The 2018 West Chester University Golden Ram football team was honored at the 53nd annual team banquet sponsored by the
Golden Ram Football Club Saturday night 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:
Bentley -
Nate Barnes -
In his first start at linebacker for West Chester, Barnes (So., Carlisle) led the Golden Rams with seven tackles including 3.5 sacks. He also broke up a pass and recovered a fumble that led to West Chester's first touchdown in the 44-6 win. As a result, Barnes was named
PSAC East Defensive POW.
Gannon -
Jarey Elder -
Against the Golden Knights, Elder (Jr., Parkland) made three solo tackles and assisted on two others. But his key plays came midway through the third quarter when he intercepted the Gannon quarterback on back-to-back possessions inside West Chester territory. He returned the first pick 28 yards and the second one 12 yards to help preserve the 31-7 victory.
Seton Hill -
A.J. Long -
Long (Jr., Friendship Christian) accounted for five touchdowns in West Chester's 59-14 win at Seton Hill. He was 13 of 21 for 275 yards and three touchdowns without an interception passing. Long also carried the ball eight times for 118 yards and two touchdowns without a loss, all in less than three quarters of football.
Millersville -
Diquan Gilbert -
In West Chester's 42-16 thrashing of the Marauders, Gilbert made three solo and two assisted tackles for five total tackles. He assisted on two sacks and had a solo sack for eight yards for a total of 2.0 sacks in the game. Gilbert also made two other solo tackles for loss in the contest.
Shippensburg -
Lex Rosario -
Rosario (Jr., Delaware Valley) made 13 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown in the 28-21 win over the Raiders. His 13 receptions were the most in a single game in the PSAC this season and his 193 receiving yards was second most in a conference game in 2018. Eight of his receptions resulted in a first down for the Golden Rams.
Bloomsburg -
Tyler Morrissey -
In West Chester's 17-14 win at Bloomsburg, Morrissey (Sr., Springfield) made five total tackles including 0.5 tackles for loss. But it was his block of a potential game-tying 37-yard field goal attempt with under six minutes to play that preserved the victory and earned him
PSAC East Special Teams POW honors.
East Stroudsburg -
Mark Dukes -
The Golden Rams were without their top two quarterbacks for the game, so Dukes (Sr., Pottsgrove) carried the load for the offense. He toted the ball 16 times for 132 yards including a three-yard touchdown in the 53-24 road victory.
Kutztown -
Tyler Drob -
Drob (Gr., Cherry Hill East) anchored an offensive line in the 38-21 win at Kutztown. It was the most points allowed by the Golden Bears in the regular season. West Chester rolled up 295 yards and one touchdown rushing and 131 yards and four touchdowns passing. The 29 first downs led to a dominating 36 minutes in time of possession.
Lock Haven -
Mike Class -
In the win that clinched the PSAC East, Class (Sr., Pennridge) was the Golden Rams' top rusher as he carried the ball ten times for 71 yards and three touchdowns. His scores came from 6, 2, and 21 yards. Class also made two catches for 30 yards and returned a kickoff for 22 yards.
Slippery Rock -
A.J. Long -
In capturing the conference championship for the first time in over 50 years, Long (Jr., Friendship Christian) accounted for 288 yards and four touchdowns. He was 13 of 21 for 153 yards and three touchdowns passing without an interception, and carried the ball 30 times for 135 yards and another score. Long was named MVP of the championship game and
PSAC East Offensive POW.
New Haven -
Diquan Gilbert -
Gilbert (Sr., Comm Tech) was credited for three solo sacks and 3.5 tackles for 32 yards in the game. His first sack went for nine yards, while the second one was awarded when the New Haven quarterback intentionally grounded the ball for another loss of nine yards. His third solo sack was for a loss of 14 yards. The Chargers had surrendered a total of just three sacks over their previous ten games.
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West Chester Football
Scholar Athlete of the Year -
Tyler Drob
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The following players were selected by the coaches for their efforts this season:
Offensive Scout Team in Memory of Mark Killinger -
Kenny Edelin -
Edelin (Fr., Middletown) was named first-team all-state (Delaware) wide receiver in his senior season.
