- 2013 Second Team Press of Atlantic City
- 2012 Second Team Cape-Atlantic League All-Star
PressofAtlanticCity - EHT's Eric Morrison to play football at Division II power West Chester University
Friday, February 28, 2014
Player News - Eric Morrison Crosses the Bridge to West Chester
- 2013 Second Team Press of Atlantic City
- 2012 Second Team Cape-Atlantic League All-Star
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Team News - ECAC Banquet Registration Now Open
The West Chester University Golden Rams will be crowned ECAC Division II Team of the Year as well as the Division II Lambert Award Winner. In addition, senior running back Rondell White was named the ECAC Division II Offensive Player of the Year and junior linebacker Ronell Williams was named the ECAC Division II Defensive Player of the Year.
Prior to 2013, West Chester had been named ECAC Division II Team of the Year five times, all under current head coach Bill Zwaan, in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. They also received the Lambert Cup in 1967, 2004 and 2006.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Player News - David Fithian Staying in West Chester
- 2013 Second Team All-Ches-Mont League American Conference
- 2013 Honorable Mention Daily Local News
GameTimePA.com - Perkiomen Valley upsets No. 2 Rustin, 26-6
GameTimePA.com - Rustin closes out undefeated regular season with rout of Octorara
GameTimePA.com - Rustin clinches division title
GameTimePA.com - Rustin to stay with tried and true formula
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Player News - Connor Gill Joins the Golden Rams
- 2013 First Team All-Suburban One Continental
- 2013 First Team All-Intelligencer All-Area
GameTimePA - Six North Penn standouts make their college choice
GameTimePA - Offense sputters as Coatesville ousted by North Penn
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Player News - Stephen Harrison Headed to West Chester
- 2013 Second Team Williamsport Gazette All-Star (Offense)
- 2013 Second Team District IV (Offense)
- 2013 Third Team District IV (Offense)
- 2013 Second Team All-Pennsylvania Heartland Division II (Defense)
- 2013 Second Team All-Pennsylvania Heartland Division II (Offense)
Stephen Harrison just signed an offer sheet to continue his football career at D2 power West Chester. @EPAFootball @docmasse @Funk_pafb
— Justin Van Fleet (@lancercoachv) February 19, 2014Williamsport Sun-Gazette - Harrison makes transition to offensive line
Williamsport Sun-Gazette - Loyalsock line performing well as offense improves
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Player News - Steven Denby III Coming to West Chester
- 2013 Third Team All-City
Congrats to Steven Denby on his commitment to WCU #goldenrams
— Imhotep Football (@Imhotepfootball) February 5, 2014Monday, February 17, 2014
Player News - Jake Duncan coming to West Chester
He won the team's "Big Nasty" award for his performances against Souderton and Pennridge.
- 2013 Second Team All-Suburban One Continental (Offense)
- 2013 Third Team All-Suburban One Continental (Defense)
- 2013 Honorable Mention All-Intelligencer All-Area (Offense)
phillyburbscom - Duncan a leader for CB East
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Player News - Jared Reed Coming to West Chester
- 2013 Second Team All-Suburban One American (Wide Receiver)
- 2013 First Team All-Suburban One American (Punter)
GameTimePA.com - Wissahickon outlasts Cheltenham
GameTimePA.com - Ground game seals win for Plymouth Whitemarsh over Wissahickon
Suburban One Sports - Wissahickon Football Players Name Colleges
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Player News - Courtland Bragg Interviews Rondell White
Courtland Bragg sits down and chats with West Chester University consensus All-American Rondell White about his Golden Ram football career and his preparation for making it to the NFL.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Player News - Dorian Arthur Coming to WCU
- 2013 Third Team All-Suburban One National Conference
Neshaminy senior DE Dorian Arthur will continue his football career at West Chester.
— Rick O'Brien (@ozoneinq) February 4, 2014SuburbanOneSports.com - Neshaminy Football Players Name Colleges
GameTimePA.com - Luke Carrezola leads Neshaminy to the next level
GameTimePA.com - Neshaminy too much for North Penn in District 1-AAAA final
SuburbanOneSports.com - Sterling Limo Players of the Week
SuburbanOneSports.com - Neshaminy Football Players Name Colleges
Monday, February 10, 2014
Club News - GRFC Co-Founder Ted McCue Dies
Relatives and friends are invited to his funeral service 11 am Friday, February 14 at the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc., 410 North Church St, West Chester. Interment will be in Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester. Visitations will be held 6 to 8 pm Thursday, February 13 and also from 10 to 11 am Friday, February 14 at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in his memory to the Neighborhood Hospice Inpatient Unit, 400 East Marshall St., West Chester PA 19380.
