Team News - Schedule Update

West Chester's final scrimmage of the summer, originally scheduled for Friday, August 24 at 6:30 pm, has been moved to Wednesday August 22 at 6:30 pm.

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

Four West Chester Golden Ram players have received honors for their performance in the classroom for the 2017-18 academic year. Wide receiver Tyler Karpinski, offensive lineman Alex Host, defensive end John Dubyk, and offensive lineman Brian Ross were all named recipients of the Division 2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award. Both Karpinski and Host are 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, 100 women and 29 men from West Chester University received recognition. Once again, the PSAC was one of the most represented conferences in the country with 931 student-athletes honored.

National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics - D2 ADA Announces 2017-18 Academic Achievement Recipients

PSAC Site - 931 PSAC Student-Athletes Receive 2017-18 D2ADA Achievement Award

Team News - 2018 First Scrimmage Report

The first scrimmage of the 2018 season showed a lot of signs of the first scrimmage of the 2018 season - coaches making sure players are in the right place at the right time. Some notable observations from game action:

• With quarterback Paul Dooley out for the first five games of the season, A.J. Long ran the first team offense and redshirt freshman Zach Gilbert led the second team. Dooley participated with the third team and as did redshirt freshman Mike Piperno. Keeping Long healthy through the first half of the season will be a top priority for the Golden Rams.
  
• Long did a much better job of picking his spots to run and as a result, his ground game was very effective. Piperno threw some ill-advised passes and Nydair Rouse intercepted two of them.
  
• Even though punting drills take place at the very start of the scrimmage, Brendan Paulison showed why he's an All-American. His punt from the back of the end zone had plenty of hang time and made it out to midfield. But then going the other way, his punt from midfield, which also had plenty of hang time, rolled down to a stop near the sideline inside the one.
  
• A couple of transitions seem to be going very well. First Bloomsburg transfer wide receiver Ethan Price was an active part of the offense in his first appearance as a Golden Ram. Secondly, former quarterback Mike Alley made a couple of catches from his new tight end position.
  
• In the "no surprise" category, when defensive end Diquan Gilbert wasn't pressuring the quarterback, he was batting down passes at the line of scrimmage. And running back Mark Dukes took a handoff and exploded for a long touchdown run.
  
• Notable players who did not dress were running back Mike Class and defensive back Jarey Elder.
  
• Former Golden Ram pass rusher Sam Scott appears to have an active role with the team.
  

West Chester's final scrimmage of the summer is tentatively scheduled for Friday, August 24 at 6:30 pm.

A.J. Long found a big hole for a big gain (Photo Ron Hockman)

Linebacker Nate Barnes drags down a ball carrier (Photo Ron Hockman)

Mark Dukes speeds into the end zone (Photo Ron Hockman)

Shaq Ryder gets ready to envelope a rusher (Photo Ron Hockman)

The Golden Rams debuted their new helmets (Photo Ron Hockman)

Player News - Morrissey, Paulison Preseason All-Americans

Senior linebacker Tyler Morrissey and senior punter Brendan Paulison have both been named to the D2football.com Preseason All-American Team. Morrisey was a first team selection while Paulison garnered second team recognition. Ealier this year, both were named to Street and Smith's Division II Preseason All-American Team. The Golden Rams were the only Super Region One team with more than one player cited.

Last season, Morrisey was named first team All-PSAC East, first team All-ECAC, first team CCA All-Super Region 1, second team CCA All-American, second team AP All-American and honorable mention All-American by the Don Hansen Football Gazette. He was also named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year, ECAC Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award. He finished the season with 137 tackles which was the most in the nation, including 14.0 tackles for loss (sixth in the PSAC), five quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles (both in the playoffs).

Tyler Morrissey was involved in 137 tackles last season (Photo Ron Hockman)

After the 2017 campaign, Paulison was named first team ALL-PSAC East, first team CCA All-Super Region 1, first team All-ECAC, second team CCA All-American and honorable mention All-American by the Don Hansen Football Gazette. He averaged 44.1 yards per punt (third in the country), booming 17 of his 61 punts for more than 50 yards while dropping 23 of them inside the opponent's 20-yard line. The Golden Rams were second in the nation in net punting, as Paulison limited opponents to only 25 returns for 142 yards on the season.

