Soltes and Cohen Headline All-PSAC East
Lock Haven, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has released its all-conference awards for the 2015 football season. Highlighting the awards for the PSAC East are East Stroudsburg’s Matt Soltes, West Chester’s Andrew Cohen, Kutztown’s Tajier Jefferson, and West Chester’s Bill Zwaan.
Soltes was named the 2015 PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Year and First Team All-PSAC at quarterback. Soltes finished his ESU career this past weekend and leaves the Warriors and the PSAC with his name plastered all over the record books. Soltes averaged 351.0 total offensive yards per game, most in PSAC history and second-most in Division II history. He is the PSAC record holder for most touchdown passes in a game, throwing nine TDs earlier this year against Shippensburg. Soltes was named Second Team All-PSAC the previous two seasons.
Cohen is the 2015 PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year, spearheading the Golden Ram defense that ranked third in total defense in the conference this season. WCU won the PSAC East Championship this year, due in large part to a strong defensive effort. Cohen led the PSAC in tackles for loss, recording 20 stops behind the line of scrimmage, an average of 1.82 per game. He also led the league in sacks (13.5).
Jefferson was named the 2015 PSAC East Freshman of the Year, in addition to being named First Team All-PSAC at linebacker. Jefferson, along with Shippensburg’s Richard Nase, is the first freshman to adorn the First Team All-PSAC Defense since 2004. Jefferson was second only to Cohen in tackles for loss this year, averaging 1.60 per game. He was second on the Golden Bears in tackles, making 7.0 stops in each contest. KU finished second in the PSAC East this year after being picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
Zwaan was named PSAC East Coach of the Year in his 13th year at the helm of the Golden Rams program. Zwaan led WCU to its fourth PSAC Eastern Division Championship during his tenure (2004, 2007, and 2008). He also was named the PSAC East Coach of the Year in those three season, so this year marks his fourth time winning the award.
There are 12 West Chester Golden Rams who earned all-conference honors, best in the PSAC East.
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE All-PSAC EAST
| Pos. |
Player |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / High School |
| QB |
Matt Soltes^^ |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
Vernon, N.J. / Vernon |
| RB |
Lawrence Elliott Jr.^^ |
Bloomsburg |
Jr. |
Utica, N.Y. / Thomas R. Proctor |
| RB |
Robert Healy^^ |
East Stroudsburg |
Jr. |
East Meadow, N.Y. / East Meadow |
| RB |
Brandon Monk* |
West Chester |
Sr. |
West Grove, Pa. / Avon Grove |
| OT |
Doug Gilbert* |
West Chester |
Jr. |
Mount Laurel, N.J. / Lenape |
| OT |
Jordan Morgan* |
Kutztown |
Jr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / Parkway Northwest |
| OG |
Tyler Drob |
West Chester |
So. |
Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill East |
| OG |
Mike McGlashen |
Cheyney |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, PA / George Washington |
| C |
Luke Erdman |
Lock Haven |
Sr. |
Shamokin, Pa. / Line Mountain |
| TE |
Tim Brown* |
West Chester |
Sr. |
Clifton Heights, Pa. / Upper Darby |
| WR |
Sheldon Mayer** |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
Norristown, Pa. / Norristown Area |
| WR |
Jon Schnaars^ |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin |
| WR |
Kellen Williams* |
Kutztown |
Jr. |
Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg |
| PK |
Billy Deane |
Shippensburg |
So. |
Ashburn, Va. / Broad Run |
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE ALL-PSAC EAST
| Pos. |
Player |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / High School |
| DL |
Tyrone Brown^ |
Kutztown |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / Roman Catholic |
| DL |
Andrew Cohen*^ |
West Chester |
Sr. |
Holland, Pa. / Council Rock South |
| DL |
Josh Ganzelli |
West Chester |
So. |
Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown East |
| DL |
Richard Nase |
Shippensburg |
Fr. |
Summit Hill, Pa. / Panther Valley |
| DL |
Joe Wetty |
Bloomsburg |
Jr. |
Downingtown,Pa. / Downingtown East |
| LB |
Tony Ballon |
Lock Haven |
Sr. |
Jersey City, N.J. / Harrisburg |
| LB |
Cortlin Dell |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
Spring Grove, Pa. / Spring Grove |
| LB |
Allen Holman |
Shippensburg |
Jr. |
Harrisburg, Pa. / Bishop McDevitt |
| LB |
Tajier Jefferson |
Kutztown |
Fr. |
East Orange, N.J. / Queen of Peace |
| DB |
Rasheed Johnson |
Millersville |
Sr. |
Norristown, Pa. / Norristown |
| DB |
Kevin Malone |
West Chester |
Jr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / West Catholic |
| DB |
Teddy Patton |
West Chester |
Jr. |
Wilmington, Del. / McKean |
| DB |
Daniel Strawbridge |
Lock Haven |
Jr. |
Harrisburg, Pa. / Harrisburg |
| RS |
Sheldon Mayer** |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
Norristown, Pa. / Norristown Area |
| P |
Will Wagner |
Bloomsburg |
Jr. |
Wernersville, Pa. / Conrad Weiser |
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE ALL-PSAC EAST
| Pos. |
Player |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / High School |
| QB |
Chad Barton |
Kutztown |
Sr. |
Hollidaysburg, Pa. / Hollidaysburg |
| RB |
Malyk Harris |
Lock Haven |
Jr. |
Harrisburg, Pa. / Albright College |
| RB |
Andrew Smith* |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
Haymarket, Va. / Battlefield |
| RB |
Terry Williams^ |
Kutztown |
Sr. |
West Orange, N.J. / Cosby |
| OT |
Mike Fleming |
East Stroudsburg |
Fr. |
Easton, Pa. / Easton |
| OT |
Schuyler Harting |
Shippensburg |
So. |
Myerstown, Pa. / Eastern Lebanon County |
| OG |
Nick Reed |
Bloomsburg |
Sr. |
Dallastown, Pa. / Dallastown |
| OG |
Hayden Rigo |
Shippensburg |
Jr. |
Stoystown, Pa. / North Star |
| C |
Ryan Geiger^ |
Bloomsburg |
Sr. |
| Southampton, Pa. / La Salle |
|
| TE |
Del'Vaughn Dennis |
Lock Haven |
So. |
Enola, Pa. / East Pennsboro |
| WR |
Eddie Elliott^ |
West Chester |
Sr. |
Bethlehem, Pa. / Freedom |
| WR |
Kodi Reed^ |
Kutztown |
Sr. |
Hanover, Pa. / Delone Catholic |
| WR |
Gerard Wendowski |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
Landsale, Pa. / North Penn |
| PK |
Brendan Paulison |
West Chester |
Fr. |
Milford, Pa. / Delaware Valley |
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE ALL-PSAC EAST
| Pos. |
Player |
University |
Cl. |
Hometown / High School |
| DL |
Joseph Bryant^ |
Cheyney |
Jr. |
Philadelphia, PA / Olney East |
| DL |
Zameer McDowell |
Kutztown |
So. |
Royersford, Pa. / Spring-Ford |
| DL |
Ahmad McFarland |
East Stroudsburg |
Jr. |
Bethlehem, Pa. / Liberty |
| DL |
Ezra Ranco |
Bloomsburg |
Jr. |
Collegeville, Pa. / Perkiomen Valley |
| DL |
Julian Venable-Feggins |
Cheyney |
Jr. |
Lawnside, NJ / Hadden Heights |
| LB |
Tyrik Clary |
Bloomsburg |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast |
| LB |
Zack Delp^ |
Kutztown |
Jr. |
Whitehall, Pa. / Whitehall |
| LB |
Sekou Jones |
East Stroudsburg |
So. |
Effort, Pa. / Pleasant Valley |
| LB |
Ralph Reeves |
West Chester |
Jr. |
North Wales, Pa. / North Penn |
| DB |
Teron Dobbs^ |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
Bridgeport, Pa. / Archbishop Carroll |
| DB |
Shaquil James |
West Chester |
So. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / West Catholic |
| DB |
Donovan Morris^ |
Bloomsburg |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / George Washington |
| DB |
Gary Postell^* |
Bloomsburg |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. / Bishop McDevitt |
| RS |
Teron Dobbs^ |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
Bridgeport, Pa. / Archbishop Carroll |
| P |
Andrew Deutsch^ |
Kutztown |
Sr. |
Kutztown, Pa. / Northwestern Lehigh |
Offensive Athlete of the Year: Matt Soltes, QB, East Stroudsburg
Defensive Athlete of the Year: Andrew Cohen, DL, West Chester
Freshman of the Year: Tajier Jefferson, LB, Kutztown
Coach of the Year: Bill Zwann, West Chester
* Indicates previous All-PSAC First Team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC Second Team selection