Team News - Golden Rams #25 in D2Football.com Preseason Poll

After finishing 8-3 last season, West Chester is ranked #25 in the D2Football.com preseason poll. West Chester opens the 2017 season on August 31 when they host Bentley.

D2Football.com - D2Football.com Poll – August 28, 2017

West Chester Athletic Site - Football Picked 25th in D2 Football Media Top 25 Poll

Team News - Depth Chart Changes

Now that the depth chart for the Bentley game has been posted, there are a few notable changes from the preseason depth chart:

• Quarterback - sophomore Paul Dooley has gone from backup to starter and transfer A.J. Long is listed as the backup. Senior Pat Moriarty was slotted as the starter at the beginning of camp.
  
• Offensive line - senior Vince Lostracco has moved from left guard to right tackle. Filling Lostracco's vacated starting spot is sophomore backup right guard Frank Tranzilli. With starting right guard Tyler Drob out, classmate Alex Host has gone from reserve left guard to starting right guard. Junior Connor Walsh has moved from reserve center to reserve left guard. Sophomore Shane Kraynik was due to backup at right tackle, but appeared hobbled after the second scrimmage, so Jake Duncan will take that spot. Newly converted defensive lineman Ben Smith will serve as the reserve right guard. The summary is clear, with the exception of left tackle - Evyn Stadulis and John DiPasquale - there has been a lot of recent juggling across the line. Everyone playing to their capability will be key for success this week.
  
• H-back - redshirt freshman Dan Neuhaus is now listed as the starter ahead of sophomore Tyler Higgins.
  
• Tight end - true freshman Gabe Schappell, who has impressed this August, has replaced Connor McGrath as the reserve. Expect to see him receive significant time.
  
• Defensive end - sophomore Shane Griffin replaces injured senior John Dubyk as a reserve.
  
• Inside linebacker - Geoffrey Phillippe replaces Justice Smith as a reserve.
  
• Shark linebacker - sophomore Matt Magdelinskas replaces Phil Mitten as a reserve.
  
• Kicker - redshirt freshman George Lambritsios expects to get a bulk of the place kicking duties.
  
• Punter returner - sophomore Jarey Elder is listed in the top position with senior Anthony Brown offering his experience in the role as a reserve.
  

Game Preview - Bentley

The Golden Rams open the 2017 season Thursday evening when they host the Bentley Falcons. The game will be a rematch of the 2016 season opener that was played in Waltham, MA and won by the visitors by a score of 31-24. Kickoff in John A. Farrell Stadium is set for 6:00 pm.

West Chester currently has the third longest winning streak in all of Division II. Only Texas A&M - Kingsville (7) and defending national champion Northwest Missouri St (15) have longer streaks than the Golden Rams' six.

Series History:
West Chester holds a 1-0 lead in the series with the Falcons with the Golden Rams winning the only meeting between these two schools last season.

Last Meeting:

09/03/2016 West Chester 31 - Bentley 24

The Golden Rams overcame a ten point, fourth quarter deficit and escaped their first trip to Massachusetts in over 25 years with a 31-24 win. West Chester had to overcome 78 yards in penalties and three interceptions which led to ten points for the Falcons. The Golden Ram defense ratcheted up the intensity and held Bentley to just two first downs in the final frame. Kicker Brendan Paulison tied the game at 24 midway through the fourth quarter with a 29-yard field goal. Two possessions later, defensive tackle Josh Ganzelli deflected a Bentley pass and Nydair Rouse hauled it in and returned it 35 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

Jarel Elder rushed for 102 yards. Although Tyler Karpinski only had one catch, it was an 11-yard touchdown from Pat Moriarty. Defensively, Shaquille James made seven tackles and was credited with three pass breakups. Besides the pick-six, Rouse notched five tackles including a seven-yard sack.

Scouting the Opponent:

After falling to West Chester in the season opener last year, Bentley went 5-5 in the Northeast 10 finishing in fifth place in their conference, which is the same place they were picked to finish this season by the league coaches.

