As we move toward week ten, it's a good time to revisit the PSAC and NCAA playoff possibilities for West Chester. Details on both of these were reviewed a few weeks ago, but circumstances have changed which provide some clarity on the situations.
PSAC Championship - this one is easy. Defeat Millersville and host Indiana for the PSAC Championship on November 11. Lose to Millersville and host Clarion on November in what would likely be the last game of the season.
How we got there. By defeating Millersville, the Golden Rams would finish with a 6-1 record within the PSAC East. Even if Shippensburg defeats Bloomsburg on Saturday to also finish at 6-1 in the division, West Chester owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Raiders by virtue of their 37-27 win in Shippensburg in week six. IUP has already clinched the top spot in the PSAC West.
On the other hand, if West Chester were to fall to Millersville on Saturday, the best they could hope for is a Bloomsburg win over Shippensburg to force a four-way tie among West Chester, Shippensburg, Bloomsburg and Kutztown. But Kutztown (beat Bloomsburg, lost to West Chester and Shippensburg) and Shippensburg (beat Kutztown, lost to West Chester and Bloomsburg) would both be eliminated due to their 1-2 record against the other three teams in the tiebreaker. With the tied teams reduced to just Bloomsburg and West Chester, due to their head-to-head one-point win over West Chester in Farrell Stadium, Bloomsburg would advance to host the Crimson Hawks .
NCAA Playoffs - this one isn't so easy. The top six teams in the NCAA regional rankings did not change after last week. Kutztown fell from the top ten due to their loss to Shippensburg, and Shippensburg jumped from #9 to #7 due to their improved strength of schedule. Remember, the top seven teams advance to the NCAA playoffs.
Okay, so one path is easy. After defeating Millersville on Saturday, the Golden Rams would certainly qualify for the NCAA playoffs with a win over Indiana in the PSAC Championship game. Even if they managed to fill that order, there's a good chance that their seed would not rise, but of course this depends on what all the other teams do.
But what if West Chester falls to the number three team in the country, and ends the regular season at 8-3?
#5 Slippery Rock (7-2) travels to Seton Hill (0-9) and Kutztown (6-3). Even if the Rock falls at Kutztown, their head-to-head result over the Golden Rams in week two will keep them ahead of West Chester.
#7 Shippensburg (8-1) hosts Bloomsburg (6-3) and Seton Hill (0-9). West Chester needs Shippensburg to lose to Bloomsburg to keep the Golden Rams just one game behind the Raiders. The Golden Rams have been positioned ahead of Shippensburg thus far due to their head-to-head victory over the Raiders, so it's possible that may hold up in the final rankings.
#8 Notre Dame (7-2) hosts Virginia-Wise (4-4) before traveling to Indianapolis (9-0). If the Falcons win out, they would certainly move ahead of an 8-3 West Chester.
#9 LIU Post (6-2) has played one less game but is ranked high due to their lofty strength of schedule. That will soften over the next two weeks as they host Merrimack (3-5) and travel to Saint Anselm (1-7). An 8-3 West Chester may still rank ahead of LIU Post as their SOS's even and the Golden Rams own the "common opponents" factor in Bentley (West Chester beat Bentley while the Pioneers lost to Bentley).
#10 California (7-2) finishes at Edinboro (6-3) and East Stroudsburg (2-7). The Vulcans are currently four spots below West Chester due to schedule strength, so to maintain that gap, West Chester could use a victory by the Fighting Scots this Saturday.
Some other teams that are lingering include Ohio Dominican (5-3), Fairmont State (6-3), New Haven (6-2), Bloomsburg (6-3), Kutztown (6-3) and Edinboro (6-3) with Bloomsburg and New Haven posing the biggest threats to the Golden Rams.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Team News - 2017 Second Regional Rankings
The NCAA released its second regional rankings of 2017 today and the Golden Rams remain on the list at #6. The top seven teams qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Ranking |
School |
D2 Record |
Overall Record |
1. |
Indiana |
9-0 |
9-0 |
2. |
Assumption |
8-0 |
8-0 |
3. |
Shepherd |
8-0 |
8-0 |
4. |
Findlay |
8-1 |
8-1 |
5. |
Slippery Rock |
6-2 |
7-2 |
6. |
West Chester |
7-2 |
7-2 |
7. |
Shippensburg |
8-1 |
8-1 |
8. |
Notre Dame |
7-2 |
7-2 |
9. |
LIU Post |
5-2 |
6-2 |
10. |
California |
7-2 |
7-2 |
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Game Report - West Chester 31 - East Stroudsburg 26
Well it was a win.
The Golden Rams got out to a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter, thanks in large part to the running game. West Chester’s first touchdown drive spanned 55 yards, with all but two of those yards coming on the ground and finished by a Jarel Elder 22-yard run. An East Stroudsburg penalty on the PAT attempt gave West Chester the ball on the one, and Bill Zwaan elected to go for two and Elder made that decision pay off.
West Chester’s second touchdown was capped by a Paul Dooley five-yard pass to Jordan Banks, but Elder gained 65 of the 93 yards of the drive on a dump pass and run. While the Golden Rams’ third possession resulted in a punt, East Stroudsburg fumbled the return which was recovered by Matt Magdelinskas. Three plays later, Dooley ran it in from 23 yards out. However, the PAT attempt was blocked, so the earlier two-point conversion made the score 21-0.
