Game Preview - Bentley

The West Chester Golden Rams travel to Waltham, MA to battle usual season-opening opponent Bentley on Saturday at noon at Peter Yetten Field.

Series History:
The Golden Rams lead the series 6-2 with the last three contests being decided by a total of five points. The Golden Rams had dominating wins in 2017 and 2018, while the Falcons won handily in 2021 in Waltham, MA.

After leading Bentley to a 14-6 record over the past two seasons, head coach Saj Thakkar has taken the head coaching position at Football Championship Subdivision Davidson in North Carolina. So the Falcons have turned to their former quarterback CJ Scarpa to take over the helm. Scarpa, a 2017 graduate of Bentley, had served as the Falcons' associate head coach and offensive coordinator the past two seasons. After starting his West Chester career 0-4, Golden Ram head coach Duke Greco (4-6) looks to get off to a better start in his second season.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
				2019	Home	Win	14-7
				2021	Away	Loss	41-17
2016	Away	Win	31-24	2022	Home	Win	17-6
2017	Home	Win	51-9	2023	Away	Win	20-19
2018	Away	Win	44-6	2024	Home	Loss	20-17

Last Meeting:

09/07/2024 Bentley 20 - West Chester 17

West Chester got off to a good start by scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions and taking a 14-3 lead into halftime. But leading 17-10 with under four minutes to play, the Golden Rams lost a fumble and the Falcons took advantage of a short field to knot the score at 17. West Chester's ensuing drive stalled at the Bentley 33 and the Falcons went 46 yards to kick the game-winning 38-yard field goal as time expired for the heart-wrenching loss.

Quarterback Cooper Jordan (9 of 17, 108 yards, 1 TD; 15 carries, 56 yards) paced the offense while Robby Longo made four catches for 68 yards. Top returning tacklers for West Chester were defensive tackle Jack Fry (9 tackles, 1 TFL), defensive back Jamir Reyes (7 tackles), and defensive end Seamus McCain (7 tackles, 1 TFL).

Scouting the Opponent:

Last season's starting quarterback, Brett Pullman, was second team All-NE10 but has finished his college career. The Falcons will likely turn to senior Billy Osborn (6 of 13 for 23 yards, 1 int) under center. Regardless of who's throwing, he'll be targeting graduate student and reigning Northeast-10 Most Valuable Player Rashon Bradford (74 catches, 1007 yards, 13 TD's). In addition to Bradford, the Falcons return their top five pass catchers from 2024 including tight end Pat Damon (38 catches, 411 yards, 6 TD's), receiver Jonathan Oriakhi (30 catches, 344 yards, 1 TD), receiver Isaiah Decias (22 catches, 309 yards, 1 TD) and receiver Nick Marciano (24 catches, 255 yards, 1 TD). While Bentley's five running backs are all upperclassmen - one graduate student, three seniors, and one junior - the most experienced among them is Joshua Compoh (30 carries, 130 yards, 1 TD). Left tackle Mike Boutros was second team All-NE10 a year ago.

Punter Matt Richardson (42 punts, 36.6 avg, 5 50+, 9 I20, 1 TB) returns for his senior season and may also be called on to place kick as well.

Defensively, Bentley returns All-NE10 players in linebacker Henry Schouten (103 tackles, 13.5 TFL) and defensive back Matt Duchemin (33 tackles, 6 PBU). Linebacker Christian Zamor (15 tackles, 3.5 sacks) was named to the league's all-rookie team.

Other key returning defenders include defensive end Tommy DeMatteo (29 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 6 QBH), defensive tackle Isaiah Gomes (24 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 4 QBH), and defensive end Micye Duntin (10 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 6 QBH).

Analysis:

As usual, Bentley is very experienced with the roster boasting 25 graduate students and 22 seniors. The Falcons were picked to finish first in the NE10 Football Coaches’ Poll.

Oddly enough, the Bentley opener has served as a barometer for the season. West Chester had big wins over the Falcons in 2017 and 2018 and in both of those years, went on to capture a share of the PSAC East and qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs. Last season West Chester dropped the season opener as time expired, and would lose games three and four of the season in the waning moments of each of those contests.

Versus Sports simulates a 28-23 Bentley victory while Massey Ratings projects a similar 27-24 outcome.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Opens 2025 Saturday at Bentley

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Week 1 Notes

Bentley Athletic Site - Coach Scarpa, MVP Bradford ready to lead Bentley football in 2025

Bentley Athletic Site - Scarpa announces captains for 2025 football season

KYW Newsradio's 1-On-1 with Matt Leon - 2025 College Football Preview: West Chester University Golden Rams

Daily Local News- Rams looking to continue momentum from last six games of ’24