Dave Williams Defensive Scout Team -
Jackson Taylor -
Taylor (Fr., Abington) was a two-year all-conference player on both sides of the ball for the Ghosts.
Ted Novak Memorial Coaches' Award -
Jake Duncan -
As a junior last season, Duncan (Sr., Central Bucks East) worked his way into the starting lineup by the third game of the year. Unfortunately, that reward was short-lived as he suffered a season ending injury just one game later at Lock Haven. However, he fought back during the offseason and resumed his starting position for his final season with the Golden Rams.
Mark and Julie Drochek Coaches' Award -
Nydair Rouse -
As a captain in his senior season, Rouse (Sr., Simon Gratz) played the role of the coach on the field. He played and started in 34 of West Chester's last 35 games. In his senior year, Rouse made 19 tackles, and had two interceptions including a pick-six against Millersville.
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The following players were selected by their teammates for their performance for the season:
Kelly's Sports Unsung Hero Award -
Connor Walsh
Starting every game at center this year, Walsh (Sr., Garnet Valley) provided senior leadership to a line that provided protection for an offense that scored a league-best 38.3 points per game and gained over 429 yards per game.
Bill Vansant Memorial Special Teams Award -
Brendan Paulison
-
Paulison (Sr. Delaware Valley) finished the season second in the PSAC with a 41.6 yard average per punt. He boomed 8 over 50 yards, landed 15 inside the opponents' 20, and forced 13 fair catches. Most importantly, opponents were limited to a total of 29 return yards which placed West Chester at the top of the PSAC in net punting and 7th in the country. Paulison was named PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week against Gannon and ECAC Special Teams Player of the Month for September. Since the season ended, he was named second team All-PSAC East, All-ECAC and third team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region One.
Muz and Lew Peck Offensive Player of the Year and
WCU Football Athlete of the Year -
A.J. Long - Long (Jr., Friendship Christian) is known in Division II as one of the top dual-threats in the country and this season lived up to that hype. He was the Golden Rams' leading rusher and 9th in the PSAC with 734 yards and 8 touchdowns on 155 carries. But his passing efficiency was second best in the country and by far the best in the conference. Long was 149 of 220 (68%) for 2,131 yards and 23 touchdowns against just 6 interceptions for a passer efficiency of 178.1. He was named ECAC Offensive Player of the Month for September and PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week for the win 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.
Geoff Ruth Memorial Defensive Player of the Year and
Golden Ram Football Club Player of the Year -
Tyler Morrissey -
Morrissey (Sr., Springfield) finished his West Chester career as one of the most decorated defensive players in history. This year he was one of WCU's top five players in tackles (86), sacks (8.5), tackles for loss (10.0), quarterback hurries (4) and forced fumbles (3). He was named
PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week for the Seton Hill win and PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week for the win at Bloomsburg. For the second consecutive year, Morrissey was named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year, ECAC Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award. Also for both the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he was named first team All-PSAC East, first team All-ECAC, first team CCA All-Super Region 1 and first team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region One. This year, Morrissey was a unanimous All-American as he was recognized by CCA, AFCA, Associated Press, and D2Football.com.
The 2019 Golden Ram Captains were introduced and are
quarterback
A.J. Long,
wide receiver
Lex Rosario,
safety
Jarey Elder,
defensive end
Ch'aim Smith, and
offensive lineman
Frank Tranzilli.
Tyler Drob was named All-American by Don Hansen (Photo Ron Hockman)
Assistant Head Coach Gerald Toney presents Tyler Drob with the 
Assistant Coach Mike Furlong presents Kenny Edelin with the 
Assistant Coach Bill Zwaan, Jr. presents Jackson Taylor with the 
Offensive Line Coach Nick Sama presents Jake Duncan with the 
Julie and Mark Drochek present Nydair Rouse with the
Assistant Coach Bill Zwaan, Jr. presents Connor Walsh with the
Jim Vansant presents Brendan Paulison with the 
Lew Peck presents A.J. Long with the
Rick Daniels and Jim Brazill present Tyler Morrissey with the
Frank Tranzilli, Jarey Elder, Ch'aim Smith, Lex Rosario and A.J. Long
Tyler Drob is set to play in HBCU Bowl (Photo Ron Hockman)
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