Player News - Caleb Baker Picks West Chester

Caleb Baker (Abington) has tweeted his commitment to the Golden Rams. At 6-4, 225lb, he's one of the biggest wide receivers in recent Golden Ram history. Due to the pandemic, the Galloping Ghosts were limited to just five games this past season. The team captain did post 9 catches for 106 yards in a 49-28 loss to Neshaminy. A captain for the football team, Baker also was a significant contributor to the Abington basketball team. He also received interest from PSAC East rivals Bloomsburg and Millersville, as well as other local schools McDaniel and Delaware Valley.

- 2020 Second Team Class 6A PA Football News Coaches Select All-State
- 2020 First Team All-Intelligencer/Courier Times
- 2020 Second Team The Reporter/Times Herald Montgomery Media All-Area
- 2020 First Team Suburban One National Conference
- 2019 Second Team All-Intelligencer
- 2019 Honorable Mention The Reporter/Times Herald Montgomery Media All-Area
- 2019 First Team Suburban One National Conference

Blessed to be able to continue my athletic and academic career at West Chester University! Thank you to everyone who supported me through my journey! Ready for the next chapter. #Committed 🟣🟡🏈 pic.twitter.com/Mt0M8JV8iZ

— Caleb.baker13 (@baker11_caleb) December 27, 2020

Suburban One Sports - Abington Trio Commits to Play Collegiate Football

PA Prep Live - Abington rallies behind Dzielawa, tops CB West

PA Prep Live - Baker has right recipe as Abington tops Upper Dublin for crucial win

Bucks County Courier Times - Abington’s Caleb Baker is a long way from Lee’s Summit

Highlight Video

Alumni News - Griffin Gets Tryout With Raiders

Golden Ram alumnus Shane Griffin recently had a workout with the Las Vegas Raiders. Griffin played his first three years as a defensive end before flipping to the offensive side of the ball and playing center as a senior. However, he served as the Golden Rams long snapper in all four seasons.

Shane Griffin (Photo Ron Hockman)

NFL Draft Diamonds - Raiders worked out former Air Force LS Harrison Elliott and former West Chester LS Shane Griffin

NFL Trade Rumors - Raiders Hosting Eight Players For Workouts/Visits

Alumni News - D’Andre Webb Helping Community

Former Golden Ram running back D’Andre Webb has joined Tayron Thomas in an effort to transform the former Delhaas High School gym located in Bristol into a rec center. The effort is being driven by their non-profit organization One Team—One Goal, Inc.

Webb played for West Chester from 2007-2010 and was the Golden Rams' leading ground gainer in both 2009 and 2010. He still sits atop West Chester's record book for most rushing yards in a game with 306 in his sophomore season. In that 41-10 win over Millersville, after starting running back Lee Hopkins got injured on the first play from scrimmage, Webb went on to carry the ball 17 times for 306 yards and four touchdowns.

Those wishing to contribute to the rec center effort can do so at their GoFundMe page.

Fox29 - Bucks County men on mission to fix up their former high school gym

Bucks County Courier Times - Truman alumni athletes reopening Delhaas gym to give back to community

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

Six West Chester Golden Ram players have received honors for their performance in the classroom for the 2019-20 academic year. Offensive lineman Jacob Colby, offensive lineman Patrick Ferry, defensive lineman Michael Gobora, defensive lineman Joe Janick, offensive lineman Brendan Ruskowski, and linebacker Cole Zapf were all named recipients of the Division 2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award. Ferry and Zapf are both repeat honorees.

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, 107 women and 41 men from West Chester University received recognition. The PSAC was the most represented conference in the country with 1,365 student-athletes honored.

National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics - D2 ADA Announces 2019-20 Academic Achievement Award Recipients

PSAC Site - PSAC Paces All NCAA DII Conferences for Second Consecutive Year with 1,365 D2 ADA Achievement Award Recipients

West Chester Athletic Site - WCU Lands School-Record 148 Student Athletes on D2 ADA Honor Roll

Alumni News - Warren Harding Lowans Passes Away at 97

Former West Chester football captain and U.S. Navy captain Warren Lowans has passed away. He was 97.

Lowans played football at West Chester in 1941 and 1942 and then entered the Navy during World War II. After the war, he returned to West Chester to finish his degree and played his final two seasons in 1946 and 1947. Lowans was the sole captain of the 1947 team which finished the regular season 9-0 and outscored opponents 214-32. The 1947 team then defeated Carson-Newman in the Burley Bowl in Johnson City, TN before falling to Missouri Valley in the Cigar Bowl on New Year's Day in Tampa, FL.

