Okay, let’s face it, this was a big win. And more importantly, it was a team win. Offensively, the line didn’t allow a sack, there was only one turnover, and West Chester held a ten minute advantage in time of possession. Defensively, two interceptions and four sacks were key to thwarting East Stroudsburg’s passing offense which was second in the NCAA coming into the game. And special teams was perfect on place kicks, performed well on kickoff coverage, and recovered an East Stroudsburg muffed punt.
Brandon Monk ran for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns (Photo Ron Hockman)Similar to last year’s game, Brandon Monk ran all over the Warriors, picking up 170 yards on the ground. He accounted for 60 yards on West Chester’s opening possession which lasted 11 plays, six minutes and 93 yards. That drive almost stalled when Golden Rams heard the words they fear so much - “first and goal from the five”. But Pat Moriarty flipped a one-yard touchdown pass to Camille Max who was making his first appearance of the season.
Camille Max makes a short touchdown catch (Photo Ron Hockman)Sophomore cornerback Shaquil James was given the task of covering East Stroudsburg’s top receiver one-on-one all day, and he was up to the task. James was at a six inch height disadvantage and allowed a handful of first-half completions, but all were short patterns and accounted for only 49 total yards. The secondary got help from a constant pass rush as Kavon Johnson, Tyler Morrissey and Andrew Cohen each had sacks while Johnson teamed up with Josh Ganzelli on a fourth.
Shaquil James was locked up on ESU's top receiver (Photo Ron Hockman)Holding a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, the second period was particularly productive for West Chester. Jarel Elder accounted for 18 yards on the ground and Moriarty tossed a 16-yard completion to Shannon Mayer and a 37-yard pass to Jim Hurley to set up another first and goal from the five. This time, Monk finished off the drive to put West Chester up 14-0. The offense got only 37 seconds of rest thanks to a Nydair Rouse interception which led to a Tyler Karpinski touchdown catch.
Tyler Karpinski makes another TD catch (Photo Ron Hockman)A Pete Galiano interception then led to Brendan Paulison’s 32-yard field goal. After an East Stroudsburg touchdown closed the gap to 24-7, it looked like the Warriors were going to get one last opportunity in the half. But East Stroudsburg muffed the punt return and Mike Catalano pounced on it. Moriarty completed a 12-yard pass to Adam Dempsey to get to the 32. It may have been a little too far for a field goal attempt, or maybe it was the perceived need to score more points, but West Chester went for the touchdown and Eddie Elliott made a great catch in the end zone as time expired. The Golden Rams would take a 31-7 lead into the locker room.
Eddie Elliott brings down a touchdown to end the half (Photo Ron Hockman)The Warriors get into the end zone and West Chester responded with only a field goal. Then East Stroudsburg used an overhand lateral to a wide receiver who lobbed a 66-yard touchdown pass beyond a fooled Golden Ram defense. The third period would end with West Chester up 34-20. Although there was a full period left, fans started watching the clock. The Golden Ram defense allowed yards but no points in over five minutes of game time. But Monk lost a fumble on the first play from scrimmage and the defense was right back on the field. This time, East Stroudsburg was more efficient, getting into the end zone in only two and a half minutes. With just under seven minutes left, the Golden Rams would take over at their own 23, holding onto a 34-27 lead.
But the game ended as it started. With the exception of a critical third-down completion to Karpinski, the Golden Rams ran the ball seven times with Monk getting six of those carries including a 34-yard touchdown run. The drive covered 77 yards in over four minutes. When Galiano covered another East Stroudsburg fumble, Monk and the offensive line ran out the clock.
Pate Galiano covered this fumble to seal the victory (Photo Ron Hockman)Moriarty really showed a lot in this game. He used a hard count to draw East Stroudsburg offsides, he ran a designed draw play, he scrambled and showed off his spin move to buy time, he completed passes to seven different receivers and none was named Tim Brown whose college career ended last week due to an injury. Kevin Duggan and Drew Formica were the team’s leading tacklers with seven and six respectively. And Connor Foley placed his kickoffs well, pinning the Warriors inside their own 25 on four his seven kickoffs. Yes, it was a team effort, which is exactly what was needed to win the PSAC East.
Pat Moriarty showed his mobility (Photo Ron Hockman)West Chester Athletic Site - PSAC East Champions
East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - ESU Football Falls at West Chester, 41-27
Morning Call - Kutztown finishes second in PSAC East
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