Player News - Jordan Burney Arrested

Starting safety Jordan Burney's unexplained absence from Saturday's game at Shippensburg got an apparent explanation. According to an article in the Daily Local News, police issued warrants for Burney and another man on Thursday, October 3, on two counts of felony possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance related to an incident that occurred on September 1. The two men face a preliminary hearing on October 25.

Burney started the first four games this season, registering 11 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Last year, he started in all ten games that he played and made 28 tackles, had two interceptions and recovered a fumble. In last week's Shippensburg game, Burney was replaced by converted wide receiver Jalik Smith who had a team-high seven tackles in the contest. However, this week's depth chart shows Nyeem Jones (nine tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, two blocked kicks) getting the start.

Jordan Burney returning a blocked punt against Seton Hill (Photo Ron Hockman)

Daily Local News - West Chester University football player busted for drugs

Game Preview - Bloomsburg

The #12 Golden Rams (5-0, 2-0) host the Bloomsburg Huskies (1-4, 0-2) on Saturday in a PSAC East matchup. Kickoff for this televised game is scheduled for noon.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 50-27 and these two schools often play big games. The two schools have met twice in playoffs - 2008 and again in 2013 - with both postseason games played in Bloomsburg. The Huskies took the 2008 contest while the Golden Rams won in 2013 en route to the NCAA Division II semi-finals. The last two matchup have been very close with each team winning on the other's home field. Bloomsburg head coach Paul Darragh is in his sixth season and is 3-4 against the Golden Rams.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2010	Away	Loss	45-21	2014	Away	Loss	41-10
2011	Home	Loss	55-42	2015	Home	Win	33-22
2012	Away	Loss	24-23	2016	Away	Win	27-7
2013	Home	Loss	31-28	2017	Home	Loss	20-19
2013	Away	Win	40-38	2018	Away	Win	17-14

Last Meeting:

10/07/2018 West Chester 17 - Bloomsburg 14

The Golden Rams dominated all of the offensive categories, but two West Chester interceptions led to easy touchdowns as the Huskies took a 14-3 lead into halftime. In the second half, the Golden Ram defense yielded more yards, but no points. And the offense took care of the ball and scored two touchdowns. In retrospect, it was Andrew Chegia's first quarter 30-yard field goal that was the difference in the game.

Receiver Lex Rosario made eight catches for 91 yards while tight end Dan Neuhaus had three receptions for 29 yards. Defensively, Jordan Burney made five tackles and defensive end Ch'aim Smith had a sack.

Scouting the Opponent:

The Husky running game expected to rely on senior Qmac Quiteh (26 carries, 62 yards, 2 TD's), but he's been limited to just two games this seaosn due to injury. So Khalil Nelson (47 carries, 191 yards, 1 TD) and Delaware State transfer Nyfease West (28 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD) have split the running duties. West (15 catches, 103 yards) is also the second leading receiver behind only All-PSAC receiver Michael Allen (26 catches, 330 yards, 2 TD's). Receiver Duffy Gilhool (5 catches, 55 yards, 2 TD's) only has five catches, but two have been to the end zone. Redshirt freshman quarterback Logan Leiby (68 of 133, 662 yards, 4 TD's, 2 int's) leads the offense.

All-PSAC kicker Jaco Sattamini is only doing the punting this year with Cameron Shollenberger handling the place kicking. Allen returned a punt for a touchdown against Edinboro.

Top tacklers for the Huskies are linebacker Alex Annan (36 tackles, 3.0 TFL), linebacker Aaron Trumino (33 tackles, 3.5 TFL) and defensive end and Georgia State transfer Alex Findura (31 tackles, 5.5 TFL). Bloomsburg's eight sacks are distributed over nine different players and three defenders have interceptions.

Analysis:

Bloomsburg's offensive and scoring struggles continue this year, so the West Chester defense should be fine as long as they have another solid outing. Historically the Huskies have had a dominating defense, but that's not the case this season either. But both of those statements could have been said about the past two matchups between these schools, and both have been very close. Thus is the nature of a longtime rivalry like the one between Bloomsburg and West Chester.

