Player News - Cooper Jordan Named PSAC East Offensive POW

For his efforts in West Chester's 35-14 win over Shepherd, junior quarterback Cooper Jordan has been named PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week.

While Jordan only threw 14 passes, he completed eight of them for 164 yards including touchdowns of 62 and 34 yards. Four of his other completions resulted in first downs. Jordan also had a game-high 174 yards rushing including a 72-yard scramble and a one-yard touchdown run.

Cooper Jordan prepares to turn up field (Photo Joan Gillen)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - Week 6

West Chester Athletic Site - Cooper Jordan Named PSAC East Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week

Game Report - West Chester 35 - Shepherd 14

This season the Golden Rams (2-4, 2-1) have painfully experienced how impactful turnovers are in determining the outcome of a game. The impact was no less today, but it was with no pain as the Shepherd Rams (4-2, 2-1) threw four interceptions while West Chester did not turn over the ball at all leading to a 35-14 WCU win. It was the biggest upset by West Chester since knocking off Kutztown in November 2022 and the Golden Ram's first win over Shepherd since the NCAA Division II Super Region 1 championship game in December 2013.

The Shepherd defense entered the day ranked 16th in the nation with three sacks per game. And when they threw Cooper Jordan down for a six-yard loss on the first play of the game, they looked to be on their way to eclipsing their average. However, it was their only sack of the afternoon. That was the first of many abnormalities of the contest.

The offensive line allowed only one sack on the day (Photo Joan Gillen)

Shepherd had only thrown two interceptions through their first five games and the West Chester defense had only made three picks on the season. Yet today the Golden Rams picked off four passes, two of which led to West Chester touchdowns. The first went through the Shepherd receiver's arms, then off both of his feet, then off Shane Mosley's helmet before landing in Connor Noble's arms. Defensive end Daniel Hicks played a role in the next two, applying pressure to the QB whose forced throw was nabbed by Kaleb Brown and then Hicks was the recipient of a Charley Mininger deflection. Matt Marshall made the fourth interception with just three seconds left to play.

Matt Marshall makes a leaping interception (Photo Joan Gillen)

The Shepherd Rams entered the contest ninth in the country in rushing defense, allowing just 72 yards per game and a total of three rushing touchdowns through five games. But for the second consecutive week, West Chester rushed for over 200 yards and three touchdowns. Granted, Jordan scrambled for 124 yards including a 72-yard run where he relaxed and was caught before crossing the goal line, but Dayshawn Jacobs (14 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD) was also a big part of yardage. And with Juke Peaker not dressed and Jayden Williams not playing, it was true freshman Anthony Leonardi (9 carries, 53 yards, 1 TD, 62-yard TD catch) who provided yet another option in the backfield. That's 41 carries in the game for the Golden Rams behind a line of Trey Wells, Bill Martelon, Dylan Nichols, Cole Evans (for Caelan Krasley), and Cam McQueen (for Patrick Methlie). And when McQueen left with an injury, Jake Phipps took over at the left tackle spot.

Anthony Leonardi had rushing and receiving touchdowns in his collegiate debut (Photo Joan Gillen)

Besides the three rushing touchdowns, Jordan completed touchdown passes of 62 yards to Leonardi (who turned around nicely to catch the ball) and 34 yards to D'Shaun Seals (4 catches, 61 yards). That's 35 points against a team that was 11th in the nation in scoring allowing just 13.4 points per game entering the day.

D'Shaun Seals makes a diving touchdown catch (Photo Joan Gillen)

The West Chester defense had registered only eight sacks through the first five games and Shepherd had only surrendered five during that span. On Saturday, Debrick Johnson, Charley Mininger, Seamus McCain, and Jack Fry all made solo sacks. Adding Mosley's tackle for loss, the Golden Rams doubled Shepherd's number of tackles for loss allowed of 2.4 which was second best in the country.