Brendan Paulison is one of the top punters in the country (Photo Ron Hockman)

After finishing 9-4 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA playoffs, the Golden Rams are not ranked in D2football.com's Preseason Top 25 Poll. Indiana is the only Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team that appears in the poll at #4.

West Chester opens the 2018 season at Bentley on August 30.

D2Football.com - 2018 D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team

Player News - Dooley Suspended for First Five Games

Junior quarterback Paul Dooley has reportedly been suspended by the NCAA for the first five games of the 2018 season. This resolves the situation of Dooley rotating at the position with junior A.J. Long. The incident reportedly occurred this past spring and the NCAA's decision to Dooley's appeal was recently finalized. Recall that Dooley missed the spring of 2017 due to an off the field incident as well.

Long will become the starter with redshirt freshmen Mike Piperno or Zach Gilbert serving as the backup.

West Chester opens the 2018 season at Bentley on August 30.

Daily Local News - WCU QB Dooley suspended 5 games by NCAA for failed drug test

Team News - Golden Rams Receiving Votes in AFCA Preseason Poll

West Chester is among teams receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II preseason poll. The Golden Rams return 16 starters from last year's playoff team that finished 9-4.

West Chester opens the 2018 season at Bentley on August 30.

American Football Coaches Association - Division II Coaches’ Poll – August 13, 2018

Team News - Golden Rams Picked To Finish First Again

The West Chester University Golden Rams were picked to finish first in the division by the conference coaches at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference annual Football Media Day. West Chester received six of seven first place votes among the division's coaches. This is third consecutive year that the Golden Rams were chosen to win the division.

Predicted order with first place votes in parentheses:

Eastern Division
1. West Chester (6)
2. Shippensburg
3. Kutztown (1)
4. Bloomsburg
5. East Stroudsburg
6. Millersville
7. Lock Haven

PSAC Site - West Chester Tabbed Favorite in PSAC Football Eastern Division

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Picked As The Favorite In PSAC East Preseason Poll

Player News - Tranzilli Receives National Recognition

Junior offensive lineman Frank Tranzilli has been named to the 2018 College Football America Division II Starting Lineup. Last season, Tranzilli was named first team All-PSAC East, first team All-ECAC, and first team All-Super Region 1 by the Don Hansen Football Gazette.

Frank Tranzilli earned all-conference honors in 2017 (Photo Ron Hockman)

After finishing 9-4 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA playoffs, the Golden Rams are ranked 29th in the College Football America 2018 Yearbook. Other Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference teams that appear in the poll are #2 Indiana, #20 Shippensburg, and #30 California.

West Chester opens the 2018 season at Bentley on August 30.

West Chester Athletic Site - Frank Tranzilli Named To College Football America 2018 Starting Lineup

Team News - Nineteen Golden Rams Named PSAC Scholar-Athletes

Nineteen members of the Golden Ram football team have been named PSAC Scholar-Athletes for the 2017-2018 academic year. In order to qualify for the honor, athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or better. There were 3,062 athletes from all 18 PSAC institutions of which 266 represented West Chester University.

Representing the football team are:

• sophomore tight end Mike Alley*
• sophomore tight end Cody Boozel*
• junior linebacker Quinten Cheyney*
• senior offensive lineman Tyler Drob*
• senior defensive end John Dubyk*
• junior linebacker Kevin Duggan*
• sophomore offensive lineman Patrick Ferry
• sophomore tight end Tyler Higgins*
• sophomore linebacker Zack Hockman*
• freshman defensive back Tyrone Hodges
• senior offensive lineman Alex Host*
• senior wide receiver Tyler Karpinski*
• sophomore offensive lineman Shane Kraynik*
• sophomore offensive lineman Brian Ross*
• senior defensive end Ch'aim Smith
• sophomore offensive lineman Frank Tranzilli*
• senior offensive lineman Connor Walsh*
• freshman defensive back Cole Zapf

* Student-athletes who were also recognized as a PSAC Scholar-Athlete for the 2016-2017 academic year.