Atomic Football projects a 21-point Golden Ram win and Massey Ratings shows a margin of 24. Expect it to be closer.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

The game will also be broadcast on WPHL17

West Chester Athletic Site - Depth Chart - West Chester vs. Bloomsburg

West Chester Athletic Site - No. 12 West Chester Prepares For Rival Bloomsburg Saturday at Noon

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes - Week 6

Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Football Travels to #12 West Chester on Saturday

KYW Newsradio - West Chester welcomes Bloomsburg to town Saturday

Event News - October 10 Bill Zwaan Football Show

The Bill Zwaan Football Show will be held at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM.

According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, senior center Shane Griffin and junior defensive tackle Omar Peterkin will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In addition, Sports Information Director James Zuhlke will join the show.

In West Chester's 29-21 win at Shippensburg on Saturday, Peterkin had two tackles including 0.5 tackle for loss. Meanwhile Griffin made the switch from defensive end last year to center this season.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coach or the players to Bill Zwaan Show.

Team News - Golden Rams Up to #12 in AFCA Poll

As a result of West Chester's 29-21 win at Shippensburg, the Golden Rams rose two more spots to #12 in the top 25 of the coaches' poll. West Chester also rose two spots in the D2football.com poll to #13.

West Chester's next action is Saturday when they host Bloomsburg (1-4) for a noon kickoff.

American Football Coaches Association - Minnesota State Takes Control fo NSIC after Dominating Win

D2Football.com - Top 25 Poll - October 8, 2019

Player News - McKenzie Named PSAC East Offensive POW

For his efforts in West Chester's 29-21 win at Shippensburg, redhsirt freshman running back Ja'Den McKenzie has been named PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week.

In the first half, McKenzie only had 22 yards on four carries, with 13 of those yards coming on the third play of the game. But with the passing game struggling, the Golden Ram offense turned to McKenzie for production. Late in the third quarter, he had 44 yards on four carries, including an 18-yard touchdown run. Then on West Chester's final possession, he accounted for all 35 yards on two carries for the last score of the game. His final stats for the contest were 16 carries for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

Running Back Ja'Den McKenzie (Photo Ron Hockman)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - 10/7

West Chester Athletic Site - Ja’Den McKenzie Named PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week

Game Report - West Chester 29 - Shippensburg 21

The #14 Golden Rams (5-0, 2-0) overcame five turnovers and held off Shippensburg (1-4, 1-1) by a score of 29-21. On a day when the West Chester passing attack was only intermittently effective, redshirt freshman running back Ja'Den McKenzie pounded the ball 16 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns, including the final score with under two minutes left in the game.

The fact that the passing game struggled is puzzling. Shippensburg allowed 411 yards to Slippery Rock and 336 yards to California. Sure they held Clarion to 104 yards and Bloomsburg to 147 yards through the air, but West Chester's passing game is considered to be more on par with the first two teams rather than the latter two.

In the first quarter, quarterback Paul Dooley (11 of 21, 167 yards, 1 TD, 3 int) hit Gabe Schappell in stride for a 67-yard catch-and-run touchdown. And when trailing 14-10 in the second quarter, Dooley made a perfect 37-yard pass to Kenny Edelin, followed by a 12-yard connection on third-and-ten to tight end Cody Boozel and a 24-yard strike to Dan Neuhaus to convert a third-and-nine. But for the remainder of the contest, Dooley struggled as he threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles. Fans wondered that if he wasn't relieved in a game like that, what would it take. Sure Yahmir Wilkerson got his usual token snaps, but at no time were other quarterbacks loosening up on the sideline.

Midway through the third quarter, trailing 21-16, the Golden Rams took to the running game. Play after play was McKenzie and Phil Poquie, usually around the left side for chunks of yards. Wide receiver Lex Rosario, although held without a catch in the game, had numerous blocks that contributed to the effort.

