Boozel's journey finds PSAC title
SLIPPERY ROCK — Once Cody Boozel squeezed the football in his hands in the end zone Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, the journey was complete.
For himself and his team.
Somewhat.
West Chester's 6-foot-4, 230-pound red-shirt sophomore tight end, a Seneca Valley graduate, missed all of the 2017 season after suffering a torn ACL in the Rams' spring game that year.
“I caught a pass in that game, went down — and knew something was wrong,” Boozel said, recalling the injury.
“Once I realized what had happened, I knew the hard work I had to put in to overcome it.”
The torn ACL was the first major injury of Boozel's football career. And it interrupted a collegiate football career that was already well under way.
“Cody started for us as a freshman,” West Chester coach Bill Zwaan said. “We rarely play true freshmen in this program.
“When we recruited him, he was a pass-catching tight end at Seneca Valley, a good route-runner. But he didn't have to block much in high school and blocking is a necessity at that position here.”
Boozel improved his blocking enough to play for the Rams in 2016. He would have been a starter for West Chester last season.
He was medically cleared to practice with the team last spring, but without physical contact. He was cleared for contact in time for preseason camp in August.
“I couldn't wait to get back,” Boozel said. “I missed playing so much. Every day, I was in the training room, doing leg exercises, a lot of (swimming) pool workouts, lifting with my upper body, whatever I was allowed to do.”
Boozel wound up adding 15 pounds of muscle mass. He began this season as the Rams' starting tight end and has 14 catches for 210 yards and four touchdowns.
That fourth touchdown was in the PSAC Championship Game against Slippery Rock at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. He caught a 23-yard pass in the end zone on fourth down to give West Chester a 13-3 lead in the first quarter.
The Rams went on to a 33-10 victory, completing a 10-0 regular season and landing a home game this Saturday in the NCAA Division II playoffs. West Chester hosts New Haven at 1 p.m.
“I came here to win a championship,” Boozel said. “West Chester hasn't won a state title since 1971. Ending that drought while playing back home (in Butler County) would be fantastic.”
Boozel made that statement a few days before last weekend's state title game. He decided to come to West Chester after attending football camps there. He has family in the area.
“My aunt (Kassie Bellaver) is the volleyball coach here,” Boozel said. “My ultimate goal is to win a national championship before I'm done here.
“That's the program's goal and I believe we're good enough to get that done.”
Zwaan described Boozel as “one of the most reliable players on the team.
“His play is so consistent every week,” the coach said. “He's become an effective blocker and he can get open down the field.
“Cody worked so hard the year he was out that when his knee got better, he had gotten better, too. He's bigger and stronger.
“He's demomnstrated how much he loves this game,” Zwaan added.
