2008 Woodie Awards
Season of promise ends in heartbreak
By Matt Lombardo
Issue date: 11/19/07 Section: Sports
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It wasn't supposed to end like this. For a group of seniors that won a school record 38 games in four years, and represent the winningest recruiting class in school history, its final playoff run should have extended for at least two more weeks, sipping the sweet taste of victory leading up to if nothing else, a rematch against the California Vulcans in the Northeast Region final.
West Chester's chapter in the football history book here was supposed to end with this group walking together as National Champions.
Instead, this group's legacy is soured by Saturday's heartbreaking 45-35 fourth quarter collapse at home in the opening round of NCAA Division II postseason play against IUP.
"I'll tell you flat out, it's a tremendously heartbreaking loss for me," Head Coach Bill Zwaan said in the moments following Saturday's defeat. "With this group of seniors that came in with me five years ago, I'm just heartsick that they're done, that they're leaving and that it ended this way. My emotions have really overtaken me here."
What's perhaps more disheartening then the fact that this group never had the opportunity to write its own epilogue to a story riddled with success over the past four years, is the very way that it all came to an end. During a nightmarish fourth quarter for WCU, an eight-point lead disintegrated into a ten point deficit in the span of 12 minutes and 16 seconds.
This game saw WCU surrender its third kickoff return for a touchdown in the last four weeks, the offense commit six turnovers, and play calling worthy of serious head scratching with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Yet, despite all that, WCU held the lead with 10:37 remaining.
Look, there is more then enough blame to go around for why this season of promise ended in heartbreaking fashion, but this is not the time for it.
This team should be appreciated for what it was, a group of veteran players whose mission was to win their division, make the playoffs, win a regional championship and compete for a National Title. Two of those pre-season aspirations were attained, while the ultimate prize ended up just out of reach.
West Chester's chapter in the football history book here was supposed to end with this group walking together as National Champions.
Instead, this group's legacy is soured by Saturday's heartbreaking 45-35 fourth quarter collapse at home in the opening round of NCAA Division II postseason play against IUP.
"I'll tell you flat out, it's a tremendously heartbreaking loss for me," Head Coach Bill Zwaan said in the moments following Saturday's defeat. "With this group of seniors that came in with me five years ago, I'm just heartsick that they're done, that they're leaving and that it ended this way. My emotions have really overtaken me here."
What's perhaps more disheartening then the fact that this group never had the opportunity to write its own epilogue to a story riddled with success over the past four years, is the very way that it all came to an end. During a nightmarish fourth quarter for WCU, an eight-point lead disintegrated into a ten point deficit in the span of 12 minutes and 16 seconds.
This game saw WCU surrender its third kickoff return for a touchdown in the last four weeks, the offense commit six turnovers, and play calling worthy of serious head scratching with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Yet, despite all that, WCU held the lead with 10:37 remaining.
Look, there is more then enough blame to go around for why this season of promise ended in heartbreaking fashion, but this is not the time for it.
This team should be appreciated for what it was, a group of veteran players whose mission was to win their division, make the playoffs, win a regional championship and compete for a National Title. Two of those pre-season aspirations were attained, while the ultimate prize ended up just out of reach.
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