Player News - Tyler Morrissey a Cliff Harris Award Finalist

Junior linebacker Tyler Morrissey has been named a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award which is presented to the small college defensive player of the year. The award was created by the Little Rock Touchdown Club and is presented to the top defensive player among NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA schools as chosen by head coaches and a committee of college and professional football greats.

Morrissey was named first team All-PSAC East and PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year, first team All-ECAC and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, and All-Super Region 1 and second team All-American by the Division 2 Conference Commissioner's Association and the Associated Press. He finished the season with 137 total tackles (2nd in the PSAC) including 14.0 tackles for loss (6th in the PSAC), five quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles (both in the playoffs).

Tyler Morrissey nominated for Cliff Harris Award (Photo Ron Hockman)

The original list of 138 nominees included 51 from Division II, 55 from Division III and 32 from NAIA schools. Morrissey is one of 30 finalists from Division II which includes 19 seniors, 10 juniors and 1 sophomore. The Cliff Harris Award winner will be announced on December 23 and the trophy will be presented to the recipient at the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s annual awards banquet on January 11, 2018.

The three finalists from the PSAC are:

• DE Marcus Martin - Slippery Rock
  
• LB Tyler Morrissey - West Chester
  
• S Max Redfield - Indiana
  

Cliff Harris Award - Cliff Harris Award finalists for best defensive player in DII, DIII and NAIA football announced

West Chester Athletic Site - Morrissey Named Cliff Harris Award Finalist

Team News - Coach Zwaan Help Homeless Students

Head coach Bill Zwaan was recently featured for his efforts to help West Chester University's homeless students during the holidays through the Promise Program which is a campus support program for homeless and foster youth.

Daily Local News - WCU helps homeless students during winter break

Fox29 - Program helps homeless college students over the holidays

Washington Post - At the holidays, university officials realized: Some students don’t have a home to go home to

Team News - Golden Rams receiving votes in Final AFCA Poll

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) released their final Division II poll of the 2017 season and West Chester was listed as "others receiving votes" and were 28th in points. The Golden Rams finished the season 9-4 with two wins over Shippensburg (10-2) which appears at #25 in the final AFCA poll.

West Chester opens the 2018 season when they visit Bentley.

American Football Coaches Association - Texas A&M-Commerce Ends 2017 at No. 1

Player News - Tyler Morrissey a Cliff Harris Award Nominee

Junior linebacker Tyler Morrissey has been named a nominee for the Cliff Harris Award which is presented to the small college defensive player of the year. The award was created by the Little Rock Touchdown Club and is presented to the top defensive player among NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA schools as chosen by head coaches and a committee of college and professional football greats.

Morrissey was named first team All-PSAC East and PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year, first team All-ECAC and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, and All-Super Region 1 and second team All-American by the Division 2 Conference Commissioner's Association. He finished the season with 137 total tackles (2nd in the PSAC) including 14.0 tackles for loss (6th in the PSAC), five quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles (both in the playoffs).

Tyler Morrissey nominated for Cliff Harris Award (Photo Ron Hockman)

Among the 138 nominees, 51 are from Division II, 55 are from Division III and 32 are from NAIA schools. Finalists will be announced on December 20, with the Cliff Harris Award winner being announced on December 23. The trophy will be presented to the recipient at the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s annual awards banquet on January 11, 2018.

The nominees from the PSAC are:

• CB Zuril Hendrick - Edinboro
  
• LB Luke Hrapchak - California
  
• DE Marcus Martin - Slippery Rock
  
• LB Tyler Morrissey - West Chester
  
• S Max Redfield - Indiana
  

Cliff Harris Award - 2017 Nominees

West Chester Athletic Site - Morrissey Named AP Little All-American; Lands On Cliff Harris Award List As Well

Player News - Tyler Morrissey Named AP All-American

Junior linebacker Tyler Morrissey has been named to the second team Associated Press Division II All-America Team. He becomes the first Golden Ram to receive recognition from the Associated Press since Andrew Cohen in 2015. He is one of seven players from the PSAC to get a nod from the AP and the only one from the PSAC East.

