Team News - Girardi, Killinger Nominated to HOF

West Chester alumnus Frank Girardi and legendary Golden Ram head coach Dr. W. Glenn Killinger appear on the 2016 ballot of the College Football Hall of Fame as divisional (non-FBS) coaches.

After graduating from West Chester in 1961, Girardi went on to coach at Jersey Shore High School from 1961-1968. In 1969, he started coaching at Lycoming College where he became head coach three years later. In 36 years as head coach at Lycoming, Girardi compiled a record of 257-97-4 and racked up 13 Middle Atlantic Conference titles and qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs 11 times, reaching the championship game in 1990 and 1997. At the time that he retired in 2007, he was the fifth winningest college football coach. Girardi has been inducted into the Killinger Hall of Fame, Lycoming Athletics Hall of Fame, West Branch Valley Hall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania State Sports Hall of Fame.

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.

The 2016 Class will be announced on January 8, 2016, three days prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, in Scottsdale, AZ.

2016 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot Released

Centre Daily Times - Nittany Lion duo on Hall of Fame ballot

Team News - Sporting News Recognizes Golden Rams

Now that Memorial Day has passed, it's time to really turn the focus to the upcoming season. In that light, Sporting News has ranked the Golden Rams #18 in their preseason Division II Top 25 poll. Other teams of note among their top 25 are both of West Chester's 2014 playoff opponents with Concord at #5 and Slippery Rock at #9. Long time PSAC East rival Bloomsburg checks in at #13 and West Chester's 2015 opening day opponent Lenoir-Rhyne is slotted at #19.

Sporting News recognized that head coach Bill Zwaan must replace award winning quarterback Sean McCartney, but the offense will be helped by co-captains Brandon Monk and Tim Brown. Last season, running back Monk had over 2,000 all-purpose yards (1,296 rushing, 278 receiving, 200 punt returns, 304 kick returns) and 12 touchdowns while being named first team All-PSAC East and first team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region One. Meanwhile, tight end Brown led the Golden Rams in all receiving categories with 53 catches for 1,059 yards and 17 scores. His receiving yards and touchdowns were tops in the country among tight ends. Brown was named first team All-PSAC East, first team Super Region One by Daktronics, Beyond Sports Network, and Don Hansen Football Gazette, second team All-American by Daktronics and Beyond Sports Network and first team All-American by Don Hansen Football Gazette.

Prior to last season, Sporting News slotted West Chester #6.

Brandon Monk had over 2,00 all-purpose yards in 2014 (Photo Bert Garbutt)

Tim Brown is one of the best tight ends in the country (Photo Bert Garbutt)

Event News - Bucks County Lions Football Classic

Two future Golden Rams will be participating in the Bob Sands Memorial, Bucks County Lions, All Star Football Classic to be held on May 29 at 7:30 pm at War Memorial Field in Doylestown. Linebacker Matt Magdelinskas of Neshaminy will play for the South while while linebacker Zack Hockman of Pennridge will suit up for the North squad in the contest.

The event is sponsored by the Bucks County Lions Club with the charitable funds raised by the game going primarily to the Bucks County Association for the Blind and the Lions Camp Kirby for the Hearing Impaired.

Suburban One Sports - 2015 Bucks County Lions Football All Star Classic Rosters

UPDATE - SuburbanOneSports.com - North Defense Steals Spotlight in Bucks County All-Star Game - Zack Hockman Named MVP

UPDATE - GameTimePA.com - South all-stars undone by turnovers in shutout loss to the North

Event News - Hero Bowl

Three future Golden Rams will be participating in the 39th Annual Delaware County Hero Bowl football game to be held at 7:30 pm on May 28 at Cardinal O'Hara High School. Expected to participate in the contest are offensive lineman Brian Ross of Haverford and tight end Tyler Higgins of Bonner-Prendergast. Both will suit up for the East squad. Lineman John DiPasquale of Garnet Valley will play for the West team.

The Hero Bowl serves as Delaware County's senior all-star game with all proceeds going to benefit the Hero Scholarship Fund of Delaware County to provide scholarships to the children of police officers, fire fighters and EMS workers who have given their lives in the line of duty.

Delco Daily Times - Hero Bowl: East & West Rosters

Delco Daily Times - Hero Bowl 2015: Change was necessary after two years of nonsense

Event News - Berks Senior Football Classic

A future Golden Ram will be participating in the 17th Berks Senior Football Classic to be held on Sunday May 31 at 4:15 pm at Exeter High School's Don Thomas Stadium. Kicker/punter Matt Hook of Fleetwood will play for the White Team. Besides Fleetwood, the White team will have players from Berks Catholic, Daniel Boone, Wyomissing, Twin Valley, Exeter, and Reading. The Blue team will represent Kutztown, Hamburg, Conrad Weiser, Wilson, Muhlenberg, Schuylkill Valley and Governor Mifflin. The all-star game is part of the Berks County Football Coaches Association's "Berks County Football Weekend" which includes a skills challenge for underclassmen, a football combine, and the Hall of Fame dinner with induction of new members.