Meanwhile, the West Chester defense held the Warriors to just three first downs in the first quarter, and East Stroudsburg converted a 50-yard field goal. The Golden Rams then executed the two-minute drill to perfection, navigating 64 yards in 1:48 with Dooley picking up the final 31 yards on the ground to extend the lead to 28-6.
Many fans will say that West Chester fell asleep in the second half, but in reality, the third quarter was quite productive. The combination of rushing and short passes consumed 82 yards and eight and a half minutes of game and added an Andrew Chegia 34-yard field goal. The Golden Rams would consume an additional two minutes when East Stroudsburg fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, recovered again by Magdelinskas. Up 31-6 heading into the fourth quarter, the final period is when the wheels fell off the cart.
East Stroudsburg’s momentum started when the usually sure-handed Tyler Karpinski lost a fumble. Karpinski, who had nine catches but for only 44 yards, may have been trying to make something out of a bad play. The Warriors quickly connected on a 28-yard pass play over the middle, which seemed to be open all game, for a touchdown.
Midway through the quarter, a lot of Golden Ram fans will remember a missed 20-yard field goal attempt, but West Chester had a first and goal from the nine and failed to get into the end zone. It was reminiscent of West Chester’s opening possession of the Bloomsburg game. While three points would have helped, a touchdown would have essentially ended the contest. Instead, with renewed life, the Warriors went 80 yards in less than four minutes for a touchdown. After recovering the onside kick, it only took a minute for them to go 47 yards and narrow the score to 31-26.
After West Chester retained possession after another onside kick with less than two minutes to play, one Golden Ram first down would seem to seal the deal, but that was not to be. Brendan Paulison’s punt was downed at the East Stroudsburg 2-yard line. All of sudden, the Warriors got to midfield, but were faced with a fourth-and-three. Similar to the Bloomsburg game, a fourth-down stop would end the game, and it seemed to be the case when Anthony Brown intercepted an East Stroudsburg pass with no time left on the clock. But a pass interference penalty gave the Warriors one untimed down. This time, with three offensive lineman occupied with Diquan Gilbert, David Simmons tracked down the East Stroudsburg quarterback for a game-ending sack.
Elder finished with 266 all-purpose yards with 131 of them coming on the ground. Dooley was more effective with his legs than his arms, rushing for 106 and passing for 166. Besides Simmons’s sack, Morrisey teamed up with Nate Barnes for one sack and with Gilbert for another one. Morrissey led West Chester with 13 tackles while Jarey Elder made six stops.
John Dubyk, Vince Lostracco and Banks all returned to action after missing time due to injuries.
The Golden Rams got out to a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter, thanks in large part to the running game. West Chester’s first touchdown drive spanned 55 yards, with all but two of those yards coming on the ground and finished by a Jarel Elder 22-yard run. An East Stroudsburg penalty on the PAT attempt gave West Chester the ball on the one, and Bill Zwaan elected to go for two and Elder made that decision pay off.
Jarel Elder walks in for the two-point conversion (Photo Ron Hockman)West Chester’s second touchdown was capped by a Paul Dooley five-yard pass to Jordan Banks, but Elder gained 65 of the 93 yards of the drive on a dump pass and run. While the Golden Rams’ third possession resulted in a punt, East Stroudsburg fumbled the return which was recovered by Matt Magdelinskas. Three plays later, Dooley ran it in from 23 yards out. However, the PAT attempt was blocked, so the earlier two-point conversion made the score 21-0.
Jordan Banks made the TD catch with a defender draped on him Meanwhile, the West Chester defense held the Warriors to just three first downs in the first quarter, and East Stroudsburg converted a 50-yard field goal. The Golden Rams then executed the two-minute drill to perfection, navigating 64 yards in 1:48 with Dooley picking up the final 31 yards on the ground to extend the lead to 28-6.
Many fans will say that West Chester fell asleep in the second half, but in reality, the third quarter was quite productive. The combination of rushing and short passes consumed 82 yards and eight and a half minutes of game and added an Andrew Chegia 34-yard field goal. The Golden Rams would consume an additional two minutes when East Stroudsburg fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, recovered again by Magdelinskas. Up 31-6 heading into the fourth quarter, the final period is when the wheels fell off the cart.
Jarey Elder is held while pursuing the QB (Photo Ron Hockman)East Stroudsburg’s momentum started when the usually sure-handed Tyler Karpinski lost a fumble. Karpinski, who had nine catches but for only 44 yards, may have been trying to make something out of a bad play. The Warriors quickly connected on a 28-yard pass play over the middle, which seemed to be open all game, for a touchdown.
Midway through the quarter, a lot of Golden Ram fans will remember a missed 20-yard field goal attempt, but West Chester had a first and goal from the nine and failed to get into the end zone. It was reminiscent of West Chester’s opening possession of the Bloomsburg game. While three points would have helped, a touchdown would have essentially ended the contest. Instead, with renewed life, the Warriors went 80 yards in less than four minutes for a touchdown. After recovering the onside kick, it only took a minute for them to go 47 yards and narrow the score to 31-26.
Paul Dooley had 166 yards and 2 TD's on the ground (Photo Ron Hockman)After West Chester retained possession after another onside kick with less than two minutes to play, one Golden Ram first down would seem to seal the deal, but that was not to be. Brendan Paulison’s punt was downed at the East Stroudsburg 2-yard line. All of sudden, the Warriors got to midfield, but were faced with a fourth-and-three. Similar to the Bloomsburg game, a fourth-down stop would end the game, and it seemed to be the case when Anthony Brown intercepted an East Stroudsburg pass with no time left on the clock. But a pass interference penalty gave the Warriors one untimed down. This time, with three offensive lineman occupied with Diquan Gilbert, David Simmons tracked down the East Stroudsburg quarterback for a game-ending sack.