Tyler Morrissey registered 14.0 tackles for loss this season (Photo Ron Hockman)

Prior to this award, Morrissey was named first team All-PSAC East and PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year, first team All-ECAC and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, and All-Super Region 1 and second team All-American by the Division 2 Conference Commissioner's Association. He finished the season with 137 total tackles (2nd in the PSAC) including 14.0 tackles for loss (6th in the PSAC), five quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles (both in the playoffs).

The Associated Press - The Associated Press Division II All-America Team

West Chester Athletic Site - Morrissey Named AP Little All-American; Lands On Cliff Harris Award List As Well

Player News - Paulison and Morrissey Named All-American

Junior linebacker Tyler Morrissey and junior punter Brendan Paulison were both named second team All-American by the Division 2 Conference Commissioner's Association.

Morrisey was named first team All-PSAC East and PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year. He finished the season with 137 total tackles (2nd in the PSAC) including 14.0 tackles for loss (6th in the PSAC), five quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles (both in the playoffs).

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

Paulison was also a first team All-PSAC East selection. He averaged 44.1 yards per punt (3rd 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.

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

The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.

West Chester joins Assumption and Slippery Rock as the only Super Region 1 schools with multiple representatives named.

West Chester Athletic Site - Morrissey and Paulison Named Second Team All Americans by DII CCA

Team News - Cheyney Drops Football Program

According to the PSAC, Cheyney University has announced that they are dropping their football program, however, there has yet to be such an announcement from Cheyney itself. If true, and if there are no other changes within the conference or scheduling agreements between the PSAC and another conference, the Golden Rams will be seeking to fill a home game on October 13, 2018 and a away game on October 19, 2019.

PSAC Site - PSAC Statement on Cheyney Football

Player News - Karpinski and Host Honored for Academics

Two West Chester Golden Ram players have received honors for their performance on the field and in the classroom this season. Senior wide receiver Tyler Karpinski (Finance/Accounting) and senior offensive lineman Alex Host (History) were both named to the 2017 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football Team.

The Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football team is voted on by the sports information directors of the 30 colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area. In order to be eligible for Academic All-Area honors, an athlete must be in at least his second year at the institution and hold a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better.

West Chester Athletics - Karpinski & Host Named Philly-SIDA All-Academic

Player News - Zwaan, Morrissey, James headline ECAC Awards for WCU

Junior linebacker Tyler Morrissey was named ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, freshman wide receiver Rasheem James was named ECAC Offensive Rookie of the Year and head coach Bill Zwaan was named ECAC Coach of the Year as the The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced their Division II Football Awards for 2017.

Morrissey was also named to the All-ECAC First Team and was joined by senior defensive end George Shipp and senior cornerback Shaquille James. The Golden Rams were represented on offense by senior running back Jarel Elder, senior wide receiver Tyler Karpinski, and sophomore offensive lineman Frank Tranzilli. Finally, all three special teams players heralded from West Chester: sophomore kicker Andrew Chegia, junior punter Brendan Paulison, and sophomore return specialist Jarey Elder. In addition, junior defensive end Diquan Gilbert was named honorable mention.

ECAC Site - ECAC Announces DII Football Major Awards & All-ECAC Teams

West Chester Athletic Site - Football Places 10 Players on All-ECAC Team; Three Major Award Winners

Player News - Trio of Golden Rams Named All-Region

Three Golden Rams have been named Division 2 Conference Commissioner's Association All-Super Region 1. Junior linebacker Tyler Morrissey and junior punter Brendan Paulison were both named to the first team defense while senior running back Jarel Elder was named to the second team offense.

Morrisey was named first team All-PSAC East and PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year. He finished the season with 137 total tackles (2nd in the PSAC) including 14.0 tackles for loss (6th in the PSAC), five quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles (both in the playoffs).

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

Paulison was also a first team All-PSAC East selection. He averaged 44.1 yards per punt (3rd 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's limited opponents to only 25 returns.

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

Elder was first team All-PSAC East and named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year. He rushed for 1,230 yards (3rd in the PSAC) and 15 touchdowns (3rd in the PSAC) and averaged 94.6 yards per game (4th in the PSAC). Elder was third on the Golden Rams in receiving with 23 catches for 339 yards and two touchdowns. Including his kick returns, he averaged 163.8 all-purpose yards per game (14th in the country).

