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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Player News - Golden Rams Named All PSAC East

A dozen West Chester Golden Rams were named to the 2016 PSAC East first and second teams. Five members of the offense and five players from the defense were recognized by the conference's coaches, while three players were tabbed for special teams play. Only two of the twelve are seniors.

Named to the first team defense were junior defensive tackle Josh Ganzelli, senior safety Kevin Malone, and sophomore defensive back Nydair Rouse. Named to the second team defense were sophomore defensive end Ch'aim Smith and junior linebacker Kevin Duggan.

Named to the first team offense were junior running back Jarel Elder, senior left tackle Doug Gilbert, junior right guard Tyler Drob, and junior wide receiver Tyler Karpinski. Named to the second team offense was junior left guard Vince Lostracco.

Junior running back Anthony Brown was named to the second team defense as a return specialist. And sophomore Brendan Paulison was named to the first team as a place kicker and to the second team as a punter.

West Chester Athletic Site - Football Earns 12 Players on All-PSAC Squad

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Club News - November 17 Meeting

The Golden Ram Football Club will not be meeting on Thursday. However, the Bill Zwaan Football Show will be held at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM.

According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, junior defensive tackle Josh Ganzelli and junior quarterback Andrew Derr will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In addition, tight ends coach Pat Spadaro and wide receiver coach and assistant recruiting coordinator Justin Curry will join the show.

In West Chester's 37-10 win at Clarion, Derr completed 10 of his 17 pass attempts for 188 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score. In seven games this season, Derr completed 146 of 259 for 2,159 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also ran 59 times for 163 net yards and five touchdowns. Ganzelli registered only one solo tackle at Clarion, but for the season, he's notched 44 total tackles including 4.5 tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble against Lock Haven.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coach or the players to Bill Zwaan Show.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Player News - Class Named PSAC East Offensive POW

For his efforts in West Chester's 37-10 win at Clarion, sophomore running back Mike Class has been named PSAC Offensive Athlete of the Week. He was the leading ground gainer in the contest, picking up 118 yards on just 15 carries for an average of 7.9 yards per carry. In a West Chester possession that spanned the third and fourth quarters, Class had 9 carries for 83 yards and topped off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. He also registered a solo tackle on kickoff coverage.


Saturday, November 12, 2016

Game Report - West Chester 37- Clarion 10

It was another dominating defensive performance as the Golden Rams downed the Golden Eagles 37-10 in the 2016 season finale on a beautiful day for football in Clarion. Clarion’s five first half possessions resulted in three punts and two interceptions as West Chester limited the Golden Eagles to just four first downs and 86 total yards. For the game, the Golden Rams forced five turnovers – four interceptions and a fumble - while not surrendering the ball once.

The Golden Ram offense got off to a slow start. A three-and-out on their opening possession was extended when punter Brendan Paulison toppled after his 49-yard punt. The five-yard running-into-the-kicker penalty against Clarion extended West Chester's drive. Even though a couple of Jarel Elder carries moved the chains again, a sack took West Chester out of field goal range and the drive ended in a punt.

West Chester’s next possession was almost equally as frustrating. A 13-yard Elder run was negated by a holding call, but on the next play, quarterback Andrew Derr connected with Jordan Banks on a 31-yard touchdown pass.


The Golden Rams’ inability to finish appeared again on their third possession. The drive started with some trickery. Last week against Millersville, Shannon Mayer took the jet sweep and completed a 44-yard pass to Jim Hurley. Against Clarion, Mayer instead threw an overhand lateral back across the field to Derr who completed a 33-yard strike to Tyler Karpinski. Later, Mayer hauled in a short pass and worked his way into the end zone, but the score was negated by an illegal formation penalty. Two plays later, Paulison’s 34-yard field goal attempt slipped wide right. So three possessions, all deep inside Clarion territory, yielded just seven points.

Jarey Elder looked to spark the team with an interception late in the first quarter and West Chester then went on a 14-play drive that consumed over six minutes off the clock. But once again, the Golden Rams failed to get the ball into the end zone and West Chester had to settle for a Paulison 21-yard field goal to go up 10-0.

After Clarion’s third punt of the game, the West Chester offense took to the air. Tight end Simon Williams had a 27-yard catch, followed by completions to Eerin Young (11 yards), Karpinski (14 yards) and Mayer (6 yards) to get to the 12-yard line. Derr eventually broke the plane of the goal line for the 17-0 lead, and another five and a half minutes off the clock.


