Game Preview - Kutztown

The #22 Golden Rams (7-1, 4-1) host division leading #17 Kutztown (8-0, 5-0). A Kutztown win essentially ensures that the Golden Bears capture the PSAC East crown and will host the PSAC championship game on November 16. A West Chester win coupled with a Shepherd win over visiting East Stroudsburg will leave Kutztown, Shepherd and West Chester in a three-way tie for first place in the PSAC East. If the situation remains that way after next week's games, a series of coin flips will determine who hosts the PSAC West winner for the conference crown. Kickoff at John A. Farrell Stadium is slated for noon.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 52-10-1, and head coach Bill Zwaan is 12-4 against the Golden Bears in his 16 years at West Chester. In 2003 in Kutztown, West Chester shot out to a 16-0 first quarter lead, but the failed point after touchdown conversion came back to haunt West Chester when Kutztown made a 38-yard field goal with 50 seconds left in the game, handing Zwaan his first Division II loss. Kutztown notched two wins in 2010 and 2011, the two years in the past ten that West Chester was under .500 and Kutztown qualified for the NCAA playoffs. That 2011 game was played in a snowy, windy and cold John A. Farrell Stadium, some of the worst weather conditions West Chester football has seen in the past several decades. And in 2016, Kutztown's win led to the Golden Bears capturing the PSAC East championship.

Kutztown head coach Jim Clements is in his sixth year with the Golden Bears which went 9-2 and qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs last season. The PSAC East Coach of the Year in 2016 has a record of 45-18 at Kutztown.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2009	Home	Win	31-17	2014	Away	Win	29-7
2010	Away	Loss	45-23	2015	Home	Win	44-14
2011	Home	Loss	24-0	2016	Away	Loss	20-14
2012	Away	Win	45-24	2017	Home	Win	27-21
2013	Home	Win	22-21	2018	Away	Win	38-21

Last Meeting:

10/27/2018 West Chester 38 - Kutztown 21

After the Golden Rams took a 24-23 lead into halftime, Kutztown closed the score to 24-21 on a touchdown and two-point conversion early in the third period. But West Chester got third-quarter touchdown catches from Dan Neuhaus and Gabe Schappell and then held the ball for over eleven minutes of the fourth quarter to secure the win. Schappell, Neuhaus, Cody Boozel and Lex Rosario all had multiple catches on the day and quarterback Paul Dooley had 48 yards rushing and 43 yards passing.

Defensively for the Golden Rams, safety Jarey Elder had five tackles and a forced fumble and defensive end Ch'aim Smith had four tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries. Kicker Andrew Chegia was perfect on his five PAT attempts and a 33-yard field goal.

Scouting the Opponent:

Kutztown has one of the top ranked offenses in the PSAC in large part due to their offensive line. Left tackle Justin Tindull, right guard Jayson Williams and center Matt Cella all received PSAC recognition after last season. And they comprise a group that allows two-time All-PSAC East quarterback Collin DiGalbo (145 of 214, 1,938 yards, 22 TD's, 5 int's; 89 carries, 398 yards, 9 TD's) to run the offense effectively. Running back Abdul-Hassan Neblett (80 carries, 612 yards, 7 TD's; 25 catches, 167 yards, 2 TD's) is the reigning PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the East. DiGalbo will throw the ball to anyone wearing a Golden Bear jersey as a dozen players have caught a pass this season, led by redshirt freshman Jake Novak (25 catches, 382 yards, 4 TD's), tight end Jack Pilkerton (24 catches, 374 yards, 6 TD's), and Mason McElroy (21 catches, 391 yards, 4 TD's).

Kutztown's standout defensive players are All-PSAC East safety Shawn Turber-Ortiz (74 tackles, 4 interceptions) and All-PSAC East cornerback Ahkee Cox-Cowan (22 tackles, 3 interceptions, 8 pass breakups). But similar to the passing game where the ball gets distributed, the Golden Bear defense boasts a dozen different players who have at least one sack. So while defensive ends Hez Trahan (8 tackles, 4.5 sacks) and Nick Vasger (20 tackles, 3.0 sacks) lead the team, just about anyone on the field has the capability of getting to the quarterback. Kutztown is also among the PSAC leaders in interceptions as well.

