Six Golden Rams Named To Don Hansen FB Gazette All-Region Team; Zwaan Named Coach Of The Year

BROOKFIELD, Ill. – West Chester University landed six players on the 2013 Don Hansen FB Gazette All-Super Region 1 Team while head coach Bill Zwaan was named the coach of the year in the region.
 
The Golden Rams led the way with five first-team honorees. The first- and second-team all-region selections advance to the national ballot from which the 2013 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named later this month.
 
Rondell White was named to the first team as an all-purpose back. His 3,107 all-purpose yards led the nation. He was joined on the first team by offensive linemen Derek Schatz and Trey Farmer. Defensively, MLB Ronell Williams and DB Al-Hajj Shabazz were named first-team all-region. Offensive lineman Justin Bathurst was named to the third-team.
 
Zwaan led the Golden Rams to a first place tie in the PSAC Eastern Division and a spot in the NCAA DII national semifinals. West Chester's run through the playoffs included a 28-7 win over Shepherd in the Super Region 1 championship game. The Golden Rams finished with a school-record 13 wins on the season against just two losses. In 11 years at West Chester, Zwaan owns a record of 90-45.
 
White finished the season with 1,989 rushing yards, 843 receiving yards and 275 return yards. White's 406 carries this past fall also broke the NCAA Division II record. He is the only running back in DII history to eclipse 400 rushing attempts in a single season. He broke a total of 21 school records during his career at West Chester, including nine this season. White is the Golden Rams' all-time leading rusher (4,336 yards). He was named to the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) Division II All-America Team, AP Little All-America Football Team and the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division First Team and All-ECAC Offensive player of the year while also being honored most recently by the Maxwell Football Club and the Philadelphia Sports Writers' Association as regional player of the year on both occasions.
 
Farmer, who finished seventh out of 14 candidates in the regional voting for the Gene Upshaw Award, joins fellow linemen Derek Schatz and Justin Bathurst on the all-region team. Farmer and Schatz were first team picks while Bathurst was a third team honoree. The three linemen named to the all-region team are a big reason that West Chester reached the national semifinals. Farmer, Schatz and Bathurst 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.

Williams anchored the West Chester defense in 2013. He posted a team-high 110 tackles, intercepted a pair of passes, racked up 9.5 tackles for loss and sacked the quarterback 3.5 times. Williams also led the team with 60 solo tackles and forced a fumble. He was named a finalist for the inaugural Cliff Harris Award as the top small college defensive football player in the country, representing nearly 500 NCAA Division II, III and NAIA colleges and universities. Williams was also named to the All-PSAC East first team and the All-ECAC squad as its defensive player of the year.
 
Shabazz is the definition of a "shutdown corner" for the Golden Rams. He draws the opposition's top target in the passing game and has four interceptions and eight pass breakups to his credit in 2013. He finished the year with 53 tackles, including two for a loss. His interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Super Region 1 Championship Game broke a 14-all tie and helped propel the Golden Rams into the semifinals. He was a first team All-PSAC East and All-ECAC honoree this season as well.
 
The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988.  Don Hansen's Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.
 
Super Region 1 is compiled of universities from four conferences including the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Mountain East Conference, Northeast-10 and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. A total of 40 teams and 130 players are represented on this team.