Game Preview - Bloomsburg

The Golden Rams (3-1, 1-0) host the Bloomsburg Huskies (1-3, 0-1) on Saturday in a PSAC East matchup. Kickoff for homecoming is scheduled for 2:00pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 51-27 and these two schools often play big games. The two schools have met twice in playoffs - 2008 and again in 2013 - with both postseason games played in Bloomsburg. The Huskies took the 2008 contest while the Golden Rams won in 2013 en route to the NCAA Division II semi-finals. Former Bloomsburg All-American linebacker Frank Sheptock is in his first season as head coach at his alma mater.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2011	Home	Loss	55-42	2015	Home	Win	33-22
2012	Away	Loss	24-23	2016	Away	Win	27-7
2013	Home	Loss	31-28	2017	Home	Loss	20-19
2013	Away	Win	40-38	2018	Away	Win	17-14
2014	Away	Loss	41-10	2019	Home	Win	20-17

Last Meeting:

10/13/2019 West Chester 20 - Bloomsburg 17

As it usually is when West Chester and Bloomsburg play, it was a typical back-and-forth, close affair that didn't end until linebacker Jackson Taylor had a strip sack on the last play of the game. Running back Ja'Den McKenzie paced the offense with 89 yards rushing while Seth Degree (2 catches, 93 yards) and Dan Neuhaus (4 catches, 80 yards) each scored for the Golden Rams. Defensively, linebacker Cole Zapf led the way with nine tackles and a sack while Taylor and defensive tackle Joe DeSanto each notched six tackles.

Scouting the Opponent:

Four games into the season and the Huskies are still in search for a quarterback. Junior Logan Leiby (21 of 34, 233 yards, 1 int) started in 2019 and the first two games this season. Freshman Ben Ries (19 of 41, 306 yards, 2 TD's, 2 ints) started their past two games and had a game-winning 47-yard TD pass against Gannon as time expired. But freshman David LePoidevin (18 of 37, 226 yards, 2 TD's, 2 ints) has also seen action in their last three games. Tyshaun Pollard (19 catches, 233 yards) and freshman Malik Langley (5 catches, 183 yards, 1 TD) are the two receivers that have to be watched. What's unusual is that Bloomsburg doesn't have the running game that they have historically had. Freshman Kaleb Monaco (35 carries, 180 yards) and graduate student Nyfease West (26 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD) are their top two ground gainers.

The Golden Rams will need to keep the ball away from defensive back Quentin Gaskill (38 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 int) who is also the Huskies leading tackler. Ron Long (20 tackles, 2 int) also has an eye for the ball. Defensive lineman AJ Simon (14 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss) spends time in the opponent's backfield and linebacker Adam Burkhart (32 tackles) is their second leading tackler.

Freshman punter Jaco Sattamini (34 yard average) has landed ten of his 29 punts inside the opponent 20-yard line and is the reigning PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week. Bloomsburg has used three different kickers this season with freshman Torsten Hartmann (3 of 4 PAT's, 1 27-yard field goal) getting the most opportunities.

Analysis:

The Huskies are getting outscored by an average of 31-14 this year and their defense is allowing 440 yards/game which is second worst in the PSAC, including a league worst 208 yards on the ground. So expect the West Chester offensive line and running backs Ja'Den McKenzie and Phil Poquie to have big games.

Bloomsburg is really scuffling this season, but it may not matter. In 2019, West Chester would go on to qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs while Bloomsburg would finish under .500. But the outcome between these two teams wasn't decided until the final play of the game. The Huskies opened the season with four of their first five games on the road.

Massey Ratings shows a Golden Ram win by 14.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Preps For Homecoming Weekend

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 5

Event News - September 30 Bill Zwaan Show

The Bill Zwaan Show will be held at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester on Thursday 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 Show, sophomore wide receiver Seth Degree and sophomore linebacker Jackson Taylor will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In addition, long-time assistant head coach Gerald Toney will join the show.

In West Chester's 42-14 win over Millersville last week, Degree had three catches for 60 yards, including a 40-yard, first quarter touchdown catch. Earlier this season, he had a 54-yard touchdown catch at Mercyhurst and a 57-yard touchdown catch against Edinboro. Meanwhile, Taylor was named PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week after week two when he tallied 13 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss at Mercyhurst. Last week at Millersville, he had seven solo tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coaches or the players to the Bill Zwaan Show.