Kicker Dean Krcic hasn't converted either of his field goal attempts and has missed five PAT attempts. However he was an All-PSAC East punter last season and is currently third in the conference in punting and has 16 touchbacks on kickoffs. McElroy averages almost six yards per punt return with a long of 26 and Nyiem Nevarez returned a kickoff 72 yards at Bloomsburg.

Analysis:

National rankings in turnover margin: Kutztown #4 at +11; West Chester #111 at -3. Got it?

Atomic Football gives Kutztown a six-point edge while Massey Ratings project Kutztown with a nine-point margin.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

The game will also be broadcast on WPHL17

West Chester Athletic Site - No. 22 West Chester and No. 17 Kutztown Clash on Saturday Afternoon At Noon

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes Week - 9

Kutztown Athletic Site - High Stakes Showdown Between No. 17 Kutztown and No. 22 West Chester Saturday

KYW Newsradio - PSAC showdown Saturday as West Chester hosts Kutztown

Reading Eagle - Berks college football previews

D2football - PSAC East Columnist - PSAC East - Week Nine Preview

D2football - The Countdown - Games of the Week - Week Nine

Event News - October 31 Bill Zwaan Football Show

The Bill Zwaan Football Show will be held at 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, senior quarterback Paul Dooley and sophomore linebacker Rashon Wiggins will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In addition, defensive coordinator Mike Furlong will join the show.

In West Chester's 28-21 homecoming win over East Stroudsburg, Dooley was 13 of 26 for 170 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also the Golden Rams' leading rusher with 40 yards on 12 carries. Meanwhile, Wiggins had four tackles including 0.5 sack. For the season, he has 25 stops, a fumble recovery, a quarterback hurry, a pass breakup and a safety.

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.

Team News - 2019 First Regional Rankings

The NCAA released its first regional rankings of 2019 today and the Golden Rams appear on the list at #6. The top seven teams in Super Region 1 qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs. Kutztown, Notre Dame, Slippery Rock and West Chester all qualified for the playoffs last year. Since Bill Zwaan has been the head coach, the Golden Rams have qualified for the playoffs nine times, including each of the past two years.

Ranking	School	SR1 Record	D2 Record
1.	Kutztown	8-0	8-0
2.	Slippery Rock	7-0	8-0
3.	Notre Dame	8-0	8-0
4.	IUP	7-1	7-1
5.	West Virginia St	6-1	6-1
6.	West Chester	7-1	7-1
7.	Urbana	6-2	6-2
8.	Shepherd	6-2	6-2
9.	Tiffin	7-1	7-1
10.	Ohio Dominican	5-2	5-2

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Ranked Sixth In First NCAA Regional Poll

NCAA - Division II Regional Rankings - October 28

NCAA - The first 2019 DII football regional rankings are out. Here's what we learned

Team News - Golden Rams Slip to #22 in AFCA Poll

Despite defeating East Stroudsburg by a score of 28-21, West Chester slipped from #21 to #22 in the top 25 of the coaches' poll. West Chester remained #22 in the D2football.com poll.

West Chester's next action is Saturday when they host Kutztown (8-0) for a noon kickoff.

American Football Coaches Association - No Upsets Keep Division II Coaches Top 25 Relatively Unchanged

D2Football.com - Top 25 Poll - October 28, 2019

Player News - Elder Named PSAC East Defensive POW

For his efforts in West Chester's 28-21 homecoming win over East Stroudsburg, senior safety Jarey Elder has been named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week. Elder broke the Golden Rams out of an early game funk with a 37-yard pick six to cut the East Stroudsburg lead to 10-7. He finished the game with six total tackles with five of them being solo stops. With the Warriors' threatening to score in the final minute of the game, he had a pass breakup on first down and a solo tackle on second down to force East Stroudsburg's final two desperation plays. On special teams, Elder returned six punts for a total of 38 yards, including a 16-yard return early in the fourth quarter that setup West Chester's go-ahead touchdown.

