Rouse To The Rescue In West Chester Season Opener, 31-24

Box Score  

WALTHAM, Mass. - Nydair Rouse (Philadelphia, Pa./Simon Gratz) returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that lifted visiting West Chester to a 31-24 non-league victory over host Bentley College Saturday afternoon.

 

West Chester (1-0) scored 17 unanswered points in the final 15 minutes to erase a 10-point deficit and pull out the road win. Senior WR Shannon Mayer (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) finished with seven catches for 73 yards and a TD in the win. Junior RB Jarel Elder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) rushed for a game-high 102 yards as well.

 

Trailing 24-14 entering the final quarter of play, Mayer hauled in an 8-yard pass from junior QB Andrew Derr (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Dublin) with 14:14 left to pull the Golden Rams within striking distance. Five minutes later, sophomore PK Brendan Paulison (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) added a 29-yard field goal to even things up at 24-apiece.

 

After the teams traded 3-and-outs, Bentley took control on their own 25-yard line with 4:11 to play. C.J. Scarpa's pass on 2nd-and-10 was deflected at the line of scrimmage by West Chester's Josh Ganzelli (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West), and Rouse snared the deflection, scampering 35 yards into the end zone for the deciding points in the contest.

 

Bentley jumped out to a 17-14 lead at the half on the strength of a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. The Falcons racked up 270 yards of total offense by the break. However, West Chester's defense stiffened in the second half, capped by Rouse's interception return. The Falcons scored just once in the final 30 minutes of play and mustered just 137 yards of offense.

 

Shaquille James (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic) and Kyle Keyser (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) each registered seven tackles to lead the Rams. James was also credited with three pass breakups. Rouse had five tackles, one of which was a QB sack, to go along with his INT return. West Chester registered eight tackles for a loss in the game.

 

Golden Rams' starting QB Pat Moriarty (Gladwyne, Pa./Harriton) struggled from the outset, before being relieved by Derr. Moriarty completed just two passes – including an 11-yard TD strike to Tyler Karpinski (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Twp.) – on 12 attempts. He threw two interceptions. Derr went 11-for-19 for 169 yards and a score. He threw one interception.

 

Bentley won the turnover battle, 3-2. However, both of the Falcons' miscues resulted in disasterous consequences. Bentley RB Brendan Burke fumbled on West Chester's 19-yard line with 3:19 to play in the second half as the hosts were driving for a score. The Golden Rams took over possession of the ball and marched 81 yards in eight plays, capped by Karpinski's TD reception.

 

West Chester returns to John A. Farrell Stadium next Saturday for the team's home opener in a rematch of last season's PSAC Championship Game. Two-time defending conference champ, Slippery Rock, makes another call on the Golden Rams at 12 p.m. It is Hall of Fame Weekend next Saturday as well. The WCU Athletics Hall of Fame will induct six new members and the 2002 Women's Lacrosse team that won the national championship that season.