Nate Barnes makes the tackle as John Dubyk joins in (Photo Ron Hockman)Elder finished with 266 all-purpose yards with 131 of them coming on the ground. Dooley was more effective with his legs than his arms, rushing for 106 and passing for 166. Besides Simmons’s sack, Morrisey teamed up with Nate Barnes for one sack and with Gilbert for another one. Morrissey led West Chester with 13 tackles while Jarey Elder made six stops.
John Dubyk, Vince Lostracco and Banks all returned to action after missing time due to injuries.
The 1967 West Chester team that played in the Tangerine Bowl was honored before the game (Photo Ron Hockman)West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Hangs On For 31-26 Homecoming Win Over ESU
East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - Warriors Football Rallies, But Falls at West Chester, 31-26
Daily Local News - West Chester U. holds on vs. East Stroudsburg, inches toward PSAC East title
Allentown Morning Call - Local College Football Roundup
Pocono Record - ESU’s rally falls short to West Chester
The Quad - Football delivers win on Homecoming
Game Replay
Friday, October 27, 2017
Game Preview - East Stroudsburg
The Golden Rams (6-2, 4-1) welcome the East Stroudsburg Warriors (2-6, 1-4) for homecoming at John A. Farrell Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm on Saturday.
Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 60-22 and Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan is 12-3 against the Warriors, including two wins in the Poconos in 2004. In the first matchup that season, the Golden Rams blocked a PAT in overtime, then scored a touchdown and won the game on Dan Wilbourne’s converted PAT to hand then #7 East Stroudsburg their first loss of the season in front of a homecoming crowd of almost 6,000. The second game came on a frigid and blustery November afternoon in the NCAA regional finals. With a crowd of over 7,200 on hand, current West Chester running backs coach Osagie Osunde ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns as the Golden Rams handed East Stroudsburg their second loss of the season.
The following year, West Chester tipped the #6 ranked Warriors, 18-17, in muddy Farrell Stadium. 2005 was the last season that Farrell Stadium had natural grass. In 2009, East Stroudsburg ruined West Chester’s homecoming 21-20. The Golden Rams failed to convert a PAT early in the game and a 35-yard field goal late in the game. It's the only time that East Stroudsburg has won at West Chester in the past dozen years. The Warriors are led by head coach Denny Douds who is in his 44th season at the helm.
Last 10 Meetings:
Last Meeting:
10/30/2016 West Chester 41 - East Stroudsburg 14
The Warriors scored a touchdown on their opening possession, but the Golden Rams answered right back to knot the score in the first six minutes. Tyler Karpinski caught a touchdown pass from Pat Moriarty just before halftime to give West Chester a lead they would not relinquish. But it wasn't until the fourth quarter that West Chester pulled away, outscoring East Stroudsburg 21-7 in the final period, topped by a Nydair Rouse 28-yard pick six.
As is often the case, West Chester ran the ball often against the Warriors with Jarel Elder racking up 118 yards and two touchdowns and the offense held the ball for over 36 minutes. Shaquille James led West Chester with seven tackles, while Deionte Wilson and Kevin Duggan each registered five stops.
Scouting the Opponent:
The offense is led by All-PSAC East left tackle Michael Fleming. He paves the way for the big Warrior running back Jaymar Anderson (148 carries, 715 yards, 4 TD's). At 6'1", 225 lbs, he's a powerful runner a la Minnesota Viking Chuck Foreman in the 70's and he wears #44 to boot.
The passing game is usually the strong suit for East Stroudsburg, but not so this year. They opened the season with senior quarterback Tim DiGiorgio (52 of 108, 709 yards, 4 TD's, 7 int), but switched to redshirt freshman Ben Moser (60 of 129, 765 yards, 2 TS's, 1 int) after just two games. Moser got hurt during the Millersville game, so they went back to DiGiorgio. But two weeks later, DiGiorgio got hurt against Bloomsburg and they went back to Moser. At 6'3", DiGiorgio, who is slated to start, is a prototypical pocket passer with a strong arm and more experience while the 5'11" Moser, who played in high school with current West Chester receiver Jalik Smith, will move around much more and puts a lot of air under the ball.
Their fleet of receivers are very similar - small, but fast. Top target is 5'9" Tim Wilson (42 catches, 683 yards, 3 TD's) who was All-PSAC East last season. But 5'8" Devante Robinson (11 catches, 154 yards, 1 TD), 5'9" Elijah Rehm (8 catches, 119 yards, 1 TD), 5'11" Javier Buffalo (7 catches, 95 yards), and 5'8" Jylil Reeder (10 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD) all get into the act.
Punter Sam O'Brien (38.8 avg) has forced 17 fair catches and is second in the PSAC with 16 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Kicker Jordan Walters is 6 of 10 on field goals with a long of 33 yards, and has converted 14 of 15 PAT's. Marquis Fells is the primary kick and punt returner.
The linebacking corp is the strength of the Warrior defense, led by Dakota Everett (65 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 4 blocked kicks) who is fourth in the PSAC in tackles. He plays alongside Sekou Jones (65 tackles, 7.0 TFL) and Mike Wiand (57 tackles, 3.0 TFL) who was All-PSAC East a year ago. The secondary is guided by safety Justin Johnson (52 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 6 forced fumbles) and cornerback Jamal Cooley (39 tackles, 3 int, 2 forced fumbles).
