Game Preview - Lock Haven

The Golden Rams (3-3, 1-2) travel to Hubert Jack Stadium to battle the Lock Haven Bald Eagles (2-4, 1-2). Kickoff for Lock Haven's homecoming is scheduled for 1:00pm.

Series History:
West Chester holds a 30-6-1 lead in the series. Prior to the 2013 season, Lock Haven was in the PSAC West and they replaced LIU Post in the PSAC East that year. After three seasons as head coach at Lock Haven, Dan Mulrooney is now the defensive coordinator at Brown. So after three years as the offensive coordinator of the Bald Eagles, Joe Battaglia assumed the role of head coach in April.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
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
2018	Home	Win	48-14	2024	Home	Win	27-16

Last Meeting:

11/02/2024 West Chester 27 - Lock Haven 16

With the Golden Rams clinging to a 17-16 lead with less than two minutes to play, the Bald Eagles were driving for the go-ahead score. But that effort was thwarted by a Shane Mosley 68-yard pick-six and West Chester would go on to win 27-16.

Lock Haven held significant advantages in first downs, passing yards and time of possession, but the Golden Ram defense held the Bald Eagles to just 2 of 11 on third down conversions. Also, WCU was perfect on three PAT's and two field goals where as Lock Haven only converted one of two PAT's and just one of three field goal attempts.

Quarterback Cooper Jordan threw for 161 yards and rushed for 104 yards. Juke Peaker scored on runs of one and seven yards in the second quarter. Defensively, Connor Noble racked up 16 tackles and two quarterback hurries while Johnny Pergine made 11 stops and a pass breakup.

Scouting the Opponent:

At the conclusion of the regular season last year, quarterback Jackson Ostrowsky led the entire PSAC in passing yards (3198) and touchdowns (27). This year, his production is not nearly as good (88 of 145, 940 yards, 4 TD's, 3 int). While he did miss Lock Haven's game against East Stroudsburg, it's more likely that he's missing his top receiver from last year in T'iar Young who is now at FCS Tarleton State. So he's turned to wide receivers Mekhi Watson (23 catches, 221 yards, 2 TD's) and Justin Popovich (20 catches, 211 yards, 2 TD's) and tight end Jaiden Huntington (13 catches, 185 yards, 1 TD). Running back Damir Green (44 carries, 179 yards, 3 TD's) is the leading ground gainer. Neither of their next two leading ball carriers - Jackson State transfer Ezequiel Johnson (32 carries, 167 yards) and Cureem Hathcock (39 carries, 157 yards, 1 TD) played in last week's game, so we may see Tucker Teats (18 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD) or Lorenzo Robinson (17 carries, 38 yards).

The top tackles for the Bald Eagles are strong safety Markel Morgan (35 tackles, 1 int, 2 PBU) and linebacker Rocco Daugherty (34 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1 int, 2 PBU). Defensive lineman JahCure Maxam (17 tackles, 2.5 sacks) leads the team in sacks and free safety Troy Miller (17 tackles, 2 int, 2 PBU) leads Lock Haven in interceptions.

Bryant transfer punter Jimmy O'Brien (35.8 avg, 44 long) has dropped six of his 27 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Freshman kicker Caden Bauer has converted on nine of 12 PAT's and three of his four field goal attempts with a long of 42-yards.

Analysis:

West Chester hasn't lost to Lock Haven in this millennia and this year should be no different. Lock Haven struggles on offense and they are only scoring 16 points per game. With LHU having one of the worst kickoff and punting games in the PSAC, the Golden Ram offense should have good starting field position. The Lock Haven defense doesn't pressure the quarterback immensely, so a steady, patient attack on offense should suffice.

The four teams that have defeated Lock Haven are a combined 19-4, so thier 2-4 record may be a little deceiving. And looking ahead at the Golden Rams remaining schedule, the outcome of this game may determine if West Chester ends 2025 with a winning record. Versus Sports simulates a 17-16 Bald Eagle win while Massey Ratings predicts a 28-21 WCU victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video   Game Program

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Gridiron Gang Heads to Lock Haven Saturday

PSAC Site - 2025 PSAC Football Week 7 Notes

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Seven Preview

Game Report - Shepherd 28 - West Chester 24

The biggest takeaway from West Chester's (3-3, 1-2) 28-24 loss at Shepherd (2-4, 2-1) is just how resilient the Golden Rams are. They endured an incredibly sluggish start, multiple injuries at the quarterback position, poor line play on both sides of the ball, and multiple miscues on special teams, yet with under a minute to play, West Chester was a mere 15 yards from victory.

