Team News - West Chester Claims 2018-19 Dixon Trophy

For the second consecutive season and fourth time over the past five seasons, West Chester University has been awarded the Dixon Trophy in recognition of having the top all around athletic program in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Golden Ram football team captured the PSAC championship, and West Chester won six other conference championships in women's golf, men's golf, field hockey, men's swimming, women's swimming, and lacrosse. Each conference championship garners 18 points towards the school's final score.

West Chester previously won the conference crown in 2017-18, 2015-16, 2014-15, and 2012-13. The school's overall average score of 13.48 is the second highest since the scoring system was revised in 2012-13 and its margin over second place is the highest over that same time span.

Accepting the Dixon Trophy are Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. W. Craig Stevens, Vice President for Student Sffairs Zeb Davenport, President Dr. Christopher M. Fiorentino, Associate Athletic Director Kellianne Milliner, Assistant Athletic Director Deirdre Bertotti, and Football Coach Bill Zwaan.

PSAC Site - West Chester Wins Second Consecutive Dixon Trophy

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Walks Away With Fifth Dixon Trophy

Event News - Valor Bowl

A pair of future Golden Rams will be participating in the 21st Annual Valor Bowl to be held at 7:15 pm on Thursday, May 30 at West Chester University's John A. Farrell Stadium. Suiting up for the West All-Stars will be offensive lineman Dylan Nichols of Coatesville while defensive end Sean Hopkins of West Chester Rustin will play for the East squad.

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 John George, Cole Zapf, Joe Janick, and 2017 West Offensive MVP Nick Skulski. 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.

Event News - Bucks/Montco Lions All-Star Football Classic

Several Golden Rams will be participating in the 2019 Bucks-Montco Lions Club All-Star Football Classic to be held on May 2 at 7:00 pm at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown.

Running back Shamar Edwards of North Penn and defensive end Camron Hendryx of Souderton will suit up for the Montgomery County team. Meanwhile, wide receiver Andrew Vera and defensive back Matthew Checchia, both of Council Rock South, will play for Bucks County.

Current Golden Rams that have participated in this game include defensive linemen Michael Gobora and Noah Collachi, linebacker Nick Chapman, offensive lineman Nika Wright, linebacker Jackson Taylor, and defensive back Sterlen Barr.

The event is sponsored by the Bucks County Lions Club with the charitable funds raised by the game going to Lions Club charities.

Suburban One Sports - 2019 Bucks-Mont Lions Club All-Star Football Roster

UPDATE - Suburban One Sports - Bucks-Mont Lions Club All-Star Game a Winning Experience for Both Sides

Alumni News - Rouse Invited to Packers Minicamp

Former Golden Ram defensive back Nydair Rouse has reportedly been invited to the rookie minicamp of the Green Bay Packers. Rouse played in 45 of West Chester's 46 games during his four playing years, which included a trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs each of the past two seasons. After the 2016 season, Rouse was named first team All-PSAC East, first team All-ECAC and third team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1 and was named West Chester's Jim and Stacy Vansant Defensive Player of the Year. The team captain finished his Golden Ram career with 78 total tackles, 2.0 sacks and six interceptions. He had three pick sixes in 2016, with the most memorable one being his late-game 35-yard return to lead West Chester to a 31-24 win at Bentley.

Nydair Rouse (Photo Ron Hockman)

UPDATED SB Nation - 2019 Packers 90-man roster ranking, 90-86: Long-shot receivers and defensive backs vie for jobs

SB Nation - Packers Undrafted Free Agency Tracker: News & signings after the 2019 NFL Draft

West Chester Athletic Site - Former Golden Ram Defensive Back, Nydair Rouse, Signed By Green Bay Packers

247Sports - Rouse gets shot with Packers after being shot in head

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

Several future Golden Rams are expected to play in the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association (PSFCA) East/West All-Star Game on Sunday, May 5 at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona. Selected to play for the East squad, which will be coached by Joe Headen of Susquehanna Township, are:

• Shamar Edwards - RB - North Penn
• Seth Degree - WR - West Catholic
• Quinton Derr - OL - Upper Dublin
• Izaiah McPherson - DB - Emmaus

Tight end Stone Huffman of Cumberland Valley will suit up for the West squad.