Daily Local News - McCue's loss mourned by WCU athletic family
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Player News - Ben Smith to Join the Golden Rams
- 2013 First Team Ches-Mont League National Conference (Defense)
- 2013 First Team Ches-Mont League National Conference (Offense)
- 2013 EasternPAFootball.com District 1 Players to Watch
- 2012 Second Team Ches-Mont League National Conference (Offense)
GameTimePA.com - Murphy, Bishop Shanahan too much for Penn Wood
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Player News - J Kraiza to Attend West Chester
- 2013 First Team All-Catholic (Offense)
- 2013 Honorable Mention All-Delco (Offense)
- 2012 First Team Coaches All-Catholic (Defense)
- 2012 Second Team All-Delco (Offense)
- 2012 Honorable Mention Daily News All-Catholic (Defense)
- 2012 PA Football News All-Academic Bronze
Delco News Network - Despite strong play, Cardinal O’Hara falls to Roman Catholic, 30-19
Delco Times - Is Cardinal O’Hara the class of Delco?
GameTimePA.com - Experience is on Cardinal O'Hara's side
Friday, February 7, 2014
Player News - Marrazzo signs with the Golden Rams
- 2013 Honorable Mention All-EasternPAFootball.com Big School
- 2013 First Team Mid-Penn Keystone
- 2013 Pennlive Defensive All-Star
- 2013 EasternPAFootball.com District 3 Players to Watch
- 2012 EasternPAFootball.com Big School Defensive Player of the Year
- 2012 First Team Associated Press Class AAA All-State
- 2012 Second Team PA Football News Class AAA All-State
- 2012 First Team Patriot News' Big 15 Defense
- 2012 First Team All-EasternPAFootball.com Big School
- 2012 First Team Mid-Penn Keystone
- 2012 EasternPAFootball.com District 3 Players to Watch
Patriot News - 2013 District 3-AAA Championship Post Game Interview
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Player News - Ryan Fay Coming to WCU
Downingtown East senior fullback Ryan Fay (6-4, 230) has committed to play football at West Chester. #rams
— Rick O'Brien (@ozoneinq) January 27, 2014GameTimePA.com - Local athletes finalizing college plans
Player News - John Derr Coming to West Chester
- 2013 First Team All-Suburban One American Conference
- 2013 All-Suburban One American Conference Player to Watch
- 2013 EasternPAFootball.com District 1 Watch List
- 2012 Honorable Mention All-Suburban One American Conference
SuburbanOneSports.com - UD's Derr to Play Football at West Chester
SuburbanOneSports.com - Upper Dublin Athletes Name College Choices
The Times Herald - Upper Dublin's Derr ready to take control
Montgomery Media - Upper Dublin has a lot of new faces
GametimePA.com - Upper Dublin hopes future is now
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Player News - Blaise Toroni Chooses West Chester
- 2013 First Team All-Central League
- 2013 Second Team Daily Local News
- 2012 First Team All-Central League
Daily Local News - Pioneers roll past Penncrest
GameTimePA.com - Local athletes finalizing college plans
Player News - Corey Kelley Coming to West Chester
- 2013 Second Team All-Inter-Ac
Penn Charter @wpcsports WR/DB Corey Kelley will play football at West Chester University. @WCUAthletics
— Rick O'Brien (@ozoneinq) February 3, 2014Montgomery Media - Kelley puts team on his back in Penn Charter's win over Chester
philly.com - Worley's picks, TD power Penn Charter past Fels
Player News - Tyler Shankle Joining the Golden Rams
- 2013 Second Team Inquirer All-Southeastern PA
- 2013 First Team All-Delco
- 2013 First Team All-Central
- 2012 Honorable Mention All-Delco
- 2012 Honorable Mention All-Central
College Commitments: Garnet Valley All-Delco OL Connor Walsh and All-Delco LB Tyler Shankle both verbaled to West Chester. #delcofootball
— Matt Smith (@DTMattSmith) February 3, 2014GameTimePA.com - Abington bound to test Garnet Valley's dominant defense
Player News - Connor Walsh Becoming a Golden Ram
- 2013 Fourth Team Inquirer All-Southeastern PA
- 2013 First Team All-Delco
- 2013 Second Team All-Central
- 2012 Honorable Mention All-Central
College Commitments: Garnet Valley All-Delco OL Connor Walsh and All-Delco LB Tyler Shankle both verbaled to West Chester. #delcofootball
— Matt Smith (@DTMattSmith) February 3, 2014GameTimePA.com - Dow carried Glen Mills to district final
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Player News - Sean Steinmetz Staying in West Chester
- 2013 Third Team PFN Class AAAA All State (Offense)
- 2013 Honorable Mention All-EasternPAFootball.com Big School (Defense)
- 2013 First Team Inquirer All-Southeastern PA (Offense)
- 2013 Ches-Mont League American Conference Player of the Year
- 2013 First Team Ches-Mont League American Conference (Offense)
- 2013 First Team Ches-Mont League American Conference (Defense)
- 2013 First Team Daily Local News (Defense)
- 2013 Second Team Inquirer Preseason All-Southeastern PA (Defense)
- 2012 Ches-Mont League American Outstanding Linebacker
- 2012 First Team Ches-Mont League American Conference (Offense)
- 2012 First Team Ches-Mont League American Conference (Defense)
- 2011 Honorable Mention Ches-Mont League American Conference (Defense)
West Chester Rustin LB Sean Steinmetz, who earned first-team all-Southeastern Pa. honors last season, has committed to play at West Chester.
