# 2022 Shepherd Rams football team

The 2022 Shepherd Rams football team represented Shepherd University as a member of the East Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) during the 2022 NCAA Division II football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Ernie McCook, the Rams compiled an overall record of 13–2 with a mark of 7–0 in conference play, winning the PSAC East Division title. Shepherd lost the PSAC Championship Game to West Division champion IUP. The Rams advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs, where they beat New Haven in the first round, Slippery Rock in the second round, and IUP in the quarterfinal, before falling to Colorado Mines in the semifinals. The team played home games at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The 2022 season was the third for the Rams as a member of the PSAC after joining the conference in 2019.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

The following coaches left the football program:
* Defensive line coach Ramal Faunteroy left for a position at Morgan State.
The following coaches joined the football program:
* Levern Belin was hired as the defensive line coach.

### Additions
#### Recruiting class

| Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Hometown | High school |
| Derick Adames | DB | 5 ft 11 in | 170 lbs | Germantown, MD | Northwest High School |
| Ryan Adams | DL | 6 ft 3 in | 290 lbs | Woodbridge, VA | Gar-Field Senior High School |
| Riley Ambrose | WR | 6 ft 2 in | 180 lbs | Baltimore, MD | Fork Union Military Academy |
| Jaden Bacon | RB | 6 ft 0 in | 180 lbs | Hyattsville, MD | DeMatha Catholic High School |
| Matthew Benny | OL | 6 ft 2 in | 300 lbs | Severn, MD | Archbishop Spalding High School |
| Kelvon Bethea | DL | 6 ft 4 in | 220 lbs | Norfolk, VA | Oscar F. Smith High School |
| James Bozek | K | 6 ft 3 in | 195 lbs | Alexandria, VA | Hayfield Secondary School |
| Tylek Bright | RB | 6 ft 0 in | 185 lbs | Germantown, MD | Seneca Valley High School |
| Dominic Busky | FB | 6 ft 2 in | 230 lbs | Martinsburg, WV | DeMatha Catholic High School |
| Cameron Dorner | WR | 6 ft 2 in | 180 lbs | New Market, MD | Oakdale High School |
| Trey Duke | DB | 5 ft 10 in | 160 lbs | Alexandria, VA | St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School |
| Jahmal Edwards | RB | 6 ft 0 in | 185 lbs | Washington, D.C. | Theodore Roosevelt High School |
| Will Ennis | WR | 6 ft 0 in | 180 lbs | Severn, MD | Old Mill High School |
| Vince Flook | DL | 6 ft 5 in | 220 lbs | Middletown, MD | Middletown High School |
| Amir Frye | DL | 6 ft 3 in | 230 lbs | Bethesda, MD | Walter Johnson High School |
| Daryl Harper | WR | 6 ft 2 in | 170 lbs | Montgomery Village, MD | Northwest High School |
| Robert Hart | DB | 6 ft 0 in | 180 lbs | Laurel, MD | DeMatha Catholic High School |
| Tyler Hove | OL | 6 ft 5 in | 316 lbs | Frederick, MD | Frederick High School |
| Brian Jester | TE | 6 ft 4 in | 245 lbs | Baltimore, MD | St. Frances Academy |
| Mujahid Johnson | DB | 6 ft 0 in | 185 lbs | Frederick, MD | Northwest High School |
| Sekou Kamara | DB | 6 ft 1 in | 180 lbs | Gaithersburg, MD | Quince Orchard High School |
| J. T. Yao Kouame | LB | 6 ft 0 in | 210 lbs | Chantilly, VA | Westfield High School |
| Caysen Lanza | TE | 6 ft 5 in | 220 lbs | Charles Town, WV | Jefferson High School |
| Daniel McPherson | DL | 6 ft 0 in | 265 lbs | Columbia, MD | Howard High School |
| Lucas Michael | OL | 6 ft 2 in | 265 lbs | Williamsport, MD | Williamsport High School |
| Marcus Nicholson | DB | 6 ft 1 in | 175 lbs | Baltimore, MD | Dundalk High School |
| Kaylen Perez | LB | 6 ft 0 in | 220 lbs | Waldorf, MD | St. Mary's Ryken High School |
| Nehemiah Phillips | DB | 6 ft 0 in | 180 lbs | Washington, D.C. | Theodore Roosevelt High School |
| Elijah Queen | DL | 6 ft 2 in | 230 lbs | Columbia, MD | Wilde Lake High School |
| Sammy Roberts | QB | 6 ft 2 in | 205 lbs | Harpers Ferry, WV | Jefferson High School |
| Jason Robertson | DL | 6 ft 4 in | 220 lbs | Baltimore, MD | Archbishop Spalding High School |
| Jalil Singleton | DB | 5 ft 10 in | 170 lbs | Woodbridge, VA | Gar-Field Senior High School |
| Christian Slack | DL | 6 ft 0 in | 260 lbs | Martinsburg, WV | Martinsburg High School |
| Colby Strange | TE | 6 ft 6 in | 215 lbs | Davidsonville, MD | South River High School |
| Omari Terry | DB | 5 ft 10 in | 185 lbs | Baltimore, MD | St. Frances Academy |
| Gavin Whittington | RB | 5 ft 11 in | 195 lbs | Huntingtown, MD | Northern High School |
| Antonio Wilkins | DB | 5 ft 11 in | 160 lbs | Washington, D.C. | Theodore Roosevelt High School |
| Jayson Williams | OL | 6 ft 2 in | 295 lbs | Waynesboro, VA | Stuarts Draft High School |