After West Chester, Lowans remained in the Naval Reserves as he earned his master's degree from Columbia. He was recalled to the Navy during the Korean Conflict and returned to the regular Navy in 1955 until his retirement as a captain in 1974 after 32 years of active service. Lowans was inducted into the Killinger Hall of Fame in 1995.

South Whidbey Record - Warren Harding Lowans: December 3, 1922 – July 9, 2020

Throwback Thursday - 1920

Extracted from the 1920-1921 Serpentine:

The first football team that old Normal ever had was organized and developed this season by Coach Hall and Professor Mathers. The standing that the team made in athletic circles is conclusive evidence that football is here to stay, and we trust that its endeavor will be carried on with still more spirit and ability than was shown this year.

Much of the success of the team is due to the efforts of Bert Hall, whose coaching throughout the entire season was absolutely unquestionable. He took a group of awkward inexperienced men and made them into a real fighting unit that could really be called a football team.

Due to the fact that we did not get organized until the season began, we were unable to get the most desirable schedule, most of the schools having their football program all made out. However, by persistent effort, a schedule of games that any team would be proud to win was obtained and we managed to win all but two of them.

West Chester Normal shut out West Chester High, Swarthmore Prep, Phoenixville High, and Villanova Frosh and held Swarthmore Prep to just three points in their second win over them one month later. Losses came in the final two games of the season to Ursinus Reserves and Williamson Trade to finish the year 5-2. Left halfback Robert Von Bulow served as the team captain.

West Chester State Normal School's First Football Team

Team News - No Golden Ram Football This Fall

On Tuesday evening the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference voted to suspend all mandated conference athletic events and championships through the fall semester in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that there will be no Golden Ram football this fall.

The PSAC becomes the third Division II football conference to suspend fall athletics joining the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) which both made their announcement on July 9. Non-football playing Division II conferences that previously reached similar conclusions are the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

PSAC Site - PSAC Suspends NCAA Competition for Fall 2020

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester University Athletics' Reaction To The PSAC's Announcement

Daily Local News - West Chester football coach Bill Zwaan not surprised by PSAC announcement to suspend fall sports season

The Philadelphia Inquirer - As PSAC fall sports shut down, West Chester football coach Bill Zwaan looks for optimism

Throwback Thursday - 1930

The 1930 season opened with a trip to Philadelphia to take on Drexel. Although the team came away with a 13-0 win, they lost team captain Motz Singer for the remainder of the season due to an injury. In their only home game of the year, West Chester effectively used the "forward pass attack" to trounce Beckley 46-0. The contest was costly as the team incurred more injuries that prevented a handful of players from participating for the remainder of the season. In West Chester's second trip of the season to Philadelphia, it tied St. Joseph's 6-6.

West Chester could have scored more in their 19-0 win at Trenton, but Coach Conover substituted liberally due to previous injuries and future opponents. West Chester then handled Millersville by a score of 6-0 before falling at Slippery Rock 14-2.

Coach Conover's 1930 team finished 4-1-1

Morris "Motz" Singer
Captain
C. Van Dyke Conover
Head Coach

Throwback Thursday - 1940

The 1940 season opened with a 19-0 win over Blue Ridge College. It would be the only meeting between the two schools as the small college in New Windsor, MD would close three years later due to financial difficulties. The next game marked the final meeting between West Chester and LaSalle. In ten meetings, LaSalle won nine of them, eight of them by shutout, including a 13-0 blanking of West Chester in 1940. The Rams would then top Pennsylvania Military College, now Widener, by a score of 9-0. The game against the Ithaca Blue Devils resulted in a 7-7 tie.

Fifty-five hundred watched a battle between the Albright Lions and the Purple and Gold. And it wasn't until the waning minutes of the contest when defensive end Dick Wisneski returned an interception to set up the game's lone touchdown. Edward Twardowski's PAT capped the 7-0 win. The Rams then got shut out at Waynesburg 20-0 in a muddy game in southwestern Pennsylvania. The following week, George "Butch" Clark and his classmates celebrated their final home game with an 18-0 shutout over Lock Haven. In the final game of the season, West Chester traveled to East Stroudsburg to hand the Warriors their only loss of the season by a score of 18-0.

Only one team scored in seven games as West Chester finished 5-2-1.

W. Glenn Killinger
Head Coach
Inside the locker room

Throwback Thursday - 1950

Over five thousand people witnessed West Chester be ungracious hosts to Pennsylvania Military College on a Saturday night as the Rams won 20-0. That gave coach Killinger a record of 38-4-1 since football resumed after World War II, but 0-2-1 against Delaware. This season would be no different as West Chester fell to Delaware by a score of 16-13. Delaware converted a pair of West Chester turnovers into 14 points. Later in the first half, quarterback Ray Spafford connected with Harry West on a couple of touchdown passes, but a failed PAT kept Delaware ahead 14-13. When Spafford was sacked in the end zone late in the game, the final score was set.

