Game Preview - Bloomsburg

The Golden Rams (3-1, 1-0) travel to Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium to take on the Bloomsburg Huskies (1-3, 0-1) on Saturday in a PSAC East matchup. Due to the PSAC tennis championships being held at Bloomsburg, kickoff for is scheduled for 6:00pm .

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 52-27 and these two schools often play big games. The two schools have met twice in playoffs - in 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. There was the homecoming debacle in 2011 when West Chester took a 35-0 second quarter lead only to see the Huskies rattle off 55 straight points and steal a 55-42 win. The past four games have been decided by a total of ten points.

Former Bloomsburg All-American linebacker Frank Sheptock is in his second season as head coach at his alma mater after going 3-8 in 2021.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
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
2015	Home	Win	33-22	2021	Home	Win	21-20

Last Meeting:

10/02/2021 West Chester 21 - Bloomsburg 20

In front of another huge homecoming crowd at John A. Farrell Stadium, West Chester took a narrow 14-13 lead into halftime due to a missed Husky PAT. Bloomsburg scored a touchdown on their first drive of the fourth quarter to take a 20-14 lead and they had an opportunity to extend that lead on their next possession, but their 28-yard field goal attempt sailed wide. This was enough to spark the Golden Ram offense as Ja'Den McKenzie and Phil Poquie accounted for 73 yards in three minutes and the tieing score. Sean Henry's PAT gave West Chester the 21-20 lead which was later preserved by a Golden Ram interception at the one with 14 seconds left.

McKenzie finished with 121 yards and two touchdowns while Poquie rushed for 107 yards and a score. Linebacker Jackson Taylor tallied seven tackles while Obi Anyatonwu and Elijah Beard each made six stops.

Scouting the Opponent:

Over the past few games, the Huskies have been struggling on offense (sound familiar?) and in Saturday's 31-17 loss to Shippensburg, they made a change at quarterback (sound familiar?). True freshman KJ Riley (34 of 58, 476 yards, 5 TD's, 3 ints) has started every contest, but last season's starter David LePoidevin (7 of 13, 145 yards, 1 TD, 1 int) entered last week's game midway through the third quarter and led Bloomsburg on two touchdown drives. Last year, LePoidevin (106 of 188, 1,428 yards, 16 TD's, 6 int's) played in ten games and started the final six. So like West Chester, who plays quarterback will be a game time surprise. Running back Kaleb Monaco (64 carries, 202 yards) was All-PSAC East as a freshman last season. Riley (37 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD) and LePoidevin (10 carries, 25 yards, 2 TD's) run as necessary.

At 6'3 240, H-back Matthew Bowes (10 catches, 161 yards, 2 TD's) is Bloomsburg's leading receiver and poses matchup problems. Wide receiver Tyshaun Pollard (6 catches, 118 yards, 1 TD) and 6'4 tight end John Mack (6 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD) are also top targets, although ten different players have made at least one catch for the Huskies this season.

Defensively, All-PSAC East safety Quentin Gaskill (37 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 8 PBU's) leads the team in tackles and leads the PSAC in pass breakups. Cornerbacks Chris Monaco (16 tackles, 5 PBU's) and Jake Davis (8 tackles, 5 PBU's) are also among the conference leaders in pass breakups.

Defensive tackles Kenny Yurkonis (15 tackles, 2.0 sacks) and Joseph Kahn (10 tackles, 2.0 sacks) lead the Huskies in sacks. The linebackers in Bloomsburg's 4-2-5 alignment are Adam Burkhart (13 tackles, 2.0 TFL's) and Tom Goetz (9 tackles, 1 FR).

Place kicker Brendan McGonigle is 6 of 7 on field goals including two from 44 yards. Kickoff specialist Kevin Carrigan has booted three touchbacks, but has also kicked two out of bounds.

Analysis:

Bloomsburg's offense, despite its recent challenges, is still slightly better than West Chester's, however the Golden Ram defense holds the edge over the Huskies. Iffy weather doesn't bode well for either offense. West Chester has an advantage in the punting game, and hopefully the inclement weather won't nullify that advantage. Expect a close game between two young squads.