Safety Jarey Elder (Photo Ron Hockman)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - 10/28

West Chester Athletic Site - Jarey Elder Named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week

Game Report - West Chester 28 - East Stroudsburg 21

The #21 Golden Rams (7-1, 4-1) had their typical fair share of mistakes, but they were able to overcome them in a 28-21 win over East Stroudsburg (5-3, 2-3) in front of a homecoming crowd of almost 7,000.

Senior Paul Dooley returned to lead the offense and showed no signs of an arm injury that held him out last week. On West Chester's second possession, he heaved what looked to be a sure touchdown pass, but receiver Seth Degree was thinking the same thing and failed to secure the catch. There was a frustrating moment early in the game. West Chester's first offensive possession started deep in their own territory and resulted in a quick three-and-out. Punter George Lambritsios launched one of his trademark punts to seemingly shift field position. But a penalty flag was thrown and the play was blown dead. After some discussion, the officials negated the penalty call, and Lambritsios' next kick was only 40 yards.

Jarey Elder on his way to the end zone (Photo Ron Hockman)

After just one play into the second quarter, the Golden Rams found themselves down 10-0. And West Chester's next two possessions resulted in turnovers, which made the deficit seem to grow. But senior captain Jarey Elder took advantage of a blitz to jump in front an East Stroudsburg receiver to intercept a pass and return it 37 yards for West Chester's first points of the game. Trailing 10-7, Fulani Freeman pressured the quarterback and safety Trael Seegers made a leaping interception to give West Chester the ball just inside Warrior territory. Dooley and company worked their way downfield, using a third-down East Stroudsburg pass interference penalty to set up an Isaiah Bruce 11-yard touchdown run.

Fulani Freeman pressured this interception (Photo Ron Hockman)

It looked like West Chester would head into the locker room with a 14-10 lead, but the Golden Rams elected to use some defensive timeouts to get one last crack at points. Now, WCU employed this same strategy last week. At Shepherd, West Chester used a timeout when Shepherd had the ball at their own 6 with 40 seconds left in the second quarter only to see the Rams work their way down the field and miss a 29-yard field goal attempt. It played out a little differently against East Stroudsburg. West Chester got the ball back, but their possession lasted only 32 seconds, lost two yards, and the Golden Rams were forced to punt the ball back to the Warriors. West Chester seemed to avert a bullet when Zach Demarchis intercepted East Stroudsburg's Hail Mary as time expired, but West Chester was offsides on the play and the Warriors picked up five yards and an untimed down. Rather than attempt another long pass, East Stroudsburg attempted a 56-yard field goal which was true. So West Chester's lead was narrowed to 14-13 at intermission.

Zach Demarchis had four tackles (Photo Ron Hockman)

The Golden Rams' first possession after halftime was sharp. Dooley completed a 45-yard strike to tight end Dan Neuhaus and a pair of passes to Lex Rosario. The 77-yard drive was capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Neuhaus. Unfortunately, East Stroudsburg, which changed quarterbacks towards the end of the first half, responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive of their own. The two-point conversion tied the game at 21 heading into the fourth quarter.

Dan Neuhaus with his fifth touchdown of the season (Photo Ron Hockman)

Besides having six tackles and a pick-six, Elder had a really good day returning punts. His 16-yard return shortened the field for the offense and Dooley connected with Rosario on a 28-yard touchdown over the middle. Elder would later have an 18-yard punt return, although it didn't lead to any West Chester points. Poor West Chester tackling on punt coverage was bailed out by a Warrior holding penalty, but the Warriors had a final opportunity with two and a half minutes left. East Stroudsburg advanced the ball from their own 36 to the West Chester 17, converting a fourth down along the way. But passes into the end zone fell incomplete and the score went final.