Jarel Elder scored 17 touchdowns this season (Photo Ron Hockman)

The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.

Paulison and Morrissey now move on to the D2CCA national ballot for All-American consideration. The D2CCA All-American teams are scheduled to be released Wednesday, December 13.

West Chester Athletic Site - Three Golden Rams Named DII CCA All-Super Region 1

Club News - November 30 Radio Show

The final Bill Zwaan Football Show of the season will be broadcast live from 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 defensive end Ch'aim Smith, junior defensive back Nydair Rouse, and redshirt freshman wide receiver Rasheem James will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show.

In West Chester's season opening 51-9 win over Bentley, Smith had two solo tackles, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble which led to a Golden Ram touchdown. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury in the game. On Saturday against Indiana, James was held without a catch, but the redshirt freshman had 41 receptions for 674 yards and six touchdowns on the season. His best game of the season came against Kutztown where he had six catches for 142 yards and a score. Rouse had four tackles against Indiana, bringing his season total to 26. He also had 4.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, four pass breakups and a blocked kick this year.

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.

Rasheem James
(Photo Ron Hockman)
Nydair Rouse
(Photo Ron Hockman)

Ch'aim Smith (Photo Ron Hockman)

Team News - PSAC East Championship Gear Available

The Killinger Foundation is sponsoring a "PSAC East Championship Gear" fundraiser. Ideal for year-round layering, the pullover is a true performance piece for running, yoga or just hanging out. Extra stretchy, this pullover has a soft-brushed backing and features Sport-Wick moisture-wicking technology for comfort. A 1/2 zip complete with chin guard lets you control the ventilation. It has the ability to be customized with name and number ($7).

More information and orders can be placed at Weikel Sportswear. Orders must be placed by December 3, 2017 with delivery expected before Christmas.

Celebrate the Golden Rams 2017 season and help support the team in the future by participating.

Game Report - Indiana 44 - West Chester 10

Indiana dominated play from start to finish and pounded West Chester by a score of 44-10. The Crimson Hawks will host Assumption on Saturday in the Super Region One final. West Chester finished the 2017 season with a record of 9-4.

Unlike the PSAC championship game when Indiana ran the ball and consumed the clock, in this contest they opened play with a no huddle, hurry up, passing game that knifed through the Golden Ram defense. Even with the pace, due to their success moving the ball, the Crimson Hawks still had the ball for over 11 minutes in the first quarter alone. Meanwhile, the West Chester offense couldn’t do anything. At halftime, the Golden Rams had 17 yards rushing, 21 yards passing for just 38 total yards and only two first downs. That’s compared to Indiana which had 356 yards of offense and a 30-0 lead.

Tyler Morrissey had 15 tackles in the game (Photo Ron Hockman)

In the third quarter, with the outcome already decided, West Chester started making some strides, mainly on the running of A.J. Long who finished with a team-high 71 yards on the ground. But he lost a fumble and the Crimson Hawks needed just one play to cross 68 yards for the touchdown.

A.J. Long had 71 yards on the ground (Photo Ron Hockman)

Paul Dooley returned to quarterback and engineered a five-play touchdown drive which included a 26-yard pass to Dan Neuhaus and ended with a 23-yard pass to a wide open Tyler Karpinski for the score. But Indiana responded with another one-play touchdown drive, this one a 62-yard pass play.

Tyler Karpinski caught West Chester's only touchdown (Photo Ron Hockman)

This game was certainly decided in the trenches. Dooley was sacked five times and Indiana’s 14 tackles for loss amounted to 55 yards. Meanwhile, the Golden Rams defense managed just five tackles for loss for a total of five yards.

Punter Brendan Paulison had another tremendous day. With the wind at his back in the first quarter, he launched punts of 65 and 61 yards. And although his four punts into the second quarter wind only averaged 37 yards, Indiana didn’t return any of them. For the game, Paulison averaged 45.8 yards and pinned three inside the Indiana 20 yard line.