Analysis:
East Stroudsburg is historically known for scoring a lot of points, but also giving up a lot of points. Well this season, they're not even scoring that much, just 15.5 points per game which is second to last in the PSAC. The offense is second to last in the PSAC in total yards and has allowed a league-worst 24 sacks. So the Golden Ram defense should be in for a big day as long as they stay honest and don't fall prey to the misdirection.
The Warrior defense is equally poor against the run and the pass, allowing 476 yards per game which is worst in the PSAC East. They've only registered ten sacks on the season, and only three have come from the defensive line. The one area where East Stroudbsurg does excel is in their 24 takeaways - 8 interceptions and 16 fumbles - which is tops in the country.
For the Golden Rams, take care of the ball, minimize penalties, and control the clock and add another win for the season.
Both Atomic Football and Massey Ratings project a 42-14 Golden Ram victory.
Game Coverage:
Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 60-22 and Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan is 12-3 against the Warriors, including two wins in the Poconos in 2004. In the first matchup that season, the Golden Rams blocked a PAT in overtime, then scored a touchdown and won the game on Dan Wilbourne’s converted PAT to hand then #7 East Stroudsburg their first loss of the season in front of a homecoming crowd of almost 6,000. The second game came on a frigid and blustery November afternoon in the NCAA regional finals. With a crowd of over 7,200 on hand, current West Chester running backs coach Osagie Osunde ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns as the Golden Rams handed East Stroudsburg their second loss of the season.
The following year, West Chester tipped the #6 ranked Warriors, 18-17, in muddy Farrell Stadium. 2005 was the last season that Farrell Stadium had natural grass. In 2009, East Stroudsburg ruined West Chester’s homecoming 21-20. The Golden Rams failed to convert a PAT early in the game and a 35-yard field goal late in the game. It's the only time that East Stroudsburg has won at West Chester in the past dozen years. The Warriors are led by head coach Denny Douds who is in his 44th season at the helm.
Last 10 Meetings:
|
Year
|
H/A
|
W/L
|
Score
|
Year
|
H/A
|
W/L
|
Score
|
2007
|
Home
|
Win
|
30-15
|
2012
|
Away
|
Loss
|
35-28
|
2008
|
Away
|
Win
|
34-24
|
2013
|
Home
|
Win
|
34-20
|
2009
|
Home
|
Loss
|
21-20
|
2014
|
Away
|
Win
|
35-24
|
2010
|
Away
|
Win
|
35-31
|
2015
|
Home
|
Win
|
41-27
|
2011
|
Home
|
Win
|
37-26
|
2016
|
Away
|
Win
|
41-14
|
Last Meeting:
10/30/2016 West Chester 41 - East Stroudsburg 14
The Warriors scored a touchdown on their opening possession, but the Golden Rams answered right back to knot the score in the first six minutes. Tyler Karpinski caught a touchdown pass from Pat Moriarty just before halftime to give West Chester a lead they would not relinquish. But it wasn't until the fourth quarter that West Chester pulled away, outscoring East Stroudsburg 21-7 in the final period, topped by a Nydair Rouse 28-yard pick six.
As is often the case, West Chester ran the ball often against the Warriors with Jarel Elder racking up 118 yards and two touchdowns and the offense held the ball for over 36 minutes. Shaquille James led West Chester with seven tackles, while Deionte Wilson and Kevin Duggan each registered five stops.
Scouting the Opponent:
The passing game is usually the strong suit for East Stroudsburg, but not so this year. They opened the season with senior quarterback Tim DiGiorgio (52 of 108, 709 yards, 4 TD's, 7 int), but switched to redshirt freshman Ben Moser (60 of 129, 765 yards, 2 TS's, 1 int) after just two games. Moser got hurt during the Millersville game, so they went back to DiGiorgio. But two weeks later, DiGiorgio got hurt against Bloomsburg and they went back to Moser. At 6'3", DiGiorgio, who is slated to start, is a prototypical pocket passer with a strong arm and more experience while the 5'11" Moser, who played in high school with current West Chester receiver Jalik Smith, will move around much more and puts a lot of air under the ball.
Their fleet of receivers are very similar - small, but fast. Top target is 5'9" Tim Wilson (42 catches, 683 yards, 3 TD's) who was All-PSAC East last season. But 5'8" Devante Robinson (11 catches, 154 yards, 1 TD), 5'9" Elijah Rehm (8 catches, 119 yards, 1 TD), 5'11" Javier Buffalo (7 catches, 95 yards), and 5'8" Jylil Reeder (10 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD) all get into the act.
Punter Sam O'Brien (38.8 avg) has forced 17 fair catches and is second in the PSAC with 16 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Kicker Jordan Walters is 6 of 10 on field goals with a long of 33 yards, and has converted 14 of 15 PAT's. Marquis Fells is the primary kick and punt returner.
The linebacking corp is the strength of the Warrior defense, led by Dakota Everett (65 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 4 blocked kicks) who is fourth in the PSAC in tackles. He plays alongside Sekou Jones (65 tackles, 7.0 TFL) and Mike Wiand (57 tackles, 3.0 TFL) who was All-PSAC East a year ago. The secondary is guided by safety Justin Johnson (52 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 6 forced fumbles) and cornerback Jamal Cooley (39 tackles, 3 int, 2 forced fumbles).
