Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
WCU’s Long, Morrissey earn top awards
Morrissey, Long big winners on banquet night for Golden Rams
CONCORDVILLE >> The 53rd Annual Golden Rams Football Banquet was held on Saturday at the Concordville Inn, but this one was different from each of the previous 47. That’s because for the first time since 1971, West Chester is coming off a victory in the PSAC Championship Game.
The Rams secured the elusive crown for the first time in head coach Bill Zwaan’s 16-year reign, going unbeaten in the regular season and then topping Slippery Rock 33-10 on the road. And the results of that game were omnipresent on Saturday.
“To see the unmitigated joy on the faces of the players and the coaches after that game … ” Zwaan said. “If you look ‘joy’ up in the dictionary, it would be a picture of those guys after that game. It was absolute total joy.
“I will never forget those faces, and I will never forget that moment – it will stick with me forever. It was one of the biggest moments of my coaching career. I appreciate you guys giving me that.”
It was WCU’s third PSAC Championship Game appearance in the last you years. And the victory halted an eight-game losing skid for the program.
“What we did this season was special,” said All-American linebacker Tyler Morrissey.
“We had so many leaders,” Zwaan added. “As soon as we had any adversity, they stepped up and didn’t let it get through the team. They dragged us through tough times.”
Morrissey and quarterback A.J. Long were the big individual winners, combining to take home four of the most prestigious team awards. A senior, Morrissey was named the Golden Ram Football Club’s Player of the Year as well as the Geoff Ruth Memorial Defensive Player of the Year.
Just a junior, Long captured the WCU Football Athlete of the Year honors and was selected the Muz and Lew Peck Offensive Player of the Year.
“There were so many kids on this team that have had setbacks in their lives, not just in football,” Zwaan pointed out. “And they’ve fought through it and ended up becoming great players, great students, graduating and having great playing careers.”
A graduate student, offensive lineman Tyler Drob was one of three players to have a perfect 4.0 grade point average last semester, and was the Scholar Athlete of the Year Award winner. He was an Academic All-American along with teammate Connor Walsh.
“The history we made as a team will last forever,” Drob said. “It was about time we won a PSAC Championship.”
Safety Jarey Elder was also an All-American selection, and Morrissey was a consensus All-American. Zwaan called Morrissey: “The most decorated player in school history.”
A proclamation by the Pennsylvania Senate honoring the 2018 WCU football team’s title was read, and every member of the squad was given a copy. In addition, Zwaan was lauded for being named the PSAC East, ECAC and American Football Coaches Association Region I Coach of the Year.
RAMS TO HAVE FIVE CAPTAINS FOR 2019
It’s not unprecedented, but WCU is going to have five captains for the 2019 season, as voted by the players: quarterback A.J. Long; receiver Lex Rosario; safety Jarey Elder; defensive end Ch’Aim Smith and offensive lineman Frank Tranzilli.
“We had five a couple years ago,” Zwaan said. “There is not just that one guy or two guys. Our players saw a group of guys they wanted to be our captains. So we are going to go with it.”
Here is a list of the other award winners:
Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year (in memory of Mark Killinger): Kenny Edelin
Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year: Jackson Taylor
Ted Novak Memorial Coaches Award: Jake Duncan
Mark and Julie Drochek Coaches’ Award: Nydair Rouse
Kelly’s Sports Unsung Hero Award: Connor Walsh
Bill Vansant Memorial Special Team Award: Brendan Paulison
ONE BIG SCHEDULE CHANGE
West Chester’s 2019 football schedule was also released on Saturday. It is the same lineup from 2018, other than a switch in sites, with one big exception: Shepherd (W.Va.). A football power, Shepherd has joined the PSAC East and will replace Cheyney, which dropped football before last season.
“I think it’s great,” Zwaan said. “Having a team like Shepherd will challenge us more than Cheyney, and it makes for a better PSAC. I think it’s a great addition.”