Earl Hersh and Fred Pender each scored three touchdowns as West Chester downed Lock Haven in a 39-21 shootout on Wayne Field. West Chester then traveled to Cortland, NY and defeated SUNY-Cortland in their second ever and final meeting by a score of 26-0. Against East Stroudsburg, the Rams scored 25 second half points en route to a 27-0 shutout victory paced by their "freshman flash" Fred Pender. After tossing Millersville 26-7, West Chester traveled to Bethlehem and shut out Moravian for their sixth consecutive victory over the Greyhounds.

West Chester welcomed Bloomsburg to Wayne Field for the informal State Teachers College Championship. The Huskies were riding a 15-game winning streak, but the underdog Rams scored three times in the first quarter en route to a 31-6 thrashing of the visitors. The Golden Rams' 20-game home wining streak ended the following week as they completed only five of 20 passes, turned over the ball four times on fumbles and missed a PAT as Drexel nipped West Chester 7-6.

1950 Pennsylvania Conference Champions

Head Coach W. Glenn Killinger instructs Co-Captains Elwood McKenzie and Norman Waldman

Team News - 23 Golden Rams Named PSAC Scholar-Athletes

Twenty-three members of the Golden Ram football team have been named PSAC Scholar-Athletes for the 2019-2020 academic year. In order to qualify for the honor, athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or better. There were 3,763 athletes from all 18 PSAC institutions of which 324 represented West Chester University.

Representing the football team are:

• freshman defensive back Micheal Alexander
• freshman kicker/punter Chris Barbera
• redshirt junior tight end Cody Boozel
• freshman offensive lineman Tom Burns
• redshirt freshman linebacker Nick Chapman*
• freshman defensive back Matt Checchia
• sophomore offensive lineman Jacob Colby*
• junior offensive lineman Patrick Ferry*
• redshirt freshman defensive lineman Michael Gobora*
• freshman linebacker Mason Griffiths
• freshman defenisve lineman Jake Hendershot
• freshman linebacker Sean Hopkins
• freshman tight end Stone Huffman
• redshirt freshman defensive lineman Joe Janick*
• freshman kicker/punter Derek Krug
• redshirt freshman offensive lineman Jonathan Miller
• freshman wide receiver Matt Moody
• freshman offensive lineman Logan O'Grady
• redshirt freshman running back Marcus Owens
• freshman wide receiver Jahmair Rider
• sophomore offensive lineman Brendan Ruskowski*
• freshman defensive back Nick Westburg
• sophomore defensive back Cole Zapf*

* Student-athletes who were also recognized as a PSAC Scholar-Athlete for the 2018-2019 academic year.

PSAC Site - PSAC Impresses with New Scholar-Athlete Record of 3,763

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Among The Leaders In PSAC Scholar-Athletes

Throwback Thursday - 1960

For the first time in almost three decades, West Chester was being coached by someone other then W. Glenn Killinger. Jim Bonder, a line coach under Killinger since he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, made his debut at the helm. And what a debut it was. After dispatching non-conference opponents Fort Eustis and Ithaca College, the Golden Rams ripped through Pennsylvania State College Athletic Conference opponents East Stroudsburg, Millersville, Clarion, and Kutztown by a combined score of 172-14.

After a trip to Springfield, MA in late October to shut out American International, West Chester returned home to face Bloomsburg. This Huskies team gave the Golden Rams their only loss of the previous season, so besides a division championship, West Chester had revenge on their minds. They got that revenge with a 42-13 "romping victory". The Golden Rams completed the perfect season with a 35-6 win over Lock Haven in the PSCAC Championship Game.

Bonder would go on to a 39-9 career record. Backs Joe Iacone and Jim Pribula were both named All-PSAC that season, in a year when only eleven players were recognized from the 14 state schools. All three men would later end up in the Killinger Foundation Football Hall of Fame.

The 1960 PSCAC Champions

Captains Lou Caparro
and Carl "Chick" Kane
Coach Jim Bonder is carried off the field
after the victory over Bloomsburg

Team News - Hale, Killinger, Hess Nominated to College Football HOF

West Chester alumnus Danny Hale and legendary Golden Ram head coach Dr. W. Glenn Killinger appear on the 2021 ballot of the College Football Hall of Fame as divisional (non-FBS) coaches. Also, former Golden Ram two-way player Bill Hess has been nominated as a player.