Analysis:
The Warrior defense is equally poor against the run and the pass, allowing 476 yards per game which is worst in the PSAC East. They've only registered ten sacks on the season, and only three have come from the defensive line. The one area where East Stroudbsurg does excel is in their 24 takeaways - 8 interceptions and 16 fumbles - which is tops in the country.
For the Golden Rams, take care of the ball, minimize penalties, and control the clock and add another win for the season.
Both Atomic Football and Massey Ratings project a 42-14 Golden Ram victory.
Game Coverage:
West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Announces Preparations for 2017 Homecoming Weekend
PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes - Week 9
East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - ESU Football Game Notes at West Chester and Broadcast Outlets, Including ESPN3
KYW Newsradio - West Chester Welcomes East Stroudsburg To Town Saturday
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Club News - October 26 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 Tyler Karpinski, senior linebacker Justice Smith, and junior defensive end Diquan Gilbert will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show.
In West Chester's 55-6 win at Cheyney, Karpinski had eight catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. Despite not making a catch last week, he still ranks third among PSAC East receivers in receptions with 37, third in receiving yardage with 668 and second in receiving touchdowns with 6. Karpinski is also a semi-finalist for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy.
Also at Cheyney, Smith registered three solo tackles, including a six-yard tackle for loss, and a pass breakup. He also notched three tackles in the season-opening win against Bentley.
Finally, Gilbert had a solo nine-yard sack among his two tackles at Cheyney, to give him five sacks on the season which is good for fourth among PSAC East players. Of his 21 tackles this season, nine have gone for losses.
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.
According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, senior wide receiver Tyler Karpinski, senior linebacker Justice Smith, and junior defensive end Diquan Gilbert will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show.
In West Chester's 55-6 win at Cheyney, Karpinski had eight catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. Despite not making a catch last week, he still ranks third among PSAC East receivers in receptions with 37, third in receiving yardage with 668 and second in receiving touchdowns with 6. Karpinski is also a semi-finalist for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy.
Also at Cheyney, Smith registered three solo tackles, including a six-yard tackle for loss, and a pass breakup. He also notched three tackles in the season-opening win against Bentley.
Finally, Gilbert had a solo nine-yard sack among his two tackles at Cheyney, to give him five sacks on the season which is good for fourth among PSAC East players. Of his 21 tackles this season, nine have gone for losses.
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.
Diquan Gilbert pressuring the QB (Photo Ron Hockman)Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Alumni News - Chuck Weber Passes Away at 87
As a nose guard in 1952, Weber became the first West Chester player named All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. He went on to play primarily linebacker for seven seasons (1955 - 1961) in the NFL, including the 1955 NFL Champion Cleveland Browns and the 1960 NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles. He later coached in the NFL and AFL for the Boston Patriots, San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Colts.
Philadelphia Eagles - Eagles Mourn Passing Of Former LB Chuck Weber
Philadelphia Eagles - Chuck Weber: Much More Than The 'Other Chuck' On 1960 Title Team
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Team News - NCAA Playoff Possibilities
After last week's PSAC Championship Possibilities article, several readers inquired about West Chester’s chances for the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Since the first regional rankings were due to be released yesterday, it was worth waiting to examine that topic...with some interesting scenarios.
Anyone who’s interested can read the details of how the Division II Football playoffs work in the official 2017-18 Pre-Championship Manual. For everyone else, here’s a high level overview.
For Division II football, the NCAA seeds seven teams from each of four regions in the country. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a member of Super Region 1, along with the Northeast 10, the Mountain East Conference, and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. To dispel one myth, unlike soccer, basketball, baseball, softball and some other sports, no team receives automatic qualification for winning its conference for the football playoffs. Each team is evaluated based on its Division II record, strength of schedule (SOS) (its opponents’ winning percentage and its opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage), head-to-head record, and results versus common opponents among other criteria such as record on the road, record against teams with a record of .500 or better and record in non-conference, in-region games. So even though conference champions don’t get an automatic bid, conference champions typically grade highly in the qualification criteria.
So out of the 45 teams in the region, only seven teams qualify for the playoffs. Currently, there are 11 teams that have a record of 6-2 or better with West Chester being one of them. The three remaining undefeated teams in the region - IUP (8-0) of the PSAC, Assumption (7-0) of the NE10, and Shepherd (7-0) of the MEC - are almost certain to receive an invitation. Findlay (7-1) of the GMAC is also in a very good position. So that’s four of the seven spots.
Shippensburg (7-1) has a great record, but their opponents are a combined 19-42, so they have a very poor SOS, and they lost to the only >.500 team that they faced – West Chester. Their SOS will improve in the next two weeks as they travel to Kutztown (6-2) this Saturday before hosting Bloomsburg (6-2) the following week.
Among the six teams that are 6-2, West Chester has the strongest SOS, but that will fall as they play East Stroudsburg (2-6) and Millersville (3-5). Next on the SOS list is Slippery Rock which already owns the head-to-head battle over the Golden Rams. Notre Dame of the MEC is next and, after playing two .500 teams in the coming weeks, will face Indianapolis (8-0). Next in terms of SOS is Kutztown; West Chester owns the head-to-head over the Golden Bears. Then comes California and finally Bloomsburg; Bloomsburg owns the head-to-head over West Chester.
So what’s the best way for West Chester to qualify for the NCAA postseason while battling their predictably falling SOS?
1. West Chester wins its remaining games. There may be ways for the Golden Rams to get in at 8-3, but with such a crowded field, the possibilities as of now are few.
