Event News - 42nd Killinger Foundation Banquet

The 42nd Annual Killinger Foundation Football Banquet was held on Saturday, October 29 at the West Chester University Alumni & Foundation Center. The 2022 Hall of Fame inductees were:

- Bob Fithian '62
- Paul Nanni '86
- Jim Lindsay '97
- Jack Orwig '05
- Ronell Williams '14

Fithian was the All-PSAC center in 1961, a year when the all-conference team consisted of a total of eleven players, no first and second team, no east and west designation.

In 1983, Nanni set the team's single game tackle record with 18 against Millersville and two weeks later had a 96-yard pick six against Shippensburg. He led the Golden Rams in tackles that season and received second team All-PSAC East recognition a year later.

In 1994, Lindsay was namd first team All-PSAC East after leading the Golden Rams in rushing with 1,130 yards. The following season, he once again led WCU in rushing with 680 yards and received second team honors. He tallied 2,326 yards for his West Chester career.

After the Golden Rams reached the NCAA Division II semi-finals in 2004, offensive tackle Orwig was named first team All-PSAC East, an ECAC Division II All-Star, second team Daktronics All-Northeast Region, third team Don Hansen's Football Gazette DII All-Northeast Region, and fourth team CollegeSportsReport.com All-Division II.

As a linebacker for the Golden Rams, Williams was a three time first team All-PSAC East selection, three time Daktronics All-Super Region 1 choice, and two time Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area pick. He was named All-American by the AFCA Division II Coaches, Associated Press, and D2football.com. After 2013, Williams was named ECAC Division II Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award.

Killinger Foundation President Rick Daniels, Jack Orwig, Jim Lindsay, Paul Nanni, Athletic Director Terri Beattie, WCU President Christopher Fiorentino

West Chester Athletic Site - Killinger Football Foundation Announces Hall of Fame Inductees

Game Report - West Chester 58 - Lock Haven 10

Although West Chester led 10-3, the game between the Golden Rams (5-4 , 3-3) and the Bald Eagles (1-8 , 0-6) looked fairly anemic for the first 28 minutes. Then WCU scored five touchdowns in the span of six minutes of game time to open a 44-3 lead en route to a 58-10 PSAC East win.

Trey Wells and Patrick Methlie clear a hole for Ja'Den McKenzie
(Photo Joan Gillen)

The Golden Ram defense was dominant as it forced five Lock Haven turnovers, registered 11 tackles for loss, held the Blad Eagles to 1 of 13 on third down and just 61 yards rushing after a 75-yard touchdown run. That's right. Besides the one LHU touchdown run of 75 yards, Lock Haven had -14 yards rushing in the game. In the area of big plays, Lock Haven had no passing play longer than 17 yards, whereas the Golden Rams had seven of at least that length.

Mari Wright had a 38-yard catch (Photo Joan Gillen)

It was a good day for the seniors in their final home game. Safety Zach DeMarchis had a team-high five tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups. Running back Phil Poquie ran for 25 yards and a touchdown and wide receiver Mari Wright had a 38-yard catch. Defensive end Roderic Carson made four solo tackles, three of which were for losses, defensive back Elijah Beard made three solo tackles including a tackle for loss, and defensive end Zach Liggitt made a solo tackle. Defensive tackle Noah Collachi made two tackles and recovered a fumble which would have been a scoop and score, but he dove into the end zone and the resulting unsportsmanlike conduct penalty prevented him from getting points.

Noah Collachi and Zach DeMarchis team up on a tackle (Photo Joan Gillen)

Several true freshmen did get into the act. Quarterbacks Cooper Jordan (7 of 8, 220 yards, 1 TD; 7 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD) and Ethan Kohler (5 of 9, 70 yards, 1 TD) looked much more relaxed, especially in the second half. And late in the game, blitzing linebacker Ricardo Delgado forced Lock Haven into an ill-advised pass which classmate Stanley Bryant intercepted and returned 29 yards for the final touchdown in Farrell Stadium this season.