Goldan Rams stuffing the run (Photo Joan Gillen)

Other observations:

• Luke Trunell was cited for targeting on just the third West Chester defensive play of the game and was replaced by Johnny Pergine who had a team-high ten tackles in the game. Mosley also was credited with ten stops.
• The West Chester sideline and Marshall each received an unsportsmanlike penalty in the game. The season total continues to mount.
• It's the first time that West Chester has scored in the first quarter since the season opener aganist Bentley.
• Goal line play is a topic of conversation. Offensively, three tush push attempts from the one failed, although one was negated by an offsides penalty. However, all three touchdown runs came from one yard out. From a defensive perspective, for the second consecutive game, West Chester made a goal line stand, this week stopping the Rams on fourth-and-goal from the one with just seconds left in the first half.
• Defensive end Nate Desmond left the game early with a lower body injury.

West Chester makes a goal line stand prior to halftime (Photo Joan Gillen)

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Stuns Shepherd in PSAC East Showdown, 35-14

Daily Local News - With stunner over Shepherd, WCU sends shock waves throughout PSAC

Shepherd Athletic Site - Shepherd Football Falls at West Chester

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - Shepherd

Game Replay

Game Preview - Shepherd

The Golden Rams (1-4, 1-1) host the Shepherd Rams (4-1, 2-0) for just the second time ever. Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for noon.

Series History:
Prior to Shepherd joining the PSAC in 2019, these two teams first met in 2013 in the NCAA Division II Regional Championship when the Golden Rams came away with a 28-7 victory. All four PSAC East meetings have been won by Shepherd.

Shepherd head coach Ernie McCook has a record of 57-14 entering Saturday's game and has guided his Rams to the NCAA Division II playoffs in all four of his seasons at the helm. The Rams won the Super Region One title in both 2021 and 2022.

Last Meeting:

10/21/2023 #22 Shepherd 59 - West Chester 21

Shepherd scored on their first four possessions, sprinted to a 45-7 lead and coasted to a 59-21 win in Shepherdstown, WV. The Ram offense used a balanced attack - 273 rushing, 260 passing - to roll up 533 yards of total offense. The West Chester offense turned the ball over four times to just one by the home team.

Individually, Cooper Jordan was 12 of 23 for 123 yards and 1 interception. Dayshawn Jacobs had 26 yards and a touchdown on ten carries and five catches for 38 yards. Robby Longo made two catches, both for touchdowns. Connor Noble (6 tackles, 1 sack) returned a fumble 70 yards.

Scouting the Opponent:

After last season, Shepherd was hit hard by the transfer portal. Five All-PSAC East performers have moved on to other institutions: quarterback, Seth Morgan is now starting for the University of New Hampshire; place kicker James Bozek is now handling the kickoffs for University at Albany; offensive lineman Chandler Brown has seen action for Colorado State; defensive back Omari Terry is now playing linebacker for Benedict College and defensive lineman Nathan Muhle is seeing limited action with defending Division 2 national champion Harding University.

Despite all of those losses, the Rams haven't skipped a beat. Running back Malakai Brown (48 carries, 374 yards, 4 TD's, 11 catches, 110 yards, 2 TD's) was second team All-PSAC East last season and currently leads the conference in touchdowns and is fifth in rushing yards. He runs behind All-PSAC East center James Bell and right tackle Brandon Carr. Quarterback Lek Powell (89 of 128, 1,046 yards, 9 TD's 2 int) is fourth in the PSAC in passing yardage and passing efficiency. Besides Brown, receivers Cameron Dorner (21 catches, 396 yards, 3 TD's), Barry Hill (13 catches, 197 yards, 2 TD's) and Jeremiah Taylor (17 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD) are top targets.

Sophomore safety Miles Greer (31 tackles, 1 int, 3 PBU) leads the team in tackles and cornerback Klayton Batten (25 tackles, 2 PBU) also defends the passing game. Defensive linemen Jack Brutus (9 tackles, 2 sacks) and Brett Kwoka (11 tackles, 2.5 sacks) apply pressure up front. Linebacker Harold O'Neal (31 tackles, 4.5 TFL) was All-PSAC East last season.