2. Have Kutztown win the rest of their games. This means they tag Shippensburg with their second loss and tag Slippery Rock with their third loss in week 11.
3. Have Bloomsburg lose to IUP in the PSAC Championship. To get to this point, the Huskies need to beat Shippensburg, thus handing the Raiders their third loss. But after losing to IUP, Bloomsburg would also finish the season with three losses. Bloomsburg qualifying for the PSAC Championship means that West Chester would host Clarion in week 11 as originally scheduled, which certainly increases the chances of #1 above.
4. It would help if California lost another game to give them three losses and the best chance of that is when they travel to Edinboro in week 10. The Fighting Scots just beat Slippery Rock, so the desired outcome certainly is not out of the question.
5. Have Notre Dame lose to Indianapolis in week 11 to give the Falcons three losses.
6. LIU Post and New Haven are both 5-2 and can’t finish better than 8-2 which isn’t as good a winning percentage as the proposed 9-2 for West Chester. On top of that, the Golden Rams already own the “common opponents” component over LIU Post (West Chester beat Bentley while Post lost to the Falcons). For good measure, Bentley can give West Chester the same advantage over New Haven by tipping New Haven on 11/4.
No doubt, this is idealistic. And more importantly, it foregoes the chance to play in the PSAC Championship which leads to our fan poll question. Of course, the only thing the Golden Rams can control is winning the games that remain ahead of them. But the next two weeks in Super Region 1 are going to be a very interesting experience.
Anyone who’s interested can read the details of how the Division II Football playoffs work in the official 2017-18 Pre-Championship Manual. For everyone else, here’s a high level overview.
For Division II football, the NCAA seeds seven teams from each of four regions in the country. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a member of Super Region 1, along with the Northeast 10, the Mountain East Conference, and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. To dispel one myth, unlike soccer, basketball, baseball, softball and some other sports, no team receives automatic qualification for winning its conference for the football playoffs. Each team is evaluated based on its Division II record, strength of schedule (SOS) (its opponents’ winning percentage and its opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage), head-to-head record, and results versus common opponents among other criteria such as record on the road, record against teams with a record of .500 or better and record in non-conference, in-region games. So even though conference champions don’t get an automatic bid, conference champions typically grade highly in the qualification criteria.
So out of the 45 teams in the region, only seven teams qualify for the playoffs. Currently, there are 11 teams that have a record of 6-2 or better with West Chester being one of them. The three remaining undefeated teams in the region - IUP (8-0) of the PSAC, Assumption (7-0) of the NE10, and Shepherd (7-0) of the MEC - are almost certain to receive an invitation. Findlay (7-1) of the GMAC is also in a very good position. So that’s four of the seven spots.
Shippensburg (7-1) has a great record, but their opponents are a combined 19-42, so they have a very poor SOS, and they lost to the only >.500 team that they faced – West Chester. Their SOS will improve in the next two weeks as they travel to Kutztown (6-2) this Saturday before hosting Bloomsburg (6-2) the following week.
Among the six teams that are 6-2, West Chester has the strongest SOS, but that will fall as they play East Stroudsburg (2-6) and Millersville (3-5). Next on the SOS list is Slippery Rock which already owns the head-to-head battle over the Golden Rams. Notre Dame of the MEC is next and, after playing two .500 teams in the coming weeks, will face Indianapolis (8-0). Next in terms of SOS is Kutztown; West Chester owns the head-to-head over the Golden Bears. Then comes California and finally Bloomsburg; Bloomsburg owns the head-to-head over West Chester.
So what’s the best way for West Chester to qualify for the NCAA postseason while battling their predictably falling SOS?
1. West Chester wins its remaining games. There may be ways for the Golden Rams to get in at 8-3, but with such a crowded field, the possibilities as of now are few.
2. Have Kutztown win the rest of their games. This means they tag Shippensburg with their second loss and tag Slippery Rock with their third loss in week 11.
3. Have Bloomsburg lose to IUP in the PSAC Championship. To get to this point, the Huskies need to beat Shippensburg, thus handing the Raiders their third loss. But after losing to IUP, Bloomsburg would also finish the season with three losses. Bloomsburg qualifying for the PSAC Championship means that West Chester would host Clarion in week 11 as originally scheduled, which certainly increases the chances of #1 above.
4. It would help if California lost another game to give them three losses and the best chance of that is when they travel to Edinboro in week 10. The Fighting Scots just beat Slippery Rock, so the desired outcome certainly is not out of the question.
5. Have Notre Dame lose to Indianapolis in week 11 to give the Falcons three losses.
6. LIU Post and New Haven are both 5-2 and can’t finish better than 8-2 which isn’t as good a winning percentage as the proposed 9-2 for West Chester. On top of that, the Golden Rams already own the “common opponents” component over LIU Post (West Chester beat Bentley while Post lost to the Falcons). For good measure, Bentley can give West Chester the same advantage over New Haven by tipping New Haven on 11/4.
No doubt, this is idealistic. And more importantly, it foregoes the chance to play in the PSAC Championship which leads to our fan poll question. Of course, the only thing the Golden Rams can control is winning the games that remain ahead of them. But the next two weeks in Super Region 1 are going to be a very interesting experience.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Team News - 2017 First Regional Rankings
The NCAA released its first regional rankings of 2017 today and the Golden Rams appear on the list at #6. The top seven teams qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs. The last time that West Chester appeared in the NCAA regional rankings was at the end of the 2014 season when the Golden Rams were the #4 seed in the playoffs.