Massey Ratings is expecting a 5-point West Chester win and Versus Sports simulates a similar 26-20 West Chester victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 5

Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Game Five Notes - Bloomsburg vs West Chester

FOX 56 - Bloomsburg football better in 2022

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Five Preview

Event News - September 29 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 linebacker Oscar Uduma and redshirt freshman tight end Thatcher Miller will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show.

In West Chester's 26-14 win over Millersville, Uduma made 10 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, forced two fumbles and had a 24-yard pick-six to give the Golden Rams a two score lead. Earlier in the game, Miller had two catches, including a 43-yard touchdown reception for the first collegiate points of his career.

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.

Oscar Uduma
(Photo WCU Athletics)
Thatcher Miller
(Photo WCU Athletics)

Game Report - West Chester 26 - Millersville 14

In one of the most hideous offensive performances in the history of West Chester football, the Golden Rams (3-1, 1-0) came away with a 26-14 win over the visiting Millersville Marauders (0-4, 0-1) in front of 2,789 people on family day. Of the 26 points, the defense accounted for 11 on two safeties and an Oscar Uduma pick-six and Sean Henry booted three field goals including a 43- and a 44-yarder. The lone offensive score came on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Kohler to tight end Thatcher Miller.

Ethan Kohler made his collegiate debut against Millersville (Photo Joan Gillen)

The game got off to an ominous start when Maurice Mazzccua caught the opening kickoff near the sideline and stepped out of bounds at the seven. With opening day quarterback Shane Dooley and last week's starter Cooper Jordan out with injuries, sophomore Desman Johnson got the call. But the offense went three and out. Millersville wasted little time marching 52 yards in under three minutes to take a 7-0 lead. On West Chester's next offensive play, Johnson threw a long pass that was intercepted. Let's just say it was a bad to start to this contest.

The Marauders had plenty of their own struggles, as their offense snapped the ball into the end zone for a safety to make the score 7-2. Millersville would briefly right the ship to extend their lead to 14-2 early in the second quarter. After that, Millersville had as many turnovers as first downs - five. While none of the five fumbles that the Golden Rams recovered led to points, it kept Millersville's offense off the field.

Jackson Taylor envelopes the Ville running back for a loss (Photo Joan Gillen)

Meanwhile, West Chester's offense couldn't get anything going. Consider some of these numbers from the end of game:

• 5 - the number of completed passes, all by Kohler who was making his collegiate debut.
• 16 - the team's net rushing yards for the game on 42 attempts, including just 13 yards by Ja'Den McKenzie.
• 6 - first downs. SIX! None of which came by the ground game.
• 2 of 18 - third down conversions.

Fortunately the defense and special teams were exceptional. Along with his pick-six, Uduma finished with 8 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. Zach Liggitt had 1.5 sacks, Noah Collachi forced and recovered a fumble on a sack, and Jackson Taylor made 14 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss. On special teams, besides Henry's field goals, punter Chris Barbera dropped six of his nine punts inside the Millersville 20-yard line.

Chris Barbera was instrumental in changing field position (Photo Joan Gillen)

Notes - With left tackle Patrick Methlie not in uniform with a brace on his right leg, Quinton Derr moved from right tackle to left tackle, Caelan Krasley moved from left guard to right tackle, and Trey Wells played left guard...for the second consecutive week, the Golden Ram defense shutout the opponent in the second half...Phil Poquie had five punt returns for 91 yards including a 37-yard return that led to a field goal and a 26-yard return that led to the offense's only touchdown.

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Sneaks Past Millersville, 26-14

Millersville Athletic Site - Second half mistakes costs Marauders big in loss to West Chester

Daily Local News - Defense, special teams bail out punch-less West Chester

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - Millersville

Game Replay

Alumni News - Doug Gilbert Joins Borough Police Force

Former Golden Ram offensive tackle Doug Gilbert '16 was recently sworn in as a member of the West Chester Police Department. He earned his degree in criminal justice and previously served as a full-time officer with the Philadelphia Police Department.