Nydair Rouse forced a fumble on this play (Photo Ron Hockman)

Running back Jarel Elder did all he could in his final collegiate game as he ran for 59 yards, had a nine-yard catch and 116 yards in kick returns for a game-high 184 all-purpose yards. Defensively, linebacker Tyler Morrissey had 15 tackles in the game with 14 of them coming before halftime. Safety Jarey Elder had five solo tackles before leaving the game with an apparent shoulder injury late in the first half. Senior cornerback Shaquille James had four pass breakups and three tackles.

One of Shaq James' four pass breakups (Photo Ron Hockman)

Sortable Box Score    Coaches Box Score

West Chester Athletic Site - No. 3 IUP Downs West Chester, 44-10, In NCAA 2nd Round

Indiana Athletic Site - Williams totals 4 touchdowns, IUP Football soars past West Chester and into regional title game

GoErie.com - IUP routs West Chester in D-II football playoffs

Indiana Gazette - Evans steps up in big game

Indiana Gazette - Williams, Crimson Hawks race to region final

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - IUP advances to NCAA DII region championship after crushing West Chester

NCAA.com - The most impressive stats from the second round

Game Replay

Game Preview - Indiana

The Golden Rams (9-3) travel to Indiana (11-0) in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Division II playoffs. Kickoff at George P. Miller Stadium on Saturday is set for noon. The Crimson Hawks remain ranked #1 in the D2football.com poll and #3 in the AFCA poll. The winner of this game will play the winner of the Findlay at Assumption in the Super Region 1 finals next Saturday.

Series History:
Indiana leads the overall series 13-7. The teams faced each other twice in 1987 with both games being played at Farrell Stadium. West Chester won the season opener by a convincing 31-7 score, but in the PSAC championship game, Indiana won in an equally convincing manner, 21-9.

Head coach Bill Zwaan endeared himself to Golden Ram fans when he broke West Chester's five-game losing streak to Indiana and led West Chester to a 30-20 win in his first game against them in 2005. However, he then lost three straight to the Crimson Hawks, including a 45-35 home loss in the first round of the 2007 playoffs. In a game that vaulted West Chester into the the 2014 playoffs, the Golden Rams won at Indiana in their last meeting.

Indiana is currently under the direction of long-time assistant and first-year head coach Paul Tortorella who took over the position after Curt Cignetti left for Elon University. Tortorella has spent 22 years at Indiana with most of those coming as defensive coordinator and had the interim title removed from his head coach title after the regular season.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
1993	Home	Loss	37-26	2007	Home	Loss	45-35
1995	Away	Loss	50-7	2010	Away	Loss	27-10
1998	Home	Loss	19-10	2011	Home	Loss	34-7
1999	Away	Loss	12-9	2014	Away	Win	28-17
2005	Home	Win	30-20	2017	Home	Loss	24-7

Last Meeting:

11/11/2017 Indiana 24 - West Chester 7

The Crimson Hawks captured all aspects of the game in securing the PSAC Championship. The Golden Rams offense was held to just 30 yards rushing and 1 of 10 on third down conversions and threw four interceptions in the game. Meanwhile, Indiana scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and three of their first four times touching the ball while controlling the clock for 34 minutes of the game.

Tight end Dan Neuhaus had three catches for 62 yards and West Chester's only score. Linebacker Tyler Morrissey racked up 20 tackles in the game, defensive end Diquan Gilbert registered a sack and defensive back Corey Kelley prevented another Indiana touchdown by picking off a pass in the end zone.

Scouting the Opponent:

Temple transfer and All-PSAC West quarterback Lenny Williams (180 of 266, 2,366 yards, 26 TD's, 6 ints) leads the PSAC in passer efficiency and paces the offense. Receivers Allen Wright (61 catches, 607 yards, 3 TD's), Dom McNeil (28 catches, 546 yards, 4 TD's), JoJo Gause (20 catches, 249 yards, 4 TD's), and Chris Wuestner (20 catches, 223 yards, 5 TD's) give Williams a variety of targets. All-PSAC West running back Samir Bullock (171 carries, 1,044 yards, 11 TD's) and PSAC West Freshman of the Year Justice Evans (119 carries, 669 yards, 6 TD's) manage the ground game. The offensive line has All-PSAC West performers in tackle Jerron Searles, guard Collin McAllister, center Jeff Arnold, and tight end Rex Pearce.

