2017 All-Super Region Team
KUTZTOWN, Pa. - A trio of Golden Rams were honored by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association on Friday afternoon as they were selected to the All-Super Region 1 football team for their efforts throughout the 2017 season.
West Chester landed two first-teamers and one second-teamer on the 2017 squad. Senior LB
Tyler Morrissey (Springfield, Pa./Springfield DELCO) and junior P
Brendan Paulison (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) were both first-team selections while senior RB
Jarel Elder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) was the lone Golden Rams honoree on offense.
Morrissey posted a great year on the defensive side of the ball as he registered a team-high 137 tackles, which is good enough for third most in a single season in program history, and the most in a season since Lee Woodall recorded 140 tackles in 1993. Morrissey also led the team in tackles for a loss as he registered 14.0 tackles for loss of 38 yards. Seven of these tackles came in the way of sacks, which accounted for a loss of 30 yards.
Paulison was one of the best punters in the nation all season long as he punted the ball 61 times for 2,692 yards for an average punt of 44.1 yards. Paulison's 2,692 yards and 44.1 yards per punt each set individual school records. His 44.1 yards per punt is the best average since Alex Walsh averaged 42.2 yards per punt back in 2008. His 2,692 yards surpassed the mark previously set by Don Wolf when he punted for a total of 2,430 yards back in 1977. In the final game of the season, during the second round of the NCAA II Playoffs opposite IUP, Paulison punted six times for a total of 275 yards, averaging 45.8 yards per punt. On the year, Paulison also tallied 17 punts over 50 yards, and he forced 16 fair catches, while also downing 23 punts inside the 20-yard line. Paulison also ranked third in the NCAA and first in the PSAC in average yards per punt on the year. Paulison was also named All- PSAC East earlier in November.
On the offensive side of the ball , Elder led the team in net rushing yards with 1,230 yards on the season as he averaged 5.0 yards per carry and 94.6 yards per game. Elder also accounted for 17 touchdowns on the year as he rushed for 15 touchdowns and recorded two receiving touchdowns along the way. Elder had 23 receptions on the year for a total of 339 yards, averaging 14.7 yards per catch. Elder was also the lead kick returner for West Chester, returning 26 kicks for 561 yards and averaging 20.0 yards per return. These three categories combined to give Elder 2,130 all-purpose yards on the year. Earlier in November, Elder was named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year, also earning him a spot on the PSAC East First team.
West Chester had a solid year as a team as they captured the PSAC Eastern Division title for the second time in three years, and also qualified for the NCAA II Playoffs as a five seed where they defeated Shippensburg in the first round, before falling to IUP in the second round.
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