Game Preview - Lock Haven

The Golden Rams (3-5, 3-2) celebrate senior day when they host the Lock Haven Bald Eagles (3-5, 2-3) on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

Series History:
West Chester holds a 29-6-1 lead in the series. Prior to the 2013 season, Lock Haven was in the PSAC West and replaced LIU Post in the PSAC East that year. Lock Haven head coach Dan Mulrooney is in his third season, after leading Anna Maria College to the NCAA Division III playoffs and being named Eastern Collegiate Football Conference Coach of the Year in 2021. Lock Haven improved from 1-10 in 2022 to 5-6 last season.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
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
2016	Home	Win	37-7	2022	Home	Win	58-10
2017	Away	Win	35-14	2023	Away	Win	42-27

Last Meeting:

10/28/2023 West Chester 42 - Lock Haven 27

The Golden Rams rolled up 475 yards of offense and the defense stiffened in the second half as West Chester pulled away from Lock Haven by a score of 42-27. WCU ran the ball 51 times and were 9 of 12 on third downs to control the clock for 35 minutes.

The Golden Rams used two quarterbacks fairly evenly - Ethan Kohler (9 of 11, 148 yards, 1 TD) and Cooper Jordan (7 of 11, 144 yards, 1 int), although Jordan was more effective running the ball (11 carries, 43 yards, 2 TD's). It was a breakout game for running back Dayshawn Jacobs (23 carries, 112 yards, 3 TD's; 1 catch, 49 yards). Rahiem Bowens (6 catches, 86 yards) and D'Shaun Seals (3 catches, 65 yards) played a major role in the passing game.

Defensively, Victor Pena (7 tackles, 1 FR) led the way, with Shane Mosley (5 tackles, 1 FF) and Connor Noble (5 tackles) also contributing. Seamus McCain (3 tackles) and Daniel Hicks (2 tackles) teamed up on a sack.

Scouting the Opponent:

For the second consecutive year, Lock Haven has turned to an FCS transfer to quarterback the team. After having being named to the Northeast 10 Conference All-Rookie Team in 2019 while at Southern Connecticut State, Jackson Ostrowsky (165 of 301, 2,337 yards, 19 TD's, 9 int) saw limited action in 2021 and 2022. He spent last season at Rhode Island although he did not play. His top targets are Millersville transfer T'iar Young (45 catches, 827 yards, 8 TD's), Minnesota State transfer Quon Williams (29 catches, 328 yards, 3 TD's), Clarion transfer Corahn Alleyne (19 catches, 318 yards, 3 TD's), and Wagner transfer Nino Cinti (22 catches, 316 yards, 2 TD's). Their primary running back is Ohio transfer KJ Howard (72 carries, 304 yards, 2 TD's; 10 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD) who also plays a role in the passing game.

On the other side of the ball, defensive linemen Justin Anderson (18 tackles, 10.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, 3 PBU, 5 QBR) and Union College transfer Jimaar Edwards (18 tackles, 5.0 TFL) spend most of their time in the opponent's backfield. Linebackers Izzy Ramos (54 tackles, 2.0 TFL), Rocco Daugherty (48 tackles, 4 int) and former Golden Ram Oscar Uduma (39 tackles, 4.5 TFL) are among the team's leaders in tackling. Defensive backs Kasir Henry (57 tackles, 6 PBU) and Darryl Pollard (37 tackles, 10 PBU) are among the conference leaders in passes defended.

Senior Tony Nicassio (26 of 26 PAT's, 6 of 7 FG's, long 40; 37.8 yard avg on punts with 7 of 31 inside 20) handles all of the kicking duties for the Bald Eagles.

Analysis:

While West Chester has already faced some of the best quarterbacks in the PSAC - California's Davis Black, Shepherd's Lek Powell, and East Stroudsburg's Sean McTaggart - it's Lock Haven's Ostrowsky who leads the conference in passing yards and touchdowns. Unlike those other three teams, however, Lock Haven does not have a potent rushing attack (85 yards/game, 3.4 yards/carry). So WCU defensive coordinator Nick Brady is going to have to completely flip the approach from last week's game against Millersville. Expect to see the Golden Ram defense in a nickel or dime for most of the day. It will be interesting to see if West Chester's best cornerback Abdul Stewart travels with Lock Haven's best receiver Young.

The Golden Ram offense has started taking shape in recent weeks and should be able to run the ball effectively against the Bald Eagles. Controlling the clock will also keep the ball out of Ostrowsky's hands. West Chester has several capable running backs and of course Cooper Jordan is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Keep the net turnover margin positive and West Chester should win.

Versus Sports simulates a 33-30 Golden Ram win while Massey Ratings predicts a 35-27 WCU victory.

Notes:
At halftime of Saturday's game, the 2024 Class of the Killinger Foundation Football Hall of Fame will be recognized prior to their induction in the spring.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

West Chester Athletic Site - Golden Rams Host Lock Haven on Senior Day Saturday

PSAC Site - 2024 PSAC Football Week 9 Notes

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Nine Preview