West Chester Ranked 22nd in AFCA Preseason Poll

WACO, Texas – West Chester University's football squad enters the 2019 campaign ranked 22nd in the country by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in its preseason poll released Monday.
 
West Chester is coming off a 10-1 season in 2018 that saw the Golden Rams capture the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship with a 33-10 victory over Slippery Rock on the road last November. WCU received 134 points in the poll to come in just ahead of Ashland (Ohio).
 
Defending NCAA Division II national champion, Valdosta State (Ga.), was No. 1 in the preseason poll with 29 first-place votes and 792 points. Ferris State (Mich.), which fell to Valdosta State in last year's championship game, was second with three first-place votes and 768 points.
 
Slippery Rock was ranked 10th in the country in the preseason poll, representing the only other PSAC school to crack the Top 25. Both Kutztown and Shepherd (W.Va.), PSAC East rivals of the Golden Rams, were among others receiving votes while Indiana (Pa.) and California (Pa.) out of the PSAC West were in that same category.
 
Red-shirt Senior quarterback, Paul Dooley (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside-Chestnut Hill), returns to lead a talented offensive unit while All-America free safety, Jarey Elder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland), heads up a defensive unit that was tops in the conference a year ago. Elder led the PSAC and ranked third in the country last fall with seven interceptions.
 
West Chester opens the 2019 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 7 at home against Bentley at noon.

2019 AFCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll
 

Rank	School (1st place votes)	Points	2018 Final Record	2018 Final Ranking
1	Valdosta St. (Ga.)	792	14-0	1
2	Ferris St. (Mich.)	768	15-1	2
3	Minnesota St.	686	13-1	3
4	Notre Dame (Ohio)	623	13-1	4
5	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	585	12-1	6
6	NW Missouri St.	580	10-3	10
7	Tarleton St. (Texas)	549	12-1	5
8	Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)	524	12-2	8
9	Colorado St.-Pueblo	463	11-2	7
10	Slippery Rock	446	11-3	12
11	Fort Hays St. (Kan.)	419	9-3	22
12	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	418	10-2	14
13	Texas A&M-Commerce	385	10-3	9
14	Minnesota-Duluth	342	11-1	13
15	West Georgia	330	10-2	16
16	Indianapolis (Ind.)	319	10-2	11
17	Colorado School Mines	288	10-2	18
18	Harding (Ark.)	223	9-3	20
19	Hillsdale (Mich.)	220	10-3	15
20	Midwestern St. (Texas)	214	8-2	25
21	Wingate (N.C.)	175	9-4	24
22	West Chester	134	10-1	17
23	Ashland (Ohio)	129	6-4	NR
24	West Alabama	116	8-4	NR
25	Fairmont St.	78	9-2	NR