— Rick O'Brien (@ozoneinq) February 4, 2014Philly.com - No. 10 W.C. Rustin topples No. 21 Unionville, 34-20
CBS Philly.com - Rustin No. 1 In Power Points
Daily Local News - Rustin races past Vikings
GameTimePA.com - Local athletes finalizing college plans
Player News - Graham Reneges on West Chester
John Graham (Prep Charter), who previously gave a verbal commitment to play for the Golden Rams, has changed his mind and has decided to attend Millersville. Apparently he didn't read that West Chester is #77 and the only PSAC school on Kiplinger's Best Values in Public Colleges list. Official signing day is tomorrow and all reports until after that day are unofficial verbal commitments that are self-reported on social media.
Coach love and coach Richter just left . Im really excited about coming to play at #MU
— john (@In_john_wetrust) January 30, 2014Monday, February 3, 2014
Team News - 2014 Captains Announced
At the 2013 West Chester University Golden Ram football team banquet sponsored by the Golden Ram Football Club, head coach Bill Zwaan introduced the captains for the 2014 season. They include the two guys on offense that touch the ball on every play - center
Derek Schatz and quarterback Sean McCartney. The defensive captains include the team's top two tacklers from the 2013 season - linebackers Mike Labor and Ronell Williams - as well as cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Team News - Players Honored at Year End Banquet
The 2013 West Chester University Golden Ram football team was honored at the 48th annual team banquet sponsored by the Golden Ram Football Club this evening at the Concordville Inn in Concordville, PA.
For their performance in each game this past season, the following were selected as the Killinger Players of the Game:
New Haven - Sean McCartney - In the season opener against the defending Northeast-10 champions, quarterback McCartney (Jr., Archbishop Wood) was 20 of 26 for 290 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a quarterback rating of 208.7. He also had six rushes for 27 yards and two first downs including a 14-yard scramble on third and 11. It was West Chester's first season opening victory since 2009.
Gannon - Rondell White - White (Sr., West Chester Rustin) was a one-man wrecking crew. He carried the ball 32 times for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He also had seven catches for 87 yards and returned a kickoff for six yards. And for good measure, he tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Erick Brundidge. White scored on runs of 58 and 20 yards. His 245 yards rushing was the sixth best single game effort in West Chester history and his 338 all-purpose yards was the fifth best single game mark for the school. White was named ECAC Division II Offensive Player of the Week.
Millersville - Trey Farmer - In West Chester's 48-3 win in the drenching rain at Millersville, left guard Farmer (Sr., North Penn) anchored the offensive line that had a record breaking performance. The Golden Rams rushed 63 times for 456 yards which are both school records. The quarterbacks were a combined 9 of 15 for 168 yards and did not incur a sack. The team's 624 total offensive yards was the ninth best single game total in Golden Ram history. West Chester had two running backs eclipse 100 yards for the first time since 2004.
Kutztown - Al-Hajj Shabazz - Shabazz (Jr., John Bartram) only had three assisted tackles in West Chester's 22-21 win over Kutztown, but the Golden Rams would not have won without his two interceptions. West Chester trailed 21-10 with ten minutes left in the game and Kutztown had the ball at midfield when Shabazz came up with his first pick. Sean McCartney and the Golden Rams turned the possession into six points just five plays later. Then, late in the fourth quarter with the Golden Rams leading 22-21, Kutztown was in West Chester territory only needing a field goal for the win. But Shabazz made a great leaping interception with four seconds left to seal the narrow West Chester victory.
California - Ronell Williams - In West Chester's 38-31 win over the Vulcans, Williams (Jr, Chester) had a game-high ten tackles to lead the Golden Ram defense. He had six solo stops and four assists on the day. His key play was a ten-yard sack in the first quarter when California was looking to answer West Chester's opening touchdown drive. Williams was named ECAC Division II Defensive Player of the Week.
East Stroudsburg - Shannon Mayer - Mayer (R-Fr., Norristown) had a game-high seven catches and team-high 78 yards receiving in leading West Chester to a 34-20 victory over East Stroudsburg. Trailing 20-10 at halftime, his third quarter touchdown reception launched the Golden Ram second half comeback. Mayer also had two catches that resulted in first downs in West Chester's final touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. It was West Chester's first win on homecoming since 2008.