As a football player for the Golden Rams, Gilbert was a three-time first team All-PSAC East and two-time CCA All-Super Region 1 selection. After his senior year, the team captain was named first team All-ECAC, second team Dan Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1 and second team USA College Football All-American. He was also named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete for the 2015-2016 academic year and to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football team. Prior to his senior year, he was named second team preseason All-Division II by Lindy’s Sports, second team D2Football.com Preseason All-American, and Preseason All-American by FootballGamePlan.com. Gilbert was also nominated for the 2016 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® and participated in the National Bowl in Daytona Beach, FL.

Doug Gilbert (Photo R&R Photography)

Daily Local - West Chester swears in four new police officers

Game Preview - Millersville

The Golden Rams (2-1) open PSAC East play when they host the Millersville Marauders (0-3) on Saturday. Kickoff in John A. Farrell Stadium is scheduled for noon.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 71-17. Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan remains perfect against the Marauders in his 18 meeetings with Ville. J.C. Morgan (Bucknell '04) entered his fifth season as head coach of the Marauders with a 6-27 career record.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
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
2015	Away	Win	48-3	2021	Away	Win	42-14

Last Meeting:

09/25/2021 West Chester 42 - Millersville 14

The Golden Ram defense held Millersville to -45 yards rushing and 188 total yards of offense in yet another dominating win over the Marauders. Linebacker Jackson Taylor led the way with nine total tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss while Zach Liggitt registered 1.5 sacks. Offensively, quarterback Shane Dooley threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns while Phil Poquie ran for 101 yards and a score.

Scouting the Opponent:

The strength of the Marauders is on defense, led by a trio of All-PSAC East performers in defensive tackle Tyler Tate (20 tackles, 5 QB hurries), linebacker Isaiah Onuschak (24 tackles) and free safety Steve Sweeney (16 tackles). Through three games this season, their top tacklers are linebackers Rafael Lozada (33 tackles) and Garrett Cox (28 tackles, 2.0 sacks).

Offensively, Millersville appears to have moved away from quarterback Jack Stagaard (12 of 31, 108 yards; 19 carries, 78 yards) in favor of Morgan State transfer Anthony Butler (30 of 52, 331 yards, 3 TD, 1 int). Their top receivers are Mekhi Alexander (13 catches, 146 yards, 2 TD's), Hakim Melvin (5 catches, 14 yards), and Christan Drayton III (2 catches, 52 yards). Running back Jaheim Morris (30 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD) is also an effective pass catcher (10 catches, 148 yards, 1 TD).

Analysis:

The Millersville offense ranks near the bottom of the PSAC in both yardage and scoring and they have allowed a league worst 14 sacks thus far in 2022. So it would seem after containing Morris, the Golden Ram defense should have control of this game, especially after what they did in the second half at Gannon. The Marauder defense has yet to record an interception and generally struggles against the pass, so that should help whomever is at quarterback for the purple and gold this week. Otherwise, it should be a big day for Ja'Den McKenzie or Phil Poquie or even better, both of them.

Massey Ratings is expecting a 19-point West Chester win and Versus Sports simulates a 32-8 West Chester victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

West Chester Athletic Site - Millersville Visits Farrell Stadium Saturday for PSAC East Opener at Noon

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 4

D2football - PSAC East Columnist - PSAC Week Four Preview

Event News - September 22 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 quarterback Desman Johnson and senior defensive back Zach DeMarchis will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show.

In West Chester's 29-23 win at Gannon, Johnson was 3 of 7 for 67 yards and a touchdown, but also had 8 carries for 73 yards. Meanwhile, DeMarchis made eight tackles, including six solo stops in the victory.

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.