Reading Eagle - Senior Classic drops East/West format for more balanced format

Event News - Valor Bowl

Two future Golden Rams will be participating in the 17th Annual Valor Bowl to be held at 7:15 pm on Thursday, May 28 at John A. Farrell Stadium on South Campus of West Chester University. Quarterback Dan Murphy of Bishop Shanahan will suit up for the West squad while Unionville linebacker Quinn Cheyney will play for the East team.

The Valor Bowl was founded by Scott Allison and former West Chester Golden Ram and Killinger Hall of Fame member Joe Carroll, and serves as Chester county's senior all-star game with all proceeds going to benefit the Chester County Special Olympics.

Several current West Chester University football players have participated in the Valor Bowl including Brandon Monk, Sean Steinmetz, Ryan Fay, Ben Smith, and Bill Ford. Other notable Valor Bowl alumni include 2001 North Offensive MVP Bob Findora who later led the Golden Rams to the 2004 Division II National semi-final and 2010 East Offensive MVP Rondell White who led the Golden Rams to the Division II National semi-final in 2013.

GameTimePA.com - Valor Bowl kicks off tonight

Event News - Philadelphia City All-Star Game

A future Golden Ram will be participating in the 41st Annual City All-Star Game to be held on Thursday May 21 at 7:00 pm at Northeast High School. Quarterback Paul Dooley of Springside Chestnut Hill will play for the Non-Public Team.

Several Golden Rams have participated in this contest including All-American wide receiver Michael Washington (2004), WCU MVP quarterback Mike Mattei (2008), All-American cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz (2010) and wide receiver Erick Brundidge (2010). Current Golden Rams that played in the game include Byron Cooper, Kevin Malone, Blaise Schieler, Sean Boylan and Nydair Rouse.

Philadelphia Tribune - Ben Franklin High quarterback Kevin Caldwell to play in City All-Star Game

Team News - 2015 Unofficial Recruiting Class

Name	Pos	Ht	Wt	School
Quinn Cheyney	LB	6-2	225	Unionville
Davant'e Coney	FS/WR	6-4	180	Prep Charter
Joe DeSanto	DL	6-3	270	Plymouth Whitemarsh
John DiPasquale	OL	6-5	295	Garnet Valley
Paul Dooley	QB	6-1	195	Springside Chestnut Hill
Jarey Elder	CB	5-11	175	Parkland
Colby Faasuamalie	OL	6-3	300	Bethlehem Catholic
Elijah Hall	WR	6-2	180	Bethlehem Liberty
Tyler Higgins	DE	6-4	235	Bonner-Prendergast
Zack Hockman	LB	6-2	220	Pennridge
Matt Hook	K	6-4	210	Fleetwood
Matt Magdelinskas	DB	5-11	175	Neshaminy
Jack Mummert	OL	6-2	310	Central Bucks South
Dan Murphy	ATH	6-0	180	Bishop Shanahan
Bobby Rider	OL/DL	6-5	330	Greencastle-Antrim
Lex Rosario	DB	6-0	200	Delaware Valley
Brian Ross	OL	6-4	320	Haverford
Jordan Sadusky	ATH	6-4	205	Rancocas Valley
Sean Tomlinson	OL/DL	6-3	287	Governor Livingston
Frank Tranzilli	OL	6-2	290	North Penn
Deionte Wilson	FS	6-1	175	Allentown Central Catholic

Daily Local News - Zwaan unveils recruiting class

Alumni News - Shabazz Signs with Colts

Former Golden Ram cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz has reportedly signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts. After this past season, Hajj was named All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 1, second team Beyond Sports Network All-American, an ECAC Division II Football All-Star, a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, first team D2football.com All-American, first team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region 1, and first team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American.

Shabazz scored two touchdowns this season (Photo Bert Garbutt)

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester’s Al-Hajj Shabazz Signs With The Colts

Stampede Blue - Colts Agree to Terms with 15 Undrafted Free Agents

Daily Local News - Shabazz confident of making NFL

Event News - Future Golden Rams to Play in PSFCA East/West Game

Four future Golden Rams are expected to play in the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association (PSFCA) East/West All-Star Game on May 3 at Downingtown East High School. Selected to play for East squad which will be coached by Rob Klock of Lower Dauphin are:

• Jarey Elder - WR - Parkland
• Frank Tranzilli - OL - North Penn
• Jack Mummert - OL - Central Bucks South
• Joe DeSanto - DL - Plymouth-Whitemarsh

Kick-off is set for 2:00 pm.

PAFootballNews.com - 2015 PSFCA East Roster

Allentown Morning Call - Three local kids ready to shine in PSFCA All-Star Football Game