Cole Kozlowski finishes a block (Photo Chuck Greco)

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.

Khalil Owens plunges into the end zone (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.

Colin O'Sullivan made his collegiate debut (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.

Connor Noble's interception led to WCU's second touchdown (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.

Rondell Bradley and Khadir Rowe make a special teams tackle
(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).

Robby Longo breaks a tackle (Photo Chuck Greco)

Other observations:

• 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.

Sortable Box Score   

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

Game Replay

Game Preview - Shepherd

The Golden Rams (3-2, 1-1) travel to West Virginia on Saturday to take on the Shepherd Rams (1-4, 1-1). Kickoff for Shepherd's family day in Ram Stadium, which they're planning on renaming in honor of Chicago Bear quarterback Tyson Bagent, is scheduled for noon.

Series History:
These two teams met for the first time in 2013 in the NCAA Division II Regional Championship when the Golden Rams came away with a 28-7 victory. Since Shepherd joined the PSAC in 2019, the first four PSAC East meetings had been won by Shepherd before WCU's upset last season. Shepherd has since had to vacate their wins in 2021 and 2022, when they advanced to the NCAA Division II semi-finals, due to multiple eligibility violations.

Shepherd head coach Ernie McCook is in his eighth season at the helm of the Rams.

Last Meeting:

10/13/2024 West Chester 35 - Shepherd 14

West Chester defeated Shepherd for the first time in over a decade with a rather comfortable 35-14 win at John A. Farrell Stadium. While Shepherd moved the ball well, they also threw four interceptions, including picks by Kaleb Brown and Connor Noble. The Golden Ram defense also got sacks from Debrick Johnson, Seamus McCain, and Jack Fry. Linebacker Johnny Pergine registered ten tackles.

Offensively, quarterback Cooper Jordan accounted for three touchdowns and 288 yards.

Scouting the Opponent:

Shepherd puts up big numbers on offense with running backs Jordan Barnett (61 carries, 471 yards, 7 TD's) and Grant Swinehart (63 carries, 343 yards, 2 TD's) both among the PSAC's top ten in rushing yards per game. Bucknell transfer quarterback Michael Hardyway (104 of 158, 1,261 yards, 7 TD's, 3 int) is second in the PSAC in passing yards per game. Wide receiver Kordell Batten (30 catches, 386 yards, 3 TD's) is one of five Rams with double digit receptions. Also on that list are Caysen Lanza (19 catches, 270 yards), Malakai Brown (17 catches, 222 yards, 2 TD's), Jaden Ashby (14 catches, 204 yards, 1 TD) and Swinehart (15 catches, 98 yards).

Punter Daishaun Alexander (3 I20, 4 50+) is second in the PSAC with a 44.9 yard average. Kicker Max Barba (5 of 6 on FG with a 44-yd long, 16 of 16 on PAT) scores 6 points per game.

Defensively, lineman Nathan Muhle (25 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 4 QBH) applies the pressure up front. Most of the stops come from the Ram secondary: Geo-Di Tolbert (29 tackles, 1 PBU), Makai Young (25 tackles, 2 QBH), Klayton Batten (24 tackles, 2 PBU), and Will Johnson (15 tackles, 2 int).

Analysis:

Don't be deceived by Shepherd's record. Three of their losses came on the road and they've played one of the most difficult schedules in the region, as the four teams that defeated the Rams are a combined 17-3. The Rams will be the best passing offense that West Chester will face all season and 13 different Shepherd players have made a reception. The West Chester defense will also need to be solid in their tackling, as Swinehart (210 lbs) and Barnett (225 lbs) are a lot to bring down.

Shepherd allows almost 40 points (13th in the PSAC) and 443 yards (14th in the PSAC) per game. The Ram defense only has six sacks through five games, so whoever is quarterbacking for West Chester should have time...unless Shepherd saw the East Stroudsburg defensive game plan and brings the the blitz on every play. The Golden Ram offense needs to score, preferably touchdowns, on every possession to win this game.

Massey Ratings is projecting a 28-27 West Chester win while Versus Sports simulates a wider 31-23 Golden Ram victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Travels to Shepherd for PSAC Tilt Saturday Afternoon

PSAC Site - 2025 PSAC Football Week 6 Notes

Shepherd Athletic Site - Shepherd University Has Clear Bag Policy for Fall Sports

Shepherd Athletic Site - 2025 Ram Press Box Report - Week 6

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Six Preview

Game Report - East Stroudsburg 45 - West Chester 14

In a disastrous display of football in front of a huge homecoming crowd, the Golden Rams (3-2, 1-1) got hammered by East Stroudsburg (4-1, 2-0) by a score of 45-14.