Hale in '66

Hale played end for the Golden Rams from 1965-67 when West Chester advanced to the conference championship and the Tangerine Bowl in both 1966 and 1967. West Chester won the conference championship in 1967 with Hale being named MVP of the game. He was later head coach at West Chester from 1984-88, posting a record of 40-13, including the Golden Rams' first ever NCAA playoff appearance in 1988. He then went on to be the head coach of Bloomsburg University from 1993-2012, posting a record of 173-56-1. In his 25 years of coaching at the two schools, Hale won 13 PSAC East titles and advanced to the NCAA playoffs nine times, including guiding the Huskies to the national championship game in 2000. He is already a member of the Killinger Hall of Fame

Killinger

Dr. Killinger is already a member of the College Football Hall of Fame as a player at Penn State where he was a three sport star, winning nine varsity letters. As a halfback/quarterback, he led the Nittany Lions to undefeated seasons in 1920 and 1921, serving as captain his senior year and named a consensus All-American. He also captained the basketball team his senior year and won 30 games as a pitcher for the baseball team. He is West Chester's all-time winningest head coach with a record of 147-41-12 (.765) over 23 seasons from 1934-1959. Killinger served in the United States Navy from 1942-1945. During his tenure at the helm of the Golden Rams, he never suffered a losing season and led the team to three bowl victories: Burley Bowl in 1947 and 1948 and the Pretzel Bowl in 1951. West Chester also participated in the Cigar Bowl in 1947. In addition to West Chester, Killinger was the head football coach at Dickinson (1922), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1927-1931), and Moravian (1933), compiling a career record of 176-72-16. He served as an assistant coach at Penn State from 1923-1926. He also served as the head coach of West Chester's men's basketball team from 1935-1940 and 1945-1946 and the baseball team from 1967-1970.

Bill Hess

Hess played for the Golden Rams from 1985-88 and finished his career with 3,821 all-purpose yards. He had 182 receptions for 2,866 yards and 30 touchdowns in his West Chester career. He also amassed 58 yards rushing and 897 return yards. Hess captained the Golden Rams in both his junior and senior seasons. He was named second team All-PSAC East at wide receiver after his freshman year, and first team All-PSAC East at wide receiver after both his second and third seasons. After his senior season, he was named PSAC East Athlete of the Year, first team PSAC East at both wide receiver and defensive back, and was named a first team AFCA All-American. After graduating from West Chester, he spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Phoenix Cardinals of the NFL. Hess was drafted by the San Antonio Riders of the WLAF where he played a season. He then played with the San Antonio Texans and Ottawa Rough Riders of the CFL. He is already a member of the Killinger Hall of Fame

The 2021 Class will be announced in early 2021 with details being announced at a later date.

2021 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot Released

Throwback Thursday - 1970

1970 marked the opening of John A. Farrell Stadium and the Golden Rams did not disappoint the home crowd as they went 4-0 in the new stadium. Unfortunately, they did not fare as well on the road and finished the season 7-4 overall. The season started with a road loss to Delaware, which would finish the season 9-2. After throttling Ithaca College 56-0, West Chester blanked PSCAC foes East Stroudsburg, Millersville and Bloomsburg. The Golden Rams dropped a contest when they traveled to Long Island to take on Hofstra.

West Chester secured a trip to the PSCAC championship game after knocking off Kutztown and Mansfield. Their final home game marked West Chester's only win ever over Lenior-Rhyne by a 38-21 tally. In mid-November, West Chester traveled to Edinboro for the PSCAC title game, but fell by a score of 14-6. The Fighting Scots would go on to lose in the NAIA national semi-finals for their only loss of the season. West Chester then traveled to nearby Villanova, but fell to a Wildcat team that finished 9-2, with their losses coming to Boston College and at Virginia Tech.

Named to the All-PSAC East Offensive team were end Barry Stout, tackle Bob Cleary, guard Jack Chambers, guard Marty Pavelic, and fullback Rocky Rees. Named to the All-PSAC East Defensive team were tackle Joe Carroll and linebacker Bruce Udovich.

The 1970 team advanced to the PSCAC Championship Game

1970 Captains Barry Stout and Tony Costello

Coach John Furlow running a drill

Throwback Thursday - 1980

West Chester was in the middle of finding itself in 1980. Its final season in the PSAC was 1976, so its schedule was a mix of PSAC teams and what are now FCS and Division III teams. This was far from a smooth transition, as the team dipped to 2-9 in 1978. Head coach Otto Kneidinger took over in 1979 and improved to 4-7, and in 1980, the team snuck over .500 to finish 5-4-1.

Losses came at Delaware, to American International, at Millersville, and at Bucknell. The Golden Rams topped Glassboro State (now Rowan University), Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg and Salisbury. West Chester also blanked Kutztown, 19-0, which went on to represent the East in the PSAC championship game. And for the first time since 1945, a West Chester football game ended in a tie, when they knotted the Wolves of Cheyney at 24.