Clarion open the second half with a field goal, but West Chester answered when Derr hit Banks for another touchdown on what looked to be the same play as their first connection. With the score 24-3, Clarion was compelled to gamble but the West Chester defense snuffed out a fourth down attempt. The Golden Ram offense turned to sophomore running back Mike Class. Despite starting on their own 26-yard line, thanks to penalties, Class picked up 83 yards on the drive and finished it with a three-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 31-3.

If there was a point of nervousness in the game, it came when Clarion scored quickly on a 78-yard pass play to cut the lead to 31-10 and West Chester went three-and-out with ten minutes left to play. Senior safety Pete Galiano then picked off a pass, but again West Chester went three-and-out. Clarion frantically moved the ball down the field, but then it was Galiano’s classmate, Kevin Malone, who had an interception that he returned 85 yards for the 37-10 final score.


Class finished with 118 yards on the ground and Elder had 83, giving him 1,013 for the season. Derr finished just 10 of 17 for 188 yards and two scores, as this game was about pounding the ball on the ground. Despite surrendering three sacks, West Chester’s offensive line had its way with Clarion as the Golden Rams ran the ball 58 times for 237 yards. Besides the four interceptions, the Golden Ram defense was led once again by defensive end Ch'aim Smith who had six total tackles, a quarterback hurry and West Chester’s only sack of the game. Paulison banged two of his six kickoffs for touchbacks and landed two of his three punts inside the Clarion 20.

West Chester finished the season on a six-game win streak and a final record of 8-3.


Friday, November 11, 2016

Player News - Gilbert to Play in National Bowl Game

West Chester left tackle Doug Gilbert has been selected to play in the 2016 National Bowl Game to be held at Larry Kelly Field at Municipal Stadium in Daytona, FL at 9:30am on December 4. Full team rosters will be announced on November 30.

Gilbert is a two-time first team All-PSAC East selection and after last season was named first team CCA All-Super Region 1, first team All-ECAC, second team Dan Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1 and second team USA College Football All-American. He was also named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete for the 2015-2016 academic year. Prior to this season, he was named second team preseason All-Division II by Lindy’s Sports, second team D2Football.com Preseason All-American, and Preseason All-American by FootballGamePlan.com. Gilbert was also nominated for the 2016 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®.

The National Bowl Game showcases All-American and All Conference seniors from over 400 Division 2,3, and FCS schools. It's the only current post-season all star game to focus on players below D1/FBS to give them an opportunity to play in front of several NFL and CFL scouts. The National Bowl is presented by East Preps LLC and founded by Michael Quartey Esq., also a Professor of Sports Law at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, PA.


National Bowl - Player Spotlight

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Game Preview - Clarion

The Golden Rams (7-3) close the 2016 campaign with a road trip to Clarion (4-6). Kickoff in Memorial Stadium is set for noon. Even though the Golden Eagles are only 4-6, they're coming off back-to-back wins over Slippery Rock and Gannon.

Series History:

West Chester leads the overall series with the Golden Eagles 19-3. Despite being in the other division of the PSAC, West Chester head coach Bill Zwaan has already faced Clarion seven times in his 13 years at the helm and is perfect against them, winning those seven contests by an average score of 38-16. The Golden Eagles' last two wins in the series happened in 2000 and 2002, and both of those games were in Clarion.

Former Clarion quarterback Chris Weibel is in his second season as head coach of his alma mater. Weibel, who played in 1993, 1995-1998 with a medical redshirt in 1997, guided the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Division II semi-finals in 1996. The Golden Rams edged Weibel's Golden Eagles in 1998 by a 44-40 score.

Believe it or not, these two schools played for the conference championship three times in four seasons back in the late 60's. The Golden Rams lost by two in 1966, but won in 1967 by a score of 27-7 and in 1969 in a 41-34 game. All three of those games were played in West Chester. One of the most memorable moments in recent history between these two schools was at Clarion in 2012 when kicker Shawn Leo narrowly missed a 57-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half. However, he did convert on his four other attempts- 40, 32, 45, 36 - in the game.

