday. In that game, Lakers QB Brendan Boylan was 20 of 25 for 305 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, West Chester is coming off a 41-28 home loss to Lenoir-Rhyne.
Series History:
West Chester has faced Mercyhurst only twice with both games being played at Farrell Stadium. The Golden Rams won 45-13 in 2009 and 38-14 last year.
Last Meeting:
09/13/2014 West Chester 38 - Mercyhurst 14
The Golden Ram defense kept the visiting Lakers out of the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter and the offense put up 418 yards in route to the win. Mercyhurst started Zach Emerick at quarterback and didn't switch to Brendan Boylan until after halftime. Boylan went on to throw for 2,952 yards and 29 touchdowns over the course of the 2014 season.
Brandon Monk had 61 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving in the game. Adam Dempsey logged six catches for 43 yards. Andrew Cohen notched seven total tackles including a sack while Drew Formica had three tackles and an interception that he returned 39 yards for a touchdown.
Scouting the Lakers:
Many have talked about how Mercyhurst traditionally gets off to a slow start every season. The Lakers lost their season opener in 2012 and 2013 and opened last year 0-4. However, all signs point to this being a different Mercyhurst team. Unlike last season, the Lakers have fifth-year seniors in quarterback Brendan Boylan and running back Brandon Brown-Dukes. Brown-Dukes was a first team All-PSAC West selection last season after running for 774 yards and five touchdowns and catching 18 passes for 129 yards and two more scores. Besides the additional year of experience for those two players, making the Laker offense better is the addition of wide receiver FJ Williams who transferred from Seton Hill. Williams had 83 catches for 1,071 yards and eight touchdowns last season for the Griffins which earned him first team All-PSAC West honors.
The defense is led by Joe Dever (66 total tackles, 9.0 TFL's) who was second team All-PSAC West last season. Cornerback Tevin Stewart is the reigning PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week after his 90-yard pick-six sealed the Lakers' victory over Bentley last week. Earlier in the game, he had an interception at the Laker goal line thwarting a Bentley touchdown.
Drew Robinson is most dangerous as return specialist where he earned second team all-conference honors last season, but they get the ball to him however possible as he had three carries and two catches last week. Head coach Marty Schaetzle is the reigning PSAC West Coach of the Year and enters his 14th season at Mercyhurst with a 69-74 record.
Analysis:
When West Chester scored the final 21 points Thursday night, it wasn't a matter of window dressing the final score, but building some confidence for this young offense. A dozen different players advanced the ball for West Chester, so there are plenty of options. Now they need to do it for an entire 60 minutes which will be a tall order against an improved Mercyhurst defense. The Golden Rams' top rated pass defense (wink, wink) will certainly be challenged by Boylan and company. The Lakers are quite balanced on offense, so this will be the first time that the young corners will be tested over the course of a contest. Keeping Robinson under wraps on special teams must also be a priority.
Notes:
It appears that left guard Vince Lostracco is still out with the injury sustained during the last scrimmage, so the offensive line will be modified as it was last week: Doug Gilbert moves from left tackle to left guard, Michael Unger moves from right tackle to left tackle and Evyn Stadulis will play right tackle.
Game Coverage:
Series History:
West Chester has faced Mercyhurst only twice with both games being played at Farrell Stadium. The Golden Rams won 45-13 in 2009 and 38-14 last year.
Last Meeting:
09/13/2014 West Chester 38 - Mercyhurst 14
The Golden Ram defense kept the visiting Lakers out of the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter and the offense put up 418 yards in route to the win. Mercyhurst started Zach Emerick at quarterback and didn't switch to Brendan Boylan until after halftime. Boylan went on to throw for 2,952 yards and 29 touchdowns over the course of the 2014 season.
Brandon Monk had 61 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving in the game. Adam Dempsey logged six catches for 43 yards. Andrew Cohen notched seven total tackles including a sack while Drew Formica had three tackles and an interception that he returned 39 yards for a touchdown.
Scouting the Lakers:
The defense is led by Joe Dever (66 total tackles, 9.0 TFL's) who was second team All-PSAC West last season. Cornerback Tevin Stewart is the reigning PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week after his 90-yard pick-six sealed the Lakers' victory over Bentley last week. Earlier in the game, he had an interception at the Laker goal line thwarting a Bentley touchdown.
Drew Robinson is most dangerous as return specialist where he earned second team all-conference honors last season, but they get the ball to him however possible as he had three carries and two catches last week. Head coach Marty Schaetzle is the reigning PSAC West Coach of the Year and enters his 14th season at Mercyhurst with a 69-74 record.
Analysis:
Notes:
It appears that left guard Vince Lostracco is still out with the injury sustained during the last scrimmage, so the offensive line will be modified as it was last week: Doug Gilbert moves from left tackle to left guard, Michael Unger moves from right tackle to left tackle and Evyn Stadulis will play right tackle.