Ranking |
School |
D2 Record |
Overall Record |
1. |
Indiana |
8-0 |
8-0 |
2. |
Assumption |
7-0 |
7-0 |
3. |
Shepherd |
7-0 |
7-0 |
4. |
Findlay |
7-1 |
7-1 |
5. |
Slippery Rock |
5-2 |
6-2 |
6. |
West Chester |
6-2 |
6-2 |
7. |
Kutztown |
6-2 |
6-2 |
8. |
Notre Dame |
6-2 |
6-2 |
9. |
Shippensburg |
7-1 |
7-1 |
10. |
LIU Post |
4-2 |
5-2 |
West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Ranked Sixth In Initial Super Region 1 Poll
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Game Report - West Chester 55 - Cheyney 6
It was the usual Cheyney game plan – play a dominating defense, run the ball to consume clock and score points, and minimize mistakes. And the Golden Rams executed that game plan as expected in their 55-6 win on the Wolves’ homecoming.
The West Chester defense limited Cheyney to just eight first downs, 111 total yards and one touchdown on a 35-yard pass play with 41 seconds left in the third quarter. Mike Furlong’s charges register 14 tackles for loss and sacks were notched by Josh Ganzelli, Diquan Gilbert, George Shipp, Tyler Morrissey and Ben Smith. Yes, the same Ben Smith that was moved to the offensive line this season also played defensive tackle in this game due to so many players being unavailable. Kevin Duggan and Deionte Wilson both recovered fumbles that resulted in West Chester touchdowns and West Chester registered two safeties. Dominating defense – check.
Jarel Elder (70 yards, 2 TD’s), Mark Dukes (83 yards, 1 TD), Mike Class (31 yards), Paul Dooley (30 yards, 1 TD), and Nafeese Nasir (16 yards, 1 TD) were part of a running game that amassed 233 yards on 40 carries and five touchdowns. Nasir also had a 21-yard run negated by a holding penalty. In total, West Chester held the ball for 32:11 of game time. Running game – check.
The Golden Rams were only flagged four times for 53 yards and missed one PAT. Quarterback Paul Dooley underthrew Simon Williams and later overthrew Dukes which both resulted in interceptions, but he connected with Tyler Karpinski for a 45-yard touchdown and a 59-yard bomb and Marcus Sydnor for a 41-yard play. After not making a catch last week against Bloomsburg, Karpinski finished with eight catches for 173 yards. Late in the first half, Dooley rolled well to his right to find Jalik Smith for an 18-yard touchdown. It made Smith’s first collegiate catch memorable. So the game was by no means mistake free, but errors were certainly minimized. Check.
With the team so depleted with injuries, Jeff Driggins played at defensive line, Trent Thomas played special teams, and Khalim Hadas played some offensive line.
Josh Ganzelli registers a 12-yard sack (Photo Ron Hockman)The West Chester defense limited Cheyney to just eight first downs, 111 total yards and one touchdown on a 35-yard pass play with 41 seconds left in the third quarter. Mike Furlong’s charges register 14 tackles for loss and sacks were notched by Josh Ganzelli, Diquan Gilbert, George Shipp, Tyler Morrissey and Ben Smith. Yes, the same Ben Smith that was moved to the offensive line this season also played defensive tackle in this game due to so many players being unavailable. Kevin Duggan and Deionte Wilson both recovered fumbles that resulted in West Chester touchdowns and West Chester registered two safeties. Dominating defense – check.
George Shipp and Josh Ganzelli celebrate a safety (Photo Ron Hockman)Jarel Elder (70 yards, 2 TD’s), Mark Dukes (83 yards, 1 TD), Mike Class (31 yards), Paul Dooley (30 yards, 1 TD), and Nafeese Nasir (16 yards, 1 TD) were part of a running game that amassed 233 yards on 40 carries and five touchdowns. Nasir also had a 21-yard run negated by a holding penalty. In total, West Chester held the ball for 32:11 of game time. Running game – check.
Jarel Elder escapes a pack of Wolves (Photo Ron Hockman)The Golden Rams were only flagged four times for 53 yards and missed one PAT. Quarterback Paul Dooley underthrew Simon Williams and later overthrew Dukes which both resulted in interceptions, but he connected with Tyler Karpinski for a 45-yard touchdown and a 59-yard bomb and Marcus Sydnor for a 41-yard play. After not making a catch last week against Bloomsburg, Karpinski finished with eight catches for 173 yards. Late in the first half, Dooley rolled well to his right to find Jalik Smith for an 18-yard touchdown. It made Smith’s first collegiate catch memorable. So the game was by no means mistake free, but errors were certainly minimized. Check.
Jalik Smith's first collegiate catch was a touchdown (Photo Ron Hockman)With the team so depleted with injuries, Jeff Driggins played at defensive line, Trent Thomas played special teams, and Khalim Hadas played some offensive line.
Zack Hockman leads a gang tackle (Photo Ron Hockman)West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Walks Away From Cheyney, 55-6
Cheyney Athletic Site - Golden Rams Spoil Homecoming for Wolves Football
Daily Local News - Feeling Better
The Quad - Football routs Cheyney, eyes homecoming
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Game Preview - Cheyney
The West Chester University Golden Rams (5-2, 3-1) help the Cheyney Wolves (1-6, 0-5) celebrate their homecoming on Saturday.
Kickoff in O’Shields Stevenson Stadium is scheduled for 2:00.
Series History:
West Chester leads the series with Cheyney 49-2-1 with Cheyney's last win coming in 1979 by a score of 36-34. Cheyney is under the direction of third year head coach Chris Roulhac who previously served as the team's head coach from 1993-1995, winning PSAC Coach of the Year in 1995.
Last 10 Meetings:
Last Meeting:
10/23/2016 West Chester 46 - Cheyney 12
The Golden Ram defense held Cheyney to just four first downs and 150 total yards in the game. Defensive tackle Josh Ganzelli led West Chester with five tackles while Jarey Elder had an interception. Offensively, Mike Class, Jarel Elder, and Mark Dukes combined for 200 yards on the ground while Tyler Karpinski and Simon Williams each had a touchdown catch.
Scouting the Opponent:
Senior quarterback Dominick Trautz (116 of 212, 1,224 yards, 10 TD's, 12 ints) has put up decent yards and touchdowns, but has been hurt by interceptions. The ball gets sprayed around as 16 different players have receptions for the Wolves. Top targets are wide receivers
Yvesner Ferdinand (33 catches, 318 yards, 4 TD's),
Nigel Wiley (16 catches, 266 yards, 1 TD),
Brandon Joyner (19 catches, 242 yards, 2 TD's),
and Jowan Lewis-Kearse (22 catches, 211 yards).
And tight end Kyle Berlin (13 catches, 107 yards, 2 TD's) is also involved in the passing game. The line is led by All-PSAC East center Keon Hughes. The running game isn't their strong suit as Brandon French (47 carries, 246 yards, 2 TD's) and freshman Damon Williams (35 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD) are their top ground gainers.
Senior Brendyn Van Demark (35 punts, 37.8 avg, 6 inside 20) handles the punting while freshman Alexander Rummel (1 FG, 13 PAT's) handles the kicking. Damon Williams returns kickoffs while freshman Rockeen Oliver returns punts.
The Cheyney defense is led by their linebackers: Samuel Anojulu (41 tackles, 3.0 TFL), Jamiel Hines (34 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1 int for 82 yards), and Chaplin Johnson-Davis (35 tackles, 3.0 TFL). Defensive end Keyson Dingle (33 tackles, 3.0 sacks for 40 yards) applies pressure up front while redshirt freshman cornerback Terez Franklin (26 tackles, 3 int) leads the secondary.
Analysis:
The Wolves still haven't won a PSAC game in seven years since they defeated winless Millersville in October of 2010. Cheyney's offensive outburst came in their season opening win over Lincoln, 56-28. However, the Wolves have dropped their last two games to Lock Haven and Shippensburg by a combined score of 118-0. Last week against Shippensurg, they managed only two first downs and -3 total offensive yards.
West Chester is favored by 50 points by Atomic Football while Massey Ratings shows a 43 point margin.
Notes:
It's Cheyney's homecoming which means that the parking lots will be packed but the stadium probably will not. Parking is $10 and general admission is $10.
Game Coverage:
Series History:
West Chester leads the series with Cheyney 49-2-1 with Cheyney's last win coming in 1979 by a score of 36-34. Cheyney is under the direction of third year head coach Chris Roulhac who previously served as the team's head coach from 1993-1995, winning PSAC Coach of the Year in 1995.
Last 10 Meetings:
|
Year
|
H/A
|
W/L
|
Score
|
Year
|
H/A
|
W/L
|
Score
|
2007
|
Away
|
Win
|
35-13
|
2012
|
Home
|
Win
|
59-14
|
2008
|
Home
|
Win
|
60-6
|
2013
|
Away
|
Win
|
66-14
|
2009
|
Home
|
Win
|
59-0
|
2014
|
Home
|
Win
|
58-0
|
2010
|
Home
|
Win
|
48-34
|
2015
|
Away
|
Win
|
41-20
|
2011
|
Away
|
Win
|
23-7
|
2016
|
Home
|
Win
|
46-12
|
Last Meeting:
10/23/2016 West Chester 46 - Cheyney 12
The Golden Ram defense held Cheyney to just four first downs and 150 total yards in the game. Defensive tackle Josh Ganzelli led West Chester with five tackles while Jarey Elder had an interception. Offensively, Mike Class, Jarel Elder, and Mark Dukes combined for 200 yards on the ground while Tyler Karpinski and Simon Williams each had a touchdown catch.
Scouting the Opponent:
Senior Brendyn Van Demark (35 punts, 37.8 avg, 6 inside 20) handles the punting while freshman Alexander Rummel (1 FG, 13 PAT's) handles the kicking. Damon Williams returns kickoffs while freshman Rockeen Oliver returns punts.
The Cheyney defense is led by their linebackers: Samuel Anojulu (41 tackles, 3.0 TFL), Jamiel Hines (34 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1 int for 82 yards), and Chaplin Johnson-Davis (35 tackles, 3.0 TFL). Defensive end Keyson Dingle (33 tackles, 3.0 sacks for 40 yards) applies pressure up front while redshirt freshman cornerback Terez Franklin (26 tackles, 3 int) leads the secondary.
Analysis:
West Chester is favored by 50 points by Atomic Football while Massey Ratings shows a 43 point margin.
Notes:
It's Cheyney's homecoming which means that the parking lots will be packed but the stadium probably will not. Parking is $10 and general admission is $10.
Game Coverage:
PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes - Week 8
KYW Newsradio - West Chester Visits Cheyney Saturday