Golden Ram Football Club: November 2024

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Game Report - Kutztown 31 - West Chester 13

The Kutztown Golden Bears (10-0, 7-0) exhibited thier dominating defense in defeating the the Golden Rams (4-6, 4-3) by a final score of 31-13. West Chester quarterback Cooper Jordan was contained to 34 yards rushing, but sacked six times for 44 yards leaving him with a net -10 yards on the ground. In all, West Chester had 28 carries for a total of 16 yards rushing.

Sortable Box Score

West Chester Athletic Site - No. 3 Kutztown Defeats West Chester, 31-13

Kutztown Athletic Site - No. 3 Golden Bears sweep the PSAC East, improve to 10-0 with 31-13 win over West Chester

Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - Kutztown

Game Replay

Friday, November 8, 2024

Game Preview - Kutztown

In their final game of the season, the Golden Rams (4-5, 4-2) travel to #3/#3 Kutztown (9-0, 6-0) to take on the Golden Bears. Kickoff for what is Kutztown's senior day, hall of fame day and military appreciation day is scheduled for noon.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 54-13-1. Kutztown notched two wins in 2010 and 2011, the two years in the past ten that West Chester was under .500 and Kutztown qualified for the NCAA playoffs. That 2011 game was played in a snowy, windy and cold John A. Farrell Stadium, some of the worst weather conditions West Chester football has seen in the past several decades. In 2013, the Golden Rams trailed 21-10 midway through the fourth quarter, but rallied for two fourth-quarter touchdowns and Al-Hajj Shabazz sealed the 22-21 win with an interception in the final minute.

Jim Clements is 88-28 in his tenth season as head coach of the Golden Bears and the reigning PSAC East Coach of the Year. Under Clements, Kutztown qualfied for the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Then last season, as the third seed in the region, they advanced to the NCAA Division II semi-finals in Golden, CO. This year the Golden Bears have clinched the PSAC East division and will travel to California to take on the Vulcans in the PSAC championship game next Saturday.

The most interesting aspect of the matchup is Clements was head coach at Del Val from 2006 to 2013 where he amassed a record of 66-24. During that time, current Golden Rams head coach Duke Greco was Del Val's offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. After Clements departed Del Val for Kutztown, Greco took over the head coach spot at Del Val for eight seasons where he compiled a record of 82-13. Greco joined West Chester this past off season.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2013	Home	Win	22-21	2018	Away	Win	38-21
2014	Away	Win	29-7	2019	Home	Loss	30-17
2015	Home	Win	44-14	2021	Home	Loss	21-14
2016	Away	Loss	20-14	2022	Away	Win	28-9
2017	Home	Win	27-21	2023	Home	Loss	27-17

Last Meeting:

11/04/2023 Kutztown 27 - West Chester 17

After trailing 13-3 at halftime, West Chester scored the first 14 points of the second half to take a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter, but Kutztown scored the final 14 points to win 27-17 enroute to the NCAA Division II semi-finals.

Quarterback Cooper Jordan (17 of 22, 180 yards, 1 TD; 16 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD) had a big day for the Golden Ram offense. D'Shaun Seals (7 cathes, 72 yards) and Rahiem Bowens (3 catches, 39 yards, 1 TD) were active in the passing game, but other than Jordan, West Chester couldn't get anything going on the ground. Linebacker Connor Noble (9 tackles, 3 QBH) and Shane Mosley (5 tackles, 1 PBU) paced the WCU defense.

Scouting the Opponent:

Kutztown lost five All-PSAC East players from last year's defense which was the best in the PSAC, and this season, the Golden Bears have one of the best defenses in the entire country. They're in the top ten in Division II in sacks led by defensive tackles Brayden Pohlman (24 tackles, 5.0 sacks) and Freddie Retter (33 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 6 QBH, 2 PBU). After that, linebackers Eden Johnson (45 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 2 int, 4 PBU) and Jalen DeVose (41 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1 int, 2 QBH) cause problems all over the place. Johnson, the reigning PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week, and DeVose each had pick-sixes in last week's win over Millersville. Kutztown also leads the conference in interceptions with safety Drew Hensor (26 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 3 int, 3 PBU) among six players on the squad with at least two picks. Cornerback Khi'on Smith (16 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 5 PBU) leads Kutztown in pass breakups.