Ethan Kohler looks to complete a pass downfield (Photo Joan Gillen)

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - Golden Rams Topple Lock Haven on Senior Day, 58-10

Lock Haven Athletic Site - Football drops road contest with West Chester

Daily Local News - Jordan, WCU offense explodes in lopsided win against Lock Haven

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - Lock Haven

Game Replay

Game Preview - Lock Haven

In the final home game of the 2022 season, West Chester (4-4, 2-3) hosts the Lock Haven Bald Eagles (1-7, 0-5) on Saturday at noon.

Series History:
West Chester holds a 26-6-1 lead in the series. Current WCU head coach Bill Zwaan is undefeated in his previous ten meetings against the Bald Eagles. Lock Haven moved from the PSAC West to the PSAC East prior to the 2013 season when they replaced LIU Post in the division. Head coach Dan Mulrooney is in his first season at Lock Haven after leading Anna Maria College to the NCAA Division III playoffs and being named Eastern Collegiate Football Conference Coach of the Year in 2021.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2008	Home	Win	37-6	2016	Home	Win	37-7
2009	Away	Win	43-0	2017	Away	Win	35-14
2013	Away	Win	34-13	2018	Home	Win	48-14
2014	Home	Win	41-6	2019	Away	Win	56-14
2015	Away	Win	33-9	2021	Away	Win	35-13

Last Meeting:

10/30/2021 West Chester 35 - Lock Haven 13

The Golden Rams turned the ball over on their first two possessions and a total of five times in the game. When they did manage to hold on to the ball, it resulted in points as West Chester only punted twice in the game. On a rainy and cold later afternoon contest, the Golden Rams rushed the ball 43 times for 333 yards. Ja'Den McKenzie had 16 carries for 160 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Shane Dooley had 11 carries for 45 yards. Dooley was also 11 of 17 passing for 189 yards and three touchdowns, but also two interceptions.

Defensively, linebacker Jackson Taylor had a monster game with 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Defensive back Zach DeMarchis had two pass breakups and Izaiah McPherson also had one. Sean Henry converted all five PAT attempts.

Scouting the Opponent:

Assumption transfer Easton Turner (103 of 195, 1,122 yards, 7 TD's, 12 int's) had started every game at quarterback this season, but suffered a leg injury midway through the Bloomsburg game and was replaced by sophomore Samuel Barber (15 of 20, 204 yards, 2 TD's, 1 int). Last week at Kutztown, Stony Brook transfer Danny Sanchez (12 of 23, 126 yards) got the start, but suffered an injury late in the game and was replaced by freshman Matt Stanton (4 of 6, 15 yards). It's anyone's guess as to who will play quarterback on Saturday.

The Lock Haven ground game relies on running back DeAndre Wakefield (126 carries, 528 yards, 2 TD's). In the passing game, Minnesota St transfer Marquon Williams (19 catches, 401 yards, 5 TD's) is third in the PSAC in touchdown catches. Other targets are Chase Holmes (28 catches, 383 yards, 1 TD), Kenneth Pettiford (14 catches, 181 yards, 1 TD) and Wakefield (22 catches, 114 yards).

Linebacker Shane Scott (18 tackles, 1 sack) was All-PSAC East last season, but left their second game this season with an injury and hasn't played since. Linebacker Austin Barber (55 tackles, 5.5. TFL) is the team's top tackler this year. Justin Anderson (15 tackles, 3.0 sacks) leads the way up front. Defensive backs Kasir Henry (49 tackles, 3 PBU's) and Victor Hunt (18 tackles, 3 PBU's) lead the secondary and linebacker Kabbi Kanu (16 tackles, 2 int) has three picks.

Kicker Brett Zachman (9 of 11 PAT, 1 of 5 FG) has only made one field goal, but it was from 42 yards. He has two touchbacks on kickoffs and averages 36 yards on punts.

Analysis:

Lock Haven's only win this year came in the season opener at first-year program Post (0-7) when the host's game-winning two-point attempt failed with a minute left in the game. Since then, the Eagles have failed to score more than 12 points in a game. Among PSAC teams, the Lock Haven defense ranks last in scoring, total offense, rushing offense, and pass defense efficiency. So whatever West Chester has been trying to figure out on offense, it should happen on Saturday.