Prior to the game, it was expected that the outcome was going to come down to the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and that was truly the case. The West Chester offense had no answer for the continuous onslaught of Warrior blitzers as Golden Ram quarterbacks were sacked six times in the contest including two strip sacks. Even Cooper Jordan's interception on WCU's second possession of the game was due to pressure up the middle and the defensive lineman batting the ball high into the air. Due to duress, one of Jordans' passes was a dangerous, albeit entertaining, backhand flip to Khalil Owens and another was slung to tight end Luke van Brill. Even the Golden Ram's first touchdown, a 52-yard run which accounted for half of WCU's rushing yards in the contest, was due to Jordan escaping the blitz and shaking off East Stroudsburg tacklers.

One of several tackles Cooper Jordan broke on his TD run (Photo Chuck Greco)

Conversely, the West Chester defense managed just one quarterback hurry and not a single sack or tackle for loss. While the Warriors punted on two of their first three possessions and turned the ball over thrice in the game, they rolled up 511 yards of offense, including 267 yards on the ground, for almost nine yards/play. Some other observations:

• Matthew Iuvara redeemed himself from an earlier lost fumble when he caught a short pass over the middle and bounced off multiple tacklers to get into the end zone for WCU's final score of the game. He finished with five catches for 39 yards.

Matthew Iuvara made several tough catches (Photo Chuck Greco)

• Safety Jamir Reyes made a leaping interception, his third in the past two games, which led to a WCU touchdown. Maurice Beverly had the QB hurry that led to the errant throw.

Maurice Beverly pressures the ESU QB into an interception (Photo Chuck Greco)

• Senior defensive end Nate Desmond left last week's game with an injury and was not dressed for this contest. He was replaced by Khalif Kemp who finished with three tackles.

Khalif Kemp drags down a ball carrier (Photo Chuck Greco)

• Senior free safety Jimmy Wright was also not dressed. There was a rotation of redshirt freshman Miles Goodwin (4 tackles) and true freshman Peaky Roseborough (2 solo tackles) who made his first collegiate interception.

Peaky Roseborough returns his pick ten yards (Photo Chuck Greco)

• Early in the second quarter, an East Stroudsburg running back was ruled down after a short game, but the WCU defenders believed the ball was fumbled and recovered by the Golden Rams. Coach Duke Greco challenged the ruling on the field, but the play was upheld as previously called. It's not to say that the ball wasn't fumbled, but it's not as if there are multiple camera angles at John A. Farrell Stadium to give officials a better look.

Connor Noble with one of his game-high 16 tackles (Photo Chuck Greco)

• Entering the game, it seemed that penalties could be a differentiator. While WCU did very well in this regard, flagged only once for six yards compared to 80 penalty yards for East Stroudsburg, they did not factor into the outcome.
• Jordan (12 of 17, 98 yards, 1 TD, 1 int) was injured on a sack late in the third quarter and did not return. Ethan Kohler (6 of 11, 40 yards) finished the game. While Kohler makes fast reads and gets rid of the ball quickly, he didn't fare well against the Warrior pass rush as he was sacked three times and forced to throw the ball away on several occasions.

Ethan Kohler saw his most action since 2023 (Photo Chuck Greco)

• Late in the game, left tackle Jake Phipps was replaced by Tucker Valoczki.

Redshirt freshman Tucker Valoczki saw his first college action (Photo Chuck Greco)

• East Stroudsburg attempted an onside kick after the first touchdown in the third quarter. While the Warriors recovered it, i.e. West Chester wasn't ready for it, the ball failed to travel the minimum ten yards and the Golden Rams retained possession.

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - East Stroudsburg’s Second Half Does In West Chester, 45-14

East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - ESU Football Shuts Out West Chester in 2nd Half, Scores 35 Unanswered in 45-14 Victory

Daily Local News - E. Stroudsburg scores final 38 points to pummel host WCU

Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - East Stroudsburg

Game Replay

Game Preview - East Stroudsburg

West Chester University celebrates Homecoming and Family Day when the Golden Rams (3-1, 1-0) host the East Stroudsburg Warriors (3-1, 1-0). Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 2:00pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 64-24. In 2004, the Golden Rams blocked a PAT in overtime, then scored a touchdown and won the game on Dan Wilbourne’s converted PAT to hand then #7 East Stroudsburg their first loss of the season in front of a homecoming crowd of almost 6,000. The two schools met again that season on a frigid and blustery November afternoon in the NCAA regional finals. With a crowd of over 7,200 on hand, current West Chester running backs coach Osagie Osunde ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns as the Golden Rams handed East Stroudsburg their second and final loss of the season.