Defensive ends Deandre Easterling (28 tackles, 7.5 sacks) and Dondrea Tillman (39 tackles, 5.5 sacks) and tackle Jemal Averette (38 tackles, 7.0 TFL) were All-PSAC West this season. Joining them on the all-league team are linebackers Damon Lloyd (82 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 int) and Nick Amendola (81 tackles, 2.5 TFL).

Strong safety and Notre Dame transfer Max Redfield (69 tackles, 4 int) was All-PSAC West as was cornerback JR Stevens (38 tackles, 7 int) and free safety Takhi Turner (61 tackles, 2 int).

Kicker Dillon Sarka (11 of 15 FG, 47 of 53 PAT) was All-PSAC West while the punter is East Stroudsburg transfer Nico Ruiz (37.8 avg, 11 I20, 3 50+). McNeil is the primary kick returner while Mike Pietropola returns punts.

Analysis:

There's no doubt that Indiana dominated the match-up in West Chester just two weeks ago, but the Golden Rams looked like a different team in their first round game at Shippensburg. If the same Golden Ram team that handled the Raiders last week shows up in Indiana, it could be a very interesting ball game.

Massey Ratings is predicting a 31-19 Crimson Hawk victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Battles No. 3/1 IUP In Second Round Saturday

PSAC Site - West Chester, IUP to Meet in Second Round of NCAA DII Football Championship

Indiana Athletic Site - The Paul Tortorella Show for November 13

Indiana Athletic Site - Top seed IUP Football hosts West Chester in second round of NCAA playoffs

Indiana Athletic Site - IUP pregame party set for Saturday’s NCAA playoff matchup with West Chester

KYW Newsradio - WCU Gets Rematch With #1 IUP In NCAA Second Round

Indiana Gazette - IUP looks to make run despite tough playoff scene

Indiana Gazette - IUP FOOTBALL: Defensive ends are young, but dangerous

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - After historic season, playoff test awaits IUP football

Indiana Gazette - How well Crimson Hawks focus will determine their fate

Indiana Gazette - Balanced Crimson Hawks complement themselves on offense, defense

Daily Local News - West Chester must solve IUP to earn spot in Elite Eight

D2football - National Columnist - Bob Eblen - National Columnist

Game Report - West Chester 27 - Shippensburg 6

Wow. Just wow.

The Golden Rams hadn't put forth a solid, all around game effort like they did on their 27-6 win over Shippensburg in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs since....since they knocked off Shippensburg in early October.

The West Chester offense scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions, racking up 232 yards of offense and consuming over 11 minutes off the clock. The first touchdown drive used a good combination of Jarel Elder rushing and Paul Dooley passing highlighted by a Mike Class 25-yard run. During the second scoring drive, the Raider defense had a hard time finding the ball as A.J. Long used the read-option to accumulate 44 yards on the ground before he connected with Rasheem James on 20- and 37-yard passes with the latter being a miraculous touchdown catch. Dooley returned on the third scoring drive, connecting twice with Jordan Banks and finding Marcus Sydnor for a 36-yard touchdown strike. Perhaps the horrendous weather conditions dictated the game plan, but it was a solid mix of running and passing, with an emphasis on short- and mid-range passes.

Paul Dooley actually kept this ball and ran for the TD (Photo Ron Hockman)

Meanwhile, the defense made the necessary adjustment from the last meeting with the Raiders. All-PSAC East receiver Winston Eubanks had seven catches for 176 yards against the Golden Rams in October, but due to a constant double team and a wet football, Eubanks was held to just two catches for 42 yards on nine targets. Quarterback Ryan Zapoticky was on the mark with many of his passes, but very few of the Shippensburg receivers wore gloves, which seemed ridiculous considering the conditions. Zapoticky was pressured all afternoon, with George Shipp, Tyler Morrissey, Diquan Gilbert, Shane Griffin, and Mark Webb each registering solo sacks in the game. He did escape enough times to gain 78 yards for the contest, but that was the extent of the Raider running game. And Shippensburg amassed 109 of their 300 yards in the game in the final quarter, after the Golden Rams were already up 21-0.