Saturday will mark senior day at Clarion and if the ceremonies are anything like they were in 2012, be prepared for lengthy bios on every senior in the stadium.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year
H/A
W/L
Score
Year
H/A
W/L
Score
2000
Away
Loss
28-21
2005
Home
Win
43-14
2001
Home
Win
16-14
2006
Away
Win
49-21
2002
Away
Loss
34-28
2007
Home
Win
49-21
2003
Home
Win
35-17
2012
Away
Win
33-12
2004
Away
Win
20-17
2014
Home
Win
41-14

Last Meeting:


11/16/2013 West Chester 41- Clarion 14

Coming off the first loss of the season, the 9-1 Golden Rams rolled over Clarion on their way to the NCAA Division II playoffs and national semi-finals. Of the 502 yards of offense that West Chester gained, then freshman Shannon Mayer had two catches for 13 yards. The only defenders still on the roster that played in that game were linebacker Ralph Reeves who had two tackles and cornerback Blaise Schieler who started and registered two tackles and a pass breakup.

Scouting the Opponent:
Like so many teams in the PSAC this season, Clarion has used multiple quarterbacks. Senior Connor Simmons (152 of 268, 2,149 yards, 19 TD's, 8 interceptions) is the primary guy but missed three games in the middle of the season due to injury. In those three games against Seton Hill, California, and Indiana, redshirt freshman Jeff Clemens (40 of 94, 477 yards, 6 TD's, 6 int) filled in. Simmons has played the past two games, earning PSAC Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Week for his game last week against Gannon. Both quarterbacks spread the ball around. Senior Matt Lehman (48 catches, 763 yards, 7 TD's) was All-PSAC West last year and classmate Kevin Genevro (58 catches, 913 yards, 12 TD's) is pressing for similar recognition this season. The Golden Eagles also work in youngsters redshirt freshman Seneca Williams (12 catches, 189 yards, 2 TD's) and true freshman Greg Leonard (20 catches, 197 yards, 2 TD's). Running back Delrece Williams (155 carries, 727 yards, 5 TD's) was All-PSAC West last season. Finally sophomore Kyle Evans (43 carries, 226 yards, 1 TD; 24 catches, 306 yards, 1 TD) is a multiple threat as he also returns punts and kicks.

Besides Evans, other special teams performers are kicker Phil Esposito (7-10 FG, long 42, 2 blocked; 10 of 44 kickoffs for touchbacks; 30 of 33 PAT) who was All-PSAC West last year and is the reigning PSAC Western Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week while Scott Ayers (40 punts, 37.8 avg, 11 inside 20, 5 50+) does the punting.

Clarion's top player on defense is All-PSAC West defensive tackle Matt Koerper (22 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 QB hurries), however, he has missed the last three games due to an injury. So the leader on the line is sophomore defensive end Tyrone Archie (35 total tackles, 5.0 sacks). The Golden Eagles' two top linebackers are sophomore Layne Skundrich (78 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups) and senior Jacob Craig (68 total tackles, 5 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles). The secondary is young with freshman cornerback Tyrone Cromwell (55 total tackles, 3 interceptions, 5 pass breakups), freshman safety Sam Fareri (50 total tackles, 4 pass breakups) and junior free safety Colton McKay (50 total tackles, 4 pass breakups).

Analysis:
Clarion's defense is absolutely last in the PSAC in total yards allowed, so the Golden Rams should be able to choose how they want to move the ball in this game. Only East Stroudsburg allows more rushing yards per game and the Golden Eagles are third from the bottom is pass defense efficiency. On the other side of the ball, expect to see Clarion to throw the ball, a lot, and that means opportunities for more interceptions for the Golden Ram secondary.

A couple of areas of concern are special teams and penalties. Clarion has the top punt return team in the conference. West Chester's special teams has been playing well over the last several games, but this may be a more difficult test. The other interesting area is penalties. Clarion's opponents draw the most flags in the PSAC which is not a good sign for a penalty prone West Chester team.

While Atomic Football projects a 35-22 Golden Ram victory, Massey Ratings shows a narrower West Chester margin in a 31-24 score.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio  


D2football - PSAC Columnist - Championship Weekend in PSAC

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Club News - November 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, the Golden Ram captains - senior left tackle Doug Gilbert, senior safety Kevin Malone, and senior linebacker Ralph Reeves - will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In addition, defensive line coach Joe Walsh will join the show.