Greer was All-PSAC East and Don Hansen All-American Honorable Mention as a return specialist last season and returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown two weeks ago at Shippensburg. Freshman kicker Keith Baker appears to have an accurate leg, albeit not strong (18 of 18 PAT, 3 of 4 FG, long 37, no touchbacks on 22 kickoffs). Senior punter Ryan Barrick (21 punts, 10 I20, 6 50+) leads the PSAC with a 44.6 yard average.

Analysis:

Shepherd's only loss this season came at the hands of currently #6/#8 Slippery Rock by a 20-10 score. Shepherd has a very balanced and effective offense and expects to move the ball fairly easily against the struggling Golden Ram defense. The Rams lead the PSAC in rushing defense allowing just 72 yards/game and a total of three touchdowns on the season, so it will be interesting to see if Cooper Jordan can break into the open. The revamped WCU offensive line will need to provide protection against a Shepherd defense that is second in the PSAC in sacks.

Massey Ratings is projecting a 31-21 Shepherd win while Versus Sports simulates a similar 30-17 Shepherd victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video   Game Program

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Welcomes Shepherd to Farrell Stadium Saturday

PSAC Site - 2024 PSAC Football Week 6 Notes

Shepherd Athletic Site - 2024 Ram Press Box Report - Week 6

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Six Preview

Player News - Connor Noble Named PSAC East Defensive POW

For his efforts in West Chester's 28-10 win over Shippensburg, junior linebacker Connor Noble has been named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week.

Noble, who was averaging nine tackles per game, racked up 17 stops in the contest which is the second-best single-game effort in the PSAC so far this season. Among his five solo tackles, one was his first sack of the season. Noble also nabbed West Chester's third interception of the season which led to a Golden Ram touchdown.

Connor Noble picks off a Shippensburg pass (Photo Joan Gillen)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - Week 5

Game Report - West Chester 28 - Shippensburg 10

Quarterback Cooper Jordan ran for three touchdowns and threw for one to account for all of West Chester's (1-4, 1-1) scoring in capturing a 28-10 victory over visiting Shippensburg (1-4, 0-2).

Sortable Box Score    Coaches Box Score

West Chester Athletic Site - Cooper Jordan Leads Golden Rams to Victory, 28-10

Shippensburg Athletic Site - Football falls at West Chester, 28-10

Daily Local News - Jordan and West Chester finish off Shippensburg for initial win

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Five Recap

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - Shippensburg

Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - Shippensburg

Game Replay

Game Preview - Shippensburg

West Chester University (0-4, 0-1) hosts the Shippensburg Raiders (1-3, 0-1) on Saturday at noon in John A. Farrell Stadium.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 31-13-1. Two-time AFCA Division II Region 1 Coach of the Year and Shippensburg alumnus Mark Maciejewski is in his 14th season as head coach and has a record of 84-55.

In one of the most memorable games in West Chester football history, Golden Ram quarterback Sean McCartney made his first collegiate start and threw for 444 yards and five touchdowns to lead West Chester to a 44-43 victory in two overtimes in a nationally televised Thursday night game in 2010. The following year, West Chester laid a 52-17 loss on the Raiders, but Shippensburg returned the favor in 2012, beating West Chester 42-24 on homecoming at Farrell Stadium and continued on to the PSAC championship game and the NCAA playoffs that year.

In 2013, Shawn Leo booted a 26-yard field goal with one second left to give West Chester the thrilling victory. And in 2017, West Chester defeated Shippensburg on the road in October, only to have to do it again in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2014	Home	Win	55-28	2018	Home	Win	28-21
2015	Away	Loss	27-11	2019	Away	Win	29-21
2016	Home	Win	31-15	2021	Away	Loss	34-18
2017	Away	Win	37-27	2022	Home	Loss	20-13
2017	Away	Win	27-6	2023	Away	Win	38-28

Last Meeting:

10/07/2023 West Chester 38 - Shippensburg 28

Despite getting outgained by 160 yards and spotting the Raiders a 14-point lead, West Chester scored 31 consecutive points and went on to win 38-28 in Shippensburg. Ethan Kohler (6 of 10, 75 yards) completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Brody McAndrew while Cooper Jordan (7 of 12, 149 yards) connected with D'Shaun Seals (3 catches, 82 yards) on a 58-yard score.