The 1980 Golden Ram Football Team

Before artificial turf was installed at Delaware

Plain uniforms and a vertical middle bar on the facemask were in

Throwback Thursday - 1990

Head coach Rick Daniels entered his second season at the helm after quite the successful rookie appearance. In 1989, the Golden Rams took only one Division II loss in the regular season and qualified for the NCAA playoffs where they fell in the first round at Portland State in three overtimes. But 1990 would be different. Annual non-conference opponent Delaware was then a member of the Yankee Conference which, with nine schools, afforded the Blue Hens with two available dates to play West Chester. The initial target date appears to have been October 6, but Delaware scheduled rival William & Mary that weekend. This caused the Golden Rams to travel to Newark on September 22, Delaware's only remaining open date. But West Chester was already scheduled to play PSAC East opponent Mansfield on that date. Faced with a decision, West Chester chose the money from Delaware over a conference opponent to whom they never lost. As a result, the PSAC suspended West Chester from the conference games and post season awards for that season. West Chester would still play the other members of the PSAC East, but those games would not count for the opponents in the division standings.

The team spent all of September on the road - American International, Boston University, Delaware and Millersville - and returned to West Chester with a 1-3 record. In the Golden Rams' home opener, despite a record setting performance, New Haven nipped West Chester 58-57. Quarterback Ed Brown threw for 449 yards and six touchdowns in the loss. West Chester would go on to win their remaining games against PSAC opponents Kutztown, Lock Haven, East Stroudsburg, Cheyney and Bloomsburg.

Golden Rams fans only had the opportunity to see three games at Farrell Stadium. The only other season with so few games at home was 1975. Running back Derrick Price rushed for 1,457 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Quarterback Ed Brown threw for 1,750 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season, connecting with tight end Scott Asman 61 times for 639 yards and nine scores. George Reid led the team with ten touchdowns and Jon Garabarino had 82 tackles. John Marotta finished his career as the best kicker in West Chester history.

John Marotta set school records for career extra points made, field goals made and kicking points

Derrick Price became the first player at WCU with 4,000 career rushing yards

The defense gets some coaching on the sidelines

Throwback Thursday - 2000

Y2K wasn't nearly as big an issue for a society heavily reliant on computers as some had predicted, but it certainly was catastrophic for the Golden Rams. Before 2000, the only other season in which West Chester finished 2-9 was 1978, but that was when they were not in the PSAC and played the likes of Lehigh, New Hampshire and Northeastern.

Sure, in 2000 West Chester faced tough non-conference opponents like New Haven, UC-Davis and Delaware. But the Golden Rams lost those three games by a combined score of 136-0!!! It really was a matter of bad timing for those opponents. UC-Davis, behind All-American and future San Francisco 49ers quarterback J. T. O'Sullivan would go on to the NCAA Division II semi-finals where they lost 58-48 to Bloomsburg. And current Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy led Delaware to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals that season. Meanwhile, West Chester was breaking in a new quarterback after four-year starter Mike Mitros completed his eligibility in 1999. True freshman George Caroulis, who was not even listed among the top three quarterbacks on the roster two weeks into the season, played just four games and was West Chester's leading passer for the season.

The team suffered five shutouts in all that season, and the offense scored only 104 points, the lowest output since World War II. And that total was boosted by a 34-14 win at Mansfield and a 30-6 win at Cheyney. The defense fared much better, led by All-PSAC defensive ends Rasheem Reed and Raheem Islam. Junior punter Ron Minck also received all-conference honors.

Raheem Islam had 7 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 2000

Team News - 2020 Schedule to be Reduced

In response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic, the NCAA Division II President’s Council has announced that the maximum number of permissible football games in 2020 has been reduced from eleven to ten. The minimum number of contests that must be played in order to be considered for selection to the Division II playoffs has also been reduced from ten to seven. Neither the PSAC nor West Chester University Athletics has announced the specific impact that this will have to the Golden Rams' schedule regarding how many and which game(s) will be eliminated.

The PSAC is represented on the NCAA Division II President’s Council by IUP president Dr. Michael Driscoll. The maximum and minimum number of contests for all sports for the 2020-2021 academic year can be found here.

Hays Post - NCAA Division II Presidents Council approves schedule reductions for 2020-2021

Throwback Thursday - 2010

Throwback Thursday - 2010 The Golden Rams entered the 2010 season ranked #22 in the country and were selected by the PSAC coaches as the favorite to win the eastern division, albeit without a single first place vote. But the squad was comprised of a majority of players who didn't have much experience as over 30 players from the 2009 team had departed due to eligibility or other reasons. So it was your typical box of chocolates.

