No. 25 West Chester Rolls Past Bentley, 51-9, In Season Opener

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – So., QB Paul Dooley (Philadelphia, Pa./Springside-Chestnut Hill) went 12-for-15 for 183 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 25 West Chester to a 51-9 victory over visiting Bentley inside John A. Farrell Stadium in the season opener for both schools Thursday night.
 
West Chester administration held a fireworks display following the game. However, head coach Bill Zwaan and his 2017 Golden Rams provided fireworks on their own much earlier in the night.
 
"That is about as complete an effort, both offensively and defensively, that we have had – especially on opening night," Zwaan commented afterwards.
 
In fact, it was the largest margin of victory in a season opener since the Golden Rams defeated Lock Haven, 43-0, in 2007, and the most points scored in an opener since the Rams laid 62 on Cheyney in the 1996 lid-lifter.
 
West Chester's offense put up 478 yards of total offense while only yielding 213 yards to Bentley. The Falcons opened the game with a 47-yard completion down to the Rams' 31-yard line, and eventually drove down to the 8-yard line, before settling for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
 
The drive was 12 plays and covered 70 yards. Bentley would only muster 143 more yards the rest of the game.
 
West Chester answered with a pair of touchdown drives that each was more than 70 yards in the making. Junior RB Mark Dukes (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) scampered 57 yards on a jet sweep to put the Rams in front for good, 7-3. Following a three-and-out from Bentley, Dooley hooked up with junior WR Jordan Banks (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.) on a 38-yard TD strike to make it a 14-3 game.
 
West Chester scored a touchdown on six of the team's first eight possessions. The last of the six scores was a fumble recovery by senior DE George Shipp (Harleysville, Pa./North Penn). A wild snap from center on 1st-and-10 from the 25-yard line sailed past the Falcons' QB, and Shipp shoved the signal-caller out of the way as the two arrived at the ball at the same time. He then scooped up the fumble at the 2-yard line and waltzed into the end zone.
 
Junior LB Tyler Morrissey (Springfield, Pa./Springfield-DELCO) registered four tackles, including two sacks, while R-Fr. DB Jordan Burney (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop Egan) posted five stops, recovered a fumble and was credited with a QB hurry in his first career start. Deionte Wilson (Catasqua, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) also recorded a team-best five tackles.
 
Backup QB, A.J. Long (Bethlehem, Pa./Friendship Christian [Tenn.]) was 3-for-5 for 82 yards, including a 43-yard TD strike to R-Fr. WR Rasheem James (Philadelphia, Pa./Ben Franklin). It was Long's first college football game since suiting up for Syracuse in 2014.
 
Four different wide receivers caught a touchdown pass from Dooley and Long. Senior Tyler Karpinski (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Twp.) led the way with six catches for 80 yards and a score – a nice tap dance along the back line of the end zone with 8:50 left in the third quarter.
 
West Chester hits the road next Saturday for a non-league PSAC crossover at Slippery Rock. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.