Lock Haven - Rondell White - White (Sr., West Chester Rustin) put in another huge effort in West Chester's 34-13 win at Lock Haven. He had 33 carries for 196 yards and two touchdowns. White added four receptions for 86 yards and a kickoff return for 26 yards. All four of his catches resulted in first downs and went for 14, 29, 9 and 33 yards. His 307 all-purpose yards was the tenth best single game mark for the school.
Shippensburg - Shawn Leo - In West Chester's 32-29 win on Shippensburg's homecoming, Leo's (Sr., Souderton) six kickoffs resulted in three touchbacks and one fair catch while the other two were returned for a total of seven yards. He was 3 of 3 on PAT's and 1 of 3 on field goals. His two misses came from 53 yards with the wind and 42 yards into the stiff breeze. But in front of 7,500 onlookers, it was his successful 26-yard field goal with one second left that gave the Golden Rams the victory.
Cheyney - Andrew Derr - In his first collegiate start, Derr (R-Fr., Upper Dublin) was 13 of 23 for 293 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Golden Rams to a 66-14 victory. His touchdown passes were 67, 21 and 25 yards and all came before the fourth quarter. His performance resulted in a quarterback rating of 206.6 in the game.
Bloomsburg - Mike Labor - Labor (Jr., St. Joseph's Prep) was one of the few bright spots in the Golden Rams' only setback of the regular season. He registered a team high 12 tackles in the game, including seven solo stops. One of his stops also resulted in a loss. One of his key tackles came late on third down in the first half, which forced a Bloomsburg field goal attempt which they missed.
Clarion - Shawn Krautzel - In West Chester's 41-14 win over the Golden Eagles, a game in which everyone got to play, Krautzel (Sr., Interboro) had five total tackles including two solo stops. One of those solo stops was a ten-yard sack on third down which forced a Clarion punt. Krautzel also had an opportunity on offense, but a pass to him in the end zone was broken up.
American International - Sean McCartney - In West Chester's first playoff win since 2008, quarterback McCartney (Jr., Archbishop Wood) was 20 of 26 for 423 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also had one rush for nine yards. McCartney completed passes to eight different receivers and his touchdown connections went for 42, 31, 94 and 2 yards. The 423 passing yards was most ever for West Chester in a playoff game.
Bloomsburg - Tim Brown - Tight end Tim Brown (So., Upper Darby) posted career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns in the Golden Rams' 40-38 win at Bloomsburg. He had a total of five catches for 112 yards on the day. Included in those totals were touchdown catches of 25 and 16 yards. Brown's other three catches all resulted in first downs for West Chester.
Shepherd - Brandon Pepper - In capturing the Super Region 1 championship, Pepper (So., Pennsbury) only had two solo tackles in the game. But late in the fourth quarter, he picked off a Shepherd pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Then on Shepherd's next offensive play, he intercepted another pass for the final change of possession of the contest to secure West Chester's second ever trip to the national semi-finals.
Lenoir-Rhyne - Chris DiValentino - In the muddy slop in North Carolina, DiValentino (Sr. Jenkintown) had a team high 12 tackles on the day. This included six solo stops as well as six assists. He also registered 1.5 tackles for loss, including a fourth down stop on Lenoir-Rhyne's first possession of the second half.
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The following players were selected by their teammates for their performance for the season:
Muz and Lew Peck Offensive Player of the Year - Sean McCartney - Quarterback Sean McCartney (Jr., Archbishop Wood) played at a consistently high level all season long. His year-end statistics were 242 of 384 for 3,569 yards, 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for a final quarterback rating of 163.0 which was good for tenth best in the country. And keep in mind, of the 14 games that McCartney played this season (he missed Cheyney due to an injury), four of those contests came against playoff opponents. How consistent was McCartney? His worst full regular season game quarterback rating was 142.3 against Kutztown, and that would have placed him #40 in the country, ahead of last year’s Harlon Hill winner Zach Zulli. And his final quarterback rating was better than two of this year’s Harlon Hill finalists.
McCartney’s 2013 passing yardage was the second best ever by a West Chester quarterback, only 44 yards behind Dave McDonald in 1994. His 34 touchdowns this season also places him second on the all-time single season Golden Ram list, also behind McDonald. His 423 passing yards against American International was the sixth best overall game and most passing yardage in a playoff game by a West Chester signal caller. McCartney also logged 87 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. For the Kutztown game, he was named ECAC Offensive Player of the Week and for the East Stroudsburg homecoming victory, he was named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week and ECAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Timothy's of West Chester and Len Frederick's Defensive Players of the Year - Mike Labor and Ronell Williams - Williams (Jr., Chester) shares this award for the second consecutive season. On the season, Williams was credited with 60 solo tackles and 50 assists for a total of 110 tackles. He also had 9.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and four quarterback hurries. He also had two memorable interceptions - one against East Stroudsburg and a week later at Lock Haven. Williams was named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week and ECAC Defensive Player of the Week for his 15 tackle effort against Kutztown. He was also named first team All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region One, honorable mention D2football.com All-American and ECAC Division II Defensive Player of the Year.
