Box Score Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Joe Wright went 20-for-33 for 323 yards and a touchdown, but turnovers and special teams play doomed host West Chester University on Homecoming Weekend as the Golden Rams dropped a frustrating 21-20 decision to visiting East Stroudsburg at John A. Farrell Stadium.
West Chester falls to 3-3 on the season and 2-1 in the PSAC Eastern Division while East Stroudsburg improves to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the league. The Warriors climbed back into the race for the division crown with their first win over the Rams since 2003, breaking a six-game slide in the all-time series.
The loss ended an 18-game regular-season winning streak within the division for the Golden Rams while marking the first win inside Farrell Stadium for East Stroudsburg since 2000.
Matt McLaughlin scored a career-high two touchdowns, and Dan DePalma caught five passes for 122 yards, including a 54-yard TD catch on the Rams’ opening drive of the second half that gave the hosts a 13-7 advantage. It marked the second straight week that DePalma has gone over 100 yards receiving.
West Chester’s sophomore place-kicker Chris Hill missed an extra point on the Rams’ first touchdown of the day, then was wide left on a potential game-winning field goal from 35 yards out with one minute to go in the contest. The Golden Rams also fumbled twice in the fourth quarter with the first leading directly to the Warriors’ go-ahead touchdown. Those miscues proved too costly for West Chester to overcome.
After a lackluster first half, the Rams came out of the locker room fired up and forced the Warriors into a three-and-out on consecutive possessions. Wright hit DePalma down the middle of the field for his 54-yard strike at the 11:53 mark. Then, McLaughlin finished off a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run with 4:19 left to put West Chester in control, 20-7.
ESU responded with a 7-play, 75-yard march that was capped by a 34-yard TD strike from quarterback Matt Marshall to the PSAC’s leading receiver, Jeff Giglio with 1:12 to go in the third quarter.
West Chester fumbled on its first possession of the fourth quarter at the ESU 45-yard line, and the Warriors recovered. The visitors then walked down the field, punching in the go-ahead TD on a 5-yard pass from Marshall to wide receiver Jordan Hallman.
Two plays later, Wright was sacked for a 9-yard loss as the ball was stripped from behind. East Stroudsburg recovered the fumble again to halt West Chester’s drive.
The Golden Rams had one final drive to win the game after Hallman’s touchdown. Wright completed a pass to DePalma on the first play that moved the ball from West Chester’s 27-yard line to its own 45. Jackson Fagan then caught his only pass of the day for eight yards to the ESU 46.
D’Andre Webb (9 carries, 33 yards) rushed for nine yards and a first down to the ESU 37, before Wright scrambled for 11 yards, stepping out at the ESU 26. A holding penalty moved the ball back to the 36-yard line of East Stroudsburg, and Wright then completed a 23-yard pass to Steve Miller (4 catches, 72 yards) that got the Rams down to the 13-yard line with a first down.
A false start by West Chester pushed the ball back to the 18-yard line, and after three straight incomplete passes, the Rams sent Hill on to attempt a 35-yard field goal.
ESU quarterback Matt Marshall was 21 of 32 for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Hallman finished with six catches for 42 yards while Giglio caught five balls for 68 – each also had a TD.
Mike Dell led all tacklers with 11 stops, including one for a loss. Corey Rhood posted 10 tackles for the Golden Rams and registered two pass breakups.
West Chester rolled up 420 yards of total offense to East Stroudsburg’s 354.
West Chester hits the road next weekend for a road contest at C.W. Post.