Meanwhile, despite giving up 21 points, the defense had another solid game. Due to the turnovers, Shippensburg had great field position for the first three quarters, and two of their touchdown drives were from 22 and and 19 yards. But at the start of the fourth quarter, when the Raiders attempted a fourth-and-two from midfield, linebacker Jackson Taylor threw down Ship's big fullback for a four-yard loss. In Ship's next possession, Nyeem Jones and Ch'aim Smith teamed up on a tackle for loss and Smith registered a solo sack on the next play. Shippensburg's ensuing possession resulted in a three-and-out when linebacker Rashon Wiggins thwarted a third-and-one run. And later Jones forced a punt when he registered a solo nine-yard sack on a third down pass play.

But with West Chester holding a 29-21 lead (one WCU PAT was blocked while a two-point conversion failed), Shippensburg had 1:39 and three timeouts to navigate 75 yards. The Raiders chipped away and moved the ball to the West Chester 27 on a fourth-down conversion, but their only pass into the end zone got knocked down as time expired and the Golden Rams moved to 5-0. Former receiver Jalik Smith had a team-high seven tackles and freshman defensive back Shamar Edwards notched six stops.

Safety Jordan Burney didn't even make the trip, and the game took its toll on the Golden Rams' health as well. Before the end of the afternoon, Edelin was in a sling, cornerback Izaiah McPherson had to be helped off the field, defensive tackle Omar Peterkin was on the sideline without a helmet and defensive end Fulani Freeman, who applied good pressure despite not registering a sack, had ice wrapped around his groin. Kicker Andrew Chegia handled the second half kickoffs since George Lambritsios' kickoffs were noticeably short in the first half, however Lambritsios had another effective day punting.

Sortable Box Score    Coaches Box Score

West Chester Athletic Site - No. 14 West Chester Escapes Shippensburg With 29-21 Win

Shippensburg Athletic Site - Football Goes Toe-to-Toe With No. 14 West Chester But Falls Late, 29-21

Daily Local News - West Chester University overcomes 5 turnovers to avoid upset at Shippensburg

Shippensburg News-Chronicle - Shippensburg University football loses close game to West Chester despite strong defensive performance

The Slate Online - Red Raiders drop heartbreaker to No. 14 West Chester on final snap

Game Preview - Shippensburg

#14 West Chester University (4-0, 1-0) travels to Shippensburg to take on the Shippensburg Raiders (1-3, 1-0) on Saturday. Kickoff at Seth Grove Stadium is set for 1:00 pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 27-11-1. In his 16 years at West Chester, Bill Zwaan is 14-4 against the Raiders, as the two schools faced each other twice in both the 2004 and 2017 seasons. Shippensburg alumnus and head coach Mark Maciejewski is in his 8th season and holds a 62-32 record.

In one of the most memorable games in West Chester football history, Golden Ram quarterback Sean McCartney made his first collegiate start and threw for 444 yards and five touchdowns to lead West Chester to a 44-43 victory in two overtimes in a nationally televised Thursday night game in 2010. The following year, West Chester laid a 52-17 loss on the Raiders, but Shippensburg returned the favor in 2012, beating West Chester 42-24 on homecoming at Farrell Stadium and continued on to the PSAC championship game and the NCAA playoffs that year.

In 2013, Shawn Leo booted a 26-yard field goal with one second left to give West Chester the thrilling victory. And in 2017, West Chester defeated Shippensburg on the road in October only to have to do it again in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2010	Home	Win	44-43 2OT	2015	Away	Loss	27-11
2011	Away	Win	52-17	2016	Home	Win	31-15
2012	Home	Loss	42-24	2017	Away	Win	37-27
2013	Away	Win	32-29	2017	Away	Win	27-6
2014	Home	Win	55-28	2018	Home	Win	28-21

Last Meeting:

09/30/2018 West Chester 28 - Shippensburg 21

The Golden Ram defense held Shippensburg to just nine yards rushing, 1 of 12 on third down and forced four interceptions. Tight end Dan Neuhaus made his first appearance of the season and hauled in two catches for 26 yards and the game's first touchdown. But Lex Rosario was nearly unstoppable as he made 13 receptions for 193 yards and a score. Jordan Burney had three tackles including a sack and safety Jarey Elder made two tackles but made two critical interceptions - the first in the red zone and the second on Shippensburg's final possession. Elder had a third pick negated by a penalty.

