Special Teams Looks Good In 2014

EDITOR'S NOTE: Today's segment is the seventh and final in a short series that will preview the 2014 West Chester University Golden Rams football team. Today's segment will include the special teams unit and an overview of the upcoming season.

With so much depth at linebacker, wide receiver and defensive back, Zwaan is not worried about the special teams unit. Many who played a year ago will be returning to their roles on the coverage teams. That is good news to any program. Typically, coaching staffs have to wait and see who wins starting positions to fill in its special teams units. This fall, West Chester hits the ground running.
 
The biggest loss to the special teams will be place-kicker Shawn Leo. He was one of the school's all-time leading scorers and broke nearly every kicking record in the record book during his four-year stint on South Campus. That means Rich Bruno will have to double up and take on place-kicking duties in addition to his punting job.
 
Bruno averaged 39.5 yards per punt a year ago, landing 15 boots inside the opponent's 20-yard line and booming seven kicks over 50 yards. He has the punting game locked down.
 
"He has a strong leg, and he is coming off an outstanding spring," Zwaan assured. "This will be the first time that he handles extra points and field goals, but he will be fine. He doesn't have the consistency that Shawn had, though."
 
Zwaan said that with Bruno handling both punts and place-kicking procedures, the staff will look for a freshman to fill in on kickoffs. Bruno has done that in the past as well, and he has done it expertly. Along those lines, Zwaan and his staff will also be searching for a holder in the preseason.
 
Red-shirt freshman Tony McGuane is the only other kicker on the roster returning to the Golden Rams. Three true freshman dot the roster as kicker/punters. McGuane did not appear in a game last fall.
 
The last key to the kicking game is the long snapper where junior Chuck Kuklinski returns. He has been West Chester's long snapper for the last two years, and Zwaan thinks that continuity and consistency, along with the relationship he has with Bruno, is vital to the Golden Rams' success in that area.
 
The glamour position of special teams, the return men, will be much the same as last year – except Rondell White will not be back there. Brandon Monk and Eddie Elliott will handle the bulk of the load in the return game while Jarel Elder lends a hand from time to time. Much will depend on who wins out in the battle for the No. 1 running back spot, offensively. Monk has the inside track, but is also dangerous in the return game.
 
Monk brought back a kickoff for a touchdown against California (Pa.) last year. He also brought back a punt against East Stroudsburg that was negated by a holding call behind him. The junior averaged 12.4 yards per punt return – without that called-back TD – and posted an average of 29.7 yards per return on kickoffs. Elliott averaged 12.2 yards per kickoff return on four attempts. He should see many more opportunities back there this fall.
 
Overview
The PSAC Eastern Division will be a dogfight for sure. The last two Harlon Hill winners have come out of the Eastern Division, but it does not seem as though the teams have missed a beat. Four of the eight schools have as good a chance as any to win the regular-season title and earn a berth into the PSAC Championship Game. Fortunately for the Golden Rams, they are one of the four. Three of the remaining teams are probably a year, or two, away from contending. However, they are talented enough to step up and beat one of the top four and, therefore, have a say in who wins the division crown. With games against the Western Division counting this year, West Chester has to be careful of Mercyhurst early on as well. The Lakers were 7-4 a year ago and have most of their team returning.
 
West Chester needs to stay healthy and shore up its defensive line, if the Golden Rams want to be playing for the conference crown on the last week of the regular season. That is the only glaring weakness heading into fall camp. Zwaan believes they are two deep with considerable talent and experience at all seven of the remaining defensive positions.
 
There is one spot on the offensive line that may be of concern to the coaching staff. However, they are confident that they will have somebody to fill in and do the job. The offensive line is not deep. That unit will have to remain healthy during the year. But, when you look at the skill positions, Zwaan again believes that he runs two, and sometimes three, deep with talent and experience.
 
The team has been chomping at the bid to get back to the national semifinals. Spring practice was the best in Zwaan's 11 years, according to the veteran mentor, and the off-season workouts have been intense and conducted with a definite purpose. Another 13-win season and a deep run into the NCAA II playoffs is not out of the question – in fact, it is very much a good possibility.