No. 10 West Chester Defeats Ship 55-28 On Homecoming

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Sr., QB Sean McCartney (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) thew for 393 yards and five touchdowns, and Jr., TE Tim Brown caught four passes for 143 yards and a pair of scores, to lead 10th-ranked West Chester University (7-0, 6-0 PSAC) 55-28 victory over visiting Shippensburg on Homecoming Weekend inside John A. Farrell Stadium.
 
McCartney hooked up with Brown on a 90-yard TD pass on the first play of the game to get the sparks flying early for the Golden Rams. However, Rich Bruno's extra-point attempt was wide left as the Rams jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Shippensburg (3-4, 2-4) answered back when Blair Brooks rushed 42 yards up the middle, and then followed with a 25-yard up the gut to pay dirt that put the Raiders in front, 7-6.
 
Brown and Mike Doty (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South) each caught a 21-yard TD pass from McCartney in the first quarter as West Chester began a string of 21 unanswered points that put the game away by halftime. Elliott added a 15-yard TD reception at the beginning of the second quarter, which game West Chester a commanding 27-7 advantage.
 
Brooks, who finished with 171 yards rushing for Shippensburg, bolted 42 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the half to finally end the scoring spree by the Rams and make it a 27-14 ballgame. However, Brandon Monk (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove) returned the ensuing kickoff 73 yards down to the Ship 20-yard line, and Elliott ran it in from there on the first play from scrimmage with 1:26 left in the half to send the teams to the locker room with a 34-14 edge going to the home team.
 
Erick Brundidge (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast) hauled in a 48-yard TD pass on the first play of the second half that put West Chester on top, 41-14. Monk tacked on a 44-yard scamper to the house with 10:58 remaining in the third quarter, and West Chester busted out to a 48-14 lead. Jarel Elder scored from six yards out in the fourth quarter as the advantage bulged to 55-14.
 
Shippensburg got into the end zone two more times before the quarter was out, but it was too little too late for the visitors.
 
West Chester racked up 586 yards of total offense in the game. Monk rushed for 84 yards and a score and compiled 213 all-purpose yards. Elliott rushed for 63 yards and a score while catching three passes for 65 yards and a TD.
 
Andrew Cohen (Holland, Pa./Council Rock South) had eight tackles to lead West Chester's defense. He had three tackles for a loss, one sack and two QB hurries. Sr., MLB Ronell Williams (Chester, Pa./Chester) made his triumphant return to the starting lineup, after suffering a knee injury in week three at Seton Hill. He made seven tackles and registered one sack.
 
West Chester travels to Bloomsburg next Saturday for the battle of the unbeatens at Redman Stadium at 2 p.m. Both programs enter the contest nationally ranked at 7-0 on the season and tied atop the PSAC Eastern Division with identical 6-0 conference marks.
 
NOTES: With West Chester's win over Shippensburg today, the Golden Rams lead the all-time series, 25-10-1 and are now 12-5 at home against the Red Raiders … West Chester is now 8-4 on Homecoming Weekend under Bill Zwaan … the win marked the first time in four years that the home team won the meeting between these two rivals … it also marked the first time in three years that the school celebrating Homecoming in the matchup won the game … Sr., QB Sean McCartney tied a career-high with his second 5-TD passing game this season while also throwing for 393 yards … he surpassed 8,000 yards passing for his career and moved into fourth place all-time at West Chester in both categories … Jr., TE Tim Brown caught four passes for a career-best 143 yards … West Chester held the PSAC leading wide receiver Trevor Harmon to just three catches for eight yards … West Chester's secondary also did not allow a TD pass, ending a streak of 16 straight games in which Shippensburg had thrown at least two TD passes … Sr., MLB Ronell Williams returned to the starting lineup, after missing the last three games with a knee injury suffered in the Seton Hill game … he made seven tackles and was in on two sacks … West Chester scored on its first play from scrimmage in each half … West Chester stopped Shippensburg on 4th down twice in the first half – once inside the 10-yard line.