Desman Johnson
(Photo WCU Athletics)
Zach DeMarchis
(Photo WCU Athletics)

Game Report - West Chester 29 - Gannon 23

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - McKenzie’s Big Day Leads West Chester To Road Win at Gannon, 29-23

Gannon Athletic Site - Aerial Attack Comes Up Just Short in 29-23 Loss to West Chester

Erie News Now - College Football Saturday: Edinboro Wins Thriller, Gannon, Hurst Suffer First Loss

Game Replay

Game Preview - Gannon

The Golden Rams (1-1) travel to Erie for the third consecutive season when they take on the Gannon Golden Knights (2-0). Saturday's contest at McConnell Family Stadium will start at noon.

Erik Raeburn entered his third season as head coach with a 6-9 record. Gannon is coming off a 16-10 win at Millersville in which the statistics were far more lopsided than the final score.

Series History:

West Chester has never lost to Gannon in their four previous meetings since Gannon joined the PSAC in 2008. In 2013, the two teams combined for 97 points and almost 1,100 yards with West Chester hanging on for a 56-41 win. The last two games, in 2018 and 2019, were much more comfortable victories for the Golden Rams.

Last Meeting:

09/14/2019 West Chester 48 - Gannon 14

The Golden Ram offense rolled up 180 yards and five touchdowns rushing while the defense had five interceptions as West Chester eased to a 48-14 win in Erie. Ja'Den McKenzie had 87 yards and two touchdowns rushing while Phil Poquie registered 103 all-purpose yards in pacing the offense. Sterlen Barr had a 61-yard pick-six and Izaiah McPherson and Jackson Taylor also had interceptions. Barr notched two pass breakups and three tackles while Taylor and Zach Liggitt each made five tackles.

Scouting the Golden Knights:

Gannon returns 21 starters from their 2021 team that finished 5-6, including four of their offensive linemen and all four players that were named All-PSAC West. At 6'4, 235lb, Bryant transfer quarterback Kory Curtis (29 of 49, 310 yards, 4 TD's 0 int's) is a big presence that can bull his way across the goal line in short yardage situations. All-PSAC West running back Melvin Blanks (51 carries, 248 yards, 2 TD's) gets the bulk of the touches on offense. Curtis looks to wide receivers Ke'John Batiste (12 catches, 140 yards) and Sam East (4 catches, 48 yards, 2 TD's), running back Banks (3 catches, 76 yards) and Saginaw Valley St transfer tight end Alex Whittaker (1 catch, 3 yards, 1 TD). Right guard Montana Nietert was All-PSAC West after last season. Curtis also does the punting (38.5 avg) and place kicking (6 of 7 PAT's) although he has not attempted a field goal thus far.

Defensively, safety Chris Farnsworth (19 tackles, 1 forced fumble) was All-PSAC West last year and is the Knights leading tackler this season. Linebacker Trey Baker (11 tackles, 2 sacks) was Gannon's top tackler last season and despite being 5'9", linebacker Keith Thompson (10 tackles) is also a top tackler. Defensive end Nick White (9 tackles, 1 TFL) was All-PSAC West a season ago. Defensive linemen Malachi Woody (6 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Ezeigbo Obi (5 tackles, 2.5 sacks) attack the quarterback.

Analysis:

After Bentley, this is the next of a handful of games that are toss ups. Gannon has returned a majority of its team from last year, and where they had the greatest need - the defenisve secondary - they brought in transfers from Central Washington, Columbia, Grand Valley St, and Notre Dame College. They have momentum after winning their first two games this season. Can the West Chester offense finally get it going? A long drive to the northwest corner of the state is another factor that can be an obstacle for a young Golden Ram team. It could be a longer drive home.

Versus Sports simulates a 27-22 West Chester win while Massey Ratings projects a 25-24 Gannon victory.

Notes:
Those of you making the trip to Gannon for the first time are in for a real treat. In that single stadium, the Golden Knights not only play football and soccer, but also baseball, lacrosse, and softball. As such seating is a challenge, with poor visibility from behind the visitor's stands. There are no parking lots; all parking is on street.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 3

Gannon Athletic Site - Golden Knights Host West Chester in Search of First Win over Golden Rams

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Three Preview