The 2019 West Chester University Golden Ram football team was honored at the 54th annual team banquet sponsored by the Golden Ram Football Club Saturday night at the Concordville Inn in Concordville, PA.
For their performance in each game this past season, the following were selected as the Killinger Players of the Game:
Bentley - Jordan Burney -
In West Chester's 14-7 win over the visiting Falcons, Burney (Jr., Bishop Egan) registered eight tackles including 2.0 tackles for loss. Late in the first half, he made a touchdown-saving tackle to force a Bentley field goal which was blocked.
Gannon - Sterlen Barr -
Barr (So., Upper Moreland) set the tone early in Erie when, on Gannon's first possession of the game, he intercepted the ball and returned it 61 yards for the touchdown. He finished the game with three total tackles and two pass breakups.
Seton Hill - George Lambritsios -
In West Chester's 29-0 win over Seton Hill, Lambritsios (Jr., Marple Newtown) had punts of 50, 52, 34, and 63 yards which gave the Griffins starting field position at their own 14, 1, 15 and 2 yard line. His four punts averaged 49.8 yards, with three of them sailing over 50 yards and three of them landing inside the 20. He also averaged 59 yards on six kickoffs and earned PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week.
Millersville - Andrew Chegia -
In West Chester's 48-7 thrashing of the Marauders, Chegia (Jr., Unionville) converted all eight of his kicks. He hit on field goals of 20 and 25 yards and six PAT's. He was later named PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week for his performance.
Shippensburg - Ch'aim Smith -
In the Golden Rams' 29-21 victory at Shippensburg, Smith(Gr., York Suburban) made six total tackles. Four of those tackles resulted in losses for the Raiders, with one of them being a five-yard sack. He also notched a quarterback hurry.
Bloomsburg - Cole Zapf -
In West Chester's 20-17 win over visiting Bloomsburg, Zapf (So., Downingtown West) registered four solo tackles and five assisted tackles for a game-high nine tackles. Among his stops was an eight-yard sack.
Shepherd - Ja'Den McKenzie -
Playing without its starting quarterback, the Golden Rams relied heavily on the running ability of McKenzie (R-Fr., Springfield-Delco). He toted the ball 33 times for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the unfortunate losing effort. His 33 carries were second most in a game in the PSAC this season and his 179 net yards were eighth in a PSAC game this year.
East Stroudsburg - Jarey Elder -
The Golden Rams were trailing 10-0 midway through the second quarter when Elder (Sr., Parkland) sparked the team with a pick six from 37 yards. He made five solo tackles, one assisted tackle, and broke up a pass in addition to returning six punts for 38 yards in the 28-21 victory.
Kutztown - Kenny Edelin -
In a divisional loss on the road, Edelin (R-Fr., Middletown) had a breakout game. The redshirt freshman made a game-high six catches for 74 yards. Four of his catches resulted in first downs for the Golden Rams.
Lock Haven - Paul Dooley -
Dooley (Sr., Springside-Chestnut Hill) accounted for five touchdowns in the 56-14 win over the Bald Eagles. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns and ran four times for 14 yards including a 13-yard touchdown.
California - Dan Neuhaus -
In clinching a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs, Neuhaus (Jr., Bishop Shanahan) scored both of West Chester's touchdowns in the game. In total, he made four catches for 60 yards, but none bigger than his 12-yard touchdown catch and later a 26-yard touchdown reception to give the Golden Rams the lead.
Notre Dame - Lex Rosario -
Rosario (Sr., Delaware Valley) had the second best game of his collegiate career and did his best to advance the Golden Rams into the second round of the playoffs. He registered game highs in catches with 11 and receiving yards with 163. He also scored West Chester's last touchdown of 2019 with a 30-yard catch midway through the fourth quarter.
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West Chester Football Scholar Athlete of the Year - Cole Zapf
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The following players were selected by the coaches for their efforts this season:
Offensive Scout Team in Memory of Mark Killinger - Shane Dooley -
Dooley (Fr., Father Judge) accounted for 30 touchdowns his senior season and left Father Judge as the school's all-time leading passer.