#### Incoming transfers

| Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
| Dewayne Grantham | DB | 6 ft 0 in | 205 lbs | Junior | Martinsburg, WV | Lackawanna College |
| Darryl Overton III | LB | 6 ft 2 in | 230 lbs | Sophomore | Woodbridge, VA | Virginia Military Institute |

### Departures
## Preseason
### Media day

Media poll (East Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team (1st place votes) |
| 1 | Shepherd (4) |
| 2 | Kutztown (4) |
| 3 | West Chester |
| 4 | Shippensburg |
| 5 | East Stroudsburg |
| 6 | Bloomsburg |
| 7 | Millersville |
| 8 | Lock Haven |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 7:00 p.m. | at Southern Connecticut* | No. 6 | Jess Dow FieldNew Haven, CT | W 48–7 | 3,142 |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Edinboro* | No. 5 | Ram StadiumShepherdstown, WV | W 41–7 | 4,452 |
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | California (PA)* | No. 4 | Ram StadiumShepherdstown, WV | W 26–23 $^{OT}$ | 5,634 |
| September 24 | 12:00 p.m. | at Kutztown | No. 5 | Andre Reed StadiumKutztown, PA | W 42–35 | 4,824 |
| October 1 | 1:00 p.m. | at Shippensburg | No. 4 | Seth Grove StadiumShippensburg, PA | W 30–13 | 876 |
| October 8 | 12:00 p.m. | Lock Haven | No. 4 | Ram StadiumShepherdstown, WV | W 72–7 | 5,251 |
| October 15 | 12:00 p.m. | Millersville | No. 4 | Ram StadiumShepherdstown, WV | W 55–17 | 6,471 |
| October 22 | 12:00 p.m. | at West Chester | No. 3 | John A. Farrell StadiumWest Chester, PA | W 47–17 | 2,123 |
| October 29 | 12:00 p.m. | Bloomsburg | No. 3 | Ram StadiumShepherdstown, WV | W 55–10 | 5,274 |
| November 5 | 1:05 p.m. | at East Stroudsburg | No. 3 | Eiler-Martin StadiumEast Stroudsburg, PA | W 37–14 | 2,109 |
| November 12 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 19 IUP* | No. 3 | Miller StadiumIndiana, PA (PSAC Championship) | L 21–24 | 3,878 |
| November 19 | 12:00 p.m. | New Haven* | No. 11 | Ram StadiumShepherdstown, WV (NCAA DII First Round) | W 16–13 | 4,871 |
| November 26 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 20 Slippery Rock* | No. 11 | Ram StadiumShepherdstown, WV (NCAA DII Second Round) | W 37–27 | 5,291 |
| December 3 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 15 IUP* | No. 11 | Miller StadiumIndiana, PA (NCAA DII Quarterfinals) | W 48–13 | 1,389 |
| December 10 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 10 Colorado Mines* | No. 11 | Campbell FieldGolden, CO (NCAA DII Semifinals) | L 13–44 | 6,191 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AFCA Poll – Released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Statistics
### Team statistics
### Individual statistics
#### Offense