Seth Degree
(Photo Gina Chapman)
Jackson Taylor
(Photo Gina Chapman)

Game Report - West Chester 42 - Millersville 14

The Golden Ram defense dominated once again as West Chester (3-1, 1-0) outlasted Millersville (1-3, 0-1) by a score of 42-14.

What went right:

• The Golden Ram defense was generally dominant. Millersville was sacked eight times, was 0 for 14 on third down and 0 for 1 on fourth down. The Marauders had -64 yards rushing and just 169 total yards of offense.
  
• Running backs Phil Poquie (101 yards, 1 TD) and Ja'Den McKenzie (68 yards, 1 TD) don't just consume the clock, churn yards, and score touchdowns, but routinely plow over or drag defenders in the process.
  
• Punter John George continues to be effective as he dropped three of his four punts inside the Millersville 20-yard line.
  
• Also on special teams, Nick Chapman blocked a punt which led to a West Chester touchdown.
  

Jake Colby and Quinten Derr provide Phil Poquie a running lane
(Photo Gina Chapman)

Fulani Freeman with one of WCU's 8 sacks (Photo Gina Chapman)

What could have gone better:

• Of the 169 yards that Millersville gained, 146 of those yards came on just three pass plays, including touchdowns of 77 ad 29 yards. Opposing receivers are getting behind the WCU defense for big plays too often.
  
• Not only were penalties numerous, they had critical affects. On offense, three would-be first downs, two of them coming on third down, were negated by holding penalties. And the defense squandered advantageous situations by handing Ville 15 yards and a first down on at least two occassions.
  
• Wide receiver Gabe Schappell suffered a serious leg injury and had to be carted off the field.
  
• The Golden Rams elected to take a time out prior to a kickoff after a score. Sure it's a mistake not having kickoff personnel ready, but burning a timeout may have been a secondary error.
  

Seth Degree hangs on for a touchdown (Photo Gina Chapman)

Ja'Den McKenzie steps into the end zone (Photo Gina Chapman)

Other observations:

• After running between the tackles so much, Millersville was left vulnerable to a pitch play that Poquie took for a 20-yard touchdown run.
  
• Early in the game, on a fourth and eight from inside the redzone, quarterback Shane Dooley took a sack. Later in the game, in a similar situation, he "took a shot" at the end zone. Although the pass fell incomplete, it seemed like he learned from the earlier missed opportunity to make a play.
  
• Quarterback Yahmir Wilkerson did not make the trip.
  

Omar Peterkin applies pressure to the QB (Photo Gina Chapman)

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Pulls Away From Millersville late for 42-14 Win

Millersville Athletic Site - West Chester pulls away late to top Marauders in PSAC East opener

Daily Local News - In uneven outing, West Chester finishes strong at Millersville

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - Millersville

Game Replay

Game Preview - Millersville

The Golden Rams (2-1) open PSAC East play when they travel to Millersville (1-2) on Saturday to take on the Marauders. Kickoff at Biemesderfer Stadium is scheduled for 4:00pm since the Millersville field hockey team is hosting IUP earlier in the day.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 70-17. Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan remains perfect against the Marauders in his 17 meeetings with Ville. J.C. Morgan (Bucknell '04) entered his fourth season as head coach of the Marauders with a 4-18 career record.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2010	Home	Win	45-14	2015	Away	Win	48-3
2011	Away	Win	49-13	2016	Home	Win	52-0
2012	Home	Win	56-14	2017	Away	Win	27-24
2013	Away	Win	48-3	2018	Home	Win	42-16
2014	Home	Win	62-7	2019	Away	Win	48-7

Last Meeting:

09/28/2019 West Chester 48 - Millersville 7

The Golden Rams dominated this game like they have every year over the past decade (except 2017). The defense held the Marauders to just seven yards rushing and forced five turnovers. Jackson Taylor (5 tackles, 1.5 TFL), Michael Gobora (5 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble), Shamar Edwards (4 tackles), Sterlen Barr (4 tackles), and Omar Peterkin (1 tackle, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery) led the West Chester defense.

Much of the offensive production from that game returns this year: Yahmir Wilkerson (68 yards on 3 carries), Phil Poquie (31 yards) and Ja'Den McKenzie (26 yards, 2 TD's) were among nine players that had net positive yards rushing. Dan Neuhaus had two catches for 17 yards and a score.

Scouting the Opponent:

At quarterback, graduate transfer student (Shippensburg, El Camino College, Abilene Christian) Cole Klayman (18 of 26, 1435 yards) got the opening day start, but seems to have given way to redshirt freshman Jared Jenkins (16 of 27, 181 yards, 2 TD's, 2 int's). Jenkins is also the Marauders' leading rusher (29 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD), with K.J. Cartwright (17 carries, 57 yards) and Jaheim Morris (19 carries, 38 yards, 1 TD) filling out the backfield. Top targets in the passing game are receivers Mekhi Alexander (11 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD), Cliff Harris (7 catches, 63 yards), and Christan Drayton III (3 catches, 49 yards, 1 TD).

The defense is led by two senior All-PSAC East performers: linebacker Isaiah Onuschak (23 tackles, 2.5 TFL) and cornerback Tyler Patron-Penn (20 tackles, 3.5 TFL). Their top tackler is linebacker Rafael Lozada (37 tackles) and defensive tackle Tyler Tate (22 tackles, 3.5 sacks).

Punter Zach Banta (40.3 average, 4 fair catches, 6 inside the 20) has been busy, while Millersville has yet to attempt a field goal.

Analysis:

Two years ago, the Marauders had over 70 newcomers on their roster; this year the number is 69. The turnover makes it difficult to build any consistency within a program. After three games, Millersville ranks last in the PSAC in points, rushing, passing and total offense. This sounds appealing for a Golden Ram team that needs to improve on defense, especially in stopping the run. Hopefully this is the game where the WCU passing offense gets on track early, since once a lead is built, it will be running out the clock.

Massey Ratings is expecting a West Chester victory by a touchdown.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 4

Millersville Athletic Site - Millersville returns home to host West Chester in PSAC East opener

Event News - September 23 Bill Zwaan Show

The Bill Zwaan Show will be held at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester on Thursday 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 Show, senior center Jacob Colby and sophomore defensive end Michael Gobora will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. In addition, long time offensive line coach Nick Sama will join the show.

Colby centers a line for an offense that leads the PSAC in rushing with 225 yards per game and is third in scoring with 38 points per game. Meanwhile, Gobora was PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week after week two when he tallied eight tackles and 3.5 sacks at Mercyhurst. Last week against Edinboro, he had five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and returned a defensive PAT.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coaches or the players to the Bill Zwaan Show.

Jacob Colby
(Photo Gina Chapman)
Michael Gobora
(Photo Gina Chapman)

Player News - Jackson Taylor Named PSAC East Defensive POW

For his efforts in West Chester's 41-37 win over Edinboro, sophomore linebacker Jackson Taylor has been named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week.

Early in the second quarter, Taylor pressured the quarterback into an intentional grounding penalty. Later in the period, when West Chester forced a three-and-out, he was involved in all three stops, including teaming up with Michael Gobora on an 8-yard sack. For the game, Taylor finished with 13 total tackles of which six were solo stops, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Jackson Taylor PSAC East Defensive POW (Photo Gina Chapman)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week – 3

West Chester Athletic Site - Jackson Taylor Named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week

Game Report - West Chester 41 - Edinboro 37

The first play of the game was an interception and the last play of the game was an interception. And in between, it wasn’t a lot better. But in the end, the Golden Rams held on for a 41-37 win over Edinboro earning Bill Zwaan his 200th career head coaching win.

Shane Dooley threw a pick on the first offensive play, whereas the Fighting Scots first offensive play was a 25-yard touchdown run. Less than 30 seconds into the game, West Chester was trailing 7-0.

But the Golden Rams responded well to that initial punch, with Dooley, Ja'Den McKenzie and Phil Poquie running for 77 yards with Poquie capping the drive with a 16-yard touchdown run.

Gabe Schappell helps clear the way for Phil Poquie (Photo Gina Chapman)

With the score knotted at seven, the West Chester defense came out more ready with defensive end Zach Liggitt landing a strip sack that was recovered by safety Zach Demarchis. Dooley then connected with tight end Jalen Jackson who eluded multiple tacklers on his way to the end zone. But Sean Henry’s PAT was blocked and the Golden Rams’ lead was 13-7. Trailing 14-13, West Chester’s next possession ended in a blocked 33-yard field goal attempt. So special teams definitely cost some points.

Zach Liggitt separates the ball from the QB (Photo Gina Chapman)

Jalen Jackson leaves a host of Edinboro tackles in his wake (Photo Gina Chapman)

Edinboro got into West Chester territory, but their fourth down pass attempt popped high into the air where Liggitt waited for the ball to come and returned the interception 59 yards for the touchdown. With a successful PAT, the Golden Rams led 20-14. A quick three-and-out by the defense, aided by a sack by Jackson Taylor and Michael Gobora, gave West Chester possession near midfield. Dooley quickly found Seth Degree, whose defender fell down, for a 57-yard touchdown pass. But another blocked PAT left the score at 26-14.

Zach Liggitt on his way to the end zone (Photo Gina Chapman)

Jackson Taylor and Michael Gobora meet the QB (Photo Gina Chapman)

Seth Degree avoids the ref to the end zone (Photo Gina Chapman)

It almost seemed like the special teams points weren’t going to matter when Jordan Burney forced a fumble that was recovered by, who else, Zach Liggitt. It only took three plays until McKenzie rumbled into the end zone to extend the lead to 32-14. A failed two-point conversion left the score at that point. Unfortunately, the defense did not get that one more stop in the half. The Fighting Scots went 75 yards in 11 plays, converting three third downs along the way, to narrow the score to 32-21 going into halftime. During the drive, defensive end Fulani Freeman was flagged for his second roughing the quarterback penalty, but this one was a targeting which resulted in his ejection.

West Chester’s leaky special teams play continued when the second half kickoff was returned to midfield, but the Fighting Scots only managed a field goal on the possession. It would be the only points of the period and the Golden Rams held a 32-24 lead heading into the fourth quarter. That’s when Edinboro went on another long drive, this one 73 yards on eight plays, to pull within 32-30. The Fighting Scots tried a fancy play on the two-point conversion, maybe too fancy, as the balled popped into the air and Gobora snatched it out of the air and returned it for the defensive two-point conversion to give the Golden Rams a 34-30 lead.

West Chester’s ensuing possession consumed less than four minutes and gained only 17 yards. To make matters worse, the punt was a low, line drive that was returned further than it was punted. With Edinboro inside Golden Ram territory, the WCU defense forced the Fighting Scots into a fourth and one situation. A silence came over the crowd when the Edinboro running back went 30 yards untouched into the end zone, making the score 37-34 in favor of the visitors.

The response by the West Chester offense was incredible. Starting at their own 25 with just over three minutes to play, there wasn’t any panic or the need to throw deep. In fact, they only threw the ball once on the possession. Led by the offensive line, Dooley, McKenzie and Poquie ground it out, finishing with a one-yard McKenzie touchdown run. The successful PAT put West Chester up 41-37.

Dom Carey springs Ja'Den McKenzie (Photo Gina Chapman)

But the game wasn’t over as Edinboro was able to advance to the West Chester 31 when, on the final play of the game, their pass to the end zone was intercepted by Obi Anyatonwu to put this whacky affair to an end.

Obi Anyatonwu ends the game with the ball (Photo Gina Chapman)

For the game, Poquie finished with 110 yards and a touchdown while McKenzie tallied 78 yards and two scores. Taylor finished with a game-high 13 tackles including 1.5 sacks. Liggitt had a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pick-six.

Notes – Cornerback Sterlen Barr and defensive tackle Joe DeSanto were not dressed and were replaced by Kendall Singleton and Noah Collachi respectively. Zach Demarchis started in place of Shamar Edwards, but Edwards played. Center Jacob Colby was replaced by Luke Stengel for most of the second half, but Colby was back for the final touchdown drive.

Head Coach Bill Zwaan celebrates his 200th win with his son and grandsons

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Outlasts Edinboro in Thriller, 41-37

Edinboro Athletic Site - Edinboro and West Chester go down to wire, Scots respond with week three battle with Golden Rams

Daily Local News - Rams stage come-from-behind win over Edinboro in home opener

The Quad - Rams Pull Out Close Victory in Thriller

GoErie.com - Gannon, Edinboro and Mercyhurst lose PSAC crossover games

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - Edinboro

Game Replay