Quarterback Mack Lowrie (83 of 165 for 901 yards, 8 TD's, 6 int's) split time under center last year. He redshirted at Boston College in 2013, and started the first six games of the 2014 season for Rhode Island before an injury essentially ended his season. He entered last year's game against West Chester in the second quarter and went 5 of 7 for 85 yards before leaving the game due to an injury incurred on a strip sack. Receiver Drew Mahoney (63 catches, 596 yards, 2 TD's; 19 carries, 116 yards, 1 TD) is a dual threat despite his 5'7 stature and racked up 146 all-purpose yards against the Golden Rams last season. Senior running back and captain Martin Bannerman Jr. (36 carries, 99 yards, 2 TD's) had an injury shortened season. Other targets for Lowrie are Michael Correia (14 catches, 251 yards, 4 TD's) and Brendan Burke (11 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD).

Sophomore cornerback Peter Thorbahn (61 tackles, 4 interceptions, 15 pass breakups) is the Falcons' only returning all-conference player as he was named to the NE-10 All-Rookie team. He's joined in the secondary by senior strong safety Junior Chery (28 tackles, 3 interceptions). Outside linebackers Joey Piatnik (38 tackles, 5 sacks) and Brandon Brown (66 tackles, 12 tackles for loss) are among the best in the Northeast-10. Senior defensive ends Dan Catalano (34 tackles, 7 tackles for loss) and Phil Rigoglioso (28 tackles, 7 tackles for loss) are part of the Falcon three-man front.

Sophomore kicker Grant Buchanan connected on only half of his 14 field goal attempts with a long of 37, but converted 29 of 30 PAT's. Bentley lost their all-conference punter to graduation, so Burke may double as the team's punter. Bentley will be breaking in new regular punt and kick return men.

Analysis:

West Chester should have a different approach to this year's opener since they're not burdened with some off-field distractions. Plus last year's game in Waltham was a sobering wake-up call. If the Golden Rams get solid play from the quarterback and offensive line, they should be able to put points on the board. Staying away from Thorbahn and Cherry would be wise. Bentley QB Lowrie is sure to test the inexperienced West Chester secondary and Mahoney, Correia and Burke had some success last season against the Golden Rams. Hopefully the defense can put some pressure on Lowrie to disrupt the Falcon passing game.

Atomic Football is predicting a two touchdown win for West Chester while Massey Ratings projects a three touchdown margin.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video   Tickets  

Note:

There will be a fan bus going to the Slippery Rock game next week.

Place - Park and Ride lot at Paoli Pike exit off Rt 202 near Kmart/Acme shopping center.

Time - leave on Saturday, September 9 at 11:30 am and return immediately after the game expected to arrive about 3:00 am

Cost - $75 per person (does not include game ticket)

Contact - Jim Brazill at Jimbrazill61@yahoo.com or 484-319-8724

West Chester Athletic Site - Depth Chart - West Chester vs. Bentley

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Announces Preparations for Season Opener

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes: Week 1

Bentley Athletic Site - Bentley Set For 2017 Debut Thursday Night in the Keystone State

KYW Newsradio - WCU Hosts Bentley In 2017 Football Season Opener

Wicked Local Waltham - Norwell’s Peter Bentley football team looks to break cycle this season

Wicked Local Waltham - Norwell’s Peter Thorbahn wants to help Bentley football team improve

Wicked Local Waltham - Waltham’s Junior Chery gets captain’s call with Bentley football program

Wicked Local Waltham - Bentley University football begins camp Monday

D2football - Northeast-10 Columnist - Week 1 in the NE-10

D2football - Northeast-10 Columnist - NE-10 Preseason Poll # 6: Bentley University Falcons

Team News - 2017 Second Scrimmage Report

Camp culminated with the second and final scrimmage in John A. Farrell Stadium Friday night as the Golden Rams prepare for Bentley on Thursday. Some observations:

• At the beginning of the evening, sophomore transfer A.J. Long was the starter, but by the end of the evening, sophomore Paul Dooley appeared to be the top candidate.
  
