The 2022 West Chester University Golden Ram football team was honored at the 56th annual team banquet Saturday afternoon at the West Chester University Alumni & Foundation Center.
For their performance in each game this past season, Killinger Foundation President Rick Daniels presented the following players with the Killinger Foundation Player of the Game award:
Bentley - Maurice Beverly - In his first collegiate game, Beverly (Fr., Imhotep) registered a team-high nine tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble and notched two quarterback hurries in West Chester's 17-16 season opening win over Bentley.
Slippery Rock - Chris Barbera - In West Chester's 35-14 loss to Slippery Rock, Barbera (So., Upper Dublin) was called on to punt six times. He averaged over 44 yards per punt, including booming two longer than 50 yards and dropping two inside the Rock 20-yard line.
Gannon - Ja'Den McKenzie - In the Golden Rams' 29-23 win at Gannon, McKenzie (Jr., Springfield) was a workhorse. He carried the ball 23 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns. His second scoring run came early in the second half from 49 yards out and gave West Chester a 24-23 lead.
Millersville - Oscar Uduma - In West Chester's 26-14 win over the Marauders, Uduma (So., Bonner-Prendergast) notched two total tackles including 3.5 tackles for loss. In pass defense, he had a third-down pass breakup and a 24-yard pick six. Uduma forced two fumbles, including a strip sack, both of which were recovered by WCU.
Bloomsburg - Jackson Taylor - Although it was a frustrating 21-13 loss at Bloomsburg, linebacker Taylor (Jr., Abington) made a team-high eight tackles including 4.5 tackles for loss. As he's always around the ball, he also recovered a Husky fumble.
Shippensburg - Ethan Kohler - In the Golden Rams' 20-13 loss, Kohler (Fr. Perkiomen Valley) had the most passing yardage by a WCU quarterback in a single game over the past two seasons. He completed 18 of 34 attempts for 328 yards.
East Stroudsburg - Cooper Jordan - In West Chester's 24-21 victory at East Stroudsburg, Jordan (Fr. Bishop Shanahan) had his way with the Warriors. He completed 7 of 16 passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns, but he also ran 12 times for 133 yards and a score. Jordan was named PSAC Eastern Division Offensive Athlete of the Week for his effort.
Shepherd - Sterlen Barr - In Shepherd's first ever visit to Farrell Stadium, Barr (Sr., Upper Moreland) registered a game-high 12 tackles. He also had a pass breakup in the 47-14 loss.
Lock Haven - Zach DeMarchis - In West Chester's 58-10 win over Lock Haven, DeMarchis (Sr., Pennsbury) made a team-high five tackles. In pass coverage, he registered two pass breakups. DeMarchis also nabbed an interception which led to WCU's first score and recovered a fumble which led to a Golden Ram touchdown.
Kutztown - David Blay - In a dominating 28-9 win at Kutztown, Blay (R-Fr., Truman) made eight total tackles. He also had two tackles for loss, the first coming on a second-and-one which set the tone for a turnover on downs, and the second after Kutztown took possession deep in WCU territory after a fumble.
Clarion - Phil Poquie - In his final collegiate game, Poquie (Sr., Haverford) had 122 yards rushing, 60 yards receiving, and 34 yards in kick returns. He scored a touchdown on a 54-yard run leading to a 36-27 season finale victory.
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West Chester Football Scholar Athlete of the Year - Matt Checchia
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The following players were selected by the coaches for their efforts this season:
Greenwood Family Offensive Scout Team Award - Daquan Robinson
Dave Williams Defensive Scout Team Award - Graham Muscella
Ted Novak Memorial Coaches' Award - Noah Collachi - After playing primarily on special teams in 2021, Collachi (Jr., Central Bucks South) made a bigger impact with the Golden Ram defense this past year. He totaled 13 tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss. Collachi also registered two quarterback hurries and returned a fumble 23 yards against Lock Haven.
Julie & Mark Drochek Coaches' Award - Phil Poquie - After an injury caused Poquie (Sr., Haverford) to miss the final three and a half games last season, he returned to his usual all-around form this past season. Poquie racked up over 1,000 all-purpose yards which was good for fifth in the PSAC. He had 440 yards and three touchdowns rushing, nine catches for 154 yards, 16 kickoff returns for 309 yards and eight punt returns for 163 yards. Poquie was the Killinger Player of the Game after the win at Clarion.
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The following players were selected by their teammates for their performance for the season:
Maria & Rick Daniels Unsung Hero Award - Zach DeMarchis - Typical of an unsung hero, DeMarchis (Sr., Pennsbury) isn't a headline grabber, but he finished with 55 total tackles which was second on the team. In his first season as a full-time starter, he provided a steadying influence to the secondary. DeMarchis is also credited with a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, an interception and three pass breakups.
Bill Vansant Memorial Special Teams Award - Sean Henry - Henry (So., Exeter) led the team and was fourth in the PSAC in kick scoring wth 71 points. He converted 29 of 31 PAT's and 14 of 19 field goals with a long of 44 yards. Henry nailed 20 of his 58 kickoffs for touchbacks. In the latter half of the season, he also punted for the Golden Rams, averaging 36 yards on 21 punts while dropping four inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Henry earned second team All-PSAC East honors.
Brazill Family Defensive Player of the Year - Zach Liggitt - Liggitt (Sr., Northampton) made only 24 total tackles on the season, but almost half of them were in the opponents' backfield. He led the Golden Rams and was fifth in the PSAC with 8.0 sacks for 57 yards. In addition, he forced three fumbles and was credited with four quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. Liggitt earned first team All-PSAC East honors.
Muz & Lew Peck Offensive Player of the Year - Cooper Jordan - Jordan (Fr., Bishop Shanahan) made a huge splash as a true freshman, dual threat quarterback. He was efficient throwing the ball, connecting on 42 of 78 attempts for 713 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception for a 161.9 rating. Jordan was second on the Golden Rams with 610 yards and three touchdowns on 79 carries and finished 11th in the PSAC in total offense with 135.9 yards/game.
Golden Ram Football Club Player of the Year and WCU Football Athlete of the Year - Jackson Taylor - Taylor (Jr., Abington) filled up the defensive stat sheet as Golden Ram fans have come accustomed to. Of his 97 total tackles, 20.0 were for a loss. He forced a fumble, recovered four fumbles, and had seven quarterback hurries. Taylor blocked a PAT against Bentley, a game that West Chester won by one point, and had a game-ending sack for a safety at Gannon.
Taylor was named first team All-PSAC East, PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year, All-Super Region 1 by the Division 2 Conference Commissioner's Association, and All-American by the AFCA, the Associated Press and Don Hansen.
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The 2023 Golden Ram Captains were introduced and are
cornerback Sterlen Barr,
fullback Mason Griffiths,
linebacker Khalib Slaughter,
right tackle Quinton Derr, and
defensive tackle Ayyub Dail.
West Chester will open the 2023 season at noon on Saturday, September 2 at Bentley in Waltham, MA.
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