Dave Williams Defensive Scout Team - Khalib Slaughter - Slaughter (So., Hunterdon Central) was a first team Mid-State 38 Delaware Division in 2016.
Ted Novak Memorial Coaches' Award - Ch'aim Smith -
Smith (Gr, York Suburban) played in every game as a redhsirt freshman in 2015. In his sophomore season, he started every game and received All-PSAC honors. Poised to have a breakout season in his junior year, he came out on fire. In the season opener against Bentley, Smith recorded two tackles, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. But also in that game he suffered a season ending injury. After receiving a medical redhsirt for the season, he earned All-PSAC honors in 2018. This past year, it all came together for him as Smith was named first team All-PSAC East, second team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1, honorable mention D2Football.com All-American, a Cliff Harris Award finalist and first team AFCA All-American.
Mark and Julie Drochek Coaches' Award - Frank Tranzilli -
As a captain in his senior season, Tranzilli (Sr., North Penn) played the role of the coach on the field. The durable right guard started in 35 of West Chester's last 36 games.
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The following players were selected by their teammates for their performance for the season:
Unsung Hero Award - Shane Griffin -
Having been a mainstay as the Golden Rams' long snapper and reserve defensive end, Griffin (Sr., Abington) accepted the coaches' request and moved to the offensive side of the ball for his senior season. Playing center for full time for the first time in his college career, he earned second team All-PSAC East honors.
Bill Vansant Memorial Special Teams Award - George Lambritsios
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After a rather pedestrian sophomore season, Lambritsios (Jr. Marple-Newtown) had a breakout season in 2019. As a sophomore, he played in four games, converting a 42-yard field goal, one PAT, and kicked off three times. But this past season, he assumed the punting duties and soared. Lambritsios punted 48 times, averaging 43.5 yards per punt, which was good for fourth in the country. He forced seven fair catches and dropped 19 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line. He boomed 12 punts for 50 yards or more. Lambritsios was named
PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week for the Seton Hill game,
ECAC Special Teams Player of the Month for September,
second team All-PSAC East,
second team Division 2 CCA All-Super Region 1, and
first team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1.
Muz and Lew Peck Offensive Player of the Year - Ja'Den McKenzie -
McKenzie (R-Fr., Springfield-Delco) answered the question about the West Chester running game after last year's top four rushers who accounted for 2,096 of the team's 2,249 yards were no longer in the backfield. McKenzie lugged the ball 190 times for 917 yards and 11 touchdowns this past season. He was named PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week for his 125 yard, two-touchdown performance at Shippensburg. He was also named
ECAC Rookie of the Month for October,
first team All-PSAC East,
PSAC East Freshman of the Year,
second team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1, and
Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1 Freshman of the Year.
Geoff Ruth Memorial Defensive Player of the Year and WCU Football Athlete of the Year
- Jarey Elder -
After snaring seven interceptions as a junior, Elder (Sr., Parkland) didn't have as many balls thrown his way this past season. The team captain still managed to lead the Golden Rams in interceptions with three, pass breakups with eight, forced fumbles with two and fumbles recovered with two. His 60 total tackles was good for fourth on the team. Elder was named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week after posting six tackles and a 37-yard pick-six against East Stroudsburg. He was also named
ECAC Defensive Player of the Month for October,
first team All-PSAC East,
PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year,
second team Division 2 CCA All-Super Region 1,
first team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1,
second team D2Football.com All-American, and
a Cliff Harris Award nominee.
Assistant Coach Bill Zwaan, Jr. presents Cole Zapf with the 
Assistant Coach Bill Zwaan, Jr. presents Shane Dooley with the 
Assistant Coach Justin Curry presents Khalib Slaughter with the 
John Smith presents Courtney Wanner with Ch'aim Smith's 
Julie and Mark Drochek present Frank Tranzilli with the
Jim Brazill presents Shane Griffin with the Unsung Hero Award 
Julie Vansant Carrigan presents George Lambritsios with the 
Lew Peck presents Ja'Den McKenzie with the
Jarey Elder was named the recipient of the Geoff Ruth Memorial Defensive Player of the Year Award and the WCU Football Athlete of the Year Award
The Seniors from the 2019 Golden Ram Football Team
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