Six Golden Rams Named Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region 1

2017 Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Super Region 1

CLARION, Pa. – The Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Region Committee released the 2017 NCAA Division II All-Super Region 1 squad Wednesday, which included six West Chester Golden Rams.
 
First-team selections included Jr., LB Tyler Morrissey (Springfield, Pa./Springfield-DELCO) and classmate punter Brendan Paulison (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley). Second-team picks were Sr., RB Jarel Elder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland), Jr. OL Frank Tranzilli (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) and Sr., DE George Shipp (Harleysville, Pa./North Penn). The third team was represented with Sr., NT Josh Ganzelli (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East).
 
The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2017 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named later this month.
 
Morrissey enjoyed a breakout season on the defensive side of the ball this past fall as he registered a team-high 137 tackles, which led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and was 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.
 
Morrissey collected PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year honors earlier in the season as well as first-team All PSAC East and first-team All ECAC honors. Morrissey was also named to the first team All-Super Region 1, before earning DII CCA second team All-America honors. Morrissey's is a three-time All-America pick this fall.
 
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 Indiana (Pa.), 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 was also named first-team All-PSAC East, first-team All-ECAC and first-team All-Super Region 1 earlier in the season.
 
Elder led head coach Bill Zwaan's attack by netting 1,230 yards rushing this season for a 5.0 yards per carry average. The 2017 All-PSAC first team honoree and Offensive Player of the Year in the East accounted for 94.6 yards per game with 17 total touchdowns, 15 of which were on the ground. Through the air, Elder caught 23 passes for 339 yards. On special teams, he was the leading kick return by returning the ball 28 times for 561 yards. These three categories combined to give the senior 2,130 all-purpose yards on the year.
 
Elder finished his tremendous career seventh all-time on the school's rushing list with 3,356 rushing yards and third all-time on the school's all-purpose yards' list at 5,907 yards.
 
Tranzilli helped generate a 33.1 points per game average for the Golden Rams as the only offensive lineman on the squad to start all 13 games at the same position. West Chester ranked fifth in the PSAC with 188.7 rushing yards per contest. Through the air, the Golden Rams produced 218.3 yards for a grand total of 407 yards per game average. This is the third postseason honor for Tranzilli, who was also selected All-PSAC East and All-ECAC.
 
Shipp listed second on the Golden Rams' squad in sacks (8.5), second in tackles for a loss (13), and tied for fourth in total tackles (53) from his position as pass rusher on the end of the defensive line. His sack total placed him fourth in the PSAC for that category this past fall. This is also the third postseason honor for Shipp, who was selected All-PSAC East and All-ECAC.
 
Ganzelli produced a strong year on the interior of West Chester's defensive line as he registered 25 tackles, five tackles for a loss and two sacks on the year. Ganzelli is a three-time All-PSAC East selection being honored with his second postseason honor this fall. He graduates with 132 career tackles to his credit, including 21 for a loss, which also includes seven career sacks. He was a force on the interior, providing a pass rush up the middle while showing the ability to stuff the run.
 
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 FB Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.
           
Indiana (Pa.) and Shepherd led first team selections with six, while Assumption posted five and Findlay had four. Edinboro, Ohio Dominican, Slippery Rock, California and West Chester had two each, while Gannon, Bentley, LIU-Post, Bloomsburg, Millersville and Shippensburg had one each.