Labor (Jr., St. Joseph's Prep) was equally effective in the middle of the defense. Labor notched 52 solo stops and 53 assists for a total of 105 tackles despite not playing at Cheyney. Labor led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss and also logged a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry, and a forced fumble. In West Chester's homecoming win over East Stroudsburg, Labor had a team-high eight tackles, two sacks and an interception that led to the go ahead touchdown. For that game, he was named BSN Defensive Player of the Week and ECAC Defensive Player of the Week. Labor was also named second team All-PSAC East.
Bill Vansant Memorial Special Teams Award - Shawn Leo - Leo (Sr., Souderton) captures this award for the third consecutive time. This year, he set five school single season records – points after touchdown, field goals made, field goals attempted, kicking points, and PAT accuracy – and six school career records - points after touchdown, field goals made, field goals attempted, kicking points, PAT accuracy, and field goal accuracy – to become the most accomplished placekicker in Golden Ram history. He will likely be most remembered for his game winning 26-yard field goal into a stiff wind at Shippensburg. Leo was named second team All-PSAC East.
Kelly's Sports Unsung Hero - Jared Bonacquisti - Bonacquisti (Sr., Garnet Valley) is listed on the roster as a fullback, but played a lot of blocking tight end this season and was a linebacker in previous years. So although he only posted four carries for a touchdown and five catches for 21 yards and a touchdown this season, Bonacquisti’s contributions go beyond when he touched the ball. And they even go beyond the football field. He’s also remembered for donating bone marrow and being the hero for Sigitas Sleckus.
Offensive Scout Team in memory of Mark Killinger - Jarel Elder - Speedster Jarel Elder (Fr., Parkland) was a multiple threat in high school, capturing post season honors at running back, defensive back and on special teams. He rushed for over 1,000 yards as a junior and over 1,500 yards as a senior when his team advanced to the PIAA AAAA quarterfinals.
Defensive Scout Team from Dave Williams - John Dubyk - The versatile John Dubyk (Fr., Pennridge) received honors at both defensive end and tight end in high school. As a team captain in his senior year, he led Pennridge to the PIAA AAAA District I playoffs and was recipient of the Mini Maxwell Award.
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The following players were selected by the coaches for their efforts this season:
Mark and Julie Drochek Coaches' Award - Anthony McCloskey - Co-captain McCloskey (Sr., Cardinal O’Hara) came to West Chester as a fullback, transitioned to linebacker and then bulked up to play defensive tackle his final two years, clearly demonstrating that he was willing to do whatever he was asked to help the team. In his senior season, Spike logged 45 total tackles including 6.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry and a blocked kick. All of those numbers were an improvement over his junior year when he received second team All-PSAC East honors.
Ted Novak Memorial Coaches' Award - LaRonn Lee - Due to a lower leg injury, Lee (Sr., Penn Manor) saw limited action in his senior year. He missed the Kutztown game and then on just the third offensive play on homecoming, he reinjured the leg and totally missed the next three contests. Despite the setback, Lee finished the season with 14 catches for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns with half of those numbers coming in the first three playoff games. Against the vaunted Shepherd defense in the Super Regional final, Lee had three 31-yard catches including the go ahead touchdown early in the third quarter. In his four-year career, Lee logged 78 catches for 1,391 yards and 14 touchdowns.
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Rondell White was named both the Golden Ram Football Club Player of the Year and WCU Football Athlete of the Year as chosen by the players. White (Sr. Rustin) captures these honors for the third consecutive season. His season and career accolades are well reported, but the one item that stands out the most is the fact that as the leading rusher and receiver on the team, he accounted for 41% of the Golden Ram offense this year with 1,989 yards rushing and 843 yards receiving. He set single season school records for rushing yards (1,989), rushing touchdowns (21), all-purpose yards (3,107), total touchdowns (24), and points (144).
White captured two PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week awards (New Haven and Shippensburg) and three ECAC Offensive Player of the Week awards (Gannon, Millersville and Shippensburg). He was named first team All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region One, second team Daktronics All-American, first team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American, first team BSN All-American, first team AP Little All-American, first team AFCA Coaches' All-American, first team D2football.com All-American, ECAC Division II Offensive Player of the Year, Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Amateur Athlete of the Year and Maxwell Football Club Tri-State Football Player of the Year.