• The offense struggled to move the ball, especially early on. Was it the quarterback, the shuffled offensive line or the fact that they were facing one of the top returning defenses?
  
• After the early struggles, Dooley completed back-to-back passes to Marcus Sydnor and then hit Tyler Karpinski for a touchdown. He later connected with redshirt freshman H-back Dan Neuhaus for a score.
  
• While there a dozen players that did not participate, starting tight end Simon Williams was back in action.
  
• Strong safety Jordan Burney had one interception and nearly had a second. Cornerback Quintin Smith snagged a pick of his own.
  
• Mark Dukes and Nafeese Nasir each had nifty runs and true freshman Marcus Wilson showed his unique combination of power and speed at running back.
  
• After hitting the crossbar on a 52-yard field goal attempt last week, redshirt freshman kicker George Lambritsios hit the right upright on a 51-yard try.
  

West Chester opens the season on Thursday, August 31 at 6:00 pm when they host the Bentley Falcons.

Marcus Wilson breaks through the defense (Photo Ron Hockman)

George Shipp puts pressure on A.J. Long (Photo Ron Hockman)

Gabe Schappell breaks the plane for a score (Photo Ron Hockman)

Tyler Morrissey prevents Mark Dukes from positive yards (Photo Ron Hockman)

Player News - Four Golden Rams Receive D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award

Four West Chester Golden Ram players have received honors for their performance in the classroom for the 2016-17 academic year. Defensive back Pete Galiano, linebacker Justice Smith, wide receiver Tyler Karpinski, and offensive lineman Alex Host were all named recipients of the Division 2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award.

In order to be recognized, each player must have completed a minimum of four semesters of college work, have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during the past academic year, and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5.

Overall, 85 women and 29 men from West Chester University received recognition. Once again, the PSAC was the most represented conference in the country with 1,022 student-athletes honored.

National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics - Division 2 ADA Announces 2016-17 Academic Achievement Award Winners

PSAC Site - 1,022 PSAC Student-Athletes Receive D2ADA Achievement Award

Event News - Ram Rally

In preparation for the 2017 Golden Ram football season, there will be a Ram Rally held on Wednesday, August 30 at 7:00 pm in Hollinger Field House. All are welcome to attend. Hope to see you there!!!

Team News - 2017 First Scrimmage Report

Fans got their first view of the 2017 Golden Rams on a warm and sunny day in John A. Farrell Stadium. Much of the game consisted of things everyone expected to see - Jarel Elder speeding around the edge, Tyler Karpinski making great catches, and several interceptions by a defense that knows its opponent very well - so here are some of the things that stood out:

• The quarterback situation is one that the coaches were hoping to solve early in camp. Sophomore Paul Dooley, who missed the entire spring, started with the first team and senior Pat Moriarty got plenty of opportunities. But sophomore transfer A.J. Long got a good long look and did not disappoint. Even though he hasn't played since 2014, he was poised in reading blitzes, finding favorable one-on-one matchups, and threw with touch. In the two-minute drill, he led the offense the length of the field to the end zone with great efficiency. It's not clear if the quarterback situation is solved or further complicated.
  
• Most of the defensive two-deep is set and held to form. The one exception was the absence of senior defensive tackle Kavon Johnson. In his stead, sophomore Joe DeSanto moved up and redshirt freshman Omar Peterkin joined the rotation.
  
• The tight end position also proved intriguing. Cody Boozel, seemingly out for the season from the injury he incurred in the spring game, was joined in street clothes by junior Simon Williams. With Connor McGrath no where to be seen, true freshman Gabe Schappell saw a lot of action all afternoon long. Not only might Schappell play as a true freshman, he might even be starting in the opener in less than two weeks.
  