Passing statistics :
| # | Player | GP | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg |
| 2 | Tyson Bagent | 15 | 400 | 572 | 69.9 | 4,580 | 8.0 | 41 | 8 | 158.1 |
| 16 | Christian Etchison | 5 | 4 | 4 | 100.0 | 85 | 21.3 | 1 | 0 | 361.0 |
| 18 | Lek Powell | 1 | 3 | 4 | 75.0 | 23 | 5.8 | 0 | 0 | 123.3 |
| | Team | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| | Totals | 15 | 407 | 582 | 69.3 | 4,688 | 8.1 | 42 | 8 | 158.7 |
| | Opponents | 15 | 284 | 492 | 57.7 | 3,325 | 6.8 | 26 | 18 | 124.6 |
Rushing statistics :
| # | Player | GP | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Y/G |
| 30 | Ronnie Brown | 15 | 219 | 1,863 | 8.5 | 85 | 19 | 124.2 |
| 8 | Blake Hartman | 11 | 52 | 379 | 7.3 | 80 | 4 | 34.5 |
| 6 | Avaughn Holley | 11 | 40 | 221 | 5.5 | 53 | 2 | 20.1 |
| 10 | Nazhir Russell | 4 | 9 | 91 | 10.1 | 53 | 2 | 22.8 |
| 2 | Tyson Bagent | 15 | 79 | 71 | 0.9 | 28 | 5 | 4.7 |
| 16 | Christian Etchison | 5 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 19 | 0 | 5.6 |
| 9 | Ryan Beach | 11 | 4 | 13 | 3.3 | 8 | 0 | 1.2 |
| 76 | Joey Fisher | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 |
| | Team | 14 | 12 | –20 | –1.7 | 0 | 0 | –1.4 |
| | Totals | 15 | 419 | 2,650 | 6.3 | 85 | 32 | 176.7 |
| | Opponents | 15 | 449 | 1,278 | 2.8 | 80 | 8 | 85.2 |
Receiving statistics :
| # | Player | GP | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Y/G |
| 13 | Marlon Cook | 14 | 68 | 1,030 | 15.2 | 70 | 8 | 73.8 |
| 87 | Brian Walker | 15 | 63 | 799 | 12.7 | 36 | 5 | 53.8 |
| 30 | Ronnie Brown | 15 | 56 | 589 | 10.5 | 73 | 5 | 39.3 |
| 3 | Rodney Dorsey | 15 | 35 | 487 | 13.9 | 71 | 4 | 32.5 |
| 9 | Ryan Beach | 11 | 51 | 411 | 8.1 | 35 | 5 | 37.4 |
| 1 | E. J. Morgan | 11 | 25 | 308 | 12.3 | 31 | 2 | 28.0 |
| 81 | Cameron Dorner | 14 | 34 | 299 | 8.8 | 29 | 3 | 21.4 |
| 0 | Alphonso Foray | 15 | 25 | 293 | 11.7 | 47 | 4 | 19.5 |
| 23 | Max Fisher | 8 | 20 | 168 | 8.4 | 23 | 0 | 21.0 |
| 7 | Kenny Edelin | 12 | 15 | 158 | 10.5 | 41 | 2 | 13.2 |
| 83 | Daryl Harper | 5 | 7 | 115 | 16.4 | 60 | 1 | 23.0 |
| 86 | Ethan Krolow | 3 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 11 | 0 | 3.7 |
| 8 | Blake Hartman | 11 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 | 0.7 |
| 47 | Michael McCook | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1.8 | 4 | 3 | 0.6 |
| 10 | Nazhir Russell | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 1.3 |
| | Totals | 15 | 407 | 4,688 | 11.5 | 73 | 42 | 312.5 |
| | Opponents | 15 | 284 | 3,339 | 11.8 | 64 | 26 | 222.6 |

#### Special teams

Kickoff statistics :
| # | Player | GP | KO | Yds | Avg | TB | OB |
| 34 | Jacob Haynie | 15 | 93 | 5,007 | 53.8 | 16 | 1 |
| 69 | James Bozek | 4 | 9 | 444 | 49.3 | 0 | 0 |
| | Totals | 15 | 102 | 5,451 | 53.4 | 16 | 1 |
| | Opponents | 15 | 57 | 3,292 | 57.8 | 17 | 2 |
Kicking statistics :
| # | Player | GP | XPM–XPA | XP% | FGM–FGA | FG% | Lng | Pts |
| 34 | Jacob Haynie | 15 | 67–75 | 89.3 | 10–16 | 62.5 | 44 | 97 |
| | Totals | 15 | 67–75 | 89.3 | 10–16 | 62.5 | 44 | 97 |
| | Opponents | 15 | 0–0 | 0.0 | 0–0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Punting statistics :
| # | Player | GP | Punts | Yds | Avg | Lng | TB | In20 |
| 66 | Ryan Barrick | 15 | 41 | 1,488 | 36.3 | 50 | 3 | 10 |
| 2 | Tyson Bagent | 15 | 3 | 128 | 42.7 | 45 | 2 | 1 |
| | Totals | 15 | 44 | 1,616 | 36.7 | 50 | 5 | 11 |
| | Opponents | 15 | 79 | 2,895 | 36.7 | 63 | 4 | 14 |
Kick return statistics :
| # | Player | GP | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
| 30 | Ronnie Brown | 15 | 19 | 546 | 28.7 | 100 | 1 |
| 0 | Alphonso Foray | 15 | 9 | 172 | 19.1 | 38 | 0 |
| 8 | Blake Hartman | 11 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 23 | 0 |
| 5 | Klayton Batten | 15 | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 20 | 0 |
| 88 | Dustin Fisher | 12 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
| 44 | Jack Rosnage | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Totals | 15 | 33 | 770 | 23.3 | 100 | 1 |
| | Opponents | 15 | 73 | 1,131 | 15.5 | 60 | 0 |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Final |
| AFCA | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 6 |
| D2Football.com | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 8 |