West Chester Football Scholar Athlete of the Year - Rich Bruno - Bruno (Jr., Council Rock South) punted 54 times this season for the Golden Rams, averaging 39.5 yards per punt and pinning 15 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line. Opponents only returned 12 punts for a total of 50 yards and a long of 17 yards. The Exercise Science major carries a 3.87 grade-point average and is a member of the Dean's List and the West Chester Athletic Director's academic honor roll. Bruno was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football Team as voted by the sports information directors of the 28 colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area. Additionally, he was identified as the 2013 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football Performer of the Year. Bruno was also named second team Daktronics Division II All-Super Region 1.
For their contribution and service to WCU football, Len Fredericks presented the Golden Ram Football Club President's Award to both Karen Massey and Bill Blystone.
For their performance in each game this past season, the following were selected as the Killinger Players of the Game:
New Haven - Sean McCartney - In the season opener against the defending Northeast-10 champions, quarterback McCartney (Jr., Archbishop Wood) was 20 of 26 for 290 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a quarterback rating of 208.7. He also had six rushes for 27 yards and two first downs including a 14-yard scramble on third and 11. It was West Chester's first season opening victory since 2009.
Gannon - Rondell White - White (Sr., West Chester Rustin) was a one-man wrecking crew. He carried the ball 32 times for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He also had seven catches for 87 yards and returned a kickoff for six yards. And for good measure, he tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Erick Brundidge. White scored on runs of 58 and 20 yards. His 245 yards rushing was the sixth best single game effort in West Chester history and his 338 all-purpose yards was the fifth best single game mark for the school. White was named ECAC Division II Offensive Player of the Week.
Millersville - Trey Farmer - In West Chester's 48-3 win in the drenching rain at Millersville, left guard Farmer (Sr., North Penn) anchored the offensive line that had a record breaking performance. The Golden Rams rushed 63 times for 456 yards which are both school records. The quarterbacks were a combined 9 of 15 for 168 yards and did not incur a sack. The team's 624 total offensive yards was the ninth best single game total in Golden Ram history. West Chester had two running backs eclipse 100 yards for the first time since 2004.
Kutztown - Al-Hajj Shabazz - Shabazz (Jr., John Bartram) only had three assisted tackles in West Chester's 22-21 win over Kutztown, but the Golden Rams would not have won without his two interceptions. West Chester trailed 21-10 with ten minutes left in the game and Kutztown had the ball at midfield when Shabazz came up with his first pick. Sean McCartney and the Golden Rams turned the possession into six points just five plays later. Then, late in the fourth quarter with the Golden Rams leading 22-21, Kutztown was in West Chester territory only needing a field goal for the win. But Shabazz made a great leaping interception with four seconds left to seal the narrow West Chester victory.
California - Ronell Williams - In West Chester's 38-31 win over the Vulcans, Williams (Jr, Chester) had a game-high ten tackles to lead the Golden Ram defense. He had six solo stops and four assists on the day. His key play was a ten-yard sack in the first quarter when California was looking to answer West Chester's opening touchdown drive. Williams was named ECAC Division II Defensive Player of the Week.
East Stroudsburg - Shannon Mayer - Mayer (R-Fr., Norristown) had a game-high seven catches and team-high 78 yards receiving in leading West Chester to a 34-20 victory over East Stroudsburg. Trailing 20-10 at halftime, his third quarter touchdown reception launched the Golden Ram second half comeback. Mayer also had two catches that resulted in first downs in West Chester's final touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. It was West Chester's first win on homecoming since 2008.
Lock Haven - Rondell White - White (Sr., West Chester Rustin) put in another huge effort in West Chester's 34-13 win at Lock Haven. He had 33 carries for 196 yards and two touchdowns. White added four receptions for 86 yards and a kickoff return for 26 yards. All four of his catches resulted in first downs and went for 14, 29, 9 and 33 yards. His 307 all-purpose yards was the tenth best single game mark for the school.
Shippensburg - Shawn Leo - In West Chester's 32-29 win on Shippensburg's homecoming, Leo's (Sr., Souderton) six kickoffs resulted in three touchbacks and one fair catch while the other two were returned for a total of seven yards. He was 3 of 3 on PAT's and 1 of 3 on field goals. His two misses came from 53 yards with the wind and 42 yards into the stiff breeze. But in front of 7,500 onlookers, it was his successful 26-yard field goal with one second left that gave the Golden Rams the victory.
Cheyney - Andrew Derr - In his first collegiate start, Derr (R-Fr., Upper Dublin) was 13 of 23 for 293 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Golden Rams to a 66-14 victory. His touchdown passes were 67, 21 and 25 yards and all came before the fourth quarter. His performance resulted in a quarterback rating of 206.6 in the game.
Bloomsburg - Mike Labor - Labor (Jr., St. Joseph's Prep) was one of the few bright spots in the Golden Rams' only setback of the regular season. He registered a team high 12 tackles in the game, including seven solo stops. One of his stops also resulted in a loss. One of his key tackles came late on third down in the first half, which forced a Bloomsburg field goal attempt which they missed.
