Defensive Line Coming Along In Preseason Camp

EDITOR'S NOTE: Today's segment is the fourth in a short series that will preview the 2014 West Chester University Golden Rams football team. Today's segment will include the defensive line. This is the first preview that focuses on the defense. A look at the linebackers will be featured on Thursday.

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - With three starters on the defensive line graduated, Zwaan cites the front four as the one glaring hole to fill during the preseason. If Zwaan can find three people to join Andrew Cohen on that line, West Chester will be all set.

"That is probably the area in which we have our most concern, and that is not a good area to have concerns," Zwaan stated. "I feel like we have three guys with past playing experience who are ready to go."
 
Junior interior lineman, Andrew Cohen, is a returning all-league performer, who will be asked to anchor that first line of defense. A starter since his freshman year, Cohen registered 41 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss while posting five sacks. He broke up four passes, was credited with four QB hurries and also forced a fumble. Cohen is as good as it gets in the PSAC. Finding some others to put around him is the challenge.
 
Right now, junior Barry Lyons and sophomore Shaquil Ryder are the other two, who Zwaan described as ready to go. Each has playing experience and has shown the ability to make plays. They just have to do it on a more consistent basis, now that they are starters. Lyons registered 11 tackles a year ago, appearing in 15 games. Ryder also recorded 11 stops last year, but he added two tackles for a loss – both sacks – and even intercepted a pass. If this threesome does the job that Zwaan expects, then West Chester's concerns on the front line may be answered.
 
"Cohen is an all-conference level player," Zwaan said. "Lyons, we moved inside, and that should help him. Shaq just makes plays every time he is in there."
 
Graduate student, Jamiel Sims, is the candidate for that fourth and final spot at defensive end. He appeared in 11 games and registered 11 tackles, including two for a loss. He will battle red-shirt freshman, John Dubyk, who Zwaan describes as a tough competitor and somebody with a lot of skill.
 
Senior Mike Culbreath may also mix into the rotation up front. The coaching staff wants to get him on the field because he is a very talented football player. Converting linebackers into down lineman is something Zwaan and his staff has done before. Eric Edwers, Kayo Bakare and Anthony McCloskey were all stand up defenders, before making a successful move to the down position.
 
"We are going to try to do some things with Culbreath at defensive end," Zwaan continued. "We need to get him on the field, and it's hard to get him on the field with those two linebackers that we have. (Culbreath) is trying to bulk up over the summer, so that he can put himself in a better position to succeed there."
 
Zwaan added that Culbreath's move was necessitated by the lack of depth up front for which West Chester is trying to compensate. Culbreath registered 22 tackles in 2013, including 3.5 for a loss. He also had one sack, one pass breakup, one QB hurry and recovered a fumble.
 
Some young, but talented, linemen back up that front four. Josh Ganzelli and George Shipp will push for playing time and could easily play their way onto the field, if they show the coaching staff what they can do. That duo just needs some game experience and needs to be more consistent to get their shot. Both of them are red-shirt freshmen, and have a bright future in the purple & gold. It is up to them as to how soon that future arrives.
 
"Ganzelli is our reserve nose tackle," Zwaan disclosed. "He is an unknown commodity right now, but when he has practiced for us, he has shown some legitimate skills. He shows signs. We just need more signs. George Shipp will get some playing time for us. He is a really good, solid, hard-nosed player, who runs around and causes havoc. He is a little under-sized, so he is trying to get bigger. There will be a role for him that's for sure."