Game Coverage:
PSAC Site - Football - Week 2 Notes
Mercyhurst Athletic Site - Mercyhurst-West Chester Football Game To Be Aired On National / Regional Television
KYW Newsradio - West Chester Looks To Rebound At Mercyhurst
GoErie.com - 3 area teams host PSAC crossovers
Daily Local News - WCU seeks to bounce back on road
D2football - PSAC Columnist - Previewing Week 2 in the PSAC
D2football - National Columnist - Bob Eblen - National Columnist
Monday, September 7, 2015
Team News - Golden Rams Fall From National Polls
American Football Coaches Association - Division II Coaches’ Poll – September 7, 2015
D2Football.com - Top 25 Poll - September 8, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
Game Report - Lenoir-Rhyne 41 - West Chester 28
The Golden Rams (0-1) dropped their season opening game to visiting Lenoir-Rhyne (1-0) by a score of 41-28 on a long night at Farrell Stadium.
There’s generally a handful of “keys to the game” that apply to every opponent, but they get magnified when the opponent is of high quality – get off to a good start, limit turnovers, take advantage of opportunities, minimize penalties, control the clock. Take care of those areas and there’s a good chance that it will be a ball game near the final whistle. Otherwise, the game might be out of hand before the fourth quarter. So how did the Golden Rams stack up those five areas?
Well it took only until the opening kickoff return for Shawn Driggins to get his first 15-yard, unsportsmanlike penalty of the season. Then on the second snap from scrimmage, sophomore QB Pat Moriarty threw an interception. West Chester’s third and fourth possessions also ended on turnovers, another interception and a fumble by Brandon Monk. Trailing 21-0, the Golden Rams had a first and goal at the ten by virtue of a Lenoir-Rhyne pass interference penalty. When the drive stalled at the six, Ben Solis’ chip shot field goal hooked wide right. Off to a good start? How about the first five possessions totaled 52 yards and ended in three turnovers and two punts.
On the drive that ended in a missed field goal, Moriarty looked like a veteran as he sprayed completions to Adam Dempsey, Tyler Karpinski, Jim Hurley, and Eddie Elliott. Moriarty and Shannon Mayer struggled to connect most of the evening. Some faulted the quarterback while others blamed the receiver, when, truth be told, it was probably a combination of the two. They did finally connect late in the first half on a 15-yard touchdown in the back corner of the end zone for the first West Chester points of the season.
With Lenoir-Rhyne leading 21-7 and 20 seconds left in the first half, lightning could be seen in the distance. However, officials let the Bears run two plays to end the period. The teams went to their locker rooms, fans went to their cars and the band went under the stands where everyone, except the television broadcast, would wait out lightning and heavy rain for almost two hours.
The third quarter was much of the same. A three-and-out and an interception for the West Chester offense and three touchdown runs for Lenoir-Rhyne quarterback Evin Sims. Sims finished the night with 161 yards rushing on 14 carries to go along with a six-yard completion on two pass attempts. Overall, the Bears ran 55 times for 442 yards, an 8.0 yard average per carry. They busted seven runs for 20+ including Calvin Edwards’ 72-yard touchdown run.
Despite the game being out of reach at 41-7, the Golden Ram first team offense stayed on the field for some much needed work. And it paid off. Monk and Jarel Elder each picked up first down runs before Eerin Young made a nice diving catch of a Moriarty 20-yard pass. After a 16-yard completion to Hurley, Moriarty capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to A.J. DePietro for his first collegiate reception.
On West Chester’s next possession, Moriarty completed a 39-yard dart to Elliott, scrambled for 30 yards, and completed a 19-yard pass to Dempsey before Monk scooted into the end zone from four yards out. Trailing 41-20, West Chester inserted Alec Werner on their last possession with two and a half minutes left. Werner quickly completed a 10-yard pass to Young, and a 20-yarder to Hurley. Werner then scrambled and although he didn’t gain any yards, he did manage to get out of bounds and stop the clock. A catchable pass to Hurley fell incomplete setting up third and ten. Werner recognized he was going to take a big hit, but found DePietro in one-on-one coverage and completed the 45-yard touchdown catch and run.
The defense was led by Ralph Reeves (10 total tackles), Andrew Cohen (7 total tackles) and Kevin Duggan (6 total tackles). Lenoir-Rhyne attempted four pass plays: one was completed for six yards, one was broken up by Kevin Malone and the Reeves and Cohen registered sacks on the other two.
Notes – Although the total yards in the game was fairly even (Lenoir-Rhyne had a 448-442 edge), West Chester gained 237 yards on their final three possessions after the Bears had the game in control….The Golden Rams had four turnovers, the Bears none…With Vince Lostracco not dressed due to a knee injury, left tackle Doug Gilbert moved to left guard, tackle Michael Unger moved from the right side to the left side, and Evyn Stadulis played right tackle. That is, until Stadulis’ body rejected his efforts to hydrate which forced him to sit out a couple of series...On his first collegiate play, true freshman Zack Hockman made a solo tackle for no gain.