Clarion - Shawn Krautzel - In West Chester's 41-14 win over the Golden Eagles, a game in which everyone got to play, Krautzel (Sr., Interboro) had five total tackles including two solo stops. One of those solo stops was a ten-yard sack on third down which forced a Clarion punt. Krautzel also had an opportunity on offense, but a pass to him in the end zone was broken up.
American International - Sean McCartney - In West Chester's first playoff win since 2008, quarterback McCartney (Jr., Archbishop Wood) was 20 of 26 for 423 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also had one rush for nine yards. McCartney completed passes to eight different receivers and his touchdown connections went for 42, 31, 94 and 2 yards. The 423 passing yards was most ever for West Chester in a playoff game.
Bloomsburg - Tim Brown - Tight end Tim Brown (So., Upper Darby) posted career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns in the Golden Rams' 40-38 win at Bloomsburg. He had a total of five catches for 112 yards on the day. Included in those totals were touchdown catches of 25 and 16 yards. Brown's other three catches all resulted in first downs for West Chester.
Shepherd - Brandon Pepper - In capturing the Super Region 1 championship, Pepper (So., Pennsbury) only had two solo tackles in the game. But late in the fourth quarter, he picked off a Shepherd pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Then on Shepherd's next offensive play, he intercepted another pass for the final change of possession of the contest to secure West Chester's second ever trip to the national semi-finals.
Lenoir-Rhyne - Chris DiValentino - In the muddy slop in North Carolina, DiValentino (Sr. Jenkintown) had a team high 12 tackles on the day. This included six solo stops as well as six assists. He also registered 1.5 tackles for loss, including a fourth down stop on Lenoir-Rhyne's first possession of the second half.
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The following players were selected by their teammates for their performance for the season:
Muz and Lew Peck Offensive Player of the Year - Sean McCartney - Quarterback Sean McCartney (Jr., Archbishop Wood) played at a consistently high level all season long. His year-end statistics were 242 of 384 for 3,569 yards, 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for a final quarterback rating of 163.0 which was good for tenth best in the country. And keep in mind, of the 14 games that McCartney played this season (he missed Cheyney due to an injury), four of those contests came against playoff opponents. How consistent was McCartney? His worst full regular season game quarterback rating was 142.3 against Kutztown, and that would have placed him #40 in the country, ahead of last year’s Harlon Hill winner Zach Zulli. And his final quarterback rating was better than two of this year’s Harlon Hill finalists.
McCartney’s 2013 passing yardage was the second best ever by a West Chester quarterback, only 44 yards behind Dave McDonald in 1994. His 34 touchdowns this season also places him second on the all-time single season Golden Ram list, also behind McDonald. His 423 passing yards against American International was the sixth best overall game and most passing yardage in a playoff game by a West Chester signal caller. McCartney also logged 87 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. For the Kutztown game, he was named ECAC Offensive Player of the Week and for the East Stroudsburg homecoming victory, he was named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week and ECAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Golden Ram Football Club Treasurer Lew Peck presents Sean McCartney with the Offensive Player of the Year Award (Photo Mary Gilbert)Timothy's of West Chester and Len Frederick's Defensive Players of the Year - Mike Labor and Ronell Williams - Williams (Jr., Chester) shares this award for the second consecutive season. On the season, Williams was credited with 60 solo tackles and 50 assists for a total of 110 tackles. He also had 9.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and four quarterback hurries. He also had two memorable interceptions - one against East Stroudsburg and a week later at Lock Haven. Williams was named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week and ECAC Defensive Player of the Week for his 15 tackle effort against Kutztown. He was also named first team All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region One, honorable mention D2football.com All-American and ECAC Division II Defensive Player of the Year.
Labor (Jr., St. Joseph's Prep) was equally effective in the middle of the defense. Labor notched 52 solo stops and 53 assists for a total of 105 tackles despite not playing at Cheyney. Labor led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss and also logged a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry, and a forced fumble. In West Chester's homecoming win over East Stroudsburg, Labor had a team-high eight tackles, two sacks and an interception that led to the go ahead touchdown. For that game, he was named BSN Defensive Player of the Week and ECAC Defensive Player of the Week. Labor was also named second team All-PSAC East.
Golden Ram Football Club President Len Fredericks presents Mike Labor with the Defensive Player of the Year Award (Photo Mary Gilbert)
Bill Vansant Memorial Special Teams Award - Shawn Leo - Leo (Sr., Souderton) captures this award for the third consecutive time. This year, he set five school single season records – points after touchdown, field goals made, field goals attempted, kicking points, and PAT accuracy – and six school career records - points after touchdown, field goals made, field goals attempted, kicking points, PAT accuracy, and field goal accuracy – to become the most accomplished placekicker in Golden Ram history. He will likely be most remembered for his game winning 26-yard field goal into a stiff wind at Shippensburg. Leo was named second team All-PSAC East.
