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.
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 ESU defense crashes on Ja'Den McKenzie while Cooper Jordan runs freeThe 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.
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.
Matt Marshall makes an open field tackle (Photo Joan Gillen)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.
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.
Mari Wright hauls in one of his seven catches (Photo Joan Gillen)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
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