Offensively, quarterback and reigning PSAC East Freshman of Year Judd Novak (128 of 197, 1,673 yards, 18 TD's, 5 int) doesn't put up huge passing yardage, but is extremely efficient and is third in the conference in touchdown passes. His favorite targets are Mekhi Gibson (18 catches, 430 yards, 7 TD's in 8 games), Kurtis Ravenel Jr. (34 catches, 418 yards, 5 TD's), and Noah Kracyla (30 catches, 412 yards, 1 TD), although Ravenel has missed the past two games. All-PSAC East guard Billy Everitt leads a line for running backs Jaedyn Stewart (77 carries, 384 yards, 4 TD's) and Steven Burkhardt (91 carries, 310 yards, 6 TD's). Novak (62 carries, 339 yards, 2 TD's) also plays a factor in the running game.

Freshman Will Smith (13 of 15 PAT) used to handle PAT kicks, but now redshirt freshman Dakota Campbell (23 of 23 PAT) has that job. Smith is perfect on five field goal attempts with a long of 40 yards. Punter Nate Millard (40.7 yd avg, 7 I20) also nailed his only field goal attempt which was from 50 yards.

Analysis:

Kutztown's opponents have scored just 70 points this season, but two of those came on a safety at Shippensburg and 14 came in the final five minutes of their game at Millersville when they were leading 49-3. Their defense is tops in the PSAC in scoring (7.8 points/game), total yardage (210 yards/game), rushing yardage (71 yards/game), passing yardage (139 yards/game), interceptions (17), rushing touchdowns allowed (4), passing touchdowns allowed (5), and they lead each of those categories by wide margins. How West Chester can move the ball and get into the end zone is a major question in ths game.

Could this be a trap game as the Golden Bears prepare for California in the PSAC championship game next week? Not likely. Versus Sports simulates a 32-12 Golden Bear victory and Massey Ratings predicts a similar 35-14 Kutztown win.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats Audio Video

West Chester Athletic Site - Golden Rams Travel to Kutztown For Season Finale

PSAC Site - 2024 PSAC Football Week 10 Notes

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Ten Preview

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Player News - Sean Henry Named PSAC East Special Teams POW

For his efforts in West Chester's 27-16 win over Lock Haven, senior kicker Sean Henry has been named PSAC Eastern Division Special Teams Athlete of the Week.

Henry opened West Chester's scoring with a 34-yard field goal. And his 31-yard three-pointer with less than a minute left put the game out of reach for the visiting Bald Eagles. Along the way, he converted all three of his PAT attempts and two of his six kickoffs went for touchbacks.

Sean Henry was perfect on five scoring kicks (Photo Chuck Greco)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - Week 9

West Chester Athletic Site - Sean Henry Named PSAC East Specialist of the Week

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Game Report - West Chester 27 - Lock Haven 16

Holding a narrow 17-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Golden Rams (4-5, 4-2) scored the final ten points in the contest to hand the Lock Haven Bald Eagles (3-6, 2-4) a 27-16 loss on Saturday afternoon. It's hard to believe that a team that gets outgained by almost 100 yards, runs 25 fewer offensive plays, gets outpossessed by eight minutes, and loses the turnover margin 3-2 can still pull off an 11-point victory.

Cole Evans provided protection for Cooper Jordan (Photo Chuck Greco)

The Golden Rams got off to a rather inauspicious start. On their opening possession, while they drove the length of the field and got to the ten yard line, they had a touchdown called back due to a holding call and had to settle for a 34-yard Sean Henry field goal. Lock Haven then consumed six minutes and scored a touchdown to go up 7-3. And when Cooper Jordan tossed his eighth interception of the season at midfield just ten seconds into WCU's second possession, the downward spiral seemed to continue. But this time, it was the Bald Eagles who had a touchdown erased due to a holding penalty, and their kicker, who had only missed one field goal on the season, hooked his 38-yard attempt wide left.

