Box Score WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Sr., RB
Brandon Monk (West Grove, Pa./Avon Grove) rushed for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead host West Chester to a 41-27 victory over visiting East Stroudsburg and clinch the Eastern Division title for the Golden Rams.
West Chester (7-3, 6-1 PSAC East) will host Slippery Rock, which won the PSAC West, next Saturday at John A. Farrell Stadium at 12:10 p.m. in the PSAC Championship Game. It marks the first time since 2008 that the Golden Rams will appear in the State Game. East Stroudsburg falls to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the conference.
West Chester scored 24 points in the second quarter, capped by a 20-yard pass from QB
Pat Moriarty (Gladwyne, Pa./Harriton) to WR
Eddie Elliott (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) with no time remaining in the half. Moriarty finished 19-for-30 for 187 yards and three TDs in the win.
Sr., DE
Andrew Cohen (Holland, Pa./Council Rock South) recorded one sack to up his career total to 30.5. He is chasing the PSAC all-time record of 33.0 held by Clarion's Julian Howsare from 2011-14.
West Chester jumped out to a 31-7 lead by halftime thanks to the Rams' big second quarter. Monk and WR
Tyler Karpinski (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Twp.) scored touchdowns 1:24 apart four minutes into the second quarter. Both TDs followed East Stroudsburg turnovers as the Golden Rams made the Warriors pay by scoring all 24 points in the frame off of miscues.
PK
Brendan Paulison (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) staked the hosts to a 24-0 lead with a 32-yard field goal two minutes before the break. East Stroudsburg finally broke through when QB Matt Soltes found Robert Healy for an 18-yard TD strike with 1:09 left in the second. The Rams went 3-and-out on their ensuing possession. However, Warrriors punt returner Marquis Fells fumbled Paulison's 35-yard punt, and WCU's
Mike Catalano (Pilesgrove, Pa./St. Mark's [Del.]) recovered at the ESU 37 with 26 ticks left on the clock. Three plays later, Moriarty hit Elliott in the back corner of the end zone, and the senior wideout did some fancy footwork to stay inbounds.
East Stroudsburg was not done, however, as the Warriors put up 13 points in the third quarter to West Chester's three and pulled within two scores at 34-20 entering the fourth. Warriors' senior WR Jon Schnaars threw a 66-yard pass to Joe Welk with 5:32 left in the third quarter for his first career passing TD. He then caught a 9-yard pass from Soltes with 6:44 to play in the game to draw ESU to within one score, 34-27.
Monk responded with 63 yards rushing on West Chester's ensuing possession - the last 34 of which he galloped to a game-clinching score with 2:27 to play. His 170 rushing yards was a season-best as were his two TDs.
Elliott was West Chester's leading receiver with six catches for 46 yards and a score. Karpinski grabbed five balls for 48 yards and a TD.
Healy finished with 116 rushing yards for ESU. He was the first opposing running back to rush for over 100 yards against West Chester since the first and second games of the season - both losses by the Golden Rams. Soltes was 25 of 40 for 226 yards and three TDs. However, his two interceptions both resulted in touchdowns for the Golden Rams. Schnaars caught 10 passes for 87 yards and one score. West Chester cornerback
Shaquil James (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic) prevented Schnaars from catching anything down field, or running in open space all afternoon, and limited him to just 8.7 yards per catch.
West Chester will face 10th-ranked Slippery Rock (9-1, 6-1 PSAC West) Saturday at 12:10 p.m. at John A. Farrell Stadium in the 2015 PSAC Championship Game. That contest will be broadcast live on SportsFEVER Television and can be seen all over the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as on ESPN3 and ESPN College Plan.
NOTES: West Chester's win over East Stroudsburg moved the Rams to 59-22 overall against the Warriors and was the third straight win in the series ... West Chester's win, coupled with Kutztown's 51-27 win over Shippensburg Saturday, puts the Golden Rams into the "State Game" for the first time since 2008 ... West Chester is 6-8 in the conference championship game and 2-3 against Slippery Rock ... the Golden Rams have lost the last six times it has played for the conference crown in a championship game ... West Chester has not won the "State Game" since 1971 (35-14 vs. Edinboro) ... PK Brendan Paulison has made his last nine FG attempts ... he has not missed since the Millersville game (44 yards) ... he is 11 of 12 on the year and a perfect 11-for-11 under 40 yards ... QB Pat Moriarty's 26 TD passes ranks tied for third in the PSAC this year and tied for ninth all-time in a single season at WCU ... it also marks the fourth straight year in which a WCU QB has thrown for at least 26 yards in a season.