There’s generally a handful of “keys to the game” that apply to every opponent, but they get magnified when the opponent is of high quality – get off to a good start, limit turnovers, take advantage of opportunities, minimize penalties, control the clock. Take care of those areas and there’s a good chance that it will be a ball game near the final whistle. Otherwise, the game might be out of hand before the fourth quarter. So how did the Golden Rams stack up those five areas?
Well it took only until the opening kickoff return for Shawn Driggins to get his first 15-yard, unsportsmanlike penalty of the season. Then on the second snap from scrimmage, sophomore QB Pat Moriarty threw an interception. West Chester’s third and fourth possessions also ended on turnovers, another interception and a fumble by Brandon Monk. Trailing 21-0, the Golden Rams had a first and goal at the ten by virtue of a Lenoir-Rhyne pass interference penalty. When the drive stalled at the six, Ben Solis’ chip shot field goal hooked wide right. Off to a good start? How about the first five possessions totaled 52 yards and ended in three turnovers and two punts.
On the drive that ended in a missed field goal, Moriarty looked like a veteran as he sprayed completions to Adam Dempsey, Tyler Karpinski, Jim Hurley, and Eddie Elliott. Moriarty and Shannon Mayer struggled to connect most of the evening. Some faulted the quarterback while others blamed the receiver, when, truth be told, it was probably a combination of the two. They did finally connect late in the first half on a 15-yard touchdown in the back corner of the end zone for the first West Chester points of the season.
With Lenoir-Rhyne leading 21-7 and 20 seconds left in the first half, lightning could be seen in the distance. However, officials let the Bears run two plays to end the period. The teams went to their locker rooms, fans went to their cars and the band went under the stands where everyone, except the television broadcast, would wait out lightning and heavy rain for almost two hours.
The third quarter was much of the same. A three-and-out and an interception for the West Chester offense and three touchdown runs for Lenoir-Rhyne quarterback Evin Sims. Sims finished the night with 161 yards rushing on 14 carries to go along with a six-yard completion on two pass attempts. Overall, the Bears ran 55 times for 442 yards, an 8.0 yard average per carry. They busted seven runs for 20+ including Calvin Edwards’ 72-yard touchdown run.
Despite the game being out of reach at 41-7, the Golden Ram first team offense stayed on the field for some much needed work. And it paid off. Monk and Jarel Elder each picked up first down runs before Eerin Young made a nice diving catch of a Moriarty 20-yard pass. After a 16-yard completion to Hurley, Moriarty capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to A.J. DePietro for his first collegiate reception.
On West Chester’s next possession, Moriarty completed a 39-yard dart to Elliott, scrambled for 30 yards, and completed a 19-yard pass to Dempsey before Monk scooted into the end zone from four yards out. Trailing 41-20, West Chester inserted Alec Werner on their last possession with two and a half minutes left. Werner quickly completed a 10-yard pass to Young, and a 20-yarder to Hurley. Werner then scrambled and although he didn’t gain any yards, he did manage to get out of bounds and stop the clock. A catchable pass to Hurley fell incomplete setting up third and ten. Werner recognized he was going to take a big hit, but found DePietro in one-on-one coverage and completed the 45-yard touchdown catch and run.
The defense was led by Ralph Reeves (10 total tackles), Andrew Cohen (7 total tackles) and Kevin Duggan (6 total tackles). Lenoir-Rhyne attempted four pass plays: one was completed for six yards, one was broken up by Kevin Malone and the Reeves and Cohen registered sacks on the other two.
Notes – Although the total yards in the game was fairly even (Lenoir-Rhyne had a 448-442 edge), West Chester gained 237 yards on their final three possessions after the Bears had the game in control….The Golden Rams had four turnovers, the Bears none…With Vince Lostracco not dressed due to a knee injury, left tackle Doug Gilbert moved to left guard, tackle Michael Unger moved from the right side to the left side, and Evyn Stadulis played right tackle. That is, until Stadulis’ body rejected his efforts to hydrate which forced him to sit out a couple of series...On his first collegiate play, true freshman Zack Hockman made a solo tackle for no gain.
West Chester Athletic Site - No. 22 West Chester Falls To No. 9 Lenoir-Rhyne, 41-28
Delco Daily Times - WCU routed by Lenoir-Rhyne in opener
Hickory Record - Weather delay doesn't impact Bears much in opener
Hickory Record - Quarterback Sims steps up in second half of first game
Lenoir-Rhyne Athletic Site - Lenoir-Rhyne Football Opens 2015 Season With Huge Road Win, 41-28 Over West Chester
Hickory Record - Defense gave Bears early punch
D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Notebook: Week 1