The opener was the annual flogging at Delaware. The Golden Rams hadn't sniffed a win there since 1996 when they lost by only one touchdown. And although it wasn't as bad as the 84-0 pounding they took in 2000, it was yet another shutout on a hot Thursday evening. But now it was time to move on to conference play.

In honor of former Golden Ram quarterback Mike Horrocks, West Chester was set to dedicate a statue of him on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. It was an incredibly emotional and beautiful afternoon. But despite West Chester holding nearly a two-to-one advantage in yards, seven penalties and six turnovers were too much to overcome and the Golden Rams fell to Edinboro 16-14. Narrow margins became the theme for the early part of the season. The following week at Slippery Rock, West Chester fell in overtime, 33-27. The Rock converted a 47-yard field goal with 31 seconds left in the game to force bonus football, then scored a touchdown on its possession in the extra period, but the PAT was blocked which gave West Chester hope for a win when they got the ball. However the Golden Rams couldn't get across the goal line.

The following week at East Stroudsburg, West Chester held off the Warriors 35-31. The Golden Rams' offense was outplayed by the hosts, but 14 points off turnovers, including a pick-six by John O'Donnell led to the win. The next week was a triple overtime, marathon loss to visiting C.W. Post, 39-37.

West Chester was then set to host Shippensburg on a Thursday night, nationally televised game. What looked to be a marquee matchup prior to the season - West Chester had been to the playoffs in five of the previous six seasons while Shippensburg won the PSAC and made a trip to the NCAA's in 2009 - had to leave the schedulers scratching their heads since both teams entered just 1-4. To add to West Chester's concern of three close losses, the Golden Rams would be without starting quarterback Mike Mattei. Starting in his place would be redshirt freshman Sean McCartney who had thrown a total of six collegiate passes in mop up duty at Delaware. It turned out to be another close game for West Chester, as it went to two overtimes, but the Golden Rams came out on top, 44-43. In his first career start, McCartney went 27 of 49 for 444 yards and five touchdowns. Dan DePalma (7 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD), Jackson Fagan (6 catches, 48 yards), Tim Keyser (4 catches, 127 yards, 2 TD's), and LaRonn Lee (4 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD) all had big games. But it was Lucas Fickel who blocked the Raider's PAT in the second overtime that started the celebration.

But the Golden Rams didn't quite turn the corner on the season. They defeated Cheyney the following week, 48-34, but despite the win, they allowed more points to Cheyney in that single game than the previous seven meetings combined. The defense allowed 45 points in each of the next two contests - at Bloomsburg (which would later advance to the second round of the playoffs) and at Kutztown. An easy 45-14 win over Millersville, who was winless in the division, followed and then a 27-10 loss at Indiana brought the season to a close. At 4-7, it was the first losing season for West Chester under head coach Bill Zwaan.

Wide receiver Dan DePalma and defensive end Travis Ford-Bey were both named first team All-PSAC East. Running back Jackson Fagan, center Kyle O’Neil, nose guard Lucas Fickel and punter Chris Hill received second team honors.

Running back Jackson Fagan had 1,191 all-purpose yards

Event News - High School All-Star Games Cancelled

Due to the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic, all of the area high school all-star football games have been cancelled. Some of the incoming Golden Rams that were expected to play in contests this spring include:

• Trey Wells - PSFCA East/West All Star Game
• Marc Macione - Bucks-Montgomery All-Star Football
• Bill Martelon - Philadelphia City All-Star Foot​ball Game
• Oscar Uduma - Philadelphia City All-Star Foot​ball Game
• Oscar Uduma - Delaware County Hero Bowl
• Chasen Wint - Delaware County Hero Bowl
• Junior Duffault - Valor Bowl
• Sean Henry - Valor Bowl

Player News - Chapman to Horrocks Academy

Rising sophomore Nick Chapman has been selected to The Academy portion of the Michael Horrocks Leadership Institute. The Academy, the newest program of the Horrocks Leadership Institute set to launch in the fall of 2020, requires an application and a multi-year commitment from West Chester student-athletes.

This past season, the redshirt freshman linebacker played in all eleven games, making 18 tackles and recovering a fumble. Chapman was also named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Linebacker Nick Chapman is a member of the Horrocks Leadership Institute

West Chester Athletic Site - The Academy, Set To Launch in Fall 2020, Names Class Officers

Team News - West Chester All-Decade Team

West Chester Golden Rams Football recently released their All-Decade Team. Here's a look at their list and some of their accolades.

