LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Junior RB Rondell White and Sophomore MLB Ronell Williams were each first team All-PSAC East selections as the 2012 all-league football squad was announced by the league office Tuesday morning.
West Chester (7-4, 4-3 PSAC East) landed 11 players in all on the first or second team – tied for second most of any school in the Eastern Division. Bloomsburg had 14 recipients while division champion Shippensburg also put 11 on the two teams.
Those earning second-team recognition included both offensive guards, Blair Gower and Trey Farmer, center Brian Margetich and tight end Justin Curry along the offensive line. Defensively, Anthony McCloskey and Lew Esposito were second-team selections along the line. John O’Donnell and Shawn Krautzel were second team picks in the secondary, and Rich Bruno was second team punter.
White concluded a spectacular junior campaign by setting the school’s single-season rushing record with 227 yards on the ground in the season finale at Clarion. He rushed for 1,548 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns on the season. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and 140.7 yards per game. His performance against the Golden Eagles marked the fourth game of the season in which he reached 200 yards rushing. His other three 200-yard efforts came against a Division I-FCS opponent (Delaware) and a pair of nationally ranked Division II opponents (California [Pa.] and Bloomsburg).
Williams led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in tackles with 119 and ranked 14th in all Division II. His total was the most by a Golden Rams player since Lee Woodall registered 140 stops in 1993. Williams’ 80 assisted tackles rank as second-most in a single season at West Chester. Williams tied for the team lead in interceptions with three and registered seven tackles for a loss.
Krautzel placed second on the team in tackles with 62. He posted two interceptions and was credited with five passes defensed. Teammate John O’Donnell tied Williams for the team lead with three interceptions. He brought two of those picks back for a touchdown while also returning one fumble for a score. He had three TDs on the year from the defensive side of the ball. O’Donnell also recorded 59 tackles.
McCloskey was a second team pick in his first year as a nose tackle, making the transition from linebacker to defensive line look seamless. He registered 27 tackles, including five for a loss. He had two sacks on the year. McCloskey also recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass. Esposito had 18 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss.
Bruno averaged 36.6 yards per punt and put 10 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Curry caught three balls for 24 yards and scored one touchdown.
Gower, Farmer and Margetich played a tremendous role in White’s rushing record. They opened the holes up front. Along the way, West Chester’s offensive line allowed just 12 sacks and helped the Rams’ offense ring up over 4,700 yards of total offense. That all starts with the offensive line.
