The Golden Rams got outgained in the first period 177 - 11. West Chester's first two possessions consisted of seven pass plays (one of which ended in a sack), two running plays (one of which went 11 yards for a first down), and two punts. The Shepherd lead would have been more than 7-0 if not for a touchdown saving tackle for loss by Anthony Delle Donne on fourth-and-goal from the one, and a Shepherd miss of a 30-yard field goal attempt.
Cole Kozlowski finishes a block (Photo Chuck Greco)Since reigning PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Jordan was in a boot after suffering an injury in last week's loss to East Stroudsburg, junior Ethan Kohler (7 of 18, 56 yards) got the start at quarterback. After a difficult first quarter, the first possession of the second period featured a solid mix of running and passing and went 80 yards in almost seven minutes, capped by a Kohler one-yard TD run thanks to help from fullback Mitch Ragni. With West Chester trailing 21-14 midway through the third quarter, Kohler got hurt on a designed running play and was replaced by Colin O'Sullivan (13 of 25, 106 yards, 1 TD, 1 int) who was playing in his first game since Upper Dublin in 2022. O'Sullivan led the Golden Rams on two consecutive scoring drives - a 22-yard Rylan Zuk field goal and a 9-yard Thatcher Miller (3 catches, 25 yards, 1 TD) touchdown catch - to give West Chester a 24-21 lead early in the fourth quarter. After Shepherd responded with a touchdown, the Golden Rams had one final possession with just under four minutes to play. O'Sullivan led WCU to the Shepherd 15-yard line, converting two fourth downs along the way. But on a third-and-seven, he was hit as he threw, and the ball was picked off to essentially end the game.
Khalil Owens plunges into the end zone (Photo Chuck Greco)Both Kohler and O'Sullivan are quarterbacks that make quick reads and throws, but both got hit as they threw with O'Sullivan's resulting interception being the game-ender. Kohler was sacked four times for a total of 20 yards, with a fifth sack being negated by a Shepherd penalty. Khalil Owens had 20 carries, but only for 53 yards as holes just weren't there for him. Future Robertson (4 carries, 49 yards) broke a 32-yard run around the left side to barely push West Chester over 100 net yards rushing for the game. Meanwhile, the Golden Ram defense failed to sack Shepherd at all, although they did get a couple of QB hurries, one of which resulted in a Connor Noble (7 tackles, 1 FF, 1 int) interception. More disheartening was the run defense. It was expected that Shepherd's two big running backs were going to pose a problem and they did just that, combining for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries for a 5.7 yards/carry average.
Colin O'Sullivan made his collegiate debut (Photo Chuck Greco)West Chester's special teams were anything but special. Shepherd missed the PAT kick on their first touchdown, but a leaping penalty on the Golden Rams gave Shepherd a second chance which they converted successfully. Late in the second quarter, Zack Gillen didn't field a Shepherd punt which landed at the WCU 30-yard line, then rolled back to the 13. With only a minute remaining, West Chester could have run out the half and gone into the locker room with a 14-7 lead. But two incomplete passes and a one-yard run forced West Chester to punt from deep in their own zone. Dylan Shank's punt was blocked and the play gave Shepherd the ball at the WCU 2-yard line. The game was tied six seconds later. Then midway through the third quarter, Shank boomed a 52-yard punt giving West Chester a chance to flip the field. But Shepherd returned that kick for a 74-yard touchdown to take the lead 21-14.
Connor Noble's interception led to WCU's second touchdown (Photo Chuck Greco)So what went well? After the first quarter, the West Chester defense tightened up, allowing just 151 yards over the final three periods combined. They forced two turnovers, including a fumble that was awarded after a WCU challenge, and held Shepherd to just 3 of 10 on third downs. Cornerback Gus Ross and safety Jimmy Wright (after missing last week) each had seven tackles. Offensively, six different players caught passes in the game, led by Dylan McKenzie (3 catches, career high 46 yards), Ivan Thorpe (4 catches, 38 yards) and Matthew Iuvara (3 catches, 31 yards).
Rondell Bradley and Khadir Rowe make a special teams tackleOther observations:
Robby Longo breaks a tackle (Photo Chuck Greco)- Defensive tackle Isaiah Oduro made his Golden Ram debut and registered a tackle.
- Defensive end Nate Desmond returned after missing last week and registered one tackle.
- Running back Ali Barkley did not make the trip.
- Seamus McCain (3 tackles) had a good pressure on the QB and although the pass was completed, Miles Goodwin registered a seven-yard loss on the play.
West Chester Athletic Site - Shepherd’s Late Score Topples West Chester, 28-24
Shepherd Athletic Site - Shepherd Football Holds Off West Chester
Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - Shepherd
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