Lex Rosario with the game-winning touchdown catch (Photo Ron Hockman)

Despite Dooley's final numbers (13 of 26, 170 yards, 2 TD's, 2 ints), he had a solid performance. One of the interceptions was a great leaping catch by the East Stroudsburg defender and the other appeared that the receiver slowed on his route. And although he took two sacks, Dooley bought extra time on many passing plays and he had net 40 yards rushing including picking up three first downs.

Paul Dooley had an effective day running the ball (Photo Ron Hockman)

There were some notable changes in West Chester's participants on defense. At linebacker Cole Zapf (5 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 QBH) replaced Rashon Wiggins (4 tackles, 0.5 sack), Demarchis (4 tackles, 0.5 sack) got the nod over Shamar Edwards, Jalik Smith (2 tackles) started in place of Izaiah McPherson (2 tackles), and Zach Liggitt started at defensive end. Overall, West Chester had 12 tackles for loss led by Nyeem Jones (9 tackles, 3 TFL for 17 yards) and Ch'aim Smith (8 tackles, 3.5 TFL for 13 yards).

Nyeem Jones with a tackle for loss (Photo Ron Hockman)

Notes - Defensive tackle Omar Peterkin did not dress again and hasn't played since the Shippensburg game...after yesterday's win, head coach Bill Zwaan's homecoming record at West Chester stands at 13-4....the Golden Rams host undefeated Kutztown on Saturday at noon.

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - Rosario’s Fourth-Quarter TD Lifts No. 21 West Chester to 28-21 Win Over East Stroudsburg

East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - ESU Drops Tight Game at No. 21 West Chester, 28-21

Daily Local News - West Chester University bounces back after loss, slips past East Stroudsburg

Allentown Morning Call - West Chester 28, East Stroudsburg 21

Ron Hockman - WCU Football vs East Stroudsburg - First Quarter Photos

Ron Hockman - WCU Football vs East Stroudsburg - Second Quarter Photos

Ron Hockman - WCU Football vs East Stroudsburg - Third Quarter Photos

Ron Hockman - WCU Football vs East Stroudsburg - Fourth Quarter Photos

Game Preview - East Stroudsburg

The Golden Rams (6-1, 3-1) celebrate homecoming by hosting the East Stroudsburg Warriors (5-2, 2-2). Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm on Saturday.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 61-22 and Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan is 14-3 against the Warriors, including two wins in the Poconos in 2004. In the first matchup that season, the Golden Rams blocked a PAT in overtime, then scored a touchdown and won the game on Dan Wilbourne’s converted PAT to hand then #7 East Stroudsburg their first loss of the season in front of a homecoming crowd of almost 6,000. The second game came on a frigid and blustery November afternoon in the NCAA regional finals. With a crowd of over 7,200 on hand, current West Chester running backs coach Osagie Osunde ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns as the Golden Rams handed East Stroudsburg their second loss of the season.

The following year, West Chester tipped the #6 ranked Warriors, 18-17, in muddy Farrell Stadium. 2005 was the last season that Farrell Stadium had natural grass. In 2009, East Stroudsburg ruined West Chester’s homecoming 21-20. The Golden Rams failed to convert a PAT early in the game and a 35-yard field goal late in the game. It's the only time that East Stroudsburg has won at West Chester in the past dozen years and the last time that the Warriors have reached the playoffs. The Warriors are led by former Warrior quarterback and first year head coach Jimmy Terwilliger.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2009	Home	Loss	21-20	2014	Away	Win	35-24
2010	Away	Win	35-31	2015	Home	Win	41-27
2011	Home	Win	37-26	2016	Away	Win	41-14
2012	Away	Loss	35-28	2017	Home	Win	31-26
2013	Home	Win	34-20	2018	Away	Win	53-24

Last Meeting:

10/20/2018 West Chester 53 - East Stroudsburg 24

West Chester raced out to a 34-0 first half lead and waltzed their way to a victory in the Poconos. The Warriors run defense was suspicious and the Golden Rams took advantage of it as they rushed for 357 yards, including 101 yards and two touchdowns from Trael Seegers. Quarterback Mike Piperno (8 of 13, 137 yards, 1 TD, 1 int) made his first collegiate start and Zach Gilbert also tossed a touchdown. Lex Rosario (3 catches, 43 yards) and Dan Neuhaus (2 catches, 28 yards) also made contributions on offense. Defensively, end Ch'aim Smith had five tackles including two sacks.