Versus Sports simulates a 42-3 Golden Ram win while Massey Ratings predicts a 42-10 WCU victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Welcomes Lock Haven on Senior Day

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 9

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Nine Preview

Event News - October 27 Bill Zwaan Show

The Bill Zwaan Show will be held at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester on Thursday starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM.

According to the Bill Zwaan Show, sophomore wide receiver D'Shaun Seals and junior defensive back Elijah Beard will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show.

In West Chester's 47-14 loss to Shepherd, Seals had six catches for 91 yards and a 15-yard touchdown. For the season, he has 21 receptions for 258 yards and three scores. Also on Saturday, Beard made a season-high six tackles. For the season, he has 13 total tackles including a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coaches or the players to the Bill Zwaan Show.

D'Shaun Seals
(Photo WCU Athletics)
Elijah Beard
(Photo WCU Athletics)

Game Report - #3/#6 Shepherd 47 - West Chester 14

The Golden Rams (4-4, 2-3) dominated the Shepherd Rams (8-0, 5-0)...in the first quarter. After that, Shepherd played an average game and went on to win 47-14 on a beautiful fall day for football.

In the first period, West Chester forced two three-and-outs and held Shepherd to just 26 yards of offense. Meanwhile, the Golden Rams racked up 118 yards of offense and freshman Cooper Jordan did some razzle dazzle before finding receiver D'Shaun Seals in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown. It was 7-0 when the teams changed sides. And the teams changed sides.

D'Shaun Seals was all alone for this touchdown catch (Photo Joan Gillen)

In the second quarter, West Chester mustered only one yard and finished the game with 211 yards of offense. Their only other score came after Matt Marshall recovered a muffed Shepherd punt at the 25-yard line. Even then, it took a fourth down conversion and seven plays to navigate those 25 yards which was finished by an Ethan Kohler to Mari Wright seven-yard touchdown pass.

Mari Wright hauls in a touchdown pass (Photo Joan Gillen)

As mentioned, Shepherd had an average game. But keep in mind that the Rams average 526 yards and 45 points. After those two first quarter punts, the Golden Rams could not stop Shepherd as they scored touchdowns on their next seven possessions. The only thing that prevented them from scoring on their final possession is the game mercifully came to a conclusion. Six of their seven touchdown drives were 65 yards or longer as West Chester offered little resistance. And Shepherd did as they wished on offense as they racked up 218 yards on the ground and 297 yards through the air for 514 yards of total offense. The Ram defense made six tackles for loss and three interceptions.

Sterlen Barr drags down a Shepherd ball carrier (Photo Joan Gillen)

For West Chester, Jordan finished with 84 yards passing and 73 yards rushing. Seals made six catches for a game-high 91 yards. Defensively, cornerback Sterlen Barr led the team in tackles with 14 while linebacker Jackson Taylor made 13, including a sack. Lineman David Blay also had a sack among his four tackles. Sean Henry did all of the kicking for West Chester, booming all three kickoffs for touchbacks, punting four times for an average of 38 yards, and converting both PAT's.

Ayyub Dail and others put a stop to a rush (Photo Joan GIllen)

Notes: This was the largest margin of defeat since a second round playoff loss at Indiana in 2017 and the worst loss at home since the loss to Slippery Rock in the 2015 PSAC Championshop game...in the secon half, Marshall replaced Obi Anyatonwu who had an apparent injury.

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - Golden Rams Fall to No. 3 Shepherd; 47-14

Daily Local News - West Chester no match for No. 3 Shepherd in PSAC East tilt

Shepherdstown Chronicle - Shepherd staggers West Chester to remain undefeated

The Journal - Undefeated Shepherd rolls to 8th win

Shepherd Athletic Site - Shepherd Football Tops West Chester

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - Shepherd

Game Replay

Game Preview - Shepherd

For the first time ever, the #3/#6 Shepherd Rams (7-0, 4-0) will travel to John A. Farrell Stadium. Although the Golden Rams (4-3, 2-2) have faced Shepherd thrice, all three games were played in Shepherdstown, WV. Kickoff is set for noon.

