Box Score Box Score
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Matt Marshall’s pass on 4th-and-3 from the 7-yard line with just over one minute remaining fell incomplete, handing visiting West Chester its first win of the season, 35-31, over host East Stroudsburg on a balmy Saturday afternoon before 2,500 fans at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
West Chester (1-3, 1-0 PSAC East) halted its three-game losing streak, picking up a win in its first divisional contest of the year. East Stroudsburg (1-3, 0-1) dropped its third straight of the season, following a win in its opener.
Mike Mattei ran out of the back of the end zone on fourth down for a safety as time expired to close out the scoring.
D’Andre Webb and Brian McDermott each ran for two touchdowns, and Jackson Fagan rushed for a team-high 94 yards on 12 carries to lead West Chester’s offensive effort. Mattei finished 10-for-14 for 160 yards and did not throw an interception for the second straight week.
John O’Donnell recorded six tackles on defense and returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown to put West Chester on top 28-16 late in the third quarter. Webb scored on a 16-yard scamper on the first play of the fourth quarter to put the Golden Rams on top, 35-16. The rest was all East Stroudsburg as the homestanding Warriors mounted a valiant comeback.
Marshall threw a pair of TD passes to Brent Jones and Wade Williams two minutes apart that pulled ESU within striking distance, 35-29, with 5:28 to play. The Warriors did not convert a two-point conversion try after Jones’ touchdown.
West Chester went three-and-out following Williams’ TD reception in the fourth quarter. Junior punter Chris Hill boomed a 47-yarder, and McDermott tackled the return man for a -1 yard loss, giving East Stroudsburg one last drive starting on its own 16-yard line.
Three straight completions by Marshall, along with a four-yard rush on a QB draw, gave East Stroudsburg a first down at West Chester’s 30-yard line. Two incomplete passes later, Marshall hit Bryan Ogden for a 16-yard completion and a first down at the Rams’ 14-yard line. Ogden then hauled in a 7-yard pass from Marshall, making it 2nd-and-3 from the Golden Rams’ 7.
Marshall tried to force it in to Ed Kiser on third down, but Carl Barnes defended the slant pattern well and broke up the play. After a pair of timeouts, Marshall went back to Ogden one more time, but the pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over to West Chester with 1:02 to play.
Marshall finished the day 30 of 44 for 302 yards and three TD passes. It just was not enough to beat the Golden Rams on this particular day.
West Chester ran for 195 yards, minus the 13 yards lost on the safety at the end of the game. The Golden Rams’ offensive line finally showed how it can control a game. West Chester held the ball for over nine minutes in both the first and third quarters while the line provided the running lanes for four WCU rushing touchdowns.
Fagan busted off a 73-yard run down the far sideline with nine minutes left in the third quarter that gave the Rams a 1st-and-goal at the 1, setting up McDermott’s second touchdown of the day. That score put West Chester in front for good, 21-16.
O’Donnell then stepped in front of a Marshall pass on ESU’s following possession and eluded a pair of tacklers, zig-zagging his way 55 yards for a score. After Webb ran in from 16 yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter, it seemed West Chester was in control. However, East Stroudsburg countered with a savvy fourth-quarter effort.
The two halfs really mirrored one another with West Chester controlling the first and third quarters while East Stroudsburg maintained the upper edge in the second and fourth. Joe Klebon caught a 25-yard TD pass from Marshall in the second quarter. But, ESU missed the extra point. Brent Jones then ran in from one yard out, and Taylor Groff kicked a 31-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the half that put ESU on top, 16-14 at the break.
West Chester returns home next Saturday for its Homecoming Weekend. The Golden Rams welcome C.W. Post to John A. Farrell Stadium for a 2 p.m. kick. The Pioneers defeated Shippensburg, 31-14, Saturday. Both the Rams and the Pioneers are 1-0 in conference play.
Notes: West Chester defeated East Stroudsburg at Eiler-Martin Stadium for the fifth straight time, dating back to 2003 … the Golden Rams did not turn the ball over for the second straight game … head coach Bill Zwaan is now 7-2 all-time against the Warriors … Jackson Fagan’s 73-yard run in the third quarter was a career long … John O’Donnell’s interception return for a touchdown was his first college TD and marked the first time that West Chester returned an interception for a TD since Kevin Garland did it last year vs. Kutztown … WR Dan DePalma finished with four catches for 106 yards, marking the sixth time in his career that he has gone over 100 yards receiving in a game.
