Box Score
Box Score
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Rondell White rushed for 211 yards and caught nine passes for another 94 yards, but fumbled on the 12-yard line with 4:39 left in the game as visiting West Chester (6-4, 4-3 PSAC East) dropped a heartbreaking PSAC East football contest to 13th-ranked Bloomsburg (9-1, 6-1) at Redman Stadium Saturday afternoon.
West Chester saw its NCAA playoff hopes evaporate with the loss. White finished with 305 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns. Quarterback Mike Mattei went 19-for-32 for 197 yards in the loss.
The Golden Rams trailed, 14-3, after the first quarter until an 11-play drive capped off by a 6-yard Mattei pass to White, his seventh touchdown reception of the season, for the Golden Rams’ first touchdown of the game. Place-kicker Shawn Leo added two field goals by the half, which incidentally, broke the school’s all-time career field goal number previously held by John Marrotta (1987-90).
Bloomsburg opened up the second half of scoring with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Dickerson from Tim Kelly, bringing the score to 24-13. The Golden Rams dominated the rest of the third quarter with White leading the way for the Golden Rams. Leo nailed his third field goal of the game midway through the third, cutting the deficit to eight. After a three-and-out for the Huskies, White jolted for a 41-yard touchdown run, his 10th of the season, to cut the deficit to one point. Unfortunately, the Golden Rams were unable to cap the comeback.
Bloomsburg buckled down in the fourth quarter forcing two fumbles that killed potential scoring drives.
West Chester concludes its 2012 campaign next Saturday at Clarion at 1 p.m.
NOTES: West Chester’s 24-23 loss leaves them at 46-24 in the all-time series with arch-rival Bloomsburg … the Golden Rams have now lost the last three meetings with the Huskies … Jr., RB Rondell White rushed for 211 yards … he is the first player in school history to reach 200 rushing yards in a single game three times in the same season … White now has 1,321 rushing yards on the season … he will need 218 yards in his final game of the season next week against Clarion to tie the school’s single-season mark of 1,539 set by Mike Eckmeyer in 2002 … White went over 2,000 yards rushing in his career as a result of Saturday’s performance … he now stands 14th on the school’s single-season list with 2,120 career rushing yards … White had 305 all-purpose yards on Saturday … he has 1,948 all-purpose yards on the year … he needs 316 all-purpose yards against Clarion to equal that school record set by Mike Irving in 1984 … White now has 3,659 career all-purpose yards, which ranks 10th all-time in school history … White has 102 points on the season … that ranks 7th all-time in a single season at West Chester … he is the first player to reach 100 points scored in a single season since Kevin Ingram in 1999 … Sr., QB Mike Mattei threw his 25th TD pass of the season Saturday … that ties him for 7th on the school’s all-time single-season charts.