Series History:
Prior to Shepherd joining the PSAC in 2019, these two teams first met in 2013 in the NCAA Division II Regional Championship when the Golden Rams came away with a 28-7 victory. The two PSAC East meetings were both won by the Rams - 35-23 in 2019 and 42-38 last season.

Shepherd head coach Ernie McCook has a record of 38-8 entering Saturday's game and has guided his Rams to the NCAA Division II playoffs in both 2019 and 2021. Last year, Shepherd finished 13-2 after losing in the national semi-finals.

Last Meeting:

10/23/2021 #11 Shepherd 42 - West Chester 38

In front of almost 6,000 fans in Shepherdstown, West Chester battled the #11 ranked team in the nation and actally took a 38-35 lead into the fourth quarter. But eventual Harlon Hill Trophy winner Tyson Bagent led Shepherd to a touchdown early in the final quarter. West Chester had subsequent drives stall at the Shepherd 32 and 29, but were not able to cross the goal line. The Golden Rams had a significant advantage in first downs (25 - 14) and time of possession (39 - 20) and a narrow edge in total offense (433 - 429), but a blocked punt gave Shepherd a very short field and Shepherd had several big plays on scoring drives.

Quarterback Shane Dooley (20 of 30, 276 yards, 5 TD's) actually outdueled his counterpart. Ja'Den McKenzie had 83 yards rushing and 18 yards receiving and Phil Poquie had 105 all-purpose yards. Jackson Taylor led the team with seven tackles and Oscar Uduma had an interception in his first collegiate game.

Scouting the Opponent:

As mentioned earlier, quarterback Tyson Bagent won the Harlon Hill Trophy after last season. Well he was only a junior then, so he's back at the helm for the Rams and is among the top five players in the country in a host of categories (181 of 286, 2,267 yards, 20 TD's, 4 int's). Fourteen different players have caught passes for the Rams, but top targets are wide receiver Marlon Cook (41 catches, 755 yards, 5 TD's), wide receiver Ryan Beach (39 catches, 304 yards, 5 TD's), and tight end Brian Walker (30 catches, 400 yards, 2 TD's). Also look for former Golden Ram wide receiver Kenny Edelin (10 catches, 119 yards, 2 TD's). All-PSAC East running back Ronnie Brown (86 carries, 854 yards, 9 TD's, 27 catches, 298 yards, 1 TD) is versatile in both the running and passing game. Right tackle Joey Fisher was an All-American last season and is a pro pospect.

Linebackers Dewayne Grantham (46 tackles, 3 int) and Devon Lynch (38 tackles, 4.5 TFL) are the team's top tacklers. Defensive end Kyle Smith (29 tackls, 10.5 TFL), tackle Malik Holloway (22 tackles, 6.0 TFL) and defensive end Isaiah Farmer (12 tackles, 6.0 TFL) cause problems up front. Cornerback Klayton Batten (21 tackles, 2 int) and freshman defensive back Donte Harrison (11 tackles, 2 int) each have two picks in the secondary. Harrison is also the reigning PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week after scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns against Millersville.

Since Shepherd scores so much, punter Ryan Barrick (16 punts, 40 avg, 6 I20) doesn't get much work, but is effective when he plays. Bagent has also punted twice as an element of surprise. Kicker Jacob Haynie (37 of 41 PAT's, 3 of 7 FG's, long of 42) has six touchbacks this season. Ronnie Brown returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Kutztown.

Analysis:

At first glance, this would appear to be a fairly lopsided affair. Consider where Shepherd ranks in various categories in all of Division II, not just the PSAC:

1 - Total offense (526 yards per game)

4 - Scoring offense (45 points per game)

19 - Scoring defense (15 points per game)

4 - Passing offense (336 yards per game)

7 - Passing efficiency (163.56)

7 - Rushing defense (55%)

4 - Red zone defense (45 points per game)

7 - Turnover margin (+1.29 per game)

But the situation last season was similar. West Chester was a .500 team and Shepherd was a team that would go on to advance to the national semi-finals. Yet, in West Virginia, the Golden Rams fell by a mere four points, and some, even the Shepherd broadcasters, would argue that a late Shepherd fumble deep in their own territory was wrongly ruled an incomplete pass (fast forward to 3:19:25). So the Shepherd Rams escaped with the win. How will the situation play out in Farrell Stadium?