Jim Vansant presents Shawn Leo with the Special Teams Award (Photo Mary Gilbert)Kelly's Sports Unsung Hero - Jared Bonacquisti - Bonacquisti (Sr., Garnet Valley) is listed on the roster as a fullback, but played a lot of blocking tight end this season and was a linebacker in previous years. So although he only posted four carries for a touchdown and five catches for 21 yards and a touchdown this season, Bonacquisti’s contributions go beyond when he touched the ball. And they even go beyond the football field. He’s also remembered for donating bone marrow and being the hero for Sigitas Sleckus.
Offensive Scout Team in memory of Mark Killinger - Jarel Elder - Speedster Jarel Elder (Fr., Parkland) was a multiple threat in high school, capturing post season honors at running back, defensive back and on special teams. He rushed for over 1,000 yards as a junior and over 1,500 yards as a senior when his team advanced to the PIAA AAAA quarterfinals.
Defensive Scout Team from Dave Williams - John Dubyk - The versatile John Dubyk (Fr., Pennridge) received honors at both defensive end and tight end in high school. As a team captain in his senior year, he led Pennridge to the PIAA AAAA District I playoffs and was recipient of the Mini Maxwell Award.
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The following players were selected by the coaches for their efforts this season:
Mark and Julie Drochek Coaches' Award - Anthony McCloskey - Co-captain McCloskey (Sr., Cardinal O’Hara) came to West Chester as a fullback, transitioned to linebacker and then bulked up to play defensive tackle his final two years, clearly demonstrating that he was willing to do whatever he was asked to help the team. In his senior season, Spike logged 45 total tackles including 6.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry and a blocked kick. All of those numbers were an improvement over his junior year when he received second team All-PSAC East honors.
Mark and Golden Ram Football Club Secretary Julie Drochek present Anthony McCloskey with the Coaches Award. (Photo Mary Gilbert)Ted Novak Memorial Coaches' Award - LaRonn Lee - Due to a lower leg injury, Lee (Sr., Penn Manor) saw limited action in his senior year. He missed the Kutztown game and then on just the third offensive play on homecoming, he reinjured the leg and totally missed the next three contests. Despite the setback, Lee finished the season with 14 catches for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns with half of those numbers coming in the first three playoff games. Against the vaunted Shepherd defense in the Super Regional final, Lee had three 31-yard catches including the go ahead touchdown early in the third quarter. In his four-year career, Lee logged 78 catches for 1,391 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Head Coach Bill Zwaan presents LaRonn Lee with the Ted Novak Memorial Coaching Staff Award. (Photo Mary Gilbert)------------------------------------------------------
Rondell White was named both the Golden Ram Football Club Player of the Year and WCU Football Athlete of the Year as chosen by the players. White (Sr. Rustin) captures these honors for the third consecutive season. His season and career accolades are well reported, but the one item that stands out the most is the fact that as the leading rusher and receiver on the team, he accounted for 41% of the Golden Ram offense this year with 1,989 yards rushing and 843 yards receiving. He set single season school records for rushing yards (1,989), rushing touchdowns (21), all-purpose yards (3,107), total touchdowns (24), and points (144).
White captured two PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week awards (New Haven and Shippensburg) and three ECAC Offensive Player of the Week awards (Gannon, Millersville and Shippensburg). He was named first team All-PSAC East, first team Daktronics All-Super Region 1, first team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region One, second team Daktronics All-American, first team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American, first team BSN All-American, first team AP Little All-American, first team AFCA Coaches' All-American, first team D2football.com All-American, ECAC Division II Offensive Player of the Year, Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Amateur Athlete of the Year and Maxwell Football Club Tri-State Football Player of the Year.
Golden Ram Football Club President Len Fredericks presents Rondell White with Player of the Year Trophy. (Photo Mary Gilbert)West Chester Football Scholar Athlete of the Year - Rich Bruno - Bruno (Jr., Council Rock South) punted 54 times this season for the Golden Rams, averaging 39.5 yards per punt and pinning 15 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line. Opponents only returned 12 punts for a total of 50 yards and a long of 17 yards. The Exercise Science major carries a 3.87 grade-point average and is a member of the Dean's List and the West Chester Athletic Director's academic honor roll. Bruno was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football Team as voted by the sports information directors of the 28 colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area. Additionally, he was identified as the 2013 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football Performer of the Year. Bruno was also named second team Daktronics Division II All-Super Region 1.
For their contribution and service to WCU football, Len Fredericks presented the Golden Ram Football Club President's Award to both Karen Massey and Bill Blystone.
Daily Local News - West Chester's historic season praised at packed banquet
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