Shaq James separates the ball from the Ship receiver (Photo Ron Hockman)

And special teams did what they needed to do. Brendan Paulison averaged 46.5 yards on just four punts and put the Raiders on their own 1 and 2 yard line on their first two possessions of the second half. Jarey Elder secured four fair catches on Shippensburg punts, Andrew Chegia converted three PAT's and the kickoff coverage team prevented the Raiders from getting good field position.

Rasheem James hauls in a 37-yard pass from A.J. Long (Photo Ron Hockman)

The Golden Rams' effort was not perfect - a 29-yard field goal was pushed wide, a PAT was blocked, a late first-half pass was intercepted and six penalties cost 40 yards - but the team played with confidence and composure not seen in a while, but is completely necessary in the postseason.

George Shipp and Diquan Gilbert close on the QB (Photo Ron Hockman)

Finally, kudos to the marching band, cheerleaders and many fans and family that made the trip and endured the cold rain that persisted throughout the entire contest. The conditions were brutal to say the least, but the Golden Rams persevered.

The band, cheerleaders and fans endured miserable weather but a great win
(Photo Ron Hockman)

Sortable Box Score    Coaches Box Score

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester’s Balanced Attack Downs Shippensburg; Golden Rams Advance

Shippensburg Athletic Site - No. 19 Football Falls in 2017 NCAA First Round to Rival West Chester, 27-6

Daily Local News - WCU tosses Ship in playoffs

TheSlateonline.com - Red Raiders fall short to Golden Rams, 27-6

The Sentinel - Messiah men's, women's soccer moves into NCAA Division III Sectional Finals

The Quad - Football advances in NCAA tourney

HERO Sports - Upsets Take Over Opening Round Play

Game Replay

Game Preview - Shippensburg

West Chester University (8-3) travels to Seth Grove Stadium to take on the Shippensburg Raiders (10-1) on Saturday at noon in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. The winner of this game will travel to Indiana to take on the Crimson Hawks on Saturday, November 25.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 27-11-1. In his 14 years at West Chester, Bill Zwaan is 12-4 against the Raiders including winning this year's game at Shippensburg. Zwaan is currently 9-7 in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Shippensburg head coach Mark Maciejewski is in his 7th season and holds a 56-22 record and is 1-1 in the postseason, guiding the Raiders to the playoffs in 2012.

In the final regular season game of the 2004 season, Shippensburg knocked off the Golden Rams at Farrell Stadium in overtime. But two weeks later in the second round of the NCAA playoffs, West Chester avenged that loss in Shippensburg. West Chester took the next four contests during the Golden Rams' run of qualifying for the NCAA playoffs from 2005-2008. Shippensburg won in 2009 and went on to win the PSAC championship that season.

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.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2008	Home	Win	25-7	2013	Away	Win	32-29
2009	Away	Loss	24-19	2014	Home	Win	55-28
2010	Home	Win	44-43 2OT	2015	Away	Loss	27-21
2011	Away	Win	52-17	2016	Home	Win	31-15
2012	Home	Loss	42-24	2017	Away	Win	37-27

Last Meeting:

10/07/2017 West Chester 37 - Shippensburg 27

The Golden Rams took a 27-10 lead early in the third quarter against the undefeated Raiders, only to see the lead evaporate early in the fourth period. Sophomore Andrew Chegia kicked a 41-yard field goal to give West Chester the lead and, after a defensive stop, running back Jarel Elder ripped off a 63-yard touchdown run to set the final score.

The game was knotted at ten midway through the second quarter when Jarey Elder picked off a pass and returned it to the Shippensburg 7-yard line. Brother Jarel ran it in on the next play to give West Chester the lead. Elder finished with 149 yards and two touchdowns rushing and quarterback Paul Dooley had one of the best games in his young career, completing 19 of 34 for 276 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Tyler Karpinski was the top receiver with 130 yards on eight catches while Marcus Sydnor had a 41-yard touchdown reception.