Scouting the Opponent:

Reigning PSAC East Freshman of the Year quarterback Brycen Mussina (52 of 91, 652 yards, 5 TD's, 3 int's) is the starting signal caller, but he got knocked out of their game at Slippery Rock and only threw one pass in their next contest. Redshirt freshman Max DeVinney (41 of 68, 424 yards, 2 TD's, 2 int's) played most of the second half against Rock and threw 49 times at California.

Regardless of who's pitching, there's plenty of guys catching in two-time All-PSAC East receiver Winston Eubanks (27 catches, 383 yards, 2 TD's), David Balint III (15 catches, 128 yards, 1 TD), and Charles Headen III (10 catches, 108 yards, 2 TD's). While Luke Durkin (31 catches, 172 yards) is Shippensburg's leading rushing, all of his rushing stats occurred in their last game against Bloomsburg. Reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Year and Albany transfer Josh Gontarek is not on the roster despite being listed as a junior last season. Right guard Zach Warren received All-PSAC East Second Team recognition in both 2017 and 2018.

David Shank handles all of the kicking duties, averages 34 yards per punt, and has converted just two field goal attempts.

The Raiders have ten players with double digit tackles led by linebackers Tyler Simon (23 tackles, 3.0 TFL) and Tig Spinelli (22 tackles, 2.5 TFL). Redshirt freshman defensive linemen Aaron Alphee (8 tackles, 2 sacks) leads the team in sacks and linebacker Laron Woody (17 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 int) has the team's only interception this season.

Analysis:

Shippensburg is usually known as an offensive team and most games turn into a shootout. While their passing game is still very good with Mussina and Eubanks, the run game has been absent prior to last weekend. Nevertheless, this will be the Golden Rams' defense toughest test so far this season. And this year, the Raiders' offense hasn't put up the points they usually do and no where near enough to support their porous pass defense. In Shippensburg's three losses, they allowed 1,572 yards and 20 touchdowns. In their win last week against Bloomsburg, the Huskies managed only 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. So West Chester's game plan of scoring early and often then controlling the clock should work perfectly on Saturday.

Both Massey Ratings and Atomic Football favor the Golden Rams by more than two touchdowns.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

West Chester Athletic Site - Depth Chart - West Chester vs. Shippensburg

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes Week - 5

KYW Newsradio - No. 14 West Chester will begin tough stretch on Saturday in Shippensburg

D2football - PSAC East Columnist - PSAC East - Week 5 Preview

Player News - Golden Rams Sweep ECAC Awards for September

Golden Rams swept the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) awards for the month of September. Senior quarterback Paul Dooley was named Division II Offensive Player of the Month, redshirt freshman linebacker Jackson Taylor was named Division II Defensive Player of the Month, junior punter George Lambritsios was named Division II Special Teams Player of the Month, and freshman cornerback Izaiah McPherson was named Division II Rookie of the Month.

ECAC Site - ECAC Announces Football Players of the Month for September

West Chester Athletic Site - Four Gridiron Players Honored In Monthly ECAC Awards

Event News - October 2 Bill Zwaan Football Show

The Bill Zwaan Football Show will be held at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM.

According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, junior kicker Andrew Chegia and junior defensive tackle Joe DeSanto will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In addition, Director of Athletic Bands Adam Gumble will join the show.

In West Chester's 48-7 win at Millersville on Saturday, Chegia had a perfect day as he converted on all six PAT attempts and field goals of 20 and 25 yards. Meanwhile DeSanto threw down the Marauder quarterback for a five-yard sack.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coach or the players to Bill Zwaan Show.

Team News - Golden Rams Up to #14 in AFCA Poll

As a result of West Chester's win at Millersville, the Golden Rams rose two more spots to #14 in the top 25 of the coaches' poll. West Chester also rose two spots in the D2football.com poll to #15.

West Chester's next action is Saturday when they travel to Shippensburg (1-3) for a 1:00pm kickoff.

American Football Coaches Association - Colorado State-Pueblo Rebounds in Upset of Texas A&M-Commerce

D2Football.com - Top 25 Poll - October 1, 2019

West Chester Athletic Site - Football Rises To No. 14 in AFCA Coaches Poll