A lot of attention is being given to the two teams’ exchange of kickoff returns for touchdown, and those certainly were an exciting 30 seconds, but there was so much more to this contest. Consider the Golden Rams’ opening drive that went for 70 yards, six and a half minutes and a touchdown on Sean McCartney’s quarterback keeper. Or California’s subsequent possession where they were poised to answer when they had a first down on the West Chester 39. But a sack by Ronell Williams and another one shared by Mike Labor and Eric Edwers forced a fourth and long. And when the snap went over the punter’s head, Kayo Bakare landed on the fumble to end any field position battle.
The defense stepped up again in the second quarter when Shawn Krautzel stopped a Vulcan fourth and one attempt from the WCU 33 for a seven-yard loss. The remainder of the first half played out fairly evenly with the Golden Rams taking a 14-10 lead into the locker room.
Midway through the third quarter, when McCartney hit LaRonn Lee on an out and up for a 37-yard touchdown catch, West Chester’s lead swelled to 11. With California failing to get substantial yards up to that point in the second half, this was significant momentum shift. However, the Vulcans returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to close the gap back to four points. The momentum had swung back to California. But then, in something that no West Chester player has done in over a dozen years, Brandon Monk returned the California kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The momentum was back in the Golden Rams’ hands as West Chester led 28-17.
A Shawn Leo 23-yard field goal expanded the lead to two touchdowns, but Cal would not go away. A 51-yard strike capped a 71-second touchdown drive, bringing the Vulcans within 31-24 with under nine minutes to play. That’s when the West Chester offense went to work.
The Golden Rams went on a 14-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that chewed seven minutes off the game clock and included four third down conversions. On third and one, out of bunch formation, McCartney found Camille Max for his first catch of the season to move the chains. On third and 11, McCartney completed an 18-yarder to Adam Dempsey and then on third and four, a 10-yard completion to Rondell White. In between Monk picked up 13 yards on the ground and White rushed for 11 yards including the one-yard touchdown plunge.
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The Vulcans scored a quick “prevent” touchdown and their last gasp, an onsides kick, went out of bounds.
Notes - In the second half of the game, the West Chester offense had 158 yards rushing, was 6 of 9 on third downs, and had a total of 17 first downs leading to 21 minutes of possession time. Meanwhile the defense held the Vulcans to just seven first downs and 46 rushing yards (31 on one play) in the second half, and only 2 of 9 passing for 12 yards in the third quarter....Starting cornerback R-Fr. Blaise Schieler got injured in the game. Depth in the secondary was a preseason concern and Schieler’s injury exposed that. Nasheed Parker, Clint Passarella, and John McGilligan all took turns filling in. While the Vulcans had 273 yards passing in the game, over half of them came on three big plays of 51, 43 and 56 yards....Receiver Tim Keyser got hurt on a violent collision late in the third quarter and did not return....The Golden Rams had four sacks while the WCU offensive line did not yield a sack for the fourth game this season....After California returned the kickoff for touchdown, West Chester went to the squib kick employed at Millersville....The Golden Rams did not turn over the ball.
West Chester Athletic Site - No. 17/19 West Chester Outlasts Cal, 38-31
Daily Local News - West Chester staves off Cal to improve to 5-0
California Athletic Site - Vulcans downed at No. 17 West Chester, 38-31
CUTV Sports - California at West Chester 2013 Highlights
D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Five Roundup
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