As was a usual occurrence this season, linebacker Tyler Morrissey had a game-high ten tackles including a sack. Defensive end George Shipp had two sacks and four total tackles while cornerback Shaquille James made seven tackles.

Scouting the Opponent:

The focal point of the Shippensburg offense is senior quarterback Ryan Zapoticky (193 of 314, 2,790 yards, 25 TD's, 5 int). The pre-med major has the highest passer efficiency rating in the division and was first team All-PSAC East and All-Academic Super Region 1. His primary target is redshirt freshman, All-PSAC East receiver Winston Eubanks (43 catches, 1,160 yards, 12 TD's). He'll also look to Kyle Haines (40 receptions, 485 yards, 6 TD's). The running game is a two-headed monster with All-PSAC East and All-Academic Super Region 1 Cole Chiappialle (147 carries, 688 yards, 9 TD's) and All-Academic Super Region 1 Colin McDermott (136 carries, 697 yards, 8 TD's). Offensive linemen Alec Petrillo and Zach Warren were both All-PSAC East this season.

Defensive ends Dakota Thompson (35 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 12 QB hurries) and Richard Nase (35 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 9 QB hurries) were both first team All-PSAC East selections as was linebacker Tyler Emge (53 tackles, 8.5 TFL). First-team All-PSAC East selections in the secondary were cornerback Kevin Taylor II (33 tackles, 5 int, 11 passes defended) and free safety Richard Sheler (48 tackles, 3 int, 11 passes defended). Reserve defensive back Eric Dzieniszewski (21 tackles, 4 int) has a pick-six this season and backup defensive lineman John Durkin (26 tackles, 5.0 sacks) also plays a key role on the Radiers' defense.

Kicker Billy Deane (49-55 PAT, 8 of 14 FG with a long of 40 yards) was all-conference last season, but has struggled scoring thus far this year. Deane also handles kickoffs and punts.

Analysis:

Shippensburg is among the conference leaders in most offensive and defensive team statistics and that's primarily due to the poor schedule that they've faced. Other than their loss to West Chester in October, the other teams with wining records that they played were Kutztown and Bloomsburg. However, those were the last two PSAC East games and they won those games rather convincingly.

In the earlier meeting this season between these two teams, the statistics were very even. As cliche as it may be, this game will likely come down to turnovers, penalties and big plays. Regarding turnovers, in West Chester's three losses this season, the Golden Rams were -4 compared to their eight wins where they were +4. The Shippensburg contest is just one of two games this year (Millersville is the other), where West Chester didn't turn over the ball. The Raiders are +14 on the season with 18 interceptions, but in the game against West Chester, they were -1 with an interception setting up the Golden Rams' first touchdown.

In the area of penalties, Shippensburg is in the top third in the country in fewest penalties (6) and penalty yards (57) per game compared to a Golden Rams team which is in the lower third in the country in penalties (8) and penalty yards (71) per contest. And when it comes to penalties, timing is everything affecting first downs, field position and momentum.

Finally, in the first meeting, Winston Eubanks had the biggest day for an opposing receiver this season with 176 yards. And Zapoticky had many other opportunities in the passing game, but several of his passes missed the mark. Edinboro, Slippery Rock and most recently Millersville all had a lot of success in the passing game against the Golden Rams, so there's a lot of vulnerability there. The weather may become the twelfth defender in this contest.

Massey Ratings favors the Raiders 28-21.

Game Coverage:

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West Chester Athletic Site - Football Heads to Shippensburg for First Round of NCAA II Playoffs

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Travels To Shippensburg On Saturday For First Round Of NCAA II Playoffs

Shippensburg Athletic Site - ADVISORY: Fan Information For Saturday's Home Football Game at Noon

Shippensburg Athletic Site - NCAA PLAYOFFS: No. 19 Football Hosts West Chester at Noon Saturday

Salamanca Press - Salamanca’s Lee, Furlong face off as assistant coaches in NCAA playoff game

D2football - National Columnist - Bob Eblen - National Columnist

HERO Sports - Compare Stats: Shippensburg vs West Chester