The following year, West Chester topped the #6 ranked Warriors, 18-17, in muddy Farrell Stadium. 2005 was the last season that Farrell Stadium had natural grass. In 2009, East Stroudsburg ruined West Chester’s homecoming 21-20. The Golden Rams failed to convert a PAT early in the game and a 35-yard field goal late in the game. West Chester won nine in a row against the Warriors from 2013 to 2022, including WCU's homecoming in 2017 and 2019.

Former Warrior quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger (30-23) enters his sixth full season as head coach at his alma mater and guided his team to the NCAA Division II playoffs in each of the past two seasons, losing in the first round both times to PSAC West opponents.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2014	Away	Win	35-24	2019	Home	Win	28-21
2015	Home	Win	41-27	2021	Home	Win	42-28
2016	Away	Win	41-14	2022	Away	Win	24-21
2017	Home	Win	31-26	2023	Home	Loss	28-14
2018	Away	Win	52-24	2024	Away	Loss	45-31

Last Meeting:

10/19/2024 East Stroudsburg 45 - West Chester 31

In front of nearly 5,000 fans on East Stroudsburg's homecoming, the Warriors scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions to take an 11-point lead into halftime. The Golden Rams battled back to knot the score at 31 after three quarters. But the West Chester offense gained only three yards in the entire final stanza while East Stroudsburg scored two touchdowns to seal the 45-31 victory.

Quarterback Cooper Jordan was 15 of 22 for 204 yards, 2 TD's, 1 int and rushed for 82 yards on 11 carries. Linebacker Connor Noble led the defense with ten tackles.

Scouting the Opponent:

This season the East Stroudsburg offense hasn't been as prolific as it has usually been. Quarterback Sean McTaggart (46 of 67, 633 yards, 4 TD's, 4 int's) threw for 2,500 yards and 26 TD's last year, but is only on pace for half those totals this season. He's also the leading rusher (30 carries, 176 yards, 3 TD's) for the Warriors. Running back Deante Crawford (30 carries, 125 yards, 3 TD's) and Ajani Walker (24 carries, 119 yards, 2 TD's) get the ball when McTaggert does hand off. Primary receivers in the offense are Jaylen Andrews (14 catches, 229 yards, 2 TD's), Randy Fizer (10 catches, 138 yards) and tight end Beau Heyser (8 catches, 160 yards, 1 TD), but a dozen different players have caught passes for East Stroudsburg.

On special teams, kicker Ty Quintois has only missed one PAT, but has only made 2 of 4 field goals with a long of 37 yards. Punter Adam Noll has boomed four of his nine kicks over 50 yards and averages 47 yards per punt which leads the PSAC. Kick returner Elijah Carroll had a 95-yard kickoff return for touchdown last week at Lock Haven and Cade Christopher is one of the best punt returners in the conference.

Linebackers Mason Smith (26 tackles) and Khalil Scott (24 tackles) lead the Warrior defense in tackles, but the strength is up front. Ashton Blose (21 tackles, 5.0 sacks), Jake Williamson (14 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Vincent Isom (9 tackles, 2.5 sacks) account for over half of the team's 16 sacks. Safety Everette Dingle (25 tackles, 1 int) patrols the secondary.

Analysis:

The East Stroudsburg offense hasn't amassed a lot of yardage, but they still put points on the scoreboard. While West Chester's defense is one of the best in the PSAC, they'll need to simultaneously spy McTaggert as well as cover every player on offense since the Warriors spread the ball around. The Golden Ram offense needs to exhibit the run/pass balance that they showed last week and get the running backs involved to save quarterback Jordan for the weapon he can be.

East Stroudsburg is a highly penalized team, so the Golden Rams need to keep their composure and not get baited into costly penalties. The game is likely to come down to the line of scrimmage. The Warriors have allowed a PSAC-low three sacks so far this season while their defense has gotten to the opposing quarterback 16 times. However, East Stroudsburg's four opponents are a combined 3-14, so they haven't really been tested.

Massey Ratings is expecting West Chester to win 26-25 and Versus Sports simulates a much more convincing 30-15 Golden Ram victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Video   Game Program

West Chester Athletic Site - Homecoming / Family Weekend Brings East Stroudsburg to Town Saturday

PSAC Site - 2025 PSAC Football Week 5 Notes

East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - Tune in Tonight for the ESU Coaches Show, Featuring Women's Lacrosse and Football

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Five Preview