Sean Henry was perfect on five scoring kicks (Photo Chuck Greco)

On West Chester's next possession, on a fourth-and-one from their own 29, Coach Duke Greco called a gutsy running play. While Juke Peaker picked up the first down, he also fumbled and Lock Haven recovered at the West Chester 32. This time, Lock Haven's field goal was good and they took a 10-3 lead.

Rahiem Bowens' block allows Juke Peaker to score (Photo Chuck Greco)

The Golden Rams continud to have fun though. On one play, Brody McAndrew completed a pass to Jordan, on the very next play, Jordan completed a pass to McAndrew. But it was a 16-yard catch by West Chester's best receiver, D'Shaun Seals, and subsequent 15-yard penalty that set up Peaker's one-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 10.

D'Shaun Seals had six catches for 92 yards (Photo Chuck Greco)

With under three-and-a-half minutes left in the first half, a Lock Haven punt pinned the Golden Rams at their own one-yard line. And then the Cooper Jordan show was on. A 15-yard run, a 14-yard run, a 13-yard pass to Rahiem Bowens and a 23-yard run not only got West Chester out of trouble, but got the purple and gold in position to score. And Peaker did just that on a seven-yard run to give West Chester a lead 17-10. A Seamus McCain sack ensured that would be the score at halftime.

Seamus McCain registered his fourth sack of the season (Photo Chuck Greco)

In third quarter, Lock Haven had another long drive and even scored a touchdown that was negated by an offensive pass interference call. Their 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Debrick Johnson and recovered by Joey Zack. On the ensuing WCU possession, after a 29-yard catch by Robby Longo, Jordan lost yet another fumble to thwart the Golden Ram scoring opportunity. Fortunately, Jamir Reyes made an interception to give the ball right back to the Golden Ram offense.

Debrick Johnson forces the LHU QB to throw off his back foot (Photo Chuck Greco)

The WCU drive stalled, and punter Zack Liberatore pinned Lock Haven at their own 10-yard line. This time, the Bald Eagles marched the length of the field to score a touchdown on a great one-handed catch. However, the game-tying PAT failed and West Chester maintained a 17-16 lead. It was Lock Haven's first missed PAT of the season and it really changed the mentality of what each team needed to do in the fnial six minutes of this game.

Zack Liberatore dropped two of his four punts inside the 20 (Photo Chuck Greco)

Unfortunately, West Chester failed to pick up a first down and Liberatore pinned Lock Haven deep again, this time at their own 11-yard line. Once again, the Bald Eagles moved down the field rather easily until safety Shane Mosley picked off a pass, maintained his balance, remained in bounds and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown to end any further threat from the visitors.

Notes:

Henry was perfect on the day, converting field goals of 34 and 31 yards as well as all three of his PAT attempts.
Jack Fry had a tackle for loss on a Lock Haven fourth down play giving West Chester possession on downs.
Linebackers Connor Noble (16 tackles, 1 PBU, 2 QBH), Johnny Pergine (11 tackles, 1 PBU) and Luke Trunell (9 tackles) led the West Chester defense.
This is only the second time in his past 25 games that Jordan has not accounted for at least one touchdown either passing or rushing. He did finish with 104 yards on the ground and 161 through the air.
The Golden Ram defense only allowed three points on West Chester's three turnovers.
True freshman Luke van Brill made a solo tackle on special teams for his first collegiate statistic.
West Chester's already porous rushing defense was without linemen Charley Mininger, Nate Desmond, and Daniel Hicks due to injury. Coming into the game, Lock Haven averaged just 85 yards/game rushing, but attacked the Golden Rams for 165 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Of the Golden Rams' eight pass breakups, Abdul Stewart had three, giving him 12 on the season which is second in the PSAC.
A couple of more unsportsmanlike penalties went against the Golden Rams - Jimmy Wright away from the play on a short punt that went out of bounds and Peaker for taunting after his second touchdown run.