Return specialist Brandon Monk has provided a spark to the Golden Rams all season long and did so with the first touch of the game as he returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to the AIC 40. After a couple of unproductive runs, big play number one was witnessed as Sean McCartney hit Erick Brundidge with a 37-yard pass to the AIC 2. Rondell White covered the remaining two yards and West Chester had an early 7-0.
The Yellow Jackets would respond with their own big kickoff return down to the West Chester 11 before kicker Shawn Leo threw the return man down. With such a short field, it only took AIC four plays to knot the score. The two teams would continue to mirror each other as they each went on ten-play drives that ended with punts. Then both teams would go three-and-out.
Midway through the second quarter, West Chester took a brief 10-7 lead on Leo's 25-yard field goal. But an offsides penalty on AIC caused West Chester to take the points off the board setting up a first and goal at the AIC 4. After AIC stuffed two more rushing attempts, McCartney's third-down pass was intercepted in the end zone. It would be West Chester's only failure in the red zone against the nation's best red zone defense. However, three plays later, Brandon Pepper minimized the damage when he intercepted a pass setting up the West Chester offense at midfield. Then the second big play happened for the West Chester offense as McCartney connected with Eddie Elliott on a 42-yard catch and run touchdown to give the Golden Rams the lead 14-7.
AIC continued to have little success offensively and Shawn Krautzel partially blocked the Yellow Jacket punt giving West Chester the ball at midfield with just 31 seconds left in the half. The Golden Ram offense would only need 12 of those seconds. McCartney found tight end Tim Brown over the middle for 24 yards and Brundidge in the far corner for the 31-yard touchdown. So although the WCU offense only had a handful of big pass plays, they went into halftime with a 21-7 lead with the last touchdown providing a major hit to the AIC morale.
LaRonn Lee hauls in a pass despite defenders hanging on him
Anyone who didn't feel totally comfortable at halftime only had to wait for two minutes after intermission. The Golden Ram defense forced another three-and-out to open the second half, but AIC's ensuing punt rolled down to the West Chester 6. Despite the poor field position, McCartney found Tim Keyser on a long completion who turned around and outraced the AIC secondary for a 94-yard touchdown, the longest in West Chester playoff history. Can you say "big plays"?
With AIC completely demoralized, the remainder of the game was a matter of running out the clock. The Golden Rams did their part in this effort in the fourth quarter when they chewed up over eight minutes on a touchdown drive that ended on a two-yard touchdown pass from McCartney to Shawn Driggins.
While the offense was executing big plays to light up the scoreboard, the Golden Ram defense was the real story. American International entered the game with the 19th best rushing attack in the country but were held to just 51 yards. And almost half of the Yellow Jackets' 218 total yards came on their last three possessions, after the outcome of the game had already been decided. AIC was a measly 3 of 12 on third down and 0 of 2 on fourth down.
Notes - West Chester will travel to play #11 Bloomsburg on Saturday at noon and look to avenge their only loss of the season...Punter Rich Bruno continued his efficient play this season, punting only three times (all in the first half), landing two of them inside the AIC 20 and not allowing a return...White ground out 89 tough yards to set the West Chester career rushing yardage mark...eight different players caught passes from McCartney led by Brundidge's five receptions for 100 yards...Leo was perfect on his five PAT's to tie the school career record in that category...on defense, the two men in the middle - Mike Labor and Ronell Williams - led the way with nine tackles each...Krautzel filled the stat sheet with 7 total tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and the blocked punt...the offensive line did not allow a sack for the sixth time this season.
West Chester Athletic Site - White Breaks School's All-time Rushing Record; McCartney Throws For 400 Yards; WCU Advances
Daily Local News - McCartney throws for four touchdowns to set up rematch with Bloomsburg
Bert Garbutt - Photo Collage WCU Football vs AIC
American International Athletic Site - Rams Too Tough For Football, 38-7
D2football - NE10 Columnist - Week 12 Thoughts
D2football - PSAC Columnist - Rams Win, Rams Win
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