Tomorrow we will begin to reveal our ALL DECADE TEAM! pic.twitter.com/BVXSk0MMGc

— West Chester Golden Rams Football (@WCUGoldenRamsFB) April 12, 2020

Pos	Name	Years
QB	Sean McCartney	2009-2014
RB	Rondell White	2010-2013
RB	Jarel Elder	2014-2017
AP	Eddie Elliott	2012-2015
TE	Tim Brown	2011-2014
WR	Tyler Karpinski	2014-2017
WR	Dan DePalma	2008-2010
WR	Rasheem James	2017-2018
LT	Doug Gilbert	2013-2016
LG	Trey Farmer	2010-2013
C	Derek Schatz	2011-2014
RG	Tyler Drob	2014-2018
LG	James Colivas	2011-2014
P	Brendan Paulison	2015-2018
K	Shawn Leo	2010-2013
RET	Brandon Monk	2012-2015
DT	Shaq Ryder	2014,2018
DT	Josh Ganzelli	2014-2017
DT	Andrew Cohen	2012-2015
DE	Ch'aim Smith	2015-2019
DE	George Shipp	2014-2017
DE	Diquan Gilbert	2017-2018
LB	Ronell Williams	2011-2014
LB	Tyler Morrisey	2015-2018
CB	Shaquille James	2015-2018
FS	Jarey Elder	2016-2019
SS	Kevin Malone	2013-2016
DB	Nydair Rouse	2015-2018
CB	Al-Hajj Shabazz	2011-2014

Sean McCartney - 2014 PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year; played 39 games; 8,873 passing yards, 85 passing TDs

Rondell White - 2013 AFCA All-American; 2012 and 2013 First Team All-PSAC East; 4,336 rushing yards, 7,668 all-purpose yards; 55 total TDs

Jarel Elder - 2017 PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year; played 47 games; 3,256 rushing yards, 5,907 all-purpose yards; 38 total TDs

Eddie Elliott - 2015 Second Team All-PSAC East; 1,109 yards rushing, 1,106 yards receiving; 16 total TDs

Tim Brown - 2014 and 2015 First Team All-PSAC East; 106 catches, 1,932 yards, 27 TD's in just 30 career games

Tyler Karpinski - 2016 and 2017 First Team All-PSAC East; 125 catches, 1,895 yards, 18 TD's receiving

Dan DePalma - 2010 First Team All-PSAC East; 50 catches for 962 yards and 9 TD's in 2010

Rasheem James - 2017 ECAC Rookie of the Year; 69 catches for 1,050 yards and 13 TD's in just 17 games with 2 years of eligibility left

Doug Gilbert - 2014, 2015 and 2016 First Team All-PSAC East; started 35 games; PSAC Scholar-Athlete and Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area

Trey Farmer - 2013 First Team All-PSAC East; 2012 Second Team All-PSAC East; BSN All-American; played 38 games; two-time Arthur Ashe Scholar Athlete Award recipient; Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area; Gene Upshaw Award Nominee

Derek Schatz - 2013 and 2014 First Team All-PSAC East; played 39 games; Gene Upshaw Award Nominee

Tyler Drob - 2015, 2016 and 2018 First Team All-PSAC East; played 44 games; Don Hansen Football Gazette First Team All-American; Gene Upshaw Award Finalist

James Colivas - 2014 First Team All-PSAC East; played 35 games

Brendan Paulison - Five-time All-PSAC East including kicker and punter in 2016; fourth best punting average (44.1 yards per punt) in all of Division II in 2018; Second Team CCA All-American

Shawn Leo - 2013 Second Team All-PSAC East; holds numerous West Chester kicking records; Fred Mitchell Award finalist

Brandon Monk - 2014 and 2015 First Team All-PSAC East; returned two kickoffs for TD's and averaged 27 yard per return; averaged 12.5 yards per punt return including an 80-yard touchdown

Shaq Ryder - 2018 First Team All-PSAC East; started all 24 games he played; 85 tackles, 7.5 sacks

Josh Ganzelli - 2015 and 2016 First Team All-PSAC East; played 48 games; 132 tackles; 21.0 tackles for loss

Andrew Cohen - 2015 PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year; 2014 and 2015 First Team All-PSAC East; Cliff Harris Award Finalist; Gene Upshaw Award Finalist; Harlon Hill Nominee; consensus All-American; Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area; held PSAC career sack record with 33.5

Ch'aim Smith - 2019 First Team All-PSAC East; played in 46 games; started 35 games; First Team AFCA All-American; Cliff Harris Award Finalist

George Shipp - played 41 games; started 28 games; 15.0 sacks

Diquan Gilbert - 2018 First Team All-PSAC East; 2017 Second Team All-PSAC East; played in 24 games; started 21 games; 21.5 sacks

Ronell Williams - 2015, 2016 and 2018 First Team All-PSAC East; played in 47 games; started 40 games; 376 tackles; multiple All-American awards