Defensively, Maurice Beverly landed 8 solo tackles, forced two fumbles and returned a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown to earn PSAC East Player of the Week honors. Shane Mosley had an interception and a pass breakup while Connor Noble had 9 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Sean Henry converted a 34-yard field goal and all five PAT's.

Scouting the Opponent:

At quarterback, sophomore Sam Stoner (30 of 46, 309 yards, 3 TD, 3 int) has played in every game this season, although Maine transfer Joey McCracken (15 of 29, 107 yards) started the first two games. True freshman Vincent Micucci (10 of 13, 73 yards, 1 int) played most of the second half in last week's 38-0 home loss to Shepherd and redshirt freshman Riley Gunnels (3 of 3, 15 yards) played a couple of series in their 33-7 home loss to Slippery Rock. Micucci is Shippensburg's top running quarterback.

With last season's All-PSAC East receiver Redd Douglas now at Findlay, Karim Brice (12 catches, 128 yards) and Jaimen Bryant (5 catches, 65 yards) are the top targets for whomever is throwing the ball. Running backs Tanner Hess (42 carries, 103 yards) and Josiah Leonard (38 carries, 126 yards) are the main ball carriers, although no Raider has rushed for a touchdown this season.

Last year, safety Isaiah Gilmore was All-PSAC East and had playing eligibility remaining, but he is now a student assistant coach at New Hampshire. The defense is led this season by cornerback DJ Jackson (30 tackles, 1 int, 3 PBU), free safety Ely Ghameshlougy (25 tackles) and strong safety Gabe Benjamin (17 tackles, 3 PBU, 2 FF). Linebackers Javon M. Cruz (20 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 1 FF) and Terrance Peterson Jr. (21 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 1 PBU, 1 FF) lead the team in sacks.

Punter/kicker Tanner Luther has converted a 47-yard field goal and has dropped seven of his 26 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Hess averages 35 yards per kick return and returned one 96 yards for a touchdown against Clarion for which he was named PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week.

Analysis:

The Raiders are among the bottom five teams in the PSAC in scoring offense, total offense, rushing offense, passing offense, scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense and passing defense. So the Raiders may be just the thing that the Golden Rams need to get into the win column. However, West Chester is among those same bottom five teams in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense and passing defense, so Shippensburg is also looking forward to this game. And the Raiders already have a notch in the win column. With two poorly performing defenses, expect a high scoring affair. But with West Chester's offense performing at a higher level, this should be a rare win for the purple and gold in 2024 if they can contain Hess on kickoff returns.

Massey Ratings is expecting a 28-17 West Chester win while Versus Sports simulates a 35-13 Golden Ram victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video   Game Program

West Chester Athletic Site - Football Returns Home Saturday Looking to Turn Fortunes Around

PSAC Site - 2024 PSAC Football Week 5 Notes

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Five Preview

Game Report - Bloomsburg 23 - West Chester 21

West Chester (0-4, 0-1) mounted a massive fourth quarter rally only to follow it with yet another fourth quarter collapse in falling to the Bloomsburg Huskies (3-1, 1-0) to remain winless on the season.

Robby Longo had a team-high six catches for 95 yards (Photo Chuck Greco)

The Huskies took a 14-0 lead into the final quarter and maintained a ten-point lead midway through the period. But with just four minutes remaining, the Golden Rams closed to 17-14 and forced a Bloomsburg three-and-out. Despite a Cooper Jordan interception, the WCU defense denied another first down and returned the ball to the offense with less than 90 seconds left. That's when things got wild. Jordan ran for a 43-yard touchdown to give West Chester a 21-17 lead with just a minute left to play. But Bloomsburg responded with a 63-yard touchdown drive of their own in just 36 seconds to regain the lead 23-21. Unfortunately, The Golden Rams weren't able to tap any further magic in the final 24 seconds and the score went final.