Massey Ratings is projecting a 35-21 Shpeherd win while Versus Sports simulates a 38-19 Shepherd victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Welcomes No. 4 Shepherd University To Farrell Stadium Saturday at Noon

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 8

Shepherd Athletic Site - 2022 Ram Press Box Report - Week 8

The Journal - Rams make first visit to West Chester

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Eight Preview

Event News - October 20 Bill Zwaan Show

The Bill Zwaan Show will be held at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester on Thursday starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM.

According to the Bill Zwaan Show, senior cornerback Sterlen Barr and graduate student wide receiver Mari Wright will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show.

In West Chester's 24-21 win at East Stroudsburg, Barr made three tackles and registered a pass breakup. For the season, he has 19 tackles, 6 pass breakups and an interception. Also on Saturday, Wright had a season-high seven catches for 63 yards. For the season, he has 15 receptions for 208 yards and a touchdown.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coaches or the players to the Bill Zwaan Show.

Sterlen Barr
(Photo WCU Athletics)
Mari Wright
(Photo WCU Athletics)

Player News - Cooper Jordan Named PSAC East Offensive POW

For his efforts in West Chester's 24-21 win at East Stroudsburg, freshman quarterback Cooper Jordan has been named PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week.

Jordan accounted for 195 yards (62 passing, 133 rushing) and all three touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing) to help break the Golden Rams two-game losing streak. While his first two possessions weren't particularly productive, he did it all on the third. With the Golden Rams trailing 7-0 midway through the second quarter, West Chester started at their own 20-yard line. Cooper sped for 42 yards, and three plays later, the remaining 38 yards for the game-tying touchdown.

Then in the fourth quarter with West Chester trailing 14-10, the Golden Rams started at the East Stroudsburg 35-yard line. Cooper picked up 21 yards on three rushing plays, and then zipped a 12-yard touchdown pass to D'Shaun Seals. After the Warriors responded with a touchdown of their own to retake the lead 21-17, Cooper and the Golden Rams started at their own 42-yard line with under three-and-a-half minutes to go. On a third-and-eight, he ran for nine yards and a first down. On a fourth-and-four, he completed a 14-yard pass to Rahiem Bowens for a first down. On a third-and-seven, he completed a nine-yard pass to Mari Wright for another first down. And then on third-and-ten, he completed a 15-yard pass to Thatcher Miller for the game-winning touchdown.

Cooper is the first Golden Ram to garner a player of the week award since Ja'Den McKenzie did it last season also after West Chester defeated East Stroudsburg.

Cooper Jordan completes a crucial fourth down throw (Photo Joan Gillen)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week – 7

West Chester Athletic Site - Cooper Jordan Named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week

Game Report - West Chester 24 - East Stroudsburg 21

A PAT. A point after touchdown. With the exception of the quarterback kneel down when running out the clock from victory formation, the PAT is the most innocuous play in football. But with just three and a half minutes left, after East Stroudsburg just took a 21-17 lead, Warrior offensive lineman Guy Gilyard took a swipe at a West Chester player. While the point counted, the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would be assessed on the ensuing kickoff.

Every coach will profess that starting field position is important in every game, and in a game where there were no turnovers, and for two offenses that struggle to consistently drive the length of the field, starting field position was paramount. So at this important juncture of the game, the Warriors kicked off from their own 20. D'Shaun Seals, who was filling in on kick returns for injured Phil Poquie, returned the ball to the West Chester 42. The Golden Rams had 58 yards to go.

The ESU defense crashes on Ja'Den McKenzie while Cooper Jordan runs free
(Photo Joan Gillen)

True freshman quartrback Cooper Jordan had already baffled the Warriros whenever he was in the game. His shiftiness and speed left East Stroudsburg defenders grasping at air. And then Jordan surprised them with his arm. First, a fourth down completion to Rahiem Bowens, then a key nine-yard toss to Mari Wright for a first down and out of bounds at the 15. Later on third down, Cooper scrambled a bit, then found a sliding Thatcher Miller in the end zone for the decisive score. It gave West Chester (4-3, 2-2) a 24-21 win over East Stroudsburg (2-5, 1-3), their ninth consecutive victory over the Warriors.

