Zwaan And James Highlight Seven ECAC All-Stars

DANBURY, Conn. - Seven West Chester University football players were honored on the 2015 All-ECAC squad while sophomore DB Shaquille James (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic) and head coach Bill Zwaan walked home with major honors it was announced Friday afternoon.

Offensive linemen Doug Gilbert (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape) and Tyler Drob (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) were joined on the All-ECAC team by defensive standouts Andrew Cohen (Holland, Pa./Council Rock South), Ted Patton (Wilmington, Del./McKean) while Kevin Malone (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic), Tim Brown (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) and Brandon Monk (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove) were honorable mention selections. James was named the defensive rookie of the year  while Zwaan was named the coach of the year.
 
Gilbert and Drob were a big reason that West Chester reached the conference championship game and helped protect sophomore quarterback Pat Moriarty. West Chester ranked sixth in the conference in both rushing offense and passing offense. Running backs Jarel Elder and Monk combined to rush for over 1,000 yards and the Rams scored 17 rushing TDs. Patton led the Golden Rams with four interceptions and five more pass breakups.

Cohen, who was also a national finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award, which is handed out to the top lineman (offensive or defensive) in Division II, finished up a stellar college career this past fall by breaking the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) all-time record for sacks. He registered 13.5 sacks this season, leading the PSAC in that category, along with leading the league in tackles for a loss (20).

Cohen, who was also named the PSAC Eastern Division defensive player of the year and was a D2CCA All-Super Region 1 first team selection, broke the conference record for career sacks with 33.5. His 13.5 sacks this past fall ranked fifth nationally. His 20 tackles for a loss ranked 17th nationally as well. He is a three-time All-PSAC East selection and a two-time first team pick.
 
Tim Brown headlined the honorable mention picks, despite appearing in just seven games. The embattled tight end missed the first two games of the regular season working to regain eligibility through the NCAA. He played in the Golden Rams' next seven games, after finally clearing his name, just to break an ankle against Cheyney that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Still, Brown led West Chester receivers in catches (33) and yards (444) and tied for the team lead with five touchdown receptions.
 
Monk was an honorable mention selection as a return specialist. The senior played a large portion of the 2015 campaign injured, missing two games altogether, and still managed to rush for 545 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes for 100 yards. He graduates ranking among the Top 11 players in nine different categories spanning offense and special teams. Kevin Malone registered 28 tackles, but more importantly, he intercepted two passes and broke up three others while also recovering one fumble.
 
Fellow DB Shaquille James also came on strong at the end of the year to solidify the Golden Rams' secondary. He returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown to seal the win against East Stroudsburg. He recorded 35 tackles and five pass breakups to go along with that interception, competing in his first season of college football.

Head coach Bill Zwaan was named the ECAC Division II coach of the year after leading his team to a 7-4 record and the PSAC Championship Game appearance for the second time since the game was re-instated in 2008.