McCartney Throws 4 TDs; No. 10 West Chester Downs New Haven, 35-30

Box Score

WEST HAVEN, Conn.  – Sixth-year senior quarterback Sean McCartney (Doylestown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns to lead 10th-ranked West Chester University to a 35-30 victory over host New Haven Saturday afternoon at DellaCamera Stadium.
 
McCartney found four different targets for his TD strikes. Fifth-year transfer senior WR from Temple, Mike Doty (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South), led all receivers with five catches for 75 yards, including a 38-yard reception for the first score of the ballgame on West Chester's opening drive.
 
New Haven would answer with 10 straight points to take a 10-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
 
West Chester moved in front early in the second quarter when Jr., TE Shawn Driggins (Chester, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) snared a 4-yard TD reception on 3rd-and-Goal, making the Chargers pay dearly for a bad snap over their punter's head on the previous drive that gave the Golden Rams the ball on UNH's 8-yard line.
 
New Haven answered that with a touchdown with 3:23 left in the first half, but the point-after attempt failed. That is when McCartney led the Rams on a 7-play, 57-yard drive, executing the two-minute drill to perfection. He found Jr., TE Tim Brown (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) over the middle for a 31-yard TD reception with 50 seconds left in the half to give West Chester a 21-16 lead entering the break.
 
The Rams added to that advantage when Sr., DB Al-Hajj Shabazz (Philadelphia, Pa./Bartram) jumped on a blocked punt in the end zone to give the visitors a 28-16 lead. Shabazz also blocked a punt later in the contest and also intercepted a pass. Both of those came in the fourth quarter.
 
New Haven stormed back once more with a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 30-28 lead. However, Sr., WR Erick Brundidge (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast) caught a 44-yard TD pass from McCartney with 21 seconds left in the third to put WCU in front for good, 35-30.
 
West Chester's defense pitched a shutout in the fourth quarter to preserve the season-opening win.
 
Sr., LB Mike Labor led West Chester with 12 tackles, including three for a loss with one of those a critical sack in the fourth quarter that forced New Haven to punt. Jr., DB Drew Formica (Newtown Square, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) had 11 stops. He also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
 
West Chester returns to John A. Farrell Stadium for its home opener next Saturday at 12 p.m. for a conference tilt against PSAC West foe Mercyhurst University. It will be Hall of Fame Day at Farrell Stadium as six new members of the West Chester University Athletic Hall of Fame, along with the four straight field hockey national championship teams from the 1970s, are inducted into the school's hall of fame.
 
NOTES: West Chester's win moved the all-time series to 8-6-1 in favor of New Haven … it marked the second straight win over the Chargers on opening weekend … Jr., TE Shawn Driggins caught one pass for a 4-yard TD pass … he now has five catches in his college career with four of them going for a touchdown.