• Redshirt freshman kicker George Lambritsios banged a 52-yard field goal attempt off the cross bar. While the PSAC record of 55 yards - set by Golden Ram Eric Wentling in 1983 at Bloomsburg - seems safe for now, Lambritsios certainly showed the range that he could offer this team for the next few seasons.
  
• Senior left guard Vince Lostracco was not dressed and the void was filled by classmate Alex Host. With Tyler Drob already on the shelf, depth on the offensive line might soon become a concern.
  

Former Golden Ram cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz was on hand to take in the action.

West Chester's final scrimmage of the summer is scheduled for Friday, August 25 at 6:30 pm.

Lex Rosario makes touchdown catch behind Jordan Burney (Photo Ron Hockman)

Zack Hockman stands up Paul Dooley (Photo Ron Hockman)

Dan Neuhaus makes a one-handed catch (Photo Ron Hockman)

Jarey Elder steps in front of Gabe Schappell for an interception
(Photo Ron Hockman)

Daily Local News - College RBs have changed too, but in a different way, Zwaan says

Throwback Thursday - 1927

West Chester began its first year as a Teachers College in 1927, and the team had an eight-game schedule that didn't start until October. At the Hill School, Coach McGovern started the second string and only later played the varsity. This "Shock Troop" approach resulted in a 12-6 win. Those would be the last points opponents would score until the final game of the season.

The 1927 West Chester Football Team

West Chester hosted the Franklin and Marshall Frosh and sent them home with a 41-0 loss. The Yellow Jackets (as West Chester was then known) topped "new" rival Bloomsburg by a score of 40-0. Franklin and Marshall Academy was the next victim, returning home with a 26-0 loss. The following week, West Chester would score 21 second-half points to spoil Shippensburg's homecoming.

The final two home games of the season included a difficult 7-0 win over Trenton and an easy 43-0 whitewashing of Millersville. This setup a trip to the Poconos for West Chester (7-0) to take on Stroudsburg (5-1-1). Even though the Shock Troops scored first, West Chester trailed 7-6 at halftime. It's reported that West Chester's second half performance was listless and Stroudsburg would go on to win the championship by a score of 13-6.

Coach J.A. McGovern
Captain Jack Stott

Event News - Scrimmage Date Moved to Saturday

According to The Bill Zwaan Show facebook page, the first scrimmage of the summer has been moved from Friday, August 18 at 6:30pm to Saturday, August 19 at 1:00pm.

Team News - Golden Rams Receiving Votes in AFCA Preseason Poll

West Chester is among teams receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II preseason poll. The Golden Rams return 21 starters from last year's team that finished 8-3.

West Chester opens the 2017 season at home on August 31 against Bentley.

American Football Coaches Association - Division II Coaches’ Poll – August 14, 2017

NCAA - Six takeaways from the preseason rankings

Team News - 2017 Additional Roster Changes

Now that camp has opened, there have been a few more changes to the 2017 roster, most notably:

• Incoming transfer defensive tackle Jamil Pollard and incoming transfer offensive lineman Malik White are no longer listed.
  
• Kicker Andrew Chegia has taken Pollard's #93 on the roster. Chegia walked-on at Temple in 2015, but did not play. A four-year varsity soccer player for Unionville, he has yet to play in a game of organized football.
  
• It appears that defensive tackle Shaquil Ryder is not returning. Ryder last played for the Golden Rams in 2014 when he started all 13 games and finished fifth on the team in tackles with 54. His best game came at Kutztown when he made ten tackles, including a sack, and recovered a fumble. For that game, he was named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week.
  
• Defensive tackle Omar Peterkin has taken Ryder's #92 and freshman defensive end Brett Moyer has assumed Peterkin's #58.
  
• Freshman Eddie Scannapieco is now listed on the roster as a defensive back and will wear #54.
  

