West Chester Football Transitions into PSAC East Champions

West Chester University’s roller-coaster season has consisted of growing pains with four new captains entering their 2015 campaign, but the team prevailed en route to their first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division title since 2008.

The Golden Rams (7-3, 6-1 PSAC East) tackled several issues this season, including the new leadership as well as the controversy of losing All-American tight-end Tim Brown for an ineligibility technicality deemed by the NCAA. Taking responsibility as the captains on the squad were the individuals of Andrew Cohen, Brandon Pepper, Tim Brown, and Brandon Monk.

Head coach Bill Zwann entered his thirteenth year at the helm, acknowledging the amount of youth on the roster. In order to gain the trust of their teammates, the leaders have instilled a lead by example approach. It took some time to gel, but West Chester would eventually catch their stride.

Adapting to a young quarterback such as sophomore Pat Moriarty has been difficult, especially when the team fell into a 0-2 hole to begin the season. Lenoir Rhyne ran past the Golden Rams in the season opener, surrendering over 400 yards on the ground to the team who defeated them in the NCAA DII football final four, two years ago. Unfortunately, West Chester’s lack of experience showed as they were plagued by turnovers, ultimately losing 41-28. The absence of Tim Brown truly hurt the squad, missing his presence on-and-off the field.

In late August, Brown was ruled ineligible by the NCAA due to a semester violation. Collegiate athletes are afforded ten semesters of full-time classwork, before their athletic eligibility runs out. There was an error in the process, which placed Brown in his tenth full-time semester last spring. This was a glaring weakness as Brown compiled 53 receptions for 1,059 yards and 17 touchdowns a season ago and was clearly a leader in the locker room. Although an appeal was submitted by coach Zwaan, the decision by the NCAA was later overturned after two weeks to fire up his teammates.

After this rough home opener, it would take another week for the Golden Rams to find their groove. In week three, the Golden Rams traveled to Seton Hill after blowing a fourth quarter lead to Mercyhurst in week two. Players began to lose faith in the leadership on the squad, but having Brown return was a bonus that changed the team’s attitude into a winning mentality.

The rough start had players shaking their heads, but any questions about West Chester’s ability evaporated after ripping off a four game winning streak against PSAC opponents, Seton Hill, Millersville, Lock Haven, and Kutztown by a combined score of 173 to 64, or an average of 43 to 16. West Chester was clicking on all cylinders, especially by the play of their senior defensive back, Brandon Pepper and fellow captain Andrew Cohen on the defensive line. The Golden Rams have held their opponents to 23 points per game, while the offense lights up the scoreboard with a staggering 36 points on average.

Midway through the season is where the tough stretch of games came into play. West Chester’s winning streak was snapped at Shippensburg, once again allowing turnovers to get the best of them. Despite the tough loss, coach Zwaan’s squad was able to rebound in time for their homecoming game against rival Bloomsburg University on October 24th. In a tight game, the Golden Rams and Huskies traded the lead multiple times. However, West Chester’s Shaquil James delivered the final knockout punch, intercepting the ball in the final seconds to secure the victory. The sophomore stepped up in a time of need, illustrating that underclassmen have played a pivotal role in this team’s success.

Last Saturday is where the Golden Ram’s truly shined, hosting East Stroudsburg for an opportunity for the division title. The stadium was rocking as the Warriors fell short of a furious comeback they displayed in the fourth quarter. West Chester held onto a 41-27 win, giving coach Zwaan his fourth PSAC Eastern Division title during his tenure (2004, 2007, 2008, 2015).

The statistics speak for themselves. Everyone is contributing in a variety of ways. Cohen has been a force to be reckoned with on the defensive front with 11.5 sacks, while quarterback Pat Moriarty has given this team a lift by throwing for 26 touchdowns and nearly 2,500 yards this season.

With the playoffs only days away, hopefully the Golden Rams carry that same passion and intensity into Saturday as the leaders of the team have found a way to channel their energy to motivate the team.

West Chester takes on Slippery Rock (9-1, 6-1 PSAC West) for the 2015 PSAC Championship Game this upcoming Saturday, November, 14th at 12:10 p.m. inside John A. Farrell Stadium.