Kaleb Brown upends the Bloomsburg ball carrier (Photo Chuck Greco)

The two sides of the ball played this game completely differently for West Chester. The Golden Ram defense surrendered a touchdown on Bloomsburg's opening drive of 80 yards. But on the Huskies' second possession, West Chester allowed a lot of yards but no points as they made stops on third-and-goal and fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. The defensive improvement continued in the first half as Bloomsburg was forced to punt on their next two possessions. The second half was quite similar. An opening long drive touchdown for Bloomsburg was followed by two three-and-outs. Unfortunately, the cycle repeated and the Huskies used four consecutive completions to traverse the 63 yards in their final possession for the game-winning score.

The Golden Ram defense makes a goal line stand (Photo Chuck Greco)

The offense was signicantly different, not scoring a point and not moving the ball particularly well for three quarters. Then in the final stanza, West Chester scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions and despite an interception, punched it into the end zone again to take a 21-17 lead. West Chester's first touchdown came on a 18-yard pass to D'Shaun Seals. Their second scoring drive went 71 yards, overcame a 15-yard penalty and a sack, and used three completions for 67 yards to Robby Longo to set up Jordan's one-yard "tush push" score. The final touchdown was a 43-yard run by Jordan who left most of the Husky defense grasping at air.

Bill Martelon and Cole Evans open a hole (Photo Chuck Greco)

Other observations:

• The West Chester defense opened with a four-man front with Debrick Johnson getting the start. In the secondary, Kaleb Brown started in place of the injured Zaire McLaurin. On offense at tight end, Mike Darcy replaced the injured Thatcher Miller who was not dressed and right knee was in a brace.
• Left tackle Patrick Methlie was not dressed for the game and was replaced by Cam McQueen on the offensive line. On the first play of the second quarter, left guard Caelan Krasley go rolled up on and left the game on a cart. As a result, McQueen shufted to left tackle and Cole Evans played left guard.
• Daniel Hicks joined Connor Noble, Shane Mosley and Methlie as captains for the game.
• Center Dylan Nichols received his second and the team's sixth unsportsmanlike penalty of the season.
• For the third time in four games, the defense failed to register a sack. They rank last in the PSAC with just two sacks this season.
• Although Zack Liberatore averaged only 38 yards on his two punts, he dropped one at the Bloomsburg 16 and the other at their 9-yard line.
• It was West Chester's best offensive output of the season as they rolled up 426 yards. While Jordan ran for 81 yards with 43 coming on the TD run, Juke Peaker tallied 50 yards on 11 carries and 25 yards on three catches. Longo (6 catches, 95 yards) and Seals (9 catches, 61 yards) were the primary passing targets.
• Defensively, linebacker Connor Noble once again led the way with seven tackles including a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Cornerback Abdul Stewart had two pass breakups including one in the end zone.

Daniel Hicks gets held while attempting to make a tackle (Photo Chuck Greco)

Cooper Jordan runs away from the Bloom defense for a score (Photo Chuck Greco)

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - Football Falls at Bloomsburg on Late TD Drive, 23-21

Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Football Wins Thriller over West Chester, 23-21, Saturday

WCU Football Family - Photo Album - Bloomsburg

Chuck Bitner - Photo Album - Bloomsburg

Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - Bloomsburg

Game Replay

Game Preview - Bloomsburg

The Golden Rams (0-3, 0-0) open PSAC East play at long-time rival Bloomsburg (2-1, 0-0) on Saturday. Kickoff at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium is scheduled for 2:00pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 53-28 and these two schools historical have played big games. The two schools have met twice in playoffs - in 2008 and again in 2013 - with both postseason games played in Bloomsburg. The Huskies took the 2008 contest while the Golden Rams won in 2013 en route to the NCAA Division II semi-finals. There was the homecoming debacle in 2011 when West Chester took a 35-0 second quarter lead only to see the Huskies rattle off 55 straight points and steal a 55-42 win. The past six games have been decided by a total of 16 points.