Kick-off is set for 2:00 pm.

Current Golden Rams that also were selected to participate in this annual all-star game include defensive back Jarey Elder, offensive lineman Frank Tranzilli, offensive lineman Jack Mummert, quarterback Zach Gilbert, defensive lineman Connor Munnelly, offensive lineman Trevor Watts, and offensive lineman Jon Miller.

PSFCA - 2019 PSFCA East / West Game Information

UPDATE - pennlive - York High’s Dayjure Stewart, Cumberland Valley’s Stone Huffman help West win third straight all-star football game.

Team News - Spring Schedule

The Golden Rams have opened spring practice and completed their first scrimmage this past Saturday. Another scrimmage is scheduled for Saturday, April 20 at 10:00am in John A. Farrell Stadium. The annual Purple & Gold Game is set for Saturday, April 27 at noon.

West Chester held their first scrimmage on Saturday (Photo Gina Chapman)

Event News - 29th Annual Quarterback Classic

The 29th Annual WCU Quarterback Classic will be held on Friday, May 31, 2019 at 8:00 am at the Downingtown Country Club in Downingtown, PA. Presented by National Food Sales, the schedule is as follows:

- 8:00 am Registration
- 9:00 am Shotgun Start
- 1:30 pm Lunch

The price for an individual golfer is $200, a foursome is $800, and sponsorship opportunities are available, with all proceeds from the event going directly into the football scholarship fund. Anyone interested in attending or sponsoring the event is asked to use the online registration center.

Club News - GRFC Member Muz Peck Dies

Long time Golden Ram Football Club member Muz Peck passed away on Sunday morning. Muz was the individual who coordinated and executed the annual Golden Ram Football Club banquet for many years.

Relatives and friends are invited for visitation from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm Thursday, March 28 at the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc., 410 North Church St, West Chester, which will immediately be followed by her funeral service 1:00 pm. Interment will be in Green Mount Cemetery in West Chester.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society, 1626 Locust St., Attention Memorials, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Muzetta J. Peck

Event News - 40th Killinger Foundation Banquet

The 40th Annual Killinger Foundation Football Banquet will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 6:00 pm at the West Chester University Alumni & Foundation Center, 202 Carter Drive, West Chester, PA. The 2019 Hall of Fame inductees are:

- Bill Corcoran '69
- Pat Tryson '87
- Brandon Simmons '05
- Mike Washington '08
- Lateef Ferguson '08

Corcoran was a two-time first team All-PSAC East defensive end and played for the 1967 team that finished the regular season 10-0 including a win over Clarion in the PSCAC Championship and a trip to the Tangerine Bowl. Tryson was two-time first team All-PSAC East selection at linebacker. He led the team in tackles in 1986 and 1987 when the Golden Rams advanced to the PSAC championship game in both seasons.

Simmons was a two-time first team All-PSAC East choice at wide receiver and was also a two-time All-PSAC East selection as a return specialist. In 2004, when the Golden Rams advanced to the NCAA Division II semi-finals, he hauled in 74 catches for 1,534 yards and 20 TD's - all of which are among the ten best single season marks in West Chester history. Simmons still ranks sixth in West Chester career receiving yards with 2,414 and fifth in career receiving touchdowns with 29. One of his most memorable performances was the 2004 playoff game at East Stroudsburg when he made seven catches for 180 yards and four touchdowns.

Washington was a four-time first team All-PSAC East selection at wide receiver and was named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year in 2008. In all four seasons of his career, he had at least 1,000 yards receiving and the Golden Rams qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs. Washington ranks first in PSAC history with 4,715 receiving yards, first in West Chester history with 58 receiving touchdowns and first in West Chester history with 21.9 average yards per catch. He holds the Division II record for 50 consecutive games with a catch.

Ferguson was two-time PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year and two-time first team All-PSAC East selection at linebacker. He was West Chester's leading tackler for three seasons and remains the Golden Rams' career leader in tackles with 407.

