2013 Daktronics, Inc., All Super Region 1 Team
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester University landed seven players on the 2013 Daktronics, Inc., All Super Region 1 team, including first team selections Rondell White and Trey Farmer on offense and repeat first-teamer on defense, Ronell Williams, and cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz.
A total of 57 athletes from 22 of the region's 48 eligible schools comprise the 2013 squad. Thirteen players are repeat all-region selections while four players on offense were repeat first-team picks and two on defense were repeat first-team picks. Both Bloomsburg and West Chester led the way with seven representatives on the all-region squad while Shepherd was close behind with six.
Joining the four first-team honorees on the All Super Region 1 squad are second-team selections, Justin Bathurst, Derek Schatz along the offensive line, and punter Rich Bruno.
Bloomsburg All-America running back Franklyn Quiteh and Shippensburg Gene Upshaw Award finalist Jake Metz headline the 2013 Daktronics, Inc., Division II All-Super Region 1 football teams selected by the region's sports information directors as its offensive player of the year and defensive player of the year, respectively. The players selected to the first team will now be placed on the Daktronics, Inc. All-America ballot, while Quiteh and Metz advance to the national player of the year ballots. The results of that ballot will be announced on Dec. 17.
White, who has smashed nearly every rushing record and all-purpose mark in the school record book over his four-year career, has 1,828 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns on the year. He has also accumulated 2,856 all-purpose yards and is second in the country in all-purpose yards per game (219.7). His 1,828 rushing yards eclipsed his own single-season record set a year ago and is third in Division II this fall. He has scored 22 touchdowns on the season as he also leads the Golden Rams in receiving with 66 catches for 753 yards. White was a second team all-region selection last fall. This is the senior's second appearance on the all-region team.
Farmer, who finished seventh out of 14 candidates in the regional voting for the Gene Upshaw Award, is making his first appearance on the all-region squad. He is one of three offensive linemen for the Golden Rams that were honored on either the first or second team. The three linemen named to the all-region team are a big reason that West Chester (12-1) is playing in the regional championship game Saturday at top-seeded Shepherd University. Farmer, Bathurst and Schatz have opened the holes for White to run into the record book while also protecting quarterback Sean McCartney as he turns in one of the most prolific seasons in West Chester history as well. The Golden Rams rank 37th in the nation in rushing with just under 200 yards per game average.
Also making his first appearance on the all-region team is junior cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz. The first team All-PSAC East pick last month is the definition of a "shutdown corner". He draws the opposition's top target in the passing game and has three interceptions and eight pass breakups to his credit in 2013. He has 47 tackles on the year, including two for a loss.
Williams was a first-team All Super Region 1 selection a year ago and one of only two repeat first team picks this season (Shippensburg's Jake Metz was the other). Williams leads the Golden Rams in tackles with 99, including 3.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss. He is tied for third on the team in interceptions with two, has three pass breakups, four QB hurries and has forced a fumble and recovered a fumble this fall. The Rams' menacing middle linebacker has 297 career tackles and has led the squad in stops in each of his three years with the club.
Finally, punter Rich Bruno would be ranked 17th in Division II in punting with his 42.1 yards per punt average. However, he does not have enough punts to qualify for the leaderboard. As it is, West Chester is fourth in Division II in net punting because of Bruno. He has put 12 punts inside the 20-yard line this season and boomed seven punts over 50 yards, including a 74-yarder.
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The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition.