Gilbert has been a three-year starter for the Golden Rams. In the PSAC, the West Chester offense currently ranks fifth in rushing, fourth in passing, third in total offense and third in least sacks allowed. Reeves registered 18 total tackles, including five tackles for loss, in less than three games this year, as his season came to an end due to an injury during the Edinboro game. Thus far in his senior season, Malone has logged 20 total tackles, two interceptions, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He has started in 29 of the 39 games that he has played in his career.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coach or the players to Bill Zwaan Show.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Game Report - West Chester 52 - Millersville 0

The Golden Rams parlayed four interceptions into 24 points en route to a 52-0 shut out of Millersville on a glorious day for football at John A. Farrell Stadium. It was West Chester's first shut out since November of 2014 when they beat Cheyney 58-0.


It was a great day for the seniors as they played their last home game. With Millersville trying to thwart their penchant for surrendering sacks, they were throwing quick short passes over the middle. But senior safety Pete Galiano snuffed them out for little to no gain. He was credited with four solo tackles and a assist. And Galiano deflected a ball that resulted in a Nydair Rouse pick-six as the first half expired. Three other seniors - Kevin Malone, Ted Patton and Blaise Schieler - each had interceptions in the game. Schieler also registered two pass breakups and recovered a fumble.



The seniors also made their mark on the offensive side of the ball. Wide receiver Shannon Mayer took a hand-off on a jet sweep, but pulled up and completed a pass to classmate Jim Hurley for a 44-yard gain. Mayer also had four catches for 60 yards. Matt Sharp got the start at tight end and was targeted on a tight end screen play, but he did not register in the box score. Left tackle Doug Gilbert played most of the first half before incurring an apparent minor back injury. He tried to play the second half, but left the game after just one play. Kyle Keyser playd only the first play of the game due to injury and Ralph Reeves did not dress which has been the case since week three.


West Chester got off to a sluggish start as quarterback Pat Moriarty continued his struggles of last week at East Stroudsburg. However this week, Andrew Derr was dressed and entered the game on the Golden Rams' fourth possession. Derr finished 12 of 22 for 276 yards and two touchdowns and did not throw an interception. But late in the first half, after two three-and-outs and two lost fumbles, West Chester led just 14-0. It was great for Brendan Paulison to convert a 27-yard field goal, but after a first and goal from the six, West Chester fans expected seven points. But that's when Rouse got his third pick-six of the season, this time from 79 yards out. Scoring a touchdown as time expired to go up 24-0 deflated Millersville once and for all.

In the second half, the Golden Ram defense took over, twice stopping the Marauders inside the West Chester 5-yard line. Defensive end Ch'aim Smith had a game-high seven tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss. George Shipp and Shane Griffin each had solo sacks of at least ten yards.

Other notable performances on offense were Jarel Elder who gained 89 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Receiver Tyler Karpinski had just two catches and Jordan Banks had just three receptions, but they gained 98 and 76 yards respectively and they each had a score. Kicker Brendan Paulison had a great game. Besides the field goal, he converted all seven PAT attempts, kicked three of his six kickoffs for touchbacks, and dropped one of his three punts inside Millersville's 20. Quarterback Alec Werner threw only two passes, but completed both of them to Lex Rosario for 51 yards.



West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Shuts Out Millersville, 52-0

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Alumni News - Steelers Activate Shabazz

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed former Golden Ram cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz from their practice squad to their active roster. Shabazz has been a member of the Steelers practice squad this entire season with the exception of their October 9 game against the Jets when he was also on the active roster and registered a solo tackle in that game playing cornerback and on special teams.


Friday, November 4, 2016

Player News - Keyser Earns Academic Honors

Senior free safety Kyle Keyser has been named to the 2016 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District™ Football Team for Division II in District 1. CoSIDA District 1 mimics the NCAA Super Region 1 which is comprised of the 49 schools from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Northeast-10, Mountain East Conference, and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Earlier this year, Keyser was named a semi-finalist for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy which is presented to a senior or graduate student football player in his last season of eligibility with a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, has outstanding football ability, and demonstrates strong leadership and citizenship. Keyser was one of just 17 semi-finalists from all of Division II.

Last season, Keyser was named the PSAC Scholar Athlete for football and to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football team. The accounting and finance major has a 3.87 grade point average.