Anyone interested in attending or sponsoring the event is asked to use the online ticket sale center.

Williamsport Sun-Gazette - Williamsport grad Simmons entering West Chester HOF

Player News - AJ Long's Playing Career Done

According to his recent Instagram post, quarterback A.J. Long's collegiate playing career has come to an end. Long, who had been named a team captain for 2019, finished last season 149 of 220 for 2,131 yards and 23 touchdowns. His passer efficiency rating of 178.1 was tops in the PSAC and second in all of Division II. When his 734 yards and 8 touchdowns rushing are considered, he stood at 20th on the NCAA Division II points responsible for list last year.

View this post on Instagram

Dear Football, For 20yrs of my life I've played and loved playing this game...You will always be my first love, but the time has come when I can't love you as a player anymore. Ive accomplished so much as a player in this game, winning championships in every level, being highly decorated for playing at a high level, and breaking records....but none of those things are what I'll miss most.... I'll miss the 6am workouts, the long August days in camp, all of the clowning around that goes on in the locker room, but most I'll miss all my teammates. To my teammates, Past and present, Thank you!! You've made this journey one that words won't do justice I'm forever indebted to all of you. We had alot of fun on the field, and we had even more fun off it. Those memories I'll cheerish for a lifetime. I love yall❤️ To all my coaches, Thank you, thank you for giving this 6ft lanky kid an opportunity to prove to the world what I knew and that is when I stepped in those lines I was the best player out there. Thank you, for helping mold and guide me into being a great young man that would be role model to society, giving me the tools to one day take the same role you are in. I am forever grateful to all of you! To my brothers & sisters, Blood or by choice, thank you for all the support and comparisons to super heros, for all the hype and all of the love, y'all fueled my fire more than anything because I never wanted to let y'all down, and show you if you're brother could do anything, you can too. Now, it's my turn to hype y'all up and make everyone believe in you the way you did me. You're Big Brother, Little Brother love y'all more than I can ever express❤️ To Angela, Damon, Isla, Thank you for always supporting me, even when I would be away for months at a time, for spending thousands of dollars to take me all over gods green earth so I could showcase my talent and make other people believe the way y'all did. For keeping me grounded and never letting my head get too big. For working hours on hours that went thankless. For having my back even when I was wrong ❤️ I love y'all sooooo muchhhh Dear Football, Allow me to reintroduce myself my name is Coach Long! 1out✌🏽

A post shared by Aj Long (@_qb01) on Mar 4, 2019 at 7:48am PST

Long began his college career at Syracuse when in 2014, as a true freshman, he started five games and completed 89 of 165 pass attempts for 935 yards. The following year at Syracuse, he did not play as he was medically disqualified by the school due to multiple concussions. In his only start for the Golden Rams in 2017 at Lock Haven, Long earned PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week when he threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 181 yards and two more scores, accounting for 379 total yards and all four offensive touchdowns. He finished 2017 with 453 yards and six touchdowns passing and 380 yards and two touchdowns rushing.

Dual-threat quarterback AJ Long (Photo Ron Hockman)

At this year's team banquet, Long was named the Muz and Lew Peck Offensive Player of the Year and WCU Football Athlete of the Year. He was named ECAC Offensive Player of the Month for September and PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week for the wins at Kutztown and at Slippery Rock. Long was named PSAC Championship Game Most Valuable Player, First Team All-PSAC East, All-ECAC and Second Team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region One.

The Golden Rams will likely turn to senior Paul Dooley at quarterback. Dooley was 163 of 305 for 2,372 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2017, but played in just three games in 2018, going 11 of 18 for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Mike Piperno (12 of 24, 157 yards, 1 TD, 1 int, in 8 games) and Zach Gilbert (2 of 4, 25 yards, 1 TD, 1 int, in 4 games) also saw time at quaterback this past year.

West Chester's four quarterbacks - Zach Gilbert, AJ Long, Mike Piperno and Paul Dooley - after winning the PSAC Championship at Slippery Rock
(Photo Ron Hockman)

The Daily Orange - 4 years since being medically disqualified, AJ Long reflects on self-doubt from football