Former Bloomsburg All-American linebacker Frank Sheptock entered his fourth season as head coach at his alma with a record of 12-24.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2013	Away	Win	40-38	2018	Away	Win	17-14
2014	Away	Loss	41-10	2019	Home	Win	20-17
2015	Home	Win	33-22	2021	Home	Win	21-20
2016	Away	Win	27-7	2022	Away	Loss	21-16
2017	Home	Loss	20-19	2023	Home	Win	24-21 OT

Last Meeting:

09/30/2023 West Chester 24 - Blooomsburg 21 OT

Connor Noble registered a game-high 11 tackles, including a sack on the final play of the game to preserve a West Chester 24-21 overtime victory. Golden Ram kicker Sean Henry missed the potential game-winning 30-yard field as time expired in regulation, but redeemed himself by converting a 34-yarder in the extra session.

D'Shaun Seals had a big game with 6 catches for 61 yards and a 60-yard punt return for touchdown. Cooper Jordan threw for 100 yards and ran for 66 yards and a score.

Scouting the Opponent:

Offensively, true freshman running back Jake Williams (44 carries, 230 yards, 1 TD) is fifth in the PSAC in rushing while redshirt freshman Riley Parker (14 carries, 87 yards, 5 TD's) is second in the conference in scoring. Graduate student Ben Ries (23 of 40, 342 yards, 2 TD's, 4 int's) has started the first three games at quarterback, but junior KJ Riley (16 of 21, 278 yards, 2 TD's, 0 int's) brought the Huskies back from a 12-6 halftime deficit to a 32-27 win over Edinboro last week, so it would be surprising not to see Riley running things on Saturday. Wide receivers Gabe Brower (14 catches, 219 yards, 1 TD) and Jerry Griffen-Batchler (11 catches, 203 yards, 2 TD's) are the primary targets, although tight end Matthew Bowes (4 catches, 106 yards) also has to be covered.

Defensive tackle Giovanni Cancro (13 TKL, 1.5 TFL, 1 PBU) and linebacker Tom Goetz (13 TKL, 1.5 sacks) were both All-PSAC East selections after last season. Linebackers Ryan D'Ambra (25 tackles, 1.0 sack) and Brady Thompson (26 tackles, 3.5 TFL) are among the conference leaders in tackles. Up front, the Huskies are getting significant contributions from defensive end John Aston (11 tackles, 1.5 sacks). In the secondary, Cole Turner (17 TKL, 1 int, 3 PBU), Nate Capers (17 TKL, 2 PBU) and Ryan Woertz (10 TKL, 2 PBU) lead the way.

Analysis:

This game appears to be another major challenge for the Golden Ram defense which is last in the PSAC in yards allowed. The Huskies are second in the PSAC in rushing (187 yards/game) and in third-down conversion rate (45.7%) which gives them an advantage in time of possession. And the Bloomsburg passing game may be equally difficult if they stay with the more effective Riley. Meanwhile, all of West Chester's running backs combined have fewer carries than their quarterback, and only two teams in the PSAC have thrown more interceptions than the Golden Rams, so points may be at a premium for the visitors. West Chester does have an advantage in the kicking game as Bloomsburg is 0 for 1 in field goals, 9 of 11 in PAT's, had a punt blocked for a touchdown and have yet to have a kickoff for a touchback. Can the Golden Ram defense contain Bloomsburg and the West Chester offense limit turnovers enough for special teams to matter?

Massey Ratings is expecting a 24-23 West Chester win while Versus Sports simulates a 27-19 Bloomsburg victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Hits the Road Again for PSAC East Opener at Bloomsburg

PSAC Site - 2024 PSAC Football Week 4 Notes

Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Game Notes Week 4: Bloomsburg vs West Chester

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Four Preview