Despite suffering a broken hand in the season opener at Bentley, Keyser has started all nine games this season and ranks sixth on the team in tackles with 36. He has also registered 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups.


College Sports Information Directors of America - CoSIDA Academic All-District™ Football Teams Released

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Game Preview - Millersville

The Golden Rams (6-3, 5-1) host the Millersville Marauders (2-7, 1-5) on Saturday. Kickoff at John A. Farrell Stadium is scheduled for noon. West Chester will be celebrating Military Appreciation Day. In addition, the Golden Rams will honor senior members of the football team, cheerleading squad, marching band and athletic training staff. The game will be televised by SPORTSfever Television Network and be broadcast live on ESPN3.

Series History:

West Chester leads the overall series 66-17. Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan remains perfect against the Marauders in his 13 years at West Chester. Head coach Greg Breitbach is in his fourth season at the helm of the Marauders. Millersville's only wins this season were in the season opener over Pace (0-9) and last week over Cheyney (1-8).

Last 10 Meetings:

Year
H/A
W/L
Score
Year
H/A
W/L
Score
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
2010
Home
Win
45-14
2015
Away
Win
48-3

Last Meeting:


09/26/2015 West Chester 48 - Millersville 3

After getting off to a slow start, the Golden Rams offense rolled up 488 yards and 48 points. Meanwhile, the West Chester defense held the Marauders to just 202 total yards and a 47-yard field goal.

Kavon Johnson had five tackles including two for loss. Kyle Keyser, Pete Galiano, Shaquille James and Kevin Duggan each had three tackles with Keyser also forcing a fumble and Duggan recording his first collegiate quarterback sack. Kevin Malone also had an interception.

Quarterback Pat Moriarty threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns with Shannon Mayer pulling in three catches for 64 yards and a score. Jarel Elder had 26 yards on the ground and two touchdowns on just seven carries. Mike Class had 40 yards rushing and Eerin Young picked up 37 yards on the ground.

Scouting the Opponent:
Senior quarterback J.J. Paige (129 of 229, 1,593 yards, 9 TD's, 7 interceptions) has Millersville's passing game in the middle of the pack in the PSAC. Redshirt freshman Tony Staffieri (32 of 74, 461 yards, 3 TD's, 4 int's) started at quarterback in back-to-back games against East Stroudsburg and Lock Haven. Top targets are Kevin Wiggins (37 catches, 582 yards, 5 TD's), freshman Christian Kemp (18 catches, 300 yards, 2 TD's) and tight end Tyler Zilen (26 catches, 240 yards, 2 TD's). Running back Phil Overton (114 carries, 415 yards, 2 TD's) is their top ball carrier.

Punter Evan Stahl has the best average in the PSAC at 41.9 yards per punt. He's boomed nine punts over 50 yards and has landed 11 of his 52 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Stahl also does the kicking and is 6 of 11 on field goals with a long of 38, but has had three blocked. He's 15 of 19 on PAT's.

Outside linebacker Sean Dugan (91 total tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss) leads the entire PSAC in tackles. The other two guys in the middle are freshman Jaleel Robinson (20 total tackles, 2 pick-sixes) and freshman Cameron Boykin (45 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss). The main force up front is Morgan Faughnan (23 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 QB hurries). In the secondary, strong safety Kendall Marks (51 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 4 pass breakups) and free safety P.J. Santos (43 total tackles, 4 interceptions) are all over the field.

Analysis:
Millersville's offense is really struggling as they're at or near the bottom of the conference in scoring, total yards and rushing yards. Although their passing yardage is average, their pass efficiency is near the bottom. However, the most glaring statistic that should have the Golden Ram defensive line licking their chops is sacks allowed. Out of 170 teams in Division II, Millersville ranks 170, having allowed 91 sacks this season, or 5.7 per game. With their running game only gaining 77 yards per game, this looks to be no contest against the West Chester defense. Stahl's one of the best punters in the country, so Anthony Brown should be prepared to drop back an extra five yards or so on returns.

The Marauders are an average team on defense, and even though they only have eight interceptions as a team, they have returned three of them for touchdowns. The Golden Rams should be able to be effective on the ground, thus minimizing opportunities for picks.

Atomic Football projects a 38-10 Golden Ram win while Massey Ratings shows a similar 38-7 score.

Game Coverage:




D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Set For Final Round of Divisional Games