Box Score Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Joe Wright was 18 of 27 for 299 yards and three touchdowns to lead West Chester to a 37-17 victory over visiting Kutztown on a rainy Saturday evening at John A. Farrell Stadium. Junior WR Dan DePalma caught eight passes for 130 yards and a score as well.
West Chester (3-2, 2-0 PSAC East) upped its regular-season conference winning streak to 18 straight games while extending its personal win streak over Kutztown (2-3, 0-2) to six straight. WCU has now won 32 straight games when holding its opponent under 20 points.
The Golden Rams defense limited the Bears to 239 yards of total offense, including a -3 yards rushing. West Chester jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and held on for the win with a 13-point fourth quarter after Kutztown had drawn to within a touchdown at 24-17 at the end of three.
DePalma caught an 8-yard pass from Wright with 10:22 remaining in the game that capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive, which ate up 7:19 while pushing West Chester’s lead to 30-17.
On Kuztown’s ensuing drive, senior CB Kevin Garland intercepted a Kevin Morton pass and returned it 61 yards to the Bears’ 3-yard line. Lee Hopkins busted over the goal line from three yards out after losing his helmet on a jolt from a KU defender. That iced the game away by extending the hosts’ advantage to 20 points.
West Chester’s productive fourth quarter followed the two middle frames, which yielded just three points for the Golden Rams as Kutztown, which trailed 21-3 at halftime, mounted its comeback bid.
The Bears put up 14 points in the third quarter as Chris McCormick caught a 30-yard pass from Morton three minutes into the third. West Chester place-kicker Chris Hill nailed a 21-yard field goal, before Kutztown’s Kendell Coleman hauled in a 4-yard pass from Shane Martin with 2:41 left in the quarter.
Ryan Paulson snared an 8-yard TD pass from Wright 3:41 into the contest to put West Chester on top after its opening drive. Sophomore QB Scott Bradish then scooted 14 yards up the middle on a draw to double the advantage to 14-0 with just under five minutes remaining in the first.
Will Gardner gathered in a 49-yard scoring strike off a flea-flicker with 3:46 left to give the Rams its 21-0 lead after one. Kutztown went three-and-out after Bradish’s run, and Ronnie Koons partially blocked his first punt of the night that rolled dead at Kutztown’s 49. Koons finished with two blocked punts in the game, one week after returning a fumble 43 yards for a score against Millersville.
Gardner was wide open down the middle of the field when Wright found him sliding in the end zone.
Kutztown place-kicker Matt Dineen booted a 34-yard field goal for the only points of the second quarter.
Six different Golden Rams caught a pass from Wright. Gardner finished with 56 yards on two catches and his score. D’Andre Webb caught a pair of balls for 55 yards as well.
Hopkins led all West Chester runners with 42 yards on 14 carries. Bradish compiled 22 yards on four carries with his TD.
Corey Rhood led the defensive effort with nine tackles on the night. Matt Colyar registered six solo tackles.
West Chester hosts PSAC East rival East Stroudsburg next Saturday afternoon on Homecoming at Farrell Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
NOTES: West Chester improved to 46-7-1 all-time against Kutztown with the win … Exton, Pa., native John O’Donnell intercepted his first career pass in the second quarter … West Chester registered five QB hurries in the game … Troy Wasserleben posted a career-high two sacks … the Golden Rams sacked Kutztown’s quarterbacks 4.5 times for 37 yards lost … WCU’s defense recorded eight tackles for a loss … Newkirk registered three pass breakups … Kutztown did not commit a penalty in the contest … Joe Wright threw three TD passes for the second straight game