The first half was reminiscent of recent games. The WCU defense held the Warriors to a mere 66 yards of offense, but for the third consecutive week, West Chester allowed a blocked punt which gave the Warriors a short field and a quick touchdown. Behind freshman quarterback Ethan Kohler and Jordan, the offense moved the ball okay, but poor starting field position and holding penalties stifled any scoring chances. Late in the first half, Jordan ripped of runs of 42 and 38 yards to knot the score at seven.

Matt Marshall makes an open field tackle (Photo Joan Gillen)

Kohler led the Golden Rams on a nice drive to open the second half. Completions to Wright, D'Shaun Seals, and Bowens accounted for most of the yards, however a first-and-goal from the four resulted in only a Sean Henry 26-yard field goal. Those three points would be the difference in the final score.

Early in the fourth quarter with East Stroudsburg leading 14-10, the Golden Ram defense forced the Warriors to punt from their own 32-yard line. While ESU's previous six punts averaged 42 yards, this one traveled just three yards and almost took out a West Chester cheerleader. It took Jordan just two minutes to connect with Seals on a back shoulder for the touchdown and 17-14 lead. With under seven minutes remaining, this is the one time that everyone hoped the Golden Ram defense would stand up yet again. But it was not to be, as the Warriors used a couple of big plays to nab a 21-17 lead. Little did ESU know that they left too much time and a short field for some late game WCU heroics.

Mari Wright hauls in one of his seven catches (Photo Joan Gillen)

Notes - Although only 7 of 16 for 62 yards passing, Cooper accounted for all three of West Chester's scores with 133 yards and a touchdown on the ground...It was one of the most productive outings for the WCU wide receivers: Wright (7 catches for 63 yards), Seals (4 catches for 46 yards and 1 TD) and Bowens (3 catches for 33 yards)...Safety Zach DeMarchis led the team in tackles with 12 while linebacker Jackson Taylor registered seven stops and shared a sack with Zach Liggitt...Chris Barbera didn't appear to get hurt on the blocked punt, but Henry punted for the remainder of the game...With Poquie not dressed and Maurice Mazzccua no longer on the roster, Jayden Williams got his first touches of his college career...Ja'Den McKenzie was a little hobbled but still picked up 45 yards on the ground.

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - Late Touchdown Lifts West Chester to 24-21 Victory at ESU

East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - Warriors Drop Homecoming Heartbreaker to West Chester

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - East Stroudsburg

Game Replay

Game Preview - East Stroudsburg

The Golden Rams (3-3, 1-2) head to the Poconos to take on the East Stroudsburg Warriors (2-4, 1-2) in a pivotal matchup for the Golden Rams season. Kickoff for East Stroudsburg's homecoming is scheduled for 2:00 on Saturday.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 63-22 and Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan is 16-3 against the Warriors, including the last eight meetings. In 2004, the Golden Rams blocked a PAT in overtime, then scored a touchdown and won the game on Dan Wilbourne’s converted PAT to hand then #7 East Stroudsburg their first loss of the season in front of a homecoming crowd of almost 6,000. The two schools met again that season on a frigid and blustery November afternoon in the NCAA regional finals. With a crowd of over 7,200 on hand, current West Chester running backs coach Osagie Osunde ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns as the Golden Rams handed East Stroudsburg their second and final loss of the season.

The following year, West Chester tipped the #6 ranked Warriors, 18-17, in muddy Farrell Stadium. 2005 was the last season that Farrell Stadium had natural grass. In 2009, East Stroudsburg ruined West Chester’s homecoming 21-20. The Golden Rams failed to convert a PAT early in the game and a 35-yard field goal late in the game. It's the only time that East Stroudsburg has won at West Chester in the past dozen years and the last time that the Warriors have reached the playoffs.