Scouting the Opponent:

Quarterback Jake Cirillo (129 of 199, 1,468 yards, 12 TD's, 6 int's; 72 carries, 389 yards, 3 TD's) is the Warriors' leading passer and rusher. Ben Moser (11 of 22, 139 yards) was East Stroudsburg's primary quarterback each of the last two seasons, but has played sparingly since Terwilliger took the head coaching reigns. When they do use a running back, it's usually Devante Robinson (92 carries, 332 yards, 8 TD's). East Stroudsburg has interesting options when throwing the ball. There's speedy Javier Buffalo (33 catches, 420 yards, 5 TD's) and 6'3 215lb RJ Sarajian (25 catches, 300 yards, 2 TD's). But Cirillo sprays the ball around as six receivers have at least 15 catches on the season.

Senior Jordan Walters does all the kicking for East Stroudsburg. He's fourth in the PSAC in punting with a 40-yard average with nine inside the opponent 20-yard line. He leads the conference in field goals (9 of 12) with a long of 44 yards and has been perfect on his 29 PAT attempts. And he's boomed 18 touchbacks on his 42 kickoffs.

Linebackers Jameer Brooks (45 tackles, 5.5 TFL) and Joel Ozoemena (43 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 2 int) are the team's top tacklers. Free safety Tyler Watson (36 tackles, 2 int, 4 PBU) leads the secondary. Up front, defensive ends Joseph Odebode (23 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks) and Deshawn McCarthy (15 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks) are among the PSAC leaders in sacks.

Analysis:

East Stroudsburg was just 2-9 last season, but the Warriors were 1-1 under then interim head coach Terwilliger. He seemed to have breathed new life into the program as they opened 2019 with five straight wins. But much like West Chester, the quality of their opponents was very suspect and they have since lost back-to-back games to Kutztown and Bloomsburg. In their homecoming loss to Bloomsburg last Saturday, despite giving up 22 points, East Stroudsburg's defense didn't allow a touchdown. So much like the Golden Rams, the Warriors are an enigma.

West Chester will be better served if they can reduce the turnovers since they're -3 on the season. Since Cirillo runs ten times per game, he probably warrants a spy which will be a tough chore for West Chester's bigger linebackers. The Golden Rams struggled with Shepherd's passing game and East Stroudsburg will give West Chester another significant challenge. The Warriors don't take many sacks, so pressuring or sacking Cirillo will be tough. And without pressure up front, it may be another long day for the young Golden Ram secondary. Finally wide receiver Buffalo and kicker Walters have each completed a pass, so a trick play is not out of the question.

Atomic Football projects a ten-point Golden Ram victory while Massey Ratings cites a seven-point margin.

Notes:
Several past football teams will be honored during the game:

• 1959 PSAC Championship team coached by Glenn Killinger (7-1)
  selected by the Saylor Point System
  
• 1969 PSCAC Championship team coached by Bob Mitten (8-2)
  defeated Clarion 41-34 in PSCAC Championship Game
  
• 1989 PSAC East Championship team coached by Rick Daniels (8-3)
  lost in NCAA playoff at Portland St in 3 OT's
  
• 1999 PSAC East Championship team coached by Rick Daniels (7-3)
  undefeated in PSAC East play
  

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - Homecoming Preparations In Place For Saturday's Football Game

West Chester Athletic Site - Depth Chart - West Chester vs. East Stroudsburg

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes - Week 8

East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - ESU Football Game Notes vs. West Chester

KYW Newsradio - West Chester hosts East Stroudsburg for a homecoming showdown

D2football - PSAC East Columnist - PSAC East - Week Eight Preview