Tyler Morrisey - 2017 and 2018 PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year; 2017 and 2018 First Team All-PSAC East; 33 games played; 239 tackles; 27.0 tackles for loss; Cliff Harris Award Finalist; multiple All-American awards

Shaq James - 2018 First Team All-PSAC East; 2017 Second Team All-PSAC East; played in 45 games; started 39 games; 5 interceptions; 2 TD's

Jarey Elder - 2019 PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year; 2018 and 2019 First Team All-PSAC East; Cliff Harris Award nominee; multiple All-American awards; 14 interceptions; 31 passes defended

Kevin Malone - 2015 and 2016 First Team All-PSAC East; played in 39 games; started 29 games; 91 tackles; 6 interceptions

Nydair Rouse - 2016 First Team All-PSAC East; played in 45 games; started 36 games; 78 tackles; 9.5 tackles for loss; 8 interceptions; 4 touchdowns

Al-Hajj Shabazz - 2013 and 2014 First Team All-PSAC East; played in 48 games; 152 tackles; 10 interceptions; 33 passes defended; 3 touchdowns; Cliff Harris Award finalist

Player News - Elizjah Lewis Reclassifies

Although it was previously reported that wide receiver Elizjah Lewis (Hodgson Vo-Tech, Newark, DE) was joining the Golden Rams, he has since tweeted that he will be attending Salisbury School, a prep school in northwestern Connecticut.

After a long and careful decision, I’m excited to announce that I will be reclassifying to the class of 21’ and will be attending Salisbury School! I wanna thank the Hodgson community and coaches for everything. But with that being said.. GO KNIGHTS!⚔️ pic.twitter.com/mfordanrHR

— Elizjah Lewis (@ElizjahL) April 9, 2020

He also subsequently indicated that he received an offer from Delaware State.

Blessed to receive an offer from Delaware State University! @jbraxton8287 #gohornets pic.twitter.com/N8fbxcUa3D

— Elizjah Lewis (@ElizjahL) April 21, 2020

In short, it seems that Lewis will not be in purple and gold this fall.

Team News - What to Look for...Whenever Football Starts

This was supposed to be a "what to look for this spring" article, but that's not going to work based on the current situation. Although the timeline will be extended, the top three issues for the 2020 Golden Ram football team remain the same:

3. Special Teams

The often taken for granted part of the game has incurred several losses. All-American punter George Lambritsios has departed with a year of eligibility left while punt returner Jarey Elder and long snapper Shane Griffin have exhausted their playing time. Although it's expected that three-time All-PSAC East kicker Andrew Chegia will return, since he spent his redshirt year at Temple, he's on track to graduate this spring, so there's a possibility he may decide to join the real world. Among the other available kickers, John George had one kickoff last season which went for a touchback at Millersville, Derek Krug and Chris Barbera both redshirted in 2019 and Sean Henry is coming to campus in the fall. Phil Poquie was West Chester's top kick returner and also had eight punt returns last season.

2. Defensive Leadership

Safety Jarey Elder and defensive end Ch'aim Smith were both outstanding players for the Golden Ram defense for several seasons. Elder was a three-time All-PSAC East performer, nabbed several All-American plaudits over the past two years and was the PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year after last season. Meanwhile, Smith bounced back from a season-ending injury in 2018 to earn All-American recognition by the AFCA and D2football.com this past season. But besides filling their individual trophy cases, they provided leadership beyond their final playing year when both were team captains. It will be interesting to see who steps up to take charge of this defense and team in 2020.

1. Quarterback

Yes, many fans were frustrated by the number of interceptions (11) thrown by Paul Dooley last season, but over the final three games of the season, he threw nine touchdowns with no picks against Lock Haven and California to vault the Golden Rams into the postseason and at Notre Dame in the playoffs. And no one can deny his guts when he pulled the ball down and bullied his way for first downs in critical situations. But all that is gone now.

Among the other quarterbacks that were on the roster in 2019, Mike Piperno has seen the most action, having thrown 73 passes over his first two seasons including starts at Shepherd last year and at East Stroudsburg in 2018. While IUP transfer Yahmir Wilkerson saw action in seven games for West Chester, the southpaw only threw a handful of passes as he was often called on to run the wildcat. Zach Gilbert has also seen limited action. So who will play quarterback and what effect that will have on the offense is a significant question.

Finally, there's the impact that the school being closed and not having spring football will have. Certainly this is the situation for all teams in the NCAA, but now the onus to maintain and improve conditioning falls to each individual. Which team can assemble a group of individuals in shape may be the key to success next season.

Herald-Mail Media - Spring becomes a challenge for Shepherd