Former Warrior quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger (14-16) is in his third full season as head coach at his alma mater.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2011	Home	Win	37-26	2016	Away	Win	41-14
2012	Away	Loss	35-28	2017	Home	Win	31-26
2013	Home	Win	34-20	2018	Away	Win	52-24
2014	Away	Win	35-24	2019	Home	Win	28-21
2015	Home	Win	41-27	2021	Home	Win	42-28

Last Meeting:

10/16/2021 West Chester 42 - East Stroudsburg 28

The Golden Rams dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball as West Chester outgained East Stroudsburg on the ground to the tune of 326 to 88. Both Ja'Den McKenzie (135 yards, 1 TD) and Phil Poquie (113 yards, 2 TD's) eclipsed the 100-yard mark and got into the end zone. Quarterback Shane Dooley accounted for three scores - 2 passing, 1 rushing - and was only sacked once. Linebcker Jackson Taylor led the Golden Ram defense with 12 tackles and Obi Anyatonwu notched four tackles and two pass breakups. West Chester maintained a 17 minute advantage in time of possession.

Scouting the Opponent:

Unlike many of West Chester's recent opponents and the Golden Rams themselves, the Warriors return a large majority of their team from last season including most of the offensive line. Key members of that unit are All-PSAC East left tackle Anthony Capitini and 6'8 410lb right tackle Guy Gilyard.

Fifth year quarterback Jake Cirillo (59 of 109, 737 yards, 7 TD's, 1 int) started the first three games of the season, but has since missed time due to an injury. Redshirt senior and last year's starter Matt Delaurentis (41 of 74, 384 yards, 3 TD's, 2 int) has started since. But last week at Millersville, Delaurentis struggled and the Warriors turned to redshirt freshman Sean McTaggart (8 of 17, 103 yards), but ultimatley had the most success with junior Aaron Tobias (9 of 15, 182 yards, 2 TD's 1 int). Which quaterback starts, plays or finishes this game is completely unknown.

Top targets in the passing game are Ezequiel Lopez (22 catches, 293 yards, 4 TD's), John Siggins (18 catches, 261 yards, 3 TD's) and freshman tight end Beau Heyser (10 catches, 184 yards, 2 TD's), but 16 different players have caught passes for the Warriors.

At running back, redshirt senior Devante Robinson (39 carries, 161 yards, 2 TD's, 14 catches, 79 yards) is back after missing last season due to an injury and fifth year player Gunner Anglovich (36 carries, 141 yards, 11 catches, 128 yards, 1 TD) was an All-PSAC East performer last year.

The defense is led by AFCA first team All-American defensive end Deshawn McCarthy (15 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles). Tackle Dasean Dixon (15 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss) is also a factor on the line. Linebackers Sergei Felizor (49 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss) and Duquense transfer Jahan Worth (33 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss) are the team's top tacklers.

The secondary is led by All-PSAC East free safety Tyler Watson (30 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 2 int), cornerback Shavar Hussett (23 tackles, 4 pass breakups) and 5'8 cornerback Noah Hambrick (18 tackles, 4 pass breakups).

All-PSAC East kicker Devin Batholomew is perfect on 17 PAT's and is 12 of 15 on field goals with a long of 50 yards. Bloomsburg transfer punter Jaco Sattamini has dropped 10 of his 27 punts inside the opponent 20, has boomed five punts over 50 yards, but has had one blocked.

Analysis:

Good luck figuring out the Warriors. This is a team that fell to Millersville (2-4) and whose only wins have come against two teams that are a combined 1-11 (Lock Haven 1-5 and Seton Hill 0-6). But on the other hand, it took now #15 IUP a field goal with no time left to nip the Warriors 38-35, and Kutztown (4-2) scored a touchdown in the final two minutes to steal a win in East Stroudsburg. So it's a contest between which East Stroudsburg team shows up versus which West Chester team shows up.

Similar to last season, this game is pivotal to the Golden Rams (3-3) season. Massey gives high probability to West Chester losses against Shepherd and at Kutztown and to wins against Lock Haven and at Clarion. If that holds true, the outcome on Saturday will determine if West Chester finishes 6-5 or 5-6.

Massey Ratings is expecting a one-point West Chester win and Versus Sports simulates a similar 23-21 West Chester victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 7

East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - Homecoming Preview: ESU vs. West Chester