Alumni News - Jack Simon to Milford Football Hall of Fame

Former Golden Ram offensive tackle Jack Simon '76 will be inducted into the Milford (DE) Football Hall of Fame. Simon has been in the Milford School District since his graduation from West Chester and coached the Buccaneer football team for 25 years. He was an All-Catholic, All-Area and All-City offensive tackle for Archbishop Wood. In his senior season at West Chester, he was named first team All-PSAC East and AP Little All-American. Simon and the rest of the Hall of Fame class, will be inducted during Milford's home football game on September 15.

Milford Live - Simon Named to Milford Football HOF

Milford Chronicle - Forty years of dedication lands Simon in Hall of Fame

Alumni News - Pagan, Williams Take New Coaching Roles

Nate Pagan

Former Golden Ram defensive back Nate Pagan '13 has taken an Assistant Coaching position with the Villanova Wildcats. Pagan spent two seasons with SUNY Cortland before spending the last two years with Stevenson. The Mustangs finished 9-2 in 2016 and qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs. Pagan was a three-year letterman and member of the Athletic Director Academic Honor Roll at West Chester. For the Wildcats, he will focus on coaching the tight ends.

Ronell Williams

Meanwhile, former All-American linebacker Ronell Williams '14 is a graduate assistant with the Temple Owls. He spent last season coaching the linebackers at Widener University. While at West Chester, Williams was a three-time All-PSAC selection and two-time All-Super Region 1 pick. At Temple, he will focus on the defense.

Team News - 2017 Season Preview

The Golden Rams enter the 2017 season seeking an NCAA playoff berth for the first time since 2014 when they made their second consecutive appearance in the postseason. In 2013, the team was led by Harlon Hill finalist and all-time great all-purpose back Rondell White on offense and linebackers Ronell Williams and Mike Labor and cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz on defense. The following season, consensus All-American defensive end Andrew Cohen complimented Williams, Labor and Shabazz on defense, while Harlon Hill finalist quarterback Sean McCartney connected with All-American tight end Tim Brown and used almost 1,300 yards on the ground from running back Brandon Monk to pace the offense.

Now is a bevy of marquee players required to make the postseason? Maybe not. If so, though, consider that the most decorated returner is offensive guard Tyler Drob who was an honorable mention All-American after last season, and from the looks of his knee brace during the spring game, it’s unlikely he’ll be available, at least for the start of this season. That being said, the 2017 Golden Rams return a ton of experience, specifically ten starters on offense, seven on defense and all four special teams players.

Offense

Senior Pat Moriarty would seem to have the edge at quarterback, although the spot is probably not assured. As a sophomore in 2015, Moriarty started every game for the Golden Rams throwing for 2,655 yards and 28 touchdowns in leading West Chester to a PSAC East division title. He was the starting quarterback at the beginning of last year as well, but after an ineffective first half in the season opener at Bentley, he was lifted for Andrew Derr. Derr started the next four games before suffering an injury, so Moriarty returned to the starting role for the next five games. West Chester won all six games in which Moriarty started, but he only threw for 810 yards and eight touchdowns. Sophomore Paul Dooley completed only one pass last season as he was primarily used in the wildcat and picked up 129 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. The real wild card is Syracuse transfer A.J. Long and his health. Long has incredible talent, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the offense, or how the offense adjusts to him, as the season progresses. Redshirt freshman Mike Alley spent last season learning the offense and played a lot in the spring.

West Chester returns its top three receivers from a year ago: senior Tyler Karpinski (45 catches, 798 yards, 8 TD’s), junior Jordan Banks (38 catches, 593 yards, 8 TD’s) and senior Marcus Sydnor (20 catches, 365 yards, 3 TD’s). There’s not a lot of experience behind those three in sophomore Lex Rosario (11 catches, 146 yards) and redshirt freshmen Elijah Hall and Rasheem James who will be looking to make their collegiate debut.

Starting tight end Simon Williams (5 catches, 102 yards) returns, but Cody Boozel appears to be lost for the season after incurring an injury in the spring game. Backing up at tight end will be junior Connor McGrath who played in ten games in 2015 and sat out last year. Sophomore Tyler Higgins saw action in eight games last season at H-back and redshirt freshman Dan Neuhaus will back up that position. It will be interesting to see if true freshmen Gabe Schappell and Adam Schreck can make an immediate impact.

