Player News - Tranzilli Receives National Recognition

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

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

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

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

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

Team News - Nineteen Golden Rams Named PSAC Scholar-Athletes

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

Representing the football team are:

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

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

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

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

Team News - 2018 Roster Changes

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

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

There are four additional incoming transfers:

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

Two other freshman are listed:

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

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

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

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

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