PSAC Site - PSAC Sets New Scholar-Athlete Record with 3,062

West Chester Athletic Site - WCU Paces All PASSHE Institutions With 266 PSAC Scholar-Athletes

Team News - 2018 Roster Changes

Let's take a look at some of the changes from last season to the 2018 roster.

• Almost every player in the 2018 unofficial recruiting class appears on the roster, including transfers Tyrone Barge (DT, Rhode Island), Dom Carey (OL, Marist), and Fulani Freeman (LB, Valley Forge Military Academy). Two players that were part of the recruiting class that do not appear on the roster are Montize Young (CB, Stevens) and Tyreer Mills (ATH, Middletown, PA) who appears to be headed to Jersey Coast Academy.
  

There are four additional incoming transfers:

• Ethan Price (WR, Bloomsburg) - In his two seasons with the Huskies, Price made 36 catches for 629 yards and two touchdowns, including three catches for 86 yards in Bloomsburg's 20-19 win against the Golden Rams last year. Considered a big play threat, Price was an All-State receiver in his senior year at Southern Lehigh High School when he made 56 catches for 1,281 yards and 16 touchdowns.
  
• Alex Coren (OL, Villanova) - Coren, whose grandfather played for the Golden Rams, saw limited time in his three years with the Wildcats, but earned CAA Football All-Academic Team honors along the way.
  
• Wes Verbit (WR, West Virginia) - Verbit only spent one year at West Virginia and didn't appear on the Mountaineer's roster. As a senior at Central Bucks East High School, he was named honorable mention Class 6A All-EasternPAFootball.com, third team All-Southeastern PA, and first team All-Suburban One Continental.
  
• Tony Ellis (WR, Shippensburg) - PSAC fans may have seen Ellis play for the Raiders, but not on the football field. George Anthony Ellis starred for Shippensburg's basketball team. In 102 games over four seasons, the inside presence amassed 581 points, 514 rebounds, 52 blocks and 54 steals. It will be interesting to see how his 6'6" frame fits into West Chester's passing game.
  

Two other freshman are listed:

• William Voss - Offensive lineman from Downingtown East.
  
• Jacob Colby - Offensive lineman from Bishop Shanahan.
  

Making room for all of the additions were several players with eligibility left that are not listed on the 2018 roster. Some notables:

• Jordan Banks - The wide receiver had 14 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns in 2017. Over his three seasons with the Golden Rams, he tallied 54 catches for 750 yards and ten scores as he made ten starts in 2016.
  
• Zack Hockman - The linebacker elected to stop playing football after playing for the Golden Rams in 2015 as a true freshman and again in 2017. He registered 43 total tackles, including 5.0 tackles for loss.
  
• Simon Williams -The tight end played in all 13 games last season, making one catch for a 21-yard touchdown against Bentley.
  
• Shane Kraynik - The big offensive lineman played two games in 2016, but suffered an injury prior to the 2017 season.
  
• Tyler Higgins - The tight end appeared in ten games over two seasons for the Golden Rams.
  
• Deionte Wilson - The safety played in all 13 games last season, registering 26 total tackles, including forcing and recovering a fumble at Cheyney. He is now with PSAC East rival Shippensburg.
  
• Other players not returning include running back Nafeese Nasir, defensive back Nyseer Jones, defensive back Devin Darden, defensive back Ed Scannapieco, offensive lineman Austin Reusing, offensive lineman Dashon Thomas, wide receiver Mack Focht, tight end Adam Schreck, tight end Connor McGrath, and defensive tackle Amara Kenneth.
  

Defensive tackle Shaq Ryder is back. Again. Ryder started all 13 games in 2014, finishing fifth on the team in tackles with 54, including four sacks. Ryder was named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week for his ten tackle performance at Kutztown. He then didn't appear on the roster in 2015. And although he appeared on the 2016 roster, he did not participate in a game. He was then absent from the 2017 roster.

There are at least a dozen number changes, so make sure you buy a program at the game!