Senior captain Jarel Elder (1,012 yards, 11 TD’s) will see the bulk of the time at running back, but juniors Mike Class (351 yards, 3 TD’s) and Mark Dukes (128 yards, 1 TD) are very capable. With their redshirt seasons behind them, Nafeese Nasir and Isaiah Bruce will look to get on the field.

With senior captain Tyler Drob likely on the shelf for a little while, seniors Vince Lostracco at left guard, Devan LaBau at center, and Evyn Stadulis at one of the tackle spots will anchor the offensive line. All three started all eleven games a year ago. Senior Alex Host saw action in every game last season and will likely assume the right guard spot. Junior Jake Duncan played in nine games last season and will take the other tackle spot. Among the reserves, only junior Connor Walsh has more than four games of experience and will be alongside sophomores Frank Tranzilli, Jack Mummert, John DiPasquale and redshirt freshman Shane Kraynik.

Defense

The depth and experience on the defense is in the front seven. Senior George Shipp, who got injured in the season opener at Bentley last year and missed the next seven games before playing in the final three contests, returns at defensive end, as does junior Ch'aim Smith (57 tackles, 6 sacks). Behind them are senior John Dubyk (37 tackles), who was second on the team in tackles for loss last season with ten, and Valley Forge Military Academy transfer Diquan Gilbert who sat out last season at West Chester. At the tackle spots are senior captain Josh Ganzelli (44 tackles, 4.5 TFL’s) and Kavon Johnson (21 tackles 2 FF). Backing them up are sophomore Joe DeSanto (17 tackles) and Mark Webb who also transferred from Valley Forge Military Academy two years ago. Transfer Jamil Pollard and youngsters Omar Peterkin and David Simmons look to make their West Chester debut on the defensive line.

In the middle, senior captain Kevin Duggan (53 tackles, 5 TFL’s) will hold down one of the linebacker spots with senior Justice Smith (17 tackles) backing him up. The other linebacker spot will have Tyler Morrissey who saw limited action last season, but had 15 tackles in 8 games in 2015 battling sophomore Zack Hockman who redshirted last year after notching 20 tackles as a true freshman in 2015. Sophomore Quinten Cheyney (7 tackles) and Valley Forge transfer Geoffrey Phillippe will vie for time. Junior Nydair Rouse (15 tackles, 3 ints for 142 yards) will start at the shark position while junior Phil Mitten, who performed well on special teams last season, will move from wide receiver to shark as a backup.

The secondary lost five players from last season’s two-deep, and the three remaining players are expected to start. Senior captain Shaquille James (45 tackles, 8 PBU) will man the one corner position while junior Quintin Smith will handle the other side. Sophomore Deionte Wilson (13 tackles, 1 int) saw action in ten games last year at strong safety and classmate Jarey Elder (20 tackles, 2 int) will handle the free safety spot. After a year off, sophomore Corey Kelley (17 tackles, 4 PBU in 2015) returns to backup one corner while junior Jaishan Thornton (8 tackles) covers the other side. Moving from running back to free safety this season is senior Anthony Brown and backing up the strong safety spot is redshirt freshman Jordan Burney.

Special Teams

Kicker and punter Brendan Paulison was All-PSAC at both positions last season and returns for his junior year. Snapper Shane Griffin returns as does holder Tyler Karpinski. In the return game, expect Anthony Brown to handle punts again this season and he’ll be joined by Jarel Elder on kickoff returns. Redshirt freshman George Lambritsios has a big leg and might help on kickoffs.

Conclusion

This year's squad may not have big name superstars, but there is plenty of talent and depth at all positions to make a run at the postseason. After the first three weeks of last year, West Chester was 1-2 and the one victory was only as a result of a late-game interception. How the Golden Rams stand after facing the same first three opponents this year should be a decent indicator for the possibility of playoffs.

Throwback Thursday - 1937

West Chester posted a 6-3-1 record under head coach Glenn Killinger in the first season that the Purple and Gold would play under the lights. Seven of the team's eight home games were played at night. West Chester opened the season with a 19-0 shutout over Penn Military College in front of 8,400 fans which was followed by a 6-0 win over visiting Slippery Rock. LaSalle became the first team to score against West Chester this season and the Explorers came away with a 6-0 victory.

The 1937 West Chester Football Team

Paul "Spuds" Bruno, who was named on Paul Williamson's Little All-American team, led the defense in their shutout win over visiting Ithaca by a score of 20-0. The team traveled to Geneva, but fell by a score of 7-6 on a fog laden evening. West Chester then topped both Kutztown (19-6) and St Joseph's (14-7), but that was followed by a 6-0 loss to Lock Haven as West Chester played those three games over a period of just eight days.

Coach Killinger looks on as the team played at night for the first time in 1937

Penn Military College and West Chester would have a rematch late that season. Even though this game was played in Chester, West Chester still captured a 6-3 win. To close the season, West Chester hosted Waynesburg on Thanksgiving in the only daytime home game of the season. The game ended in a scoreless tie.

Alumni News - Ravens Waive Shabazz

Former Golden Ram cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz has been waived by the Baltimore Ravens after apparently suffering an undisclosed injury. Since entering the NFL in 2015, Hajj had also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, and Pittsburgh Steelers, playing in seven games with the Steelers and one game with the Texans last year.

CBS Sports - Al-Hajj Shabazz: Let go by Baltimore

Team News - Golden Rams Picked To Finish First

The West Chester University Golden Rams were picked to finish first in the division by the conference coaches at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference annual Football Media Day. West Chester was the unanimous selection among the division's coaches. The Golden Rams were chosen to win the division prior to last season as well, finishing second to Kutztown.

Predicted order with first place votes in parentheses:

Eastern Division
1. West Chester (8)
2. Kutztown
3. Shippensburg
4. Bloomsburg
5. East Stroudsburg
6. Lock Haven
7. Millersville
8. Cheyney

West Chester Instagram - Interview with Coach Zwaan

PSAC Site - West Chester Tabbed Favorite in PSAC Football Eastern Division

The News Item - West Chester picked first in PSAC East; Huskies fourth, IUP in West Division

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Picked To Win The PSAC East

Team News - Key Summer Dates

Below are the key dates for the next couple of weeks for Golden Ram football fans:

• Sun, August 6 - Players Report
  
• Fri, August 18 - Scrimmage 6:30 pm in John A. Farrell Stadium
  
• Fri, August 25 - Scrimmage 6:30 pm in John A. Farrell Stadium
  
• Wed, August 30 - Ram Rally 7:00 pm in Hollinger Field House
  
• Thur, August 31 - Game vs Bentley 6:00 pm in John A. Farrell Stadium
  
• Thur, September 7 - The Bill Zwaan Show at 7:00 pm at Timothy's followed by the Golden Ram Football Club meeting
  

Please note - Scrimmage dates and times are subject to change.

Throwback Thursday - 1947

It was just the second full season after World War II for head coach Glenn Killinger, but West Chester was already a college football force. West Chester opened the season with wins over Moravian and Drexel and then shutout Penn Military College, now Widener. West Chester reached a record of 5-0 after knocking off Albright and Lock Haven. Their final four opponents of the regular season - East Stroudsburg, Rider, City College of New York and Millersville - were defeated by a combined score of 94-0.

The 1947 Golden Rams

The team received an invitation to the Burley Bowl over Thanksgiving where they downed Carson-Newman by a score of 20-6 in Johnson City, TN. Then they played in the Cigar Bowl in Tampa, FL on New Year's Day, however they fell to Missouri Valley by a tally of 26-7. With the win, Missouri Valley extended their winning streak to 31 games.

Benedict Coren was an Associated Press All-American