Four Golden Rams Dot The D2CCA All-Super Region 1 Squad

FINDLAY, Ohio – Four West Chester University football players made the 2018 Division 2 Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-Super Region 1 squad, which was released Thursday afternoon.
 
Three Golden Rams were first-team picks while another was a second-team selection. Graduate student, and Gene Upshaw Award national finalist, Tyler Drob (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) was joined on the first team by Sr., LB Tyler Morrissey (Springfield, Pa./Springfield-DELCO) and Jr., DB Jarey Elder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland). Sr., DE Diquan Gilbert (Philadelphia, Pa./Comm Tech) was a second-team selection.
 
Drob anchored an offensive line that was the foundation for West Chester's No. 1-ranked rushing offense in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). He missed all of last season rehabilitating a torn ACL and came back stronger than ever for his fourth and final year of eligibility. He helped lead West Chester to a 10-1 overall record, following an undefeated regular season and the school's first outright PSAC Championship since 1971.
 
The fact that the other three All-Super Region 1 selections came from the defensive side of the ball should not be a surprise to anybody that follows the Purple & Gold. West Chester's boasted one of the top five defenses in all of Division II, before it was knocked out of the playoffs in the opening round.
 
Morrissey was a preseason All-American and led West Chester in tackles with 86. He registered 10 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks while forcing three fumbles. The PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year lived up to his preseason hype, being credited with four QB hurries, a pass breakup and a blocked field goal against Bloomsburg that maintained a three-point lead with five minutes left to play in a big road win.
 
Elder led the PSAC and ranked third in the nation in interceptions per game (0.6). He picked off seven passes, the most in a single season by a Golden Rams gridder since 1983, while earning three more pass breakups and forcing one fumble. He finished third on the team in tackles with 46 and even got in on half of a sack. The all-conference defensive back solidified his position as one of the best safeties in the country with his performance in 2018.
 
Meanwhile, Gilbert was a menace to almost every quarterback he faced this fall. The pass-rushing defensive end posted 20 tackles for a loss with 12.5 of those coming by virtue of the sack. He registered three sacks in the playoff game against New Haven, which was as many sacks as the Chargers had allowed as a team all season. He finished fifth on the team in tackles with 